Author: gaby

Supplier Spotlight: Ladies & Gentlemen

by gaby

As you all know, I love featuring fabulous South African suppliers, and here’s one I have been meaning to call out for a while, because every time I come across one of Ladies & Gentlemen‘s custom cake toppers I am all, yay adorable! Because they are. The idea is that, instead of plonking some cheesy plastic bride and groom on top of your cake (okay, nobody does that anymore right?) you can have a hand-carved pair that have been painted up to look like you and the hubs. And not just painted – what really gets me about these cake toppers is the detailing and effort that owner Alison Sutcliffe-Smit goes into in recreating the bride’s dress or the flowers in the bouquet, or even the couple’s dog! Tiny protea bouquets, intricate illusion lace back dresses, furry ears (on the dog, not the bride and groom, fortunately), veils, etc. They’re sure to charm your guests, and make a really sweet memento of your big day (at least until your future kids steal them to play Barbies/dinosaurs). In fact, speaking of kids, for couples who already have them I think this is a lovely way of including them on the cake, since you can get mini figurines customised to make up the family. To give you an idea of what Ladies & Gentlemen do, here’s three pretty cakes and their owners…

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Burlap DIY Roundup

by gaby

After a gorgeous outdoor wedding this morning, I thought it was high time for a rustic DIY roundup this afternoon – and nothing says rustic like burlap! Or hessian, as most South Africans call it. This sacking fabric not only adds texture and a bit of a rough feel (perfectly contrasted with lace, or even a bit of sparkle) but it’s also super affordable, which is a win for budget brides. Pick it up in your local haberdashery, or order online by the metre. Most brides use it for table runners, but there are actually many more fun uses for the fabric, and it’s a chance for some creative DIYs. Pick your favourite from these fifteen brilliant ideas and get crafting!

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Real Wedding at Jan Harmsgat {Annali & Gerhard}

by gaby

Okay, you all know by now that I love all things wedding (duh) but if there’s one mental image that’s going to immediately push the swoonage count up to the maximum, it’s the idea of an al fresco wedding, under the trees, on a beautiful summer afternoon in the winelands. I’m sort of drooling just thinking about it, except that I don’t actually drool because that would be totes unladylike. But you get the point. So that was what made me immediately fall in love with Annali and Gerhard’s wedding from the fab Just Judy. What I didn’t realise at the time was that they planned this gorgeous day in two months. Two months! Now, I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone, but at the same time, it’s proof that it is possible. The key thing that Annali got right? Making quick decisions based on her personal taste, and not getting too hung up on colour schemes or themes. She trusted her gut, and it worked. As well as the outdoor reception under a sea of string lights (yep, swoonage happening again here), I loved that the couple used bushels of baby’s breath, which was absolutely perfect with the whole look, and easy to boot. Perfection!Read More

Down on the Farm Engagement

by gaby

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – I get the coolest readers. Not only do I love hearing from you all (even if I don’t always get to reply as quickly as I’d like) but it’s a particular pleasure for me to be able to follow some of you through your planning journey. That’s what happened with SouthBound Bride Keri, who also just so happens to have a super awesome blog of her own, Midlands Musings. I first heard from Keri when she asked for an inspiration board, and loved helping her with her French-inspired country colour scheme. In fact, you’ll get to see her lovely wedding for yourselves next week. But first, we’re going to meet Keri and her now-hubby Andrew and hear their super sweet love and engagement story, as well as see the easy going e-shoot that took place on their farm, cows and all. The fab Eileen Laubscher of Bright Girl captured it all perfectly!Read More

Unique & Creative Wedding Table Name Ideas

by gaby

Unique Table Name Ideas

*UPDATED FOR 2021* I’m not going to lie to you: seating arrangements? Not fun. SO not fun. In fact, they will almost certainly suck, and leave you and your bae in a hot sweat of how-on-earth-will-we-get-this-done anxiety. (Don’t worry, you’ll make it work.) But if there’s one part of seating arrangements that is suckage free, it’s deciding on your table names. Now, I have nothing against numbers – they’re simple, there are a zillion ways to make them look fab, and they’re easy to follow. The only disadvantage is that sometimes it can feel like there’s a hierarchy (cool people at table 1!), but that’s not such an issue. The reason I do like table names as an alternative is that they’re another opportunity to personalise your wedding details and tell your story. And you know how much I love that by now! Of course, place names are always good, but they’re quite common these days, and you may want something a bit different. So today I have some fun, unique, creative (and, more importantly, completely customisable) wedding table name ideas to share.

