Just Peachy Winelands Wedding at Lothian Vineyards by Claire Thomson

With an intimate garden atmosphere, a beautiful bride in a Janita Toerien dress (rocking the prettiest ballet slippers!), and a lineup of blushing bridesmaids in soft peachy crop and skirt combos, you just know that this wedding in amongst the Cape winelands is going to be a special affair. A lovely mix of classic and rustic styles, from the flower arch and outdoor ceremony area to the tables decked out with wood cuts and proteas, and even a rainbow to wish Hannes & Marike joy and luck, it’s the kind of laid-back and lovely wedding that reminds me why getting married in the Cape is such a wonderful experience, captured to perfection (as always!) by Claire Thomson!

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Bright & Festive Winelands Wedding at Hidden Valley by Claire Thomson

It’s time to stop and smell the roses – or rather, the roses, peonies, tulips, orchids, banksia, hydrangea and more! The flowers at this colour-happy wedding fest really had me doing  double take – Leipzig as usual have done an incredible job of creating the most gorgeous array of blooms in shades from deep crimson to soft blush to vibrant yellow and tangerine. Add in some sweet bunnies (which became the couple’s own wedding motif), soft pastels, rustic textures and classic elements including an elegant winelands setting, and you have a wedding lover’s paradise. And to prove it wasn’t all just a beautiful dream, Claire Thomson was on the scene to capture these gorgeous images of Sianne and Shane’s big day!

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20 Vineyard Wedding Ideas

Hello lovelies! Since we’re talking vineyard weddings in October, I thought it was the perfect moment for me to round up 20 ways that you can bring a winery theme to your wedding – even if you aren’t planning a wine route celebration. There are so many cute ideas out there, from decor to favours to guest books, and while of course you’re not going to want to do ALL of them (too themey!), adding in a couple will add that extra layer of detail that makes your guests go ‘ooh!’ I’ve tried to find some fresh new ideas, as well as some classics, so scroll down and find your favourite. But I think you’ll agree, they’re all rather ‘wine-derful’! (Lame joke, I know. Sorrynotsorry.) Read More

Why Have a Winelands Wedding?

For a lot of people, when you think ‘South African wedding’, one of the images that immediately springs to mind is the beautiful Cape winelands… a bride and groom walking hand in hand among the vines, great food and wine… you get the picture. After all, our wine route is one of the most beautiful places on earth (not that I’m biased as a Stellenbosch alum or anything, but they so are). And yes, we’ve all been to winelands weddings before, but from time to time, when I hear couples say that they avoided estate venues just to be different, I feel a little bit sad. That’s like saying you went to Italy and avoided Tuscany, just to be different. Not because we don’t have a wealth of other fantastic options, but because there are so many more reasons to consider a wine farm wedding than not. And so, since this month we’re celebrating everything vineyard, I thought it was the perfect time to round up my top ten of ’em.Read More

Peonies & Proteas Holden Manz Wedding by Nikki Meyer & Creation Events {Nina & Bernd}

I just love when foreign couples decide to spend their big day under our big sky, don’t you? I mean, it’s no surprise – we already know how gorgeous South Africa is – but we love sharing it with others who have fallen for with our beautiful land and want to have it as the backdrop to their big day. Which by the way, is also an awesome way of ensuring you always have to come back for your anniversaries ;) Nina and Bernd are just such a couple – their love of SA runs deep, and they brought all their favourite people here to celebrate with them. I just love their concept of a chilled out high tea after the ceremony, with a civilised little siesta break, and then an elegant dinner. And the sophisticated design reflected these two parts of the reception, from colourful protea and fruit arrangements in rustic crates, to blush and white peonies and ranunculus on creamy tables over candlelight. Let’s just talk about those peonies for a second too, because I can’t help being in total love with Nina’s bouquet, can you? I’m so glad we’re seeing more and more of these very special blooms here in SA now. Two of my favourite wedding ladies were behind the scenes of this lovely wedding – Theresa Lazarevic of Creation Events (one of our long-time friends and sponsors), and the awesome Nikki Meyer, whose photos never fail to delight! And here they certainly do – I’m especially in love with the mountain backdrop, which has me longing for a trip to the Cape.Read More

Coral Watercolour Stellenrust Estate Wedding by Moira West {Carla & Jeremy}

Morning, lovelies! It’s time for our first real wedding of 2014, huzzah! In the spirit of the new year, regular readers will notice we’ve had a little makeover (the ice cream parlour look, as I like to think of it) – this year we’ll be making some bigger changes to our look, but this is just a little freshen up. What do you think? I’ve also added some new features, and modified others – the biggest change to come will be in our supplier directory, but more on that soon. We’re also trying a new format for the wedding posts to reflect a few changes in the questionnaire I send real brides. SBB is always working to give readers a better experience, and I’d love to hear your feedback. ANYWAY, back to today’s wedding, and I can’t think of any that I’d rather start the year with than this coral watercolour dream from Moira West. Carla and Jeremy make such a gorgeous couple, and their wedding ‘brand’ was sweet and modern and romantic, complementing ombre lace bridesmaid dresses with hanging lanterns, soft and simple white blooms, and an amazing portrait back wedding dress, as well as fun touches like a wedding bingo game for guests to complete. Start as you mean to go on, right? It’s going to be a VERY pretty year :)Read More

Real Wedding at Palmiet Valley Estate {Amie & Christoph}

Happy Tuesday SouthBound brides – hope your week has got off to a splendid start! Mine certainly has, being in Joburg for a flying visit and seeing a couple of friends before I head to Kruger on Thursday. Can. Not. Wait. I am such a bush baby. Anyway, to make your week even more splendid, I have another beautiful winelands wedding from the fab Jani B. I absolutely adore the bright citrus palette that Amie and Cristoph used, their understated rustic styling, and my goodness, Amie’s dress! Not to mention a macaron tower decorated with succulents to match the stunning bouquet – how gorgeous is that? Grab yourself a mid-morning cuppa, and settle in for a big fat dose of lovely.Read More