Just stopping in for a little (okay big!) announcement this rainy afternoon. There’s a lot going on at SBB HQ at the moment (a LOT, actually). 2016 is going to be quite the year, and I feel like in some ways, everything is just starting to fall into place from the way I’ve pictured running this business for quite some time. It’s always been my passion to promote the South African wedding industry – it’s why, even when I could make more money by taking a general, international focus for the blog, I’ve always tried to keep things local in terms of the real weddings I showcase and the talents I promote. I want this to be a place that inspires anyone who visits, but gives real, practical access to the best of the SA industry for local brides. Since the very beginning, venues have been a big part of that vision, but I haven’t found the exact right way of partnering with them (and in the meantime, so many AMAZING venues have sprung up, it’s unbelievable!). Until now, that is. Towards the end of last year, I felt the time was right and started to curate my own collection of the best of the best. The venues that give you that feeling of wow. The ones that make me think when I visit: ‘I would totally book this venue on the spot’. They’re all over the country, and they represent a huge range of styles, but what they have in common is that they’re each special in their own unique way, and absolutely gorgeous of course! And very soon, I’m going to be introducing you to them all.

Over the next few days and weeks, you’ll see the launch of our venue directory, with more new and wonderful venues added every day. You’ll also be seeing spotlights of these venues on the blog and on our social channels, along with roundups of different venue types and styles, to inspire you as you get planning – and of course, breathtaking real weddings! Some will be familiar names. Some are newer (and making waves in a big way!) To top it all off, we’ll be publishing a beautiful digital magazine for you to download and keep. An information source, sure. But more than that, pages of love and light-filled images to inspire your most romantic wedding dreams, and maybe spark some ideas you may not have thought of before. I’m so thrilled to be working with the amazing, handpicked venues who are part of the Collection, and to show you that what’s out there in our beautiful country is better than your wildest wedding dreams. So watch this space… the SBB Collection is almost here!

Gaby xox