Happy Sunday friends! And Happy St. Patrick’s Day (especially to my lovely Irish housemate, Kelly). I’ve always been a big fan of St. Pat’s, ever since my Catholic school in Joburg used to do a big sweets and cakes day and it was the one day you could make an exception to your Lenten resolutions. Which I guess means I should spend all day reading tabloids and watching reality TV, since that’s what I gave up this year, except that I haven’t missed them at all. Instead I’m curled up on the couch watching vintage cop shows, listening to the rain outside and cooking up a bumper crop of inspiration boards for you lovely lot. It’s been a super busy week making plans for our Editorial Wedding workshop at London’s Cannizaro House (UK photogs, if you haven’t yet signed up, do soon – we have so much knowledge to share and you guys the styled shoot is going to be AMAZING – more on that this week), but then I do like to be busy!
*UPDATED FOR 2021* So, let’s talk wedding memorials and remembrances. Not a cheerful topic, but something that unfortunately affects many engaged couples as they plan their wedding day, knowing that someone important won’t be present. Whether it’s a recent loss or someone long-missed whose absence is especially felt on big occasions, many of you will have a parent, one or more grandparents, a sibling, or an old friend on your mind. And, while a wedding is the happiest of occasions, it’s also a celebration of history and community, and I think an appropriate moment to acknowledge those who are part of that history, even if they are deceased. But how do you create a wedding memorial that pays tribute without lessening the joy?
*Links in bold denote affiliate links. The cost to you remains the same, but SBB may receive a commission for any sales made.
Before this Thursday is out and I tuck into an evening martini, I thought it was time for another little snippet of bridal fashion inspiration – and this time, we’re letting things go to our heads. If by things, I mean super gorgeous bridal headpieces from Swedish designer Parant Parant. I’ve been meaning to share these inspiring little pieces of heaven with you for ages, and with everything going Gatsby this year, there’s never been a better time to go for a statement headpiece. I love that the Parant Parant pieces are romantic and feminine, but bold. They make for gorgeous pictures, so if you’re not brave enough to wear one all day, consider doing so just for the reception or even just for the photo session – I’ve seen brides do this before and it looks amazing. Plus it just gives you all the more reason to find an excuse to get dressed up and wear your headpiece again ;) Read More
I have such a special wedding to share with you today! We hear a lot about ‘boho’ weddings, but today’s bride and groom really embody the bohemian life, and not just because the bride wore a flower crown on her big day. When they tired of the corporate world and wanted more freedom, they started their own business creating the most beautiful lasercut lights. Groom Alan is also a skateboarder, and spends the rest of his time skating or filming for skate videos and magazines. Nadine signs all her emails ‘love and light’, and that’s exactly the feeling I have when I look at their INCREDIBLE photos from Love Made Visible. Bex and Bruce have outdone themselves with their gentle documentary style that always captures the amazing emotion of a wedding day, and there’s so much love and joy throughout Nadine and Alan’s forest ceremony and eco chic reception. I love that they did things a little differently, with sack and egg & spoon races instead of throwing the garter and bouquet, and ended their night with their guests around the fire, singing and playing the guitar. Get ready for loveliness!Read More
Hello friends! Last week, I made the very exciting announcement that, together with photographer Anneli Marinovich, I was launching a workshop for photographers called The Editorial Wedding, which will include a styled shoot from the extremely talented Louise of b.loved. We’ve been so thrilled with the feedback we’ve had from everyone (especially some requests for a repeat workshop in South Africa – watch this space!) including a shedload of enthusiastic blogger friends here in the UK, and we can’t wait to share everything we have in store with our participants. I’ll be giving you a sneak peek into Louise’s shoot (you guys, seriously, it is AMAZING) next week, but today I wanted to announce that our venue for The Editorial Wedding (or the EdWed as we’ve been calling it!) will be Wimbledon’s own Cannizaro House.
Cannizaro is a real little jewel of South West London – many of us know it as the perfect place to have a high tea with the girls, a romantic dinner with your fella or to relax in the beautiful grounds on a sunny summer afternoon. But it’s also a beautiful wedding venue, with all the charm of the countryside but the convenience of being so close to central London (and only a short distance from Wimbledon station). The suites and function rooms are gorgeous (I’m especially a fan of the different wallpaper looks they’ve chosen!), the food is delicious and we’re so looking forward to making it our ‘home’ on workshop day, 9 April.
