Hello lovelies! Time for an engagement shoot, and today’s comes from the always delightful Cheryl McEwan. And you guys, it’s a goodie. I think over the years I’ve been doing this, my favourite couple shoots are those where the couple are doing something a little different – but more specifically, where they’re doing something they love, or visiting a place that has meaning for them. Which might be what makes today’s shoot so cool. Then again, it might be the aeroplane. Either way, flying is something this couple love to do, and up in the air narrowly missed being the site for their engagement… I’ll let groom-to-be Neno tell you his and Megan’s story:Read More
Good morning SouthBound Brides! It’s our first real wedding of the year, and I can’t think of a more auspicious start than one captured by South African photography legend Christine Meintjes. A wedding from Christine is always a treat, but with a breathtaking Cape venue (the lovely MolenVliet), the most delicate pastel details and special touches like a canopy of flowers for the ceremony, white vases inside tall glass ones on the tables (love this) and dreamy bridesmaids’ dresses, this is extra special. Not to mention a to-die-for bit of hair accessorising on the lovely bride. It’s the perfect way to kick off what is set to be a year of real wedding awesomeness, and I for one, cannot wait!Read More
Whenever I chat to someone who’s been in a lengthy, happy marriage about their wedding day they get this little sparkle in their eyes and as they are taken back to that special day they reach for their wedding album. Then starts the trip down memory lane – the dress, the food, the “oh look how so-and-so looked back then”, the fond memories and small details….it’s all there in the pictures.
Good morning friends? How were your weekends? I had a really good one, doing more January planning and organising as well as catching up with Louise from b.loved and chatting about our big blog and business plans for 2013 – all very exciting! You’ll also get to kuier with her a bit later this week. But for now, it’s time for our Monday inspiration board. I wanted to start the year with something bold and new, and after telling you that copper was one of the year’s hot colours, I just had to get stuck in. I’ve decided to combine it with both teal and navy, and it’s rich, opulent and exciting – maybe even slightly mysterious. It reminded me a little of Venice (hence the name). I’d just love to see this one come to life!
Hello friends! Aren’t you glad the first Friday of 2013 is almost done? I know I am, but this weekend I’ll be working away to bring you fantastic content for the coming week, and make some changes and tweaks behind the scenes. We’ll be returning to our normal blog schedule on Monday, so expect the usual set of inspiration boards, real weddings, couple shoots, styled shoots, etc. Can’t wait! First though, I have some practical help for those of you just starting on your planning journey.Read More
Well, I didn’t see this one coming. After two years of warm colours – honeysuckle pink and tangerine tango orange specifically – Pantone’s just named Emerald as its colour of the year. It’s dramatic, it’s rich, it’s formal, it’s a little bit old school… and it has totally grown on me. Seriously, when I thought about it, it totally made sense. In the last year I’ve seen a couple of emerald wedding dresses, and every time it has caught my attention. Then I featured this engagement shoot, with the most gorgeous green Gucci dress. And this graphic Gucci and gold inspiration board:
2013 baby! I don’t know about you, but I am amped. I’ve spent the last few days thinking about what worked and didn’t in 2012 and dreaming and planning for the year to come. It was amazing to realise how much was achieved last year, and I have some big plans, so watch this space! Of course, thinking about the future always gets me thinking about wedding trends for the new year, and I’m ready to make my (now annual) predictions. A lot of what I spotted for 2012 came about, so let’s see if I can do the same again. :) Here we go…
1. Prints A couple of months ago, I was asked by BrideTide to pick my top wedding trend for 2013 and since prints was my choice, it seems only right to put it at the top of my list here too. This is going to be big – we’ll see it on invitations and stationery, bridesmaids dresses, linens. Set against a white backdrop, it’s a fresh and vibrant look, and one which will really make your wedding look unique. And bonus, you can go for any kind of print that suits you, from soft florals and watercolour styles to bold stripes and graphics, to vintagey toile. If tablecloths or runners are too much, stick to napkins, and remember not to go too overboard – and complementary rather than matchy matchy is key. Let’s just say you do not want to put your bridesmaids in the same material as the tablecloths. That’s just wrong. You can see my full roundup, and lots of ideas and advice over here.Read More
Hello lovelies – here’s the penultimate in our South African wedding style guides, where I’m breaking down four distinctly local looks for different styles of weddings. Today’s is one that really delights me – Dutch-inspired design has been news in the international wedding community this year, and of course we have a special link to it in SA, not to mention some very beautiful Cape Dutch venues. Adding a Delft motif and some vintage elements creates something that can be rustic homestead or (my favourite) elegant wine farm, like this wedding below.
Hello friends! Hope you’re having a lovely new year’s eve. It’s actually my birthday today (happy birthday, me!) so I’ll be taking a break (because nobody should work on their birthdays, ever). You’ll still find another of our top wedding style guides for 2012 coming up soon, and more fun stuff tomorrow, but we’ll be properly back to our blog schedule on Wednesday, and boy am I excited to welcome a crowd of new friends (helloooo, new friends!). But first, I thought I would write something a bit more personal.
This birthday is a milestone (if you count everything ending in 0 or 5 as a milestone, which I do) and to be honest with you, I have mixed feelings about it. My life certainly isn’t what I expected it would be at this age. Most of the time, I think that’s a good thing (what did 18 year old me know, right?) but milestones always make you look around you at your peers and reflect on whether you’ve been heading in the right direction after all. Preferably with a very deep glass of wine.
I was in the middle of doing just that, when I looked up at something I have framed on my bedroom wall. You may have seen them before, but it’s a personalised bus blind print, personalised with places that mean something to me. I bought one of these for a friend’s wedding gift this year, and I couldn’t help putting one of my own together too. Every time I look at it, I’m reminded of moments and memories, or things and people I love. New York – where I lived for six months (*cough* twelve years ago) and where one of my best friends now lives (must get to NY again in 2013!). Paris and Rome – two of my favourite cities. Stellenbosch, where I studied; Putney, where I lived for many years in London; the Navigli District in Milan, where I fell properly in love for the first time. More favourite travel destinations: Santa Fe, Cairo, Positano. Hluhluwe and Umdloti – places that are so special to my family. And Ellis Park, where a certain World Cup Rugby final was played in 1995 (I wasn’t there, but yes, it means that much!). These are just some of the signposts along my personal journey, leading goodness knows where, but leading nonetheless.
We all have signposts and milestones along our life paths, and they’re important for making us take stock of where we’ve been, and where we go next. SouthBound Bride is a huge part of that for me, and I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for helping to make this such a special place for me to work and create and share. There is so much more to come! And here’s wishing all of you a safe and fun new year’s eve, lots of champagne, a little reflection, and good things in 2013.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – South Africans are quietly taking over the world. Not least the wedding world either (*cough cough Colin Cowie*). And I often meet amazing service providers here in the UK who are making a big name for themselves. I love this – not just because I’m proudly Saffa, but because all of that talent is often available to brides and grooms in SA as well as abroad. I mean, we all love to go home, right? And with the summer season in the UK being different, you can often get an amazing international (homegrown) talent on their holidays (just like our amazing local photographers often travel during the SA winter) – many of them even have a South African side to their businesses. How cool is that? This is the case with today’s featured photographers, who have been longtime Twitter pals and supporters of SBB, and whom I am delighted to introduce to you properly today. SO… meet Weddings by Nicola and Glen! Nicola (from SA) and Glen already have a thriving business based in the Cotswolds (but shooting all over the UK) – just take a look at their site to see the dreamy country celebrations they have shot, in a style that’s a lovely combination of intimacy and grandeur. I can just imagine the shots they would take amid the Cape scenery…Read More
