Dreamy Blue Wedding Inspiration with a Surprise Proposal

Time to kick off a new year of inspirational content! And I honestly can’t think of a prettier way to do that than with this styled shoot by the wonderful Courtney Leigh. It’s full of dreamy, dusky blues and touches of elegant gold, gorgeous organic florals and an extraordinarily beautiful two-piece gown by Alexandra Grecco. Jade Magnolia did an amazing job with the table, layering textures and using different shades of blue alongside Blush and Vine‘s lush flowers to really make it pop. Every detail is super swoony (just wait till you see the chocolate strawberries!), but as wonderful as all of it is, what makes this shoot beyond special and memorable is that it ended with a surprise proposal for the sweet models, Chalie and Andrew. The looks of love on their faces, especially during and after Andrew pops the question, just radiate happiness – no wonder capturing these moments is something Courtney describes as a highlight of her photography career. It also makes this the perfect way for us to launch January’s editorial theme: Just Engaged. Enjoy!

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Adventure Proposal by Judith Doubell

We’re continuing our day of real love stories with another gorgeous proposal/engagement shoot, this time from Grahamstown photographer Judith Doubell. Judith’s dear friend Louis asked for her help in planning (as well as photographing) the perfect proposal for his girlfriend Esti on their visit from Johannesburg last year. Judith not only helped him pull off an incredibly romantic proposal, but involved a number of local creatives, which is very cool. When Judith ‘left for work’ that day, she suggested the couple go for coffee at a nearby roastery, where they were presented with a hand-drawn treasure hunt map and instructions to take photos of themselves at all the city’s points of interest. Everything was planned to perfection, from their walk around town to a friend driving them to a guest house for a picnic (where Judith was secretly hiding in the bushes with her camera). Stashed in a box of macaroons was a beautiful engagement ring, and Louis got down on one knee and secured an excited “yes!” from Esti, before enjoying champagne and a spontaneous engagement shoot. How cute is that? You can read the full story (and check out the couple’s instagrams from their treasure hunt) on Judith’s blog.Read More

Ruby Bride #1: Meet Our Ruby Bride

Time to meet the second of our 2013/2014 RLBs (for now), the very lovely Jerusha. I was so thrilled when Jerusha applied to be a RLB – I have known her as a blogger on Twitter for a while, and I can’t wait to hear all about her wedding plans! It’s going to be such a joyous, multi-cultural celebration. My favourite. Time for you to meet her too, and get a little taster for what’s been inspiring her wedding design. Here she is, our Ruby Bride.

I remember the very first time I saw Gideon Raath. It was the world’s least romantic setting. We were 16 (me) and 17 (him) years old and met at… church. I know. We hit it off immediately and became fast friends, but nothing more. I could never have imagined that nine years later he’d get down on one knee and ask me to be his wife. Although, at the time, I did notice his eyes were the most mesmerizing shade of green. And, just this year, his father told me Gideon had gone home that night and told his dad he’d met “the most amazing girl.” Aww.

Early this year, after a few years of dating (and a couple of disastrous years of long-distance dating; a story for another time…) Gideon asked if I wanted to have a look at precious stones, “just for fun”. I fell in love with a big, shiny almost-flawless ruby and four beautiful marquise diamonds. He convinced me the ruby was too expensive, and that an actual engagement was a very, very long way off.

Not a month later, after spending a wonderful day together in Franschhoek, Gideon brought me home to my candle (and champagne!) filled apartment and asked me to marry him. With the ruby and diamond ring. I ugly cried so much, I couldn’t get a word out. An hour later he asked “you said ‘yes’, right?”

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A Bride Abroad #1: The Proposal

Make way! Huzzah! It’s time to introduce you to the second of our current season of real life brides – don’t worry, we haven’t lost Candice just yet, but while she’s off adding finishing touches to her planning, it’s time to meet RLB #2, Liana. Like many of our readers, Liana has had the challenge of planning her Cape wedding from abroad – not the easiest of tasks! We’ll be hearing all about her ideas and inspirations, and how she’s overcome the distance challenge over the coming weeks, but for now, let’s make her feel welcome and hear all about how she and fiancé Chris met.

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Let Them Eat Wedding Cake #1: The Proposal

That’s right, you guys! It’s time for a brand new real life bride series, and I am SO excited! I was so totally overwhelmed by the response to my call for a new RLB a few weeks back – not just by the number of submissions, but by your enthusiasm and willingness to share your ideas and stories with me. It was truly heartwarming, and a reminder of how privileged I am to do what I do. In the end, I couldn’t bear to choose just one, so today I am thrilled to announce that you’ll be meeting not just one but THREE new Real Life Brides, who will be taking you on their wedding planning journeys! The posts will be staggered to accommodate the different wedding dates, so you’ll meet brides 2 & 3 later, but today I get to introduce you to the very lovely Candice, our Marie Antoinette bride! Candice charmed me with her introduction email (excerpt: “I love Downton Abbey and avoid the sun in an attempt to acquire skin as pale as lady Mary’s… I think that the time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time and that eating and sleeping are two perfectly respectable ways of spending one’s time. And if I could, I would wear a wedding dress every day for the rest of my life.”) She has her eye on Versailles for inspiration, and she’ll be telling you all about it in the coming weeks. For now, a huge WELCOME to Candice – don’t forget to show her some love in the comments! :)

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