So, photographers! If you’re still on the fence about booking a place, what are you waiting for? We have so much knowledge to share with you, and so much gorgeousness for you to get stuck into with your cameras. It’s going to be a very full (but very satisfying and inspiring) day. Tickets cost £325 – all details are on our website.
Huge thanks to the fantastic staff at Cannizaro for accommodating us! See you soon!
I’m hardly the first to this party, but I thought it was high time I shared this gorgeous trend that has taken the wedding world by storm in the last year. Hand painted cakes are the ultimate in cake art – fondant that has been either stencilled or painted free hand for spectacularly lovely results. Each cake is as unique as the artist who creates them – some are super feminine and delicate, with representations of flowers, birds and romantic patterns like delft and toile. Some use more graphic patterns. Many have been inspired by decorative wallpaper at venues, wedding invitations, etc. As someone who has zero art skills, this is definitely one I would leave to the pros, but in fact if you or someone close to you is a talented illustrator, I’ve read that the technique is relatively straightforward and plain fondant cakes are definitely affordable. So it doesn’t have to be a trend reserved for celebrities and zillion dollar brides, although it certainly requires patience and talent! Here’s some eye candy from around the web to show you just how many lovely possibilities there are.Read More
Afternoon, SouthBound Brides! Time for a couple shoot, and I’m very excited about today’s, from our friend Simone Franzel. I love when a couple choose to do something a bit different for their e-shoot, especially if it shows off something that they love as a couple, and a day at the boeremark (farmer’s market) certainly fits the bill! I can almost smell and hear the market through Simone’s fantastic pics, which also capture those special glances a couple in love share when they’re enjoying spending time together. Loveliness! I also love all the truly South African boeremark products – it’s definitely made me a bit homesick for vetkoek!Read More
Who’d be a matchmaker, eh? For the most part, introducing two friends is a disaster. Sometimes it works but mostly it doesn’t, and there’s always the risk that your friend will feel that the person you choose for them shows how little you know them at all. It’s certainly never been my forté, but the hero of today’s wedding story is a guy who really did know a friend well enough to spot the woman of his dreams when he met her, and to introduce them. Impressive. And hey presto! Just a few years later, you have this beautiful wedding, complete with proteas and bicycles and general awesomeness. I love the chalkboard details (especially the place mats) and the printed words-as-decor runners, the soft pink bridesmaid dresses, and the bicycle boutonnieres. And I’m especially in love with Catherine Mac‘s beautiful pictures, which as always really capture the essence of the day and the couple in glorious colour!Read More
And we’re back with another lovely inspiration board, yay! This time, we’re exploring the warm end of the spectrum, in a board that combines red, yellow, peach and gold. Reader Emily made the request for her romantic summer wedding, and I absolutely love it, don’t you? It’s the kind of palette that often gets used for autumn weddings, which is great, but I think also works perfectly for an intimate outdoor summer feel as well. As always, I love the inclusion of organic colour through fruits, berries and flowers, and you can have a lot of fun adding glitz – maybe some spraypainted fruit pomegranate placecards, for example? I’ve really gone for gold with the bridesmaids, all in spangly dresses, as well as a gold stationery suite – love this combined with the magical fairy lights! One of my favourite summer touches is the alcoholic fruit jellies – a fun but sophisticated dessert option! Hope you like your board, Emily and good luck with the rest of your planning!
Good morning, lovelies! I have two gorgeous inspiration boards to share with you today, both requests from you, our SBB readers. The first is all about the soft vintage palette of dusty pink and teal, and is just for Janel, who is planning a summer wedding at a wine farm. She told me she loves girly things, like lace, flowers and ribbon, and wanted to incorporate these. I can’t think of a prettier, girlier motif than a bit of lace, hanging from the trees in embroidery hoops, draped along the table as a runner. Use vintage objects to create an antique shop feel (just like this couple did so successfully), and the softest pink flowers (in LOVE with this bouquet!), bridesmaids’ dresses and shoes for the bride. I also love the romantic teal touches – paper pom poms, glass jars, and gorgeous painted chairs (if only Anthro did hiring!). Hope you like your board, Janel!
