Author: gaby

Inspiration Board: Teal with a Kiss

by gaby

Good morning my lovely friends! This is such a special week for me, I’m so excited for it to start! Because my awesome friends Abs and Phil are in town, together with their three sons, all of them my godsons. I just adore these little guys, but because they live in Australia I haven’t seen them for almost five years (apart from on Skype, not the same). So I am beyond thrilled at the idea of spending some time with them – hopefully it won’t affect the blog schedule, but if I go quiet, you’ll know why. Sometimes, you just have to let life get in the way of work ;) ANYWAY, for today, we’re getting started with another beautiful inspiration board, with a colour combo that I have a feeling will be very popular. Teal and pink are just such a pretty pair, but when you add that little gold kiss… well. Heavenly!

Colours: Teal, rose & gold

Top row (l-r): Place setting {Lisa Dolan Photography/Lauren Field Design}; bridesmaids {Brandon Chesbro/CJ’s Off the Square}; gold champagne bottles {Clary Pfeiffer Photography/Bride’s Vision}; stationery suite {Cheree Berry Paper}
Row 2: Cracker {Jennifer O‘Donnell Photography/La Fete Event Design}; glitter blue confetti; breakout lounge area {Frenzel Photographers/Joyful Weddings and Events}
Row 3: Bride; gold shoes {Ever Whim Photographs}; gold cake {Metro Custom Cakes}; table setting {Lisa Dolan Photography/Lauren Field Design}; balloon.

 

SouthBound Sundays {29 Sept 2013}

by gaby

Hello friends, how has your weekend been? I am still in manic catching up from my month off phase, but took some time to celebrate my Dad’s birthday with him this weekend, which was awesome, as I am almost never home in SA for birthdays! Anyway, I still have a TON to do, so I won’t make this long – just to wish you a fab week and hope you enjoy all my web finds! ;)

♥ WEEKLY FAVES


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Real Forest Wedding {Marli & Kosie}

by gaby

Happy Thursday, friends! Just the one post today, as I am buried under a mountain of work at the moment… eish. Anyway, I do have this little lovely to share with you, which is full of rustic + farm + forest wedding goodness. No bride’s questionnaire today, but all the more excuse to focus on the beautiful, lush pictures by Splendid Productions. I must say, I know bad weather is most brides’ nightmare situation for an outdoor wedding, but you just have to look at the overcast skies in this wedding to see how dramatic it’s made the pictures – absolutely breathtaking. Marli and Kosie didn’t over-fuss their decor, but they’ve used lots of gorgeous rustic textures to make it fit perfectly with their venue – my faves are the wooden boards under each place setting, custom made for the wedding. Isn’t that the coolest idea? Enjoy – and I’ll be back tomorrow with lots more loveliness.Read More

Rosa Clara 2014 Collection

by gaby

Wow. I thought I was in love with the Rosa Clara collection last year, but… wow. This year, they have outdone themselves. Just scrolling through the collection of floaty, lacy, ivory, super-feminine gorgeousness, I am blown away. All the big trends are there – illusion, Gatsby, peplums. But what I love so much about this design house is that there’s a little (beautiful, not gimmicky) twist in every single dress, a combination of detailing and shape that mixes things up a little but retains the elements that we’re all so in love with. It’s an astonishingly beautiful group of dresses, and I can’t WAIT to see these on brides! Rosa Clara is stocked exclusively in South Africa by Olivelli, so give your local branch a call to try on or order one of these beauties.Read More

Cascade Bouquets

by gaby

WAIT until you see the beautiful bouquets I have to share with you today. At the risk of sounding like a total kugel, you are going to daaah. Now, you may associate cascade (or waterfall or trailing, whatever you want to call them) bouquets with the ’80s and early ’90s, Princess Diana style. But in fact, they are this year’s hottest flower trend. And if you had any doubts before, the pics in this post will convince you that the new wave of these bouquets are absolutely, beyond, incredible, gorgeous. And so romantic! Most cascade bouquets use a variety of flowers from large to smaller and hanging foliage, creating that pretty trail at the bottom. You can stick with a single type of bloom, but my favourites are those that use a variety, the next step from the loose handtied look that has been so popular and so inspiring this last while. Pinning fingers at the ready! You’re definitely going to want to keep some of these on file ;)Read More

