Time for our first real wedding of the week, and this is a real treat. As much as big weddings can be super fun, I’m also a huge fan of the small wedding – a really intimate celebration where you get to bring out fantastic details on a lesser scale (perfect for a budget, and for destination brides and grooms). The Cape is an ideal location – not just for our wonderful weather, but because we have a wealth of stylish venues perfect for this kind of wedding. So that’s one reason I love Charlene and Andre’s wedding, which was held at the picturesque Villa St. James in False Bay, a former home of Jan Smuts with an incredible sea view. The other is that the wedding brings together two SBB favourite service providers for decor and photography in My Pretty Vintage and Joe Dreyer. Angie of MPV has put together such a charming, country vintage look (how cute is that whimsical ‘altar’?) and Joe has captured not just these lovely details, but the grandeur of the setting as only he can. It’s the perfect way to kick off your Tuesday!Read More
Get ready, because I’m about to quote a Katherine Heigl film. I know. Sorry. But when I was putting together this month’s gorgeous Sponsor Showcase full of ‘first look’ moments, I kept remembering what she says in 27 Dresses: “You know how the bride makes her entrance and everybody turns to look at her? That’s when I look at the groom. Cause his face says it all you know? The pure love there.” And it’s true, isn’t it? You only have to look at either the bride or the groom as she makes that walk up the aisle to see pure emotion written all over their faces – definitely one of my favourite moments in any wedding. It’s also one of the hardest to photograph – impossible (unless there’s a second shooter) to get an angle on both bride and groom, and difficult to capture without being intrusive. I think that’s why I’m a fan of the ‘first look’ photoshoot, where the bride and groom share this private moment ahead of the ceremony (and the pics are always amazing). Fortunately, the photographer sponsors here on SBB are a talented lot, and they’ve once again opened their albums to share some absolutely beautiful, inspiring images that show off their different styles. If you’re still looking for a photographer for your big day, be sure to click through from the photos or links to see more of their work, and they could soon be snapping your own first look moment!
Good morning friends! Sorry for a bit of a disruption last week, but everything should be sorted now for a brand new week packed full of inspiration – just wait until you see some of the loveliness I have lined up for you. Starting with today’s inspiration board, which is a request from reader Jessica, who’s planning a cold weather wedding in a little church in the country with a palette of soft purples. Jessica isn’t a fan of roses and wants simple flowers, and actually this works really well with a purple colour scheme, since there are so many pretty purple flowers in a range of rustic hues. A sprig of lavender at each place setting is fragrant and easy to do, and why not mix and match bouquets for a more relaxed look? Cut out leaf shapes from purple card and string on branches for a fun autumn escort card idea, and bag a cute colour co-ordinated cardigan. Then just add gorgeous stationery and lots of fairy lights, and you have all the makings of a romantic autumn wedding. Good luck with the rest of your planning Jessica – hope you like your board!
You know, friends, when I started this blog I was already a big fan of wedding blogs, and one of my absolute favourite things was inspiration boards. I didn’t start making them to compete with other bloggers who’d already mastered the form, but because of how much fun I had making them, and that has continued to be the case. Lucky for me, you guys seem to like them too. ;) It was a huge dream of mine to one day see one of my boards turned into an inspiration shoot, but before that day came, I got another amazing opportunity. Last year I teamed up with a new company called The Invitation Gallery to produce the SBB Collection – I loved that they represent several talented South African designers, allowing brides and grooms who couldn’t necessarily afford bespoke designs to still have access to gorgeous, contemporary designs beautifully printed on high quality paper. Each of the Invitation Gallery designers picked one of my boards and used it as a starting point for their collection, and I can’t tell you how exciting it was for me seeing them for the first time (and the second, and the third…).
Since then, I’ve been working with the collection on a series of inspiration shoots, and they have been just as lovely in the ‘flesh’ (in the paper?) as they were onscreen. You may have seen one of them in the current My Wedding Day magazine in SA (and you’ll be seeing more of it soon, as well as the others). I like to think there’s something in the SBB Collection for everyone – from beach weddings to rustic weddings, from classic to whimsical, and in all shades from aqua to purple to peach to blue.
But we like to keep things current, don’t we? So we thought it was about time that we updated the collection with a new design, and we’re asking you – my lovely readers – for your help. In a few weeks’ time, we’ll be asking one of the Invitation Gallery designers to create a collection based on your favourite inspiration board from 2012 and I’ll be working with that collection in a brand new shoot next year.
Here’s how it works: just head over to the SBB Facebook page and click on the album 2012 Inspiration Boards (or go there directly). Go through the boards and ‘like’ the ones you, well, like. The board with the biggest number of likes at the end of the year will go on to inspire the latest in the SBB Collection. It’s that simple. :) I can’t wait to see which one you pick!
