Author: gaby

Elbeth Gillis 2014 Collection

by gaby

Well, folks, I promised you some wedding dress loveliness to slide into the weekend with, and I shall not disappoint you! As you know by now, SBB loves our local designers (as well as the international ones, of course) and one of our all time FAVE labels (and industry people) is Elbeth Gillis. I never hear a bride say a bad word about their experience with Elbeth, and it’s no wonder, when her dresses just keep getting lovelier and lovelier every year. The 2014 collection is my favourite yet, and it’s such a perfect combination of romantic, old world fabrics and flattering, modern cuts. Looking through all ten creations, I was also struck by how perfect each dress’s name is for it – how it seems to describe an individual personality, from the 1920s Paris glamour of the Zelda, to the Armani-esque simplicity of the Jennifer. For those of you who loved Princess Catherine’s dress (um, all of us?) there’s even a Catherine, which is a romantic lace-sleeved tribute rather than a tacky knock-off. They’re all so lovely that it’s almost impossible to choose, but I think Edith, with its chantilly lace overlay, delicate cap sleeves and deep V back is my personal favourite. Head over to see the full collection on the Elbeth Gillis website.Read More

Misty & Magical Netherwood Wedding by Knot Just Pics {Clea & Dave}

by gaby

GIANT words, proteas, and hydrangeas, handmade wooden crates, bridesmaids with statement necklaces and ballet buns…have I got your attention yet? :) That’s how today’s bride started her email to SBB, and I can’t think of a better way to introduce Clea and Dave’s wedding to you. It has all of these things and more, including a lovely, atmospheric misty day in the Midlands, a custom toast that paid tribute to how the couple met, and the prettiest pastel palette with the country vintage rustic decor I know so many of you just adore. I love the bridesmaids in buns, the groomsmen in shades, and the blending of families and traditions! It’s the perfect way to end off our week (although do stop in later for some dress-related prettiness). Yay! Oh, and how could I forget – the gorgeous, atmospheric pics are courtesy of the fab Knot Just Pics – love them!Read More

Navy Suits for Stylish Grooms

by gaby

So. Since most of the time we’re all about the wedding dresses and what to do for your bridesmaids, I thought it would be nice to do our fashion report today on a trend for the boys. And also, you know, Ryan Gosling. Hang on, I hear you wonder, did you write a whole article just so you could put a picture of Ryan Gosling in a svelte blue suit on your blog? Um… maybe. And YOU’RE WELCOME. Because hey girl, doesn’t he look awesome in that very suit? (When we get married, I am totally going to make Ryan wear it again.) The good news is, navy blue suits for grooms are popping up in weddings everywhere, and they are extremely handsome-making even if your groom isn’t a Hollywood superstar. And here is the evidence. *Links in bold denote affiliate links. The cost to you remains the same, but SBB may receive a commission for any sales made.

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Bright & Playful Paternoster Wedding by Justin Davis Photography {Sarah & Gareth}

by gaby

Rain rain go away – it’s a miserable day in Durban, but I’m curled up in bed with a dog at my side, bringing you this wedding that’s full of colour and light and beachy goodness. I absolutely love SBB reader Sarah and Gareth’s chilled out attitude, including their choice of Paternoster as a venue and bright colours and references to children’s books and toys on the tables and throughout. In fact, there are tons of great ideas to be had here, so be sure to read Sarah’s story as well as revel in Justin Davis‘ lovely pics. But be absolutely sure to scroll down to the end, where you’ll also find the AWESOME stop motion animation that they made for their invitation. So creative and fun!Read More

Whimsical White Wedding Style from the NEW Wedding Inspirations Magazine

by gaby

Hello lovelies! If you stopped by yesterday, you will have seen that SBB had some unexpected downtime (I’d like to say I was zen about it, but that would be a lie!). So our schedule has had a bit of a mix up for the week – but why not, change is as good as a holiday, right? This morning I’m excited to be bringing you a gorgeous styled shoot straight from the pages of the brand new Wedding Inspirations magazine, which hit the shelves yesterday. It’s their very first white issue, so you’ll not only find gorgeous decor inspiration (and I DO mean gorgeous!) along a white theme, but fashion and beauty ideas too, as well as the usual awesome content that makes this one of our favourite wedding mags. With it being the White Issue, I just had to share this little taster of one of the shoots, styled in the most beautiful, romantic white on white. I absolutely love the little details, especially those that make use of curls of paper, like the groom’s boutonniere and the table settings, not to mention the cake that reflects this motif with fondant curls. And the flower-bedecked mannequin standing in the reception space? Heavenly! The talented team behind this shoot was led by Marius Barnard of Weddings by Marius and Michelle van Staden of Michelle Photography – huge thanks to them and to the Wedding Inspirations team for sharing this with us today!Read More