Braai Weddings

by gaby

Source: Yolande Marx on SBB

Hello friends! It’s a public holiday in SA so I’m taking some time off, but as it’s heritage day, aka National Braai Day (that’s BBQ for my overseas readers), I just had to bring you a special on how to create a braai wedding. “Really?”, you think. But it can be done, by combining the informality and the good humour (and the food, of course!) of our national pastime with some wedding prettiness. Here’s why you might want to have a SouthBound Braai… (ho ho)Read More

Inspiration Board: Love Hearts

by gaby

Pastel lovers, get ready, because today is your lucky day. I’ve really liked the ice cream pastels that have merrily floated their way into weddings in the last year or two – so pretty! Especially with mismatched pastel bridesmaids. This is a look that many brides have combined with a vintage (and sometimes rustic) look – baby’s breath bouquets, vintage books tied with lace, proteas, you know the drill. So today I wanted to reinvent the colour palette for modern romantic brides and grooms. A bit of a geometric detailing, a tiny touch of sparkle, and here you go. I think I have a new style crush :)

Colours: Mixed ice cream pastels

Top row (l-r): Love hearts; stationery set {Every Last Detail/Justin DeMutiis Photography}; wedding dress; ruffle ombre cake {Veronique Photography/Just Jack}
Row 2: Bouquet {Aaron Delesie/Kelly Oshiro Design}; place setting {Amelia Lyon/Amorology Weddings}; geometric place name holder {Indie Wed/Amanda Megan Miller Photography}; bridesmaids in pastels
Row 3: Tassel & geometric escort card display {Amelia Lyon/Amorology Weddings}; table with hanging geometric lamps {Indie Wed/Amanda Megan Miller Photography}; outdoor ceremony {Abigail K./Jade Customised Events}

 

Honeymoon Inspiration: The Cotswolds

by gaby

It may be that a list of your typical honeymoon dream destinations  runs more like a Beach Boys song (Aruba, Jamaica…) than a list of the English counties, but with period drama like Downton Abbey as popular as it is, it’s a safe bet that there’s at least a part of you that dreams of cuddling up by the fire in a country pile, pulling on your Hunters for a brisk walk around the estate with the spaniel or taking a spot of afternoon tea before retiring to the four-poster with your new hubby. I mean, who doesn’t want to be Kate Middleton, just a little bit? If that sounds familiar, then today’s honeymoon inspiration is for you! I recently spent some time in the Cotswolds myself, soaking in the honey coloured buildings, the grand scenery, and the idyllic rural vibe, and today I wanted to share my top finds.Read More

Wedding Dresses for Column Shaped Brides

by gaby

Wedding Dress For Banana Body Shape

*UPDATED FOR 2021* Time for the second installment in our new series on how to pick a wedding dress for your body shape, and I must admit, as an hourglass I am more than a little jealous of the tube shaped body silhouette (we always want what we don’t have, right?).Columns/bananas/rectangles/tubes are slim builds, often athletic, with similar measurements throughout the bust/waist/hip zones.They have narrow shoulders, lean limbs, narrow hips and flat bums. They also tend to have long waists with little definition. The look is angular (and very easy to dress well), with both a small upper and trim lower body to accentuate. And of course, I’ve chosen some beautiful dresses from Etsy to illustrate.

*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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Real Wedding at Verkykerskop {Juane & Adriaan}

by gaby

Holy-moly-me-oh-my, do I ever have a wedding for you today! As you may have realised by now, I LOVE weddings that are not only beautiful and romantic, but truly South African, and in those terms Juane and Adriaan’s might be one of my favourites, ever. I hadn’t come across Verkykerskop before, but I ADORE their event space, not to mention the way that this couple decorated it perfectly. Old Wimpy booths as furniture, succulents in Lucky Star tins, Wilson’s toffees tied up with string as favours. Awesome, right? Not to mention big, bold proteas (LOVE the bride’s single bloom bouquet), printed burlap runners, retro flags, super cool groomsman styling and one of the coolest bar areas I’ve ever seen. It’s like stepping out of the car on a roadtrip and stumbling into the best ever roadside diner filled with retro South African chic. Of course, it’s no surprise that bride Juane has fantastic taste, as she’s the visual director at Leef, and I can’t not mention her incredible wedding dress! Photographer Wesley Vorster was there to capture every crisp detail and pop of cherry red to perfection.Read More