It’s Wednesday, and although I have a kickass wedding to share with you later, I am starting the day with an incredible couple shoot. With pictures so lovely that I get actual goosebumps every time I look at them, such is their loveliness. Durban photographer Fiona Clair is fast becoming a fave of mine, and she has outdone herself with this couple shoot taken of Tessa and Wayne after their wedding day, with their BEYOND adorable family. (Seriously, I would consider having children if you could guarantee they’d turn out as cute as these three boys.) They have a special story, and everything in this shoot is just perfect – the light, the backdrop, that special glow – for a celebration of their new life together. I also love that this was Tessa’s response to some disappointment with her actual wedding photos, because for one reason or another, sometimes that happens. It must be difficult, but if this shoot proves anything, it’s that your big day doesn’t have to be the only day you can rock a photoshoot (or a big white dress). And there’s no question Tessa and Wayne will treasure these pics in the years to come – congrats to all of you!Read More
A few months ago, as you may recall, I opened up our Real Life Bride feature to our readers. I was hoping to hear from one or two of you, but instead, within days, my inbox was full. The BEST kind of emails – mails full of passion and excitement and plans and inspirations. I felt like I could picture each and every one of those weddings, and even though I could only pick one (okay, I picked three), I knew it wasn’t the last I wanted to hear of the others. One of my favourites was a submission from self-confessed “huge SouthBound Bride follower” Estie, whose big day was too soon for the series, but who described in detail the French-inspired fantasy wedding she and her fiance had dreamed up (with a bit of help from SBB!). She described a spring wedding, romantic and glamorous in Parisian shades of mauve, pewter, black & white, with a water feature and a transparent marquee full of twinkling lights reflecting the stars above. It sounded… well, dreamy is the only word I can come up with (even if it makes me sound like I should be at a sock-hop). Anyway, fast forward to a few weeks ago when talented Cape photographer Adene told me about her latest wedding, which she described as A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. And amazing it was. It also turned out to be Estie’s, and I’m thrilled to be sharing it with you today! (Oh, and PS: THAT CAKE!)Read More
When you start planning your wedding, friends and guides will tell you there are three things you need to book first: venue, DJ and photographer; the first of these being the venue. Finding one in the Western Cape is not a difficult task – they are there in abundance! Finding the right venue for your wedding (and that from a distance) = not so simple. More so if you’re picky. And Chris and I are picky. Boy, are we picky!
We had a whole list of requirements. The venue had to be beautiful, of course. It had to be a one-stop venue with ceremony and reception site in one place. It had to have onsite catering and accommodation. It had to be available until after twelve. The chairs at the venue had to be nice so that they didn’t have to be covered (I despise a seat cover). Linen, crockery and cutlery had to be included in the venue hire. And, last but not least, it needed to be available for the date we had chosen. Well, that narrowed down the search all right!
Sometimes I get the COOLEST requests for inspiration boards, and I have been looking forward to this one for a while. Reader Leigh-Anne mailed to tell me about her trendy urban meets country chic summer wedding, with bold black and white stripes and punches of yellow. The relaxed but elegant celebration will feature a number of fun touches to reflect their hip personalities, including black Converses, a braai menu, orchids, peonies and a Vespa! Wow. The board kind of created itself! First stop was a great table setting (check out this wedding for more) – I love the striped table runners and the yellow chargers, and bringing in an organic yellow (lemons) is a fun nod to the country chic aspect. I love the soft flowers, especially this yellow orchid bouquet, and the white painted mason jars are the coolest. Stripes of course are a big motif – as well as the table runners and invitations (how stylish are those envelope liners?), I have fallen in LOVE with these striped Bruno Frisonis, but alternatively you could pair a yellow shoe with a striped sash (I know Leigh-Anne is planning some Louboutins). Bridesmaids could also do stripes, but I love these black belted yellow numbers (especially if paired with soft white bouquets) and stylish heels. I love the idea of the groom in a yellow bowtie and suspenders (reflecting the stripes) – and they go perfectly with the Converse look. I love the sound of a braai menu, and it made me think of what photographer Christine Meintjes told me about her sister’s wedding, where they had a braai station with all sorts of mini braai treats during cocktail hour. So cute. Finally, for equally stylish guests (and fun photos), give cheap shades as a favour, and then ride off into the sunset on a yellow Vespa. Just one last tip for Leigh-Anne, not pictured here, is to grab some black and white striped washi tape – there will be a zillion fun last-minute uses for it. Good luck with the rest of your planning Leigh-Anne, can’t wait to see your wedding!
All weddings are lovely, no question. But there are some that seem to have a special kind of glow, where the joy and love seem to radiate from every photograph, on every face. Where I find myself smiling as I’m editing. Today’s is one of those. Kate and Steve are clearly made for each other, and they celebrated their union in a day that reminds me a little of a wedding in a French village, with a procession from the church, an open air reception under acres of bunting, sunset toasts and late night dancing. It’s just so LOVELY. And it’s inspiring, because it makes me want to rush out and discover new, unusual venues like the Chartfield Guest House, that showcase some incredible Cape views but lend themselves to this kind of relaxed celebration with a backyard feel. Even better, US photographer Julie Wilhite was in town to capture every detail as only she can – lucky for us she has a sister in Cape Town, as we just love featuring her work!Read More
Good afternoon, lovelies, I have some eye candy for you. Because we all love to look at gorgeous dresses, don’t we? Especially when they come from a local designer – in this case, Molteno Creations. I am hearting the hell out of the way that these pretty, unique but extremely wearable dresses have been styled with a slight vintage edge – I’m LOVING the red lip and feather headpiece (from Carrie B.) especially. Fab Cape photographer Abigail K. was behind the lens, capturing all the bridal fashion loveliness to share with you.Read More
