Hello lovelies – how has your weekend been? This year is racing along to its close – I can’t believe I am already planning editorial for 2014! Ack. But before we let time rush by too much, let’s stop and smell the roses. Or at least, stop and appreciate a little of the loveliness that has been on the blogs this week. But you guys, if you really want to see a proper GORGEOUS lot of inspiration this week, look out for the latest issue of Magnolia Rouge. I have seen a sneak peek, and it is seriously amazing! Anyway, for now, here are my top picks from the week…
Author: gaby
Save It for a Rainy Day
Looking out at the sunshine in Durbs today, it’s hard to imagine a wedding ever gets rained out in this country but as you all know, that is not even close to being the case. In fact, of the five weddings I’ve been to in South Africa in the last two years, three had some kind of rain to deal with. And okes, one of them was in Phalaborwa. Chances? Anyway, the point is this: we hope for sunny skies (and we usually get them) but rain is something that you need to plan for. So I asked fab SBB sponsor Lizl Pieterse of Flamboijant to share her top tips as a planner for avoiding those rainy day blues, and she’s here with some really fantastic advice. Not just that, but I’ve rounded up some beautiful pictures from our photographer friends, which just goes to prove – you can still get the most gorgeous images of your day, come rain or come shine! Over to you, Lizl… ;)Read More
Hen Party Theme: Glitter & Glam
Source: Paige Winn via Ultimate Bridesmaid
It’s been a sparkly week, you guys. From a glitzy gold wedding, to a glam rock shoot this morning, we’re on a sequin strewn roll. Yay. Who’s complaining, right? Anyway, I have been seeing quite a few lovely sparkly bridal showers recently, and what I love about it is that if this is something you like but don’t necessarily want to incorporate into your wedding, it gives you the chance to do that. Plus, it’s the kind of theme that your girls will be more than happy to dress up for, and it’s surprisingly easy (and can be inexpensive) to decorate. The key thing is to mix textures, so a little sparkle goes a long, long way. Here’s how I would go about pulling all the details together for the perfect glittery hen party.Read More
A Little Bit Boho, A Little Bit Rock ‘n Roll…
Morning lovelies! Sorry about the lack of post yesterday – this week has just been insane. But we’re making up for it with a double dose of awesome today. Starting with this absolutely gorgeous styled shoot from some of my absolute favourite suppliers. We hear a lot in the industry about ‘alternative’ brides – I am totally behind people making their wedding style reflect their personalities, but sometimes I wonder if these ‘alternative’ weddings are getting a little cookie cutter in their own way. That’s one of the reasons I loved this glam rock styled shoot – it’s genuinely different But (and yes, that is But with a capital B) totally elegant. The couple and their stylish crew, sitting down for an intimate reception at a lavish gilded table. The bride’s huge statement bouquets. The DRESS (and who knew sequins went so well with leather?). It’s the Kate Moss or Russell Brand of styled shoots: beautiful, but with an edge. And even though I know most of you won’t necessarily take the entire look on board, you’ll find tons of inspiration for glitzing up your own winelands venue (how stunning is Langverwagt?) or mixing and matching colours and textures and styles, or adopting some high fashion styling for you and/or your bridal party. The photographic glory here goes to Lauren Kriedemann, with styling by Karien Belle, Paradiso and the talented Theresa of Creation Events, a long-time friend of SBB! Enjoy!Read More
Real Wedding at Kleinevalleij {Alicia & Stefan}
Glitter, y’all! The magic word to get a girl excited. And actually quite an appropriate one for me today, because for the last couple of weeks that’s exactly what I have been on the hunt for. Let’s just say, I figured out why I get so many queries about glitter bridesmaid dresses from South Africa. Sequins may be everywhere in the UK, but I’ve been hard pressed to find the outfit I had in mind for my latest portrait shoot (taking place as you read this, eek!). In the end, I stumbled into YDE, which I have to say is the last place I thought I would find what I wanted. Last time I was there, I was a skinny 21 year old, and even so, I don’t think those dresses would have fitted on one thigh. I just assumed it was for very tiny, very young people, but today it turned out to be a surprise shopping success. So it made sense to see that today’s gold-loving bride also dressed some of her sequin-clad bridesmaids in YDE dresses – and they look amazing, as does the rest of the glimmering decor. I know the time will come when I’ll get sick of this trend, but for now, it still makes me get all swoony, especially when paired with a touch of lace and a splash of duck egg blue. Get ready for some really beautiful pictures from the talented Adene Photography, one of the cutest pups ever, and an all-round wonder of a wedding!Read More
Inspiration Board: Botanical Blush
Monday, Monday… Never my favourite day of the week, except for one thing. We always get to start it off with a lovely inspiration board, yay! I absolutely love today’s – botanical has been a gorgeous theme that has come up in wedding design recently, and ferns are one of the florals that have been a big part of that. So I thought, what if you combined these pretty organic elements with just the softest touch of blush, for romance? I have to say, I LOVE the effect – what do you think?