*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 De Oude Kerk Museum {Nicole & Liam}

by gaby

You know, I’ll never forget the first time I visited London’s Borough Market. I’m embarrassed to say it was many years after I started living here, but maybe that was a good thing, because it also took a few years for me to become more of a foodie and certainly more of a cook, and I’m not sure I would have appreciated it before. There’s something so special about a market – the smells, the sights, the sounds and the general happy vibe as people stop here, taste this, buy that. So when market weddings started to become a thing, I was completely on board. Especially because it’s a great way to get your guests to mingle and relax, which is something that today’s bride and groom understood only too well. They had a big guest list, but they wanted their friends and family to socialise and relax, and they hit upon a brilliant way of making that happen. Starters were served market-style, from the cutest little striped tent stands. C’est adorable. The French stripes continued into the marquee reception, complete with brightly coloured flowers suspended from the ceiling in glass jars and bottles. I absolutely LOVE this look – it’s so happy and pretty and fun, and I’m delighted to be sharing it with you today. The fab Drikus Le Roux was on the scene to capture every pretty stripe and smile.Read More

Inspiration Board: Birds of a Feather

by gaby

Good morning, lovelies! You know, as much as I love a country wedding, and most of those I feature take advantage of the ample gorgeousness of our South African countryside, I do have a special love for city/urban weddings. Honestly, I wish more couples opted for them. But then, I do love me a bit of glam. So I am more than a little in love with today’s inspiration, for a loft-style city wedding with a matte pewter/dark grey and gold glitter palette. I’ve also introduced a bit of a feather motif – a lovely trend that’s been doing the rounds, including my absolute fave, gold-dipped feathers. So pretty! The feather motif is reflected in one of the bridesmaid dresses, the cake decorations and a gorgeous bracelet for the bride. It’s an equal measure of chic and whimsy – perfect for a rooftop soiree. Just add champagne!

Colours: Slate/pewter, gold and white

Top row (l-r): String lights {Belathee Photography/Downey Street Events}; ring shot with typography blocks {Our Labor of Love by Heidi}; gold glitter shoes {BHLDN}; bridesmaids {Justin Lee Photography/Beau & Arrow Events}; mirror sign {Jana Williams/Details Details}
Row 2: Gold dipped feathers {Frock Files}; feather bracelet; glitter linens {Brooke Mayo Photography/come + together events}; gold and grey wedding invitation {Pirrip Press}Row 3: Bride in grey dress { Alea Lovely Photo/Victorian Gardens}; champagne with glitter glass rims {Sweet Tea Photography by Lisa Marie/Amber Karson Events}; gold feather boutonniere {Michelle Ng}; feather cake {Lael Cakes/Our Labor of Love/Samm Blake}; mirror.

 

Sarah Janks Bridal Collection 2013

by gaby

Images: Jen Huang Workshops via Grey Likes Weddings

It’s funny – as I was saying to a friend the other day, wedding dresses were the part of this industry that I was least interested in when I started. I don’t know if the dresses just got prettier, but now I can’t help but do a bit of swooniness whenever I see a new collection. Even more so when I get to work with the gowns on a shoot, as I did with one of Sarah Janks‘ incredible creations, Briana, last year. I can’t show you those pics juuuust yet, but it turns out I’m not the only stylist who picked it out – just look at the amazing pics of Briana from one of the Jen Huang Workshops above. If you want a bit of this uber feminine gorgeousness in your life (and more importantly, in your wedding), you’ll want to check out the Sarah Janks 2013 bridal collection. Sleek silhouettes, beautiful adornment in lace, taffeta and embroidery and soft, floaty draping make each dress something quite spectacular. And there’s another aspect I love – the little capelets, belts and boleros that can be passed down, creating not only a versatile wedding day look but also a special heirloom. In London, Sarah Janks is available at Blackburn Bridal.Read More

Mothers {Sponsor Showcase}

by gaby

Here at SBB, we’re a big fan of moms. Partly because it seems like every friend have gave birth in the last year, but more importantly because my own mom is kind of a rockstar. She’s a poetry-quotin’, environment-savin’, best lasagne in the world makin’ little legend, who has not only taught me a million things about life and love, but has taught human rights and conflict resolution to people from Papua New Guinea to South African prisons. She does things that matter. She has a voice so sympathetic that even when I’m on another continent and I call her to tell her I have a cold, it makes me feel better. She’s also probably the only person on earth who calls me out on rare mistakes in spelling and grammar, which is probably how I ended up being an editor in the first place. So ja. Moms are awesome. With mother’s day last month, I started thinking about the role that mothers play in a wedding day – they often don’t have a formal role, like dads do, and they don’t usually walk you down the aisle or make a speech, but they’re such a huge part of how a wedding day runs. Best case scenario? They help you plan a wedding you’ll love, by supporting you and making your ideas come to life, beam at you from the front row and get the first hug once the marriage is pronounced. I asked our photographer friends to dig through their archives and find pictures that celebrated motherhood in all its wedding day forms, and they came back with such lovely pictures, including some of brides who are moms-to-be themselves, funny moments, touching moments. All of them so very special. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have!

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Real Wedding at Kleinevalleij {Penny & Henry}

by gaby

Over the last few months I’ve been showcasing bridesmaid dresses – well, get ready for some of the cutest bridesmaid outfits you ever did see! With ruffled skirts pink as candyfloss and the biggest of smiles, these lovely ladies are sending off their beautiful friend into married life in the sweetest of fashions. It’s a wedding that was pretty in pink, with lots of adorable little touches (love the hanging bags! and the giant ‘be seated’ signs!), stationery by SBB’s own designer Seven Swans, and the always gorgeous backdrop of Kleinevalleij. Our friend and sponsor Dreampix Photography was there to capture every happy moment.Read More