Vintage Chic City Wedding at the Cape Town Club by Duane Smith

Vintage Chic City Wedding at the Cape Town Club | Credit: Duane Smith

I’ve heard of saying it with flowers, but when it came to his proposal, today’s groom said it with coffee! Which is kind of the perfect city living touch for Henrietta and Ross, who also picked a classic city location for their wedding (the historic Cape Town Club) and took it as their cue for a celebration that was infused with 1920s vintage style. The reception was class all the way – candlelight bouncing off wood-panelled walls from the elegant black tapers, gorgeous arrangements of white flowers from the amazing Neva at Bright & Beautiful (who actually DOES know how to say it with flowers!), and the sweetest menus with a dog motif from our friends at Blooming Wonderful. All captured perfectly by Duane Smith.

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Urban Garden Glam Wedding at Katy’s Palace Bar by Blackframe Photography {Georja & Danny}

This wedding has everything that makes my little heart go all fluttery. First off, I LOVE me a city wedding, and Katy’s Palace Bar is quickly becoming one of my favourite venues for its eclectic urban appeal. Then there’s the mix of glam gold, greenery and pale blooms that Georja and Danny chose to decorate their reception – the perfect way to bring a touch of garden romance to their warehouse-style location, and let’s not forget Georja’s pastel bouquet, and feather-detailed dress. Sparkling fairy lights, gold-painted animal favours, tall candelabras – oh, and a glittering gold cake. Not to mention pretty maids all in a row in charcoal infinity dresses by our friends at Gelique. I love it all, so let’s get to oohing over it, shall we? These fab pictures are from the team at Blackframe Photography – always a pleasure to share their work!Read More

City Botanical Wedding at The Pot Luck Club by Marli Koen {Catherine & Jason}

Brides and grooms, I beg of you, consider a city wedding, because OMG they are so fabulous. And as cities go, let’s be honest, Cape Town is amazing. So when you combine urban chic with lush botanical styling and a Table Mountain skyline, you get the wedding we have today – super romantic with a touch of glitz… fun, intimate and relaxed… and did I mention pretty? I’m especially in love with both the bride and bridesmaids’ dresses, as well as the greenery that Catherine and Jason chose to decorate both the church (Kate and Wills-style) and their favourite restaurant, The Pot Luck Club. Flowing greenery, inspired by a meadow, bringing the outdoors indoor, and perfectly complementing the city location. Perfect. The lovely Marli Koen was on the scene, capturing every smiley moment and flash of sequin and lace.Read More

Urban Luxe Wedding at Katy’s Palace by Lad & Lass {Alexia & Albert}

I have to tell you guys, as much as I love a country wedding, I get a special little thrill when a city affair lands in my inbox (or when my talented intern, Candice, unearths a little urban gem, as she did with this one). Especially when it’s a city wedding at a completely awesome venue, as Alexia and Albert’s turned out to be. I hadn’t come across Katy’s Palace Bar in Johannesburg before, but knowing that it’s part of the same family as the gorgeous Emily Moon in Plett, I’m not surprised that it’s amazing – full of luxe, eclectic styling, with a breathtaking view over the Jozi skyline, and the kind of industrial antique touches that bring to mind the city’s history. There’s not much you need to do with a venue like this, and Alexia and Albert played it perfectly, lining the tables with lace and filling the room with tall white candles and lush, bright florals. And let’s just take a moment to talk about Alexia’s Abigail Betz dress – I LOVE the convertible dress trend (where a single gown goes from day to night with the removal of a long skirt usually), and this one is romantic and effortless – such a clever look, and perfectly suited to the church ceremony and city chic reception. Lad & Lass recorded this one for the ages, combining their amazing talent for detail and colour with a capture-the-moment flair – the result is just as wonderful as it sounds.Read More

BHLDN Fall 2014 Lookbook

If there’s one store I REALLY wish would come to South Africa, it’s BHLDN, Anthropologie’s wedding branch, who never fail to inspire me on a browse through their website. I’m particularly in love with their line of wedding gowns, especially since the prices aren’t bad considering how beautiful the dresses are. Even though I can only dream about visiting one of their stores, the good news is that BHLDN do ship to SA, so for today’s fashion feature I just had to share their latest lookbook with you all. This is romantic city style at it’s finest – proving that even a registry office wedding doesn’t have to be short on style. It stars models and real-life couple Ava and Ryan, and I just love the chemistry that they have in these gorgeous pics! For all BHLDN’s latest dresses and international shipping information, head over to their website.Read More

Something Blue Fairway Hotel Wedding by Jack and Jane Photography {Gugu & Bongani}

Happy heritage day, folks! You know, with some things in life, a little really does go a long way. Chanel No 5, kindness, chilli oil. And colour, especially when you’re dealing with the clean lines of a bright, modern wedding style like Gugu and Bongani decided to do. They chose blue as their accent colour and added just the perfect amount into their venue’s blank canvas of white and soft grey – adorable baby blue bridesmaid dresses, dusky blue tablecloths and then a pop of electric colour from sprays of dendrobium orchids and individual blooms placed at each setting. The couple themselves are the picture of city wedding chic – love the sparkled-up sweetheart neckline of the bride’s dress especially! Our lovely photographer friends Jack and Jane Photography (who you may remember as Laura Jane Photography until their fabulous recent rebrand) were there to capture these gorgeous images of the big day.Read More

Urban Boho Wedding at Arts on Main by Creative Emporium {Cindi & Cameron}

One of the things I love most about having a geographical niche for this little blog is that I’ve never had to limit myself to a particular type or style of wedding, and today’s celebration is a great example of why this makes me happy. Take a vibey, artsy, city venue and combine it with pretty boho style (along with a soft natural palette of blues and mochas) and you have something very special. Then add in a flock of lovingly-made paper cranes and one of the most uniquely gorgeous wedding dresses I have ever seen, and you’ll see why today is one of the days I love my job. Which just goes to show – when you pick a location and details that reflect you as a couple, it all comes together beautifully. Helped along of course by some stonkingly pretty pictures from the fab Creative Emporium (who we’re welcoming to SBB for the first time, yay!).Read More

Gatsby-esque Cocktail Wedding Reception at an Antique Storeroom by Alfred Lor {Lindi & Morgan}

I told you we were on a winning streak with two gorgeous weddings today, and here we are with Part 2! Lindi and Morgan’s celebration was twice as nice – an intimate celebration with elegant Delft-inspired decor (see it here), and then a blowout 1920s influenced cocktail reception for their wider circle in what has to be one of the coolest and most unique venues I’ve seen – a converted antique showroom full of the most incredible mirrors and chandeliers – wow! I love that Lindi used her contacts as a designer to come up with something a bit different, and it’s just perfect for the Gatsby vibe that the couple were trying to create. Add a few tables groaning with treats, guests jazzed up for the Jazz Era theme, and just as much love and joy as in the first wedding, and you have an absolutely incredible sequel. Pics are by the fab Alfred Lor.Read More

Inspiration Board: Birds of a Feather

Good morning, lovelies! You know, as much as I love a country wedding, and most of those I feature take advantage of the ample gorgeousness of our South African countryside, I do have a special love for city/urban weddings. Honestly, I wish more couples opted for them. But then, I do love me a bit of glam. So I am more than a little in love with today’s inspiration, for a loft-style city wedding with a matte pewter/dark grey and gold glitter palette. I’ve also introduced a bit of a feather motif – a lovely trend that’s been doing the rounds, including my absolute fave, gold-dipped feathers. So pretty! The feather motif is reflected in one of the bridesmaid dresses, the cake decorations and a gorgeous bracelet for the bride. It’s an equal measure of chic and whimsy – perfect for a rooftop soiree. Just add champagne!

Colours: Slate/pewter, gold and white

Top row (l-r): String lights {Belathee Photography/Downey Street Events}; ring shot with typography blocks {Our Labor of Love by Heidi}; gold glitter shoes {BHLDN}; bridesmaids {Justin Lee Photography/Beau & Arrow Events}; mirror sign {Jana Williams/Details Details}
Row 2: Gold dipped feathers {Frock Files}; feather bracelet; glitter linens {Brooke Mayo Photography/come + together events}; gold and grey wedding invitation {Pirrip Press}Row 3: Bride in grey dressAlea Lovely Photo/Victorian Gardens}; champagne with glitter glass rims {Sweet Tea Photography by Lisa Marie/Amber Karson Events}; gold feather boutonniere {Michelle Ng}; feather cake {Lael Cakes/Our Labor of Love/Samm Blake}; mirror.

 

Real Wedding at The Grand {Barbara & Michael}

So. When I was about 15, my friend Marcelle threw a great big birthday party at an abandoned house on her family’s farm. There was drinking, and laughing, and Green Day’s Dookie on repeat, but what I remember most was that her high school friends were very much the cool kids from the cool school. I was so intimidated, I don’t think I spoke to anyone all night. Well, some weddings… some weddings are like hanging out at the cool table. Couples that seem so impossibly stylish, their wedding seems to come from a magazine. Today’s is one of those – Barbara and Michael (and their guests) could have been plucked from the pages of Vogue, as could their stunning, atmospheric photographs from dna photographers. But if you look beyond the über-stylish venue (love me that Grand), the to-die-for views of the Cape coast from Granger Bay, and Barbara’s incredible blush lace and corset dress, there’s a sweetness and carefree spirit at the heart of this wedding that perfectly reflects the Cape Town atmosphere. It’s city chic meets coastal class, and I for one could look at it all day. Ah, la dolce vita!Read More