Colours: Fern green, blush pink
Top row (l-r): Bride with fern {Heather Roth Photography/Simply & Forever}; fern table arrangements {Erin Grace Photography/Fieldwork Floral Operation}; cake {Heather Roth Photography/Simply & Forever}; bride in blush dress {Landon Jacob/Parkside Wedding Studio}
Row 2: Fern wedding invitation suite {Bailey and Emma of Antiquaria}; blush patent shoes {Aaron Snow Photography/Gibson Events}; table setting {Leo Patrone/Honey of Thousand Flowers}; ferns in vintage vases {Dear Heart Photographer/Function Flowers}
Row 3: Marquee {Birds of a Feather/Amorology}; fern wreaths {Leo Patrone/Honey of Thousand Flowers}; place setting {Anneli Marinovich Photography/Branco Prata -Sofia Ferreira}; chair {Jose Villa /Laurie Arons Special Events}; bouquet {Katie Stoops Photography/Events in the city}.
Inbal Dror Paris 2013 Collection
Get ready, wedding dress lovers, because you’re about to have a brand new style crush. I am completely smitten with the incredible Inbal Dror‘s gowns, one of a crop of Israeli designers who are taking the world by storm. The 2013 collection was themed around Paris, and I think that’s perfect, because even though she’s based in Tel Aviv, you can also see the influence of the years Inbal spent in Milan. I can imagine these gowns on a European princess, a Monaco socialite, and of course on a stylish South African bride! French lace, pearls, tulle… all the textures combine into the most sophisticated and romantic cocktail of gorgeousness. Not to mention some breathtakingly beautiful photos… as Audrey once said: Paris is always a good idea! Enjoy – and have a fab weekend!Read More
SBB on Wedding Chicks
Hooray, I can finally let you all in on what has been making me feel butterflies of excitement all day! You may remember a while ago (a long while ago, like, last year – okay, you probably don’t remember) that I mentioned I was styling a shoot with Anneli Marinovich and a really wonderful team of UK suppliers at Gaynes Park, and today it all gets shared online (we’ve been lucky enough to already have a couple of magazine features, and even a cover!). And I couldn’t be happier than to have it on one of my absolute favourite wedding blogs, only one of the Top 3 in the world, Wedding Chicks! How. Cool. Is. That?
I’ll be sharing the shoot here in a few weeks’ time, but why wait when you can head over and enjoy the full feature (Pinterest fingers at the ready!) right now. Huge thanks to everyone who made this shoot so awesome (and so much fun).
The Peach Shoot Rockstars:Photography: Anneli Marinovich | Styling: SouthBound Bride | Venue: Gaynes Park| Flowers: Boutique Blooms | Cake: French Made | Macarons: Anges de Sucre | Stationery: The Invitation Gallery | Hair & Make up: Lara Rorich | Handkerchiefs: Benign Objects | Bridesmaids dresses: Maids to Measure | Bridal gowns: Blackburn Bridal | Photography assistant: Liezel Fourie | Models: Katja, Leila & Rose from MOT Models
Table Garlands
It’s an exciting day at SBB HQ, and I have some lovely news to share with you this afternoon. When I do, you’ll see why I have garlands and continuous floral runner arrangements on the brain! This is one trend that I have absolutely loved seeing in 2013, and I think we’ll be seeing a lot more of it next season. Garlands are such a pleasing visual element to add to your decor – they look so lush and plentiful, and they really make long tables pop. Of course, a magic carpet of blooms is stunning, but you can also make this work with greenery, succulents, or even (as you’ll see below), photos! You can work with a single colour, a mix, or an ombre effect (love!), and incorporate tall candles or little votives along the way. The garlands can go straight or have a little twist to them, and they can come off the ends of your table or just work along its length. This probably isn’t a trend for budget brides, in that a floral garland tends to use a lot of blooms multiplied by all your tables, but if you’re madly in love with the idea and watching the pennies, why not just have a garland for the head table? Or, as one couple did in the pics below, for a central table that works as a real showstopper and centrepoint visually? That way, you’ll get some of the effect, without all of the expense.Read More
African Glam by Fox&Co and Stephanie Veldman
Good morning, SouthBound brides! I have such lovely inspiration to share with you today, which comes from the fab Fennec Deuchar from Fox&Co. (a Cape Town based event and decor specialist) and one of our fave photographers, Stephanie Veldman. You already know I’m a huge fan of proteas and fynbos, as well as some of the beautiful South African patterns and textures we have at our disposal, and I also know we have a shared love of glitter, right? Well, put the two together, and you have one of the loveliest tables I have seen in quite a while. Gorgeous muted jewel tones, big king protea blooms, porcupine quills, guinea fowl feathers and a beautiful touch of gold glam. I just love it! And that’s even before we get to the floral arch – wow. The perfect venue for this glamorous homegrown look is Pure at Hout Bay Manor (check out this amazing wedding we featured here a couple of years ago).Read More