Author: gaby

Camps Bay Engagement Shoot

by gaby

Okay, I have to be honest, I try not to feature too many beach engagement shoots. I know, I know, but when I was growing up in PE it became this thing that everyone who got engaged did – dress up in jeans and plain white t-shirts, and get photographed running down the beach at Sardinia Bay. I have looked at about a hundred of these albums (sorry, PE friends), and I think it scarred me. So I only feature beach shoots that I am totally in love with, and today’s e-session for Jeff and Josephine definitely qualifies. Kerry and Luis of Piteira Photography have perfectly captured the incredible light of a Camps Bay sunset – I can’t believe it was already four months ago that I was sitting with my lovely friend Robyn drinking martinis and looking out at this exact sunset just before coming back to London. Like all of Kerry and Luis’ images, I just want to wallow in the dreaminess. Josephine and Jeff (who live in London) were out in Cape Town for their wedding, which you can see in all its glory over on The Pretty Blog.Read More

Real Wedding at La Vierge {Jo & Tim}

by gaby

Oh my heart is so full, blogging these pictures! You all may remember that when I relaunched the blog this May I was on an extended stint in South Africa, where I attended no less than four weddings, and this was the first. I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to share it with you all today! Jo is a dear friend of mine from varsity, who for a few years moved herself out to Canada. Now, I like Canadians, but I’m pretty glad that they didn’t manage to steal Jo away from us, because she’s not only one of my favourite people, but she’s now putting her considerable talents to work doing awesome things for education in South Africa. One souvenir she did manage to bring home from oot north is the lovely Tim. You know how sometimes when you meet a friend’s boyfriend and you’re just like, oh okay, this makes sense? Well, that’s Tim and Jo. He settled into our group of friends like he’d always been part of it, he made Jo super happy, and we were absolutely thrilled when the two of them (eventually!) decided to make it official, not least because it gave all of us the excuse to reunite in Hermanus for the first time in forever. Our group flew in from as far as Singapore and Sydney and rented three adjoining houses for three days. It was the BEST time. And we weren’t the only ones who trekked to be there – with so many people coming from all over the world, there was an awesome sense of celebration all weekend and a chance to make new memories as well as rehash the old ones.Read More

Let Them Eat Wedding Cake #5: The Flower Girls

by gaby

I would like the type of wedding that my younger cousins enjoy. A celebration of our family and friends – where its littlest members know that they are adding something truly invaluable to our day. A family wedding. Beauty without pretence. A day with an air of excitement, a newness, a belief in magic.

Being from a large family I was lucky enough to be a flower girl three times growing up, and I was a flower girl in some of my first and fondest wedding memories. I remember getting dressed with the bride and her bridesmaids, with all the excitement in that room – the hair, the makeup, the flowers. I remember posing for photographs in a field, being made to feel special, being thanked by name in a speech. I recall my feet swinging – not yet being able to touch the lovely grassy floor underfoot, and I remember catching the bouquet. It was simply wonderful – being privy to all the excitement, and being a part of something so special.

Read More

Inspiration Board: A Preppy Romance

by gaby

Happy Monday, folks! The inspiration board requests have been flooding in lately, and I’ve been having so much fun turning your ideas into collages. This week I’m featuring two reader request boards that couldn’t be more different (look out for the other on Friday afternoon), starting with this piece of East Coast summery goodness. Philani wrote to tell me about her colour scheme of ‘new leaf green’ (isn’t that the sweetest way of describing it?) and white with touches of bright blue (I’ve gone for a sort of royal blue here, but this could be lightened up as far as aqua if Philani prefers). She described her style as ‘plain but elegant, kind of less is more’, which together with her colour choice immediately made me think of preppy style. Think Jackie O. – simple elegance is what this whole look is about. Stripes are a key component, as are fabrics like cotton and grosgrain, and the look is surprisingly easy to put together, especially if Philani focuses on relatively clean tables with bright green flowers and punches of blue in the napkins or stationery. I adore these bridesmaids in tops and striped skirts, and groomsmen in bowties are a must! For the bride, a relaxed but formal dress – maybe a full skirt with pockets – would be ideal. Serve signature cocktails with striped paper straws on the lawn, and don’t forget lots of lovely ribbon! Hope you like your board, Philani!

Colours: Apple green, royal blue and white

Top row (l-r): Wedding party {P: Jacque Lynn Photography; D: Events by LMG}; green striped bowtie; blue shoes {P: Elizabeth Scott Photography}; escort cards in bed of limes {P: Mishelle Lamarand Photography; D: La Fete}
Row 2: Blue and green love story invitation {D: Hello Tenfold}; blue and green table arrangement {P: Studio 28 Photography; D: The Green Ribbon Party Planning Co.}; green paper straws; wedding dress with pockets {P: Crystal Genes Photography}
Row 3: Room decor {P: Sarah Rhoads Photographers; C: Party Resources}; cocktail sticks with ribbon {P: Love Life Images; D: Simply Chic Events}; green bouquet with blue ribbon {P: Studio 28 Photography; D: The Green Ribbon Party Planning Co.}; bridesmaid with green striped skirt and blue top {P: Jacque Lynn Photography; D: Events by LMG}; green striped cake {P: Mary Ellen Bartley; C: Bijoux Doux Specialty Cakes}

 

Brides Getting Ready {Sponsor Showcase}

by gaby

To finish off your Friday, I’m trying something new here on SBB. I’m lucky enough to have some wonderful sponsors on the site, who make it possible for me to bring you beautiful inspiration on a daily basis. Many are talented photographers, and while we regularly feature their real weddings, I thought it would be nice to showcase their work on a monthly basis, so you can get a glimpse of their different styles. They’re all taking bookings right now, so if you like what you see, be sure to get in touch! We’re starting off, as any wedding day does, with images of the bride getting ready. My mom reminded me the other day of a wedding that happened in our street in Johannesburg when I was a very little girl, and not only do I clearly remember the awe that my best friend and I had for the bride in her white dress and veil, but I remember the photographer posing her looking into her mirror, and when I saw that picture I thought it was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. Photography trends and techniques have changed as those years have gone by, but the images taken as you share special moments with your mom and bridesmaids, the nerves and anticipation, the sense of expectation as you finally put on The Dress (not to mention your immaculate hair and makeup), are going to be some of your most treasured. So without further ado, give it up for the talented SBB photographers!

Read More

London Park Engagement Shoot

by gaby

I have such a sweet engagement shoot for you today, submitted by Wimbledon-based photographer Maxeen Kim. She sent over Cameron and Weronika’s super sweet story as proof that South African men can be romantic – don’t you love it? (Actually, while my dating history reads like a small corner of the United Nations, I haven’t actually dated that many Saffa men myself, so I couldn’t comment either way, but it’s nice to know Cameron is making our boys look good!) Weronika is actually from Poland, and the two lovebirds met when Weronika was hunting for a flat-share. Four years of dating and trips to both South Africa and Poland followed, before Cameron booked a surprise flight to Paris for Weronika’s birthday (somewhere she had always wanted to visit). She thought that was the big surprise, but in fact it was an Eiffel Tower proposal! For their engagement shoot, they chose to recreate a picnic in the park – something they often do in London – and incorporate a fan souvenir from their Paris trip. Cute, non?Read More

Real Wedding at Beloftebos {Andrea & David}

by gaby

For our final wedding this week, