Intimate Surf Lodge Wedding by Long Exposure

Surf’s up! This laid-back, beachy wedding took place at a local surf lodge – the perfect venue for a couple who first started noticing one another during early morning sessions. With this natural coastal setting in place, they set about infusing their ‘I do’s with soft blooms (including the bride’s sweet flower crown!), rustic elements, and nods to their love of sea and sand. With an intimate guest list and long trestles set up under the trees while paper lanterns swung in the breeze, Alice and Joel’s wedding has the feeling of a family dinner in the garden rather than a buttoned up formal do, and it’s no wonder, as all the details (including the customisation of Alice’s dream dress) were a labour of love by the bride’s mum and other dear family and friends. It really makes you smile, and happily, Christie Long was there to capture all of the love!

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Harvest Brights Wedding Inspiration by Leipzig & Nicola Bester

Good morning, lovelies! And happy Friday! There’s a weekend full of excitement ahead (rugbyyyyyyyy!!!!) but before that happens, there’s a day of inspiration here on the blog. And we’re starting it off with a gorgeous piece of editorial from some of our absolute favourite suppliers, including Leipzig, Flamboijant, Corlé Barnard and Nicola Bester. These ladies do colour to perfection, and today they’re bringing us a table full of harvest brights – rich shades of pumpkin, butternut, tangerine and honey that would be amazing for an autumn wedding but could work just as well in the summer too (or really, any season – as the team says, be daring with your colours!). With the Leipzig team involved, it’s no surprise the florals are AMAZE, but I am also head over heels in LOVE with the cake and its dripping metallics! And of course Corlé has brought her special touch to hair and makeup. Basically, it’s gorgeous, so let’s get to the good stuff, shall we?Read More

Misty Bohemian Wedding at Corrie Lynn Farm by Duane Smith {Michane & Nic}

Well, it has been a week y’all. (Yes, I know I’m not Southern, but I’m giving into my desire to say y’all because I can.) From tech issues to a very minor foot surgery that had me hobbling about with a cartoon-big bandage on my toe, it hasn’t got off to the best start. But that all changes now, because this wedding is insanely cool. So much so, that it took just one incredible image for me to mail talented photographer Duane Smith with an “OMG I must have that wedding” email.  I LOVE, heart and adore Michane’s bridal style – I’ve seen a lot of flower crowns but hers is just amazing, and I love that her daughter got to wear a mini version too. Then let’s talk about the floral print bridesmaid dresses (from PnP – budget bridesmaids for the win!), the beribboned feet, the red barn… All of that bright and beautiful against a backdrop of Midlands mist and rustic neutrals. It’s amazing. And I’m so excited to share it with you. My good week officially starts here.Read More

An English Country Garden Styled Shoot by josie photography

It’s time for some Friday prettiness folks, courtesy of the lovely Josie of josie photography. This sweet little styled shoot was inspired by the legend of Camelot, and it really does have an idyllic English country garden feeling – you can just imagine Arthur and Guinevere prancing about in these green and pleasant surroundings. But more than that, there’s some fresh inspiration for rustic brides in the real world too – gorgeous flowers in the perfect spring or summer palette, soft botanical touches, and of course a bride crowned with flowers. And hello, proteas. We just can’t get enough of them this week, it seems! :)Read More

Boho Country Chic Wedding at Talloula by Vanilla Photography {Katy and Shaun}

Some weddings are just easy breezy – I just have to look at them to know I want to feature them on SBB! Today’s is one of those – I absolutely adore Katy & Shaun’s mix of boho, rustic and clean, contemporary style with a dash of pastels – it’s just sheer prettiness. The attention to detail in the wedding reception is brilliant – the effect may be relaxed, but I love the little touches like champagne cork menu holders, tiny tin watering cans filled with delicate pink blooms, floral chandeliers, and a LOVE sign shining delicately against the pure white backdrop of the Talloula reception space. And let’s not forget the bride’s gorgeous flower crown and lace sleeve dress combo, bridesmaids in soft blush, and boys in bowties. As I say, easy breezy – and beautifully photographed by the fab Vanilla Photography too.Read More

Persephone Bridal Portraits by Debbie Lourens

Afternoon, my lovelies! Time for some unusual and pretty inspiration, courtesy of Debbie Lourens, a Cape Town-based photographer. Debbie has a fresh approach to bridal portrait sessions for those brides who have approached her wanting to ‘rock the frock’. I am not always a huge fan of the so-called ‘trash the dress’ sessions as they CAN be tacky, but do I love the idea of a bride getting to wear her dress again and create something special and beautiful together with her photographer! In this case, Debbie was inspired by her own love of Greek mythology (which I totally share) to produce a shoot themed around the myth of the goddess Persephone. In case you’re not familiar with the story, it goes that Persephone (the daughter of Zeus and harvest goddess Demeter) was kidnapped as a young maid by Hades, god of the Underworld. Her mother, devastated, went searching for her, and eventually Hades agreed to allow Persephone to return to her mother, but first gave her a pomegranate to eat. When Demeter saw Persephone with the ruby stain on her lips, she knew that her daughter had tasted the fruit of life, and made a new home for herself. So a bargain was made. Each spring, Persephone returns to the world, heralded by flowers. Each autumn, she enters to the underworld, and as her mother grieves, the winter season comes. Lovely, isn’t it? And what a perfect inspiration for boho brides.Read More

Flowers in her Hair

So a couple of weeks ago I featured a roundup of beautiful birdcage veils, but if your style is more bohemian than retro, I have a bridal accessory trend that’s just for you. Brides with flowers in their hair are nothing new (although they’ve gained a lot of popularity as an alternative to veils in the last couple of years), but recently I have been seeing a bloom of brides wearing full-on floral crowns. And you guys, I LOVE them! Once the preserve of ’80s flowergirls, the new wave of flower wreaths are soft and sweet but with a bold, high fashion edge. They’re not subtle, but boy are they beautiful. Check out these lovelies…

The great thing is that you can combine the crowns with short or long hair, which makes this one of the most wearable trends (although it works best with soft curls, whatever the length). You can use fresh or fake blooms, and customise your wreath to suit your colours and bouquet. You can choose to keep it on all day, or just for your ceremony or photos. You can also choose how big you want to go, depending on the blossoms you choose. It’s so flexible. And you can also choose to use the look for one or all of your bridesmaids or flower girls, although I really like the statement it makes on a bride.

Image sources (top to bottom, left to right): 1- Meg Perotti; 2- Adene Photography via The Pretty Blog; 3- Blooms by Martha Andrews via Style Me Pretty; 4- Clayton Austin via Green Wedding Shoes; 5- Simply Bloom Photography via Green Wedding Shoes; 6- welovepictures via The Pretty Blog; 7- which goose; 8- Mignonne HandmadeVentola Photography via Green Wedding Shoes; 9- Simply Bloom Photography; 10- So Happi Together via 100 Layer Cake