You don’t need me to tell you again how much I love the South African bushveld – as Ernest Hemingway said: “I never knew of a morning in Africa when I woke up and was not happy.” This wedding has everything I love about the bushveld – the soft, dreamy colour palette, the rustic setting, amazing animal sightings, colour, laughter, joy – and most of all, the sense of serenity that only comes under a great big starry African sky. Of course, a wedding like that needs a photographer to do it justice, and Rensche Mari does just that – these pics are super gorgeous, and show off every pretty detail of Lizel and Guy’s beautiful big day. Grab a G&T and enjoy!Read More
I can’t think of a more proudly South African theme for your wedding than fynbos, and that’s exactly what today’s bride and groom chose, basing their entire wedding design on their love for Cape fynbos, right down to protea seed favours. Here’s the twist though – the wedding didn’t take place in the Cape, but rather in the North West, creating a gorgeous fusion of the best of two of our prettiest provinces. This is rustic handmade wedding design at its best, in creamy neutral colours, along with shades of soft pink and a touch of gold. 5 Talents Photography took these golden images, to commemorate Jean-Marie & Jacques special day!Read More
Last week, an impressive little envelope landed in my postbox. The kind of paper you want to run your fingers over, with an old-school wax seal on the back. Inside was a thick letterpress invitation, an extra that today’s lovely bride Sandra shared with me ahead of our feature today. The dress code: strictly black tie – full length dresses for the ladies, tuxedos for the men, and white frocks and flower crowns for the little madams. That invitation really set the tone for Sandra and Murray’s chic wedding, introducing their guests to a world of ballroom formal and Out of Africa safari style that took place right on the couple’s farm in the Free State. I just adore everything about this look, from Sandra’s red-lipped mantilla-ed bridal style to the orchid laden tables, all with the most incredible bush backdrop (all captured beautifully by photographer Wil Punt). And today, we’re extending the invitation to you too. The pleasure of your company is requested… PS You can see Sandra and Murray’s awesome safari engagement shoot here.Read More
As a huge fan of our indigenous flowers, I have always wished more strelizias popped up in wedding design (that’s ‘bird of paradise’ flowers to you overseas readers) – they aren’t as versatile as proteas, sure, but they’re another bloom that immediately makes me think of home. And that’s not the only homegrown touch that Helen and Johan incorporated in their gorgeous, rustic, South African-inspired wedding – from Karoo style details like tin windmills and enamel cups, to a boma reception, this is truly a sunny SouthBound wedding. My favourite moment though? Johan picking up a guitar and singing to his bride during his speech. Not a dry eye in the house – it doesn’t get much more romantic than that! Kobus of Dreampix was there to capture every colourful moment (as he was for the couple’s farm engagement shoot, previously featured on SBB).Read More
If you’ve been reading SBB for any amount of time, you’ll know that I am absolutely crazy for the African bush. Beaches and mountains I love, even cities with their chaotic charm enthrall me, but I never feel quite as at peace and at home with my soul as I do in the bushveld. Today’s couple feel the same way, and the bush has woven into their love story, so it was only natural they would choose a game lodge for their wedding day. So they found themselves exchanging vows under a bower of Marulas, mixing the vintage elegance of lace, lilies and lanterns with a crisp modern palette of navy and white. It works beautifully, a hint of old world safari, as well as a timelessly elegant look that gave centre stage to the magnificent wilderness all around them. I can’t think of a better place to say ‘I do!’. The lovely Maryke Harper captured these gorgeous images of the beautiful Melissa and her dashing groom.Read More
After the rainy day weddings we’ve had so far this week, today we’re going to the other end of the spectrum for a wedding in the mountains of Namibia (hey, neighbours!). Talk about rustic chic – Manuela and Graham picked a luxury tented camp for their venue, and complemented the incredible surroundings with vintage farm-style decor. Jules Morgan always takes the most beautiful pictures, but with a majestic backdrop like this one, her pics are absolutely breathtaking. I love how gorgeous natural desert textures were mixed with pretty feminine ones like doilies and lace, and modern touches like Manuela’s pouf blusher veil. And how much do we LOVE her bouquet? So unique, and so perfect for the setting.Read More
Hello lovelies! I have an exciting announcement coming up this afternoon, but first, here’s a sweet little game lodge wedding from Gauteng photographer Alexander Smith. Carol and Joggie were married at Bushfellows, a private lodge in Limpopo. They chose to enjoy the simple beauty of their natural surroundings, with long tables, Italian food, and classic white wedding details including menus printed on their napkins and lanterns swaying gently in the breeze. We don’t have our usual questionnaire today, but make sure you check out the video at the end (also from Alexander), which is a super fun roundup from Carol and Joggie’s photobooth – this is my absolute favourite way for photobooth pics to be ‘displayed’!Read More
My love for the South African bushveld is not undocumented – in fact, I’m pretty sure I tell you all how much I lurve it every time I feature a bush wedding on the blog. But it’s a love that runs deep – so deep, in fact, that it was my dad’s major complaint about my last boyfriend. How could you really love me, he reasoned, if you didn’t love the bushveld? Ten points, Dad. So I really appreciate a couple who not only shares this feeling of mine but who, even when not getting married at a game lodge, managed to infuse their wedding with some of the same vibe. For Jill and Mike, it was through cheeky touches – wooden giraffes on the tables, bridesmaids in an adorable animal print (it sounds wrong, but it looked oh so right!), succulents and beautiful protea bouquets. But this was no cheesy safari-themed event – with the elegant backdrop of the Hilton estate and an outdoor marquee, a chic updo and layers of tulle for the bride and a gentle palette of black and white with soft pinks and greens, this is every bit the classic formal wedding. It’s a delicious combination pulled off perfectly, and photographed perfectly by Vanilla Photography. Oh, and can we get a shout out to some awesome groom styling – loving Mike’s gingham tie!Read More
Hello lovelies! Today we’re heading just a little bit north of the border, for the first SBB wedding from Namibia. I don’t know about you, but I’ve always been fascinated by the Namib desert, and would love to visit one day! So I couldn’t resist this lovely wedding of a Swedish bride and Namibian groom, with its sweet rustic detailing in the middle of a desert setting. It reminds me of the pictures we have of my great grandfather having picnics with his tennis club in the bush – they’d trek out with blankets and chairs and a gramophone, and it was all very civilised! With so much natural beauty in our country and those of our neighbours, I’m a particular fan of weddings that take advantage of these incredible views, and you don’t need to compromise on the classically pretty wedding you’ve always dreamed of to do it. Photographer Drikus Le Roux was there with Karolina and Arno to capture the beauty both inside and out of the marquee. Oh, and PS, don’t skip the text – this is the cutest ‘how we met’ story!Read More
You people bring me such joy, you know, with your clever weddings! Over here in the UK, or when I’m speaking to American friends, people are always saying “South Africans have seriously beautiful weddings, and you’re not afraid to take risks and do something different”. They’re right, and I absolutely love that. It’s what made me start this blog in the first place. I love that I get to feature everything from incredibly luxurious, elegant affairs with the finest of everything through to relaxed celebrations on the beach, or in someone’s back yard. They all bring something new to the table. Take, for example, today’s wedding at Bushfellows in Limpopo. Maxine and Frans are a couple of free spirits, who wanted to have an amazing party with their friends and capture that perpetually laid-back African beach bar vibe, but in the bush. Just the concept of that is so cool – I mean, how much fun would that wedding be, right? And then of course, there’s the execution: bridesmaids in flower crowns and sundresses with individual bouquets (yay!), a beautiful bride in the most fun dress ever (lovingly made by her mother), mismatched florals, colourful tables under flower awnings, and a pinata instead of a wedding cake. No seriously, a pinata. That is the awesomest. And they gave new meaning to the term ‘barefoot wedding’ when they took all their guests’ shoes as an ‘entrance fee’ (to give to charity) – with socks as favours in case of cold feet! I absolutely love these pictures from friend of the blog Simone Franzel – she’s done an amazing job of capturing such a special day and it was so hard to narrow them down. This is really going to get your Wednesday off to a blazing start, so buckle up, and enjoy the ride!Read More