Inspiration Board: Mercury Rising

by gaby

Don’t get me wrong – I absolutely love bright colours as part of a wedding design, but don’t be afraid to use moody neutrals too. Today’s inspiration board is a mix of soft whites, dark greens, greys and blacks, and a shimmery touch of silvery mercury glass. It’s very classic (as all white weddings are) but it has that extra element of interest and shine. Taking an unusual metallic element like mercury or gold leaf, or copper or rose gold, or even steel is a great way to add a special touch to your wedding design without being too obvious and themey, and it’s a slightly more up-to-date twist on all the sequins and glitter and sparkle that have been trending over the last season. And we always love an up-to-date twist, right? ;)

Colours: Silver, grey, black, green, white

Top row (l-r): Wedding dress; mercury glass table setting {Heather Kincaid Photographer/Gianna and Company}; silver wedding cake; aisle
Row 2: Stamped invitations {Jolie Jolie Design}; table setting; shoes
Row 3: Centrepiece {Brooke Schultz}; bride {Rylee Hitchner/Joy Thigpen}; wedding car with wreath {A Bryan Photo}; mercury glass with chalkboard.

 

Travel Themed Wedding Tablescapes

by gaby

Hideyho, lovelies – we’re taking ourselves off into the  long weekend with the latest in our series of beautiful tablescapes broken down into their easy-to-replicate components. So far, we’ve looked at both rustic and beach tables, but today is a little more themey, as we tackle some of the prettiest travel-themed weddings in town. Now I know I talk about travel themes a lot, but it’s such a popular way of expressing a love story – whether you’re a couple who have wanderlust, or you’re from different places, or you’re having a destination wedding, or have travelled a lot as part of a long-distance relationship. So I know you guys are always looking for fresh ideas in this department (see all our travel wedding posts here), whether it’s a full-on theme for you, or just a little touch. I started to notice that most of the ideas I saw (and featured) were one-offs, like escort cards and table plans, or favours. So I got to wondering, what’s a great way of decorating a travel-themed wedding table? Better yet, what are my top 10? A LOT of the tables I looked at were vintagey, but I’ve tried to bring together a mix of styles and ideas that you can mix and match or adapt to suit your own particular style. As always, you’ll find lots of tips, including DIYs wherever possible. Happy landings!
*Links in bold denote affiliate links. SBB may receive a commission for any sales made.

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Radiant Orchid In the Vine Wedding by Cheryl McEwan {Kelly & Michael}

by gaby

It’s funny how quickly some terms become part of your vocabulary in this industry – a few short months ago, radiant orchid was just a dramatic description of a flower for me, but now it’s the shorthand to a gorgeous, glowy purple, Pantone’s colour of the year, and all the lovely shades of pink and purple that complement it. And of course, radiant orchid wasn’t even a thing when today’s bride Kelly picked her colours, but it just shows that her style is equal parts classic and of-the-moment. I love how her basic wedding design is an elegant white on white, with pretty embelishments like candles and pearls. The use of colour is sparing, but it really makes it pop when it shows up! I also love that Kelly is a short-hair bride – I wish we saw more of this, as she looks every bit as gorgeous as her long-haired counterparts, and it’s clear that groom Michael thinks so too – he only has eyes for his lady! One of our favourite photographers, Cheryl McEwan Photography, was the couple’s choice to snap these romantic portraits of their big day.Read More

Asymmetric Skirts & Neckline Bridesmaid Dresses

by gaby

We’re rounding up our Wednesday with the last of our current look at rising bridesmaid trends (for now, anyway!). You know how they say that if you want to buy a red Ferrari, you suddenly see red Ferraris everywhere? Well, not that I would know anything about fancy cars, but for me this trend has been just like that. Suddenly I am seeing one shoulder dresses EVERYWHERE, and a rising number of hi-lo and asymmetric hemlines. They add a really lovely bit of visual interest (especially in comparison to a wedding dress), and I think work particularly well where you want to go for solid colours instead of one of the more textured looks we’ve been talking about (illusion lace, glitter, prints, etc.) but still want to make your girls stand out. And while not all one-shoulder dresses are universally flattering, the right one can look good on a real variety of body types. So it’s kind of a no brainer for consideration, really. :) Here are some of my favourite recent examples.Read More

Mozambican Magic Wedding by Alexis Diack & The Love Bucket {Marilize & Keith}

by gaby

Hello lovelies! I am determined to get out in the sun this afternoon (got to pump up the tan before winter hits, right?) so it’s the perfect day to bring you some sunkissed inspiration from another of our beautiful neighbouring countries, Mozambique. I haven’t been yet but I am DYING to go, as the chilled out beach shack vibe is so my holiday style. It’s also the perfect place for a laid-back, toes-in-the-sand wedding, and it was the ideal choice for the lovely Keith and Marilize, since it’s where he proposed to her. Friends and family joined them for a tropical weekend getaway, and a team of talented wedding pros pulled everything together, headed by The Love Bucket, who specialise in Mozambican weddings. It was SO hard to narrow down Alexis Diack‘s beautiful photos, from Marilize’s elegant dress to the dreamy light and stunning scenery that formed a backdrop to this festival of lurve. Today’s couple sailed off into the sunset (literally, as they work on yachts in the world’s far-flung, glamorous places). We don’t have the usual text to go along with our images today, but I have no doubt that you’ll happily sail away with them anyway, enjoying every lovely, beachy moment.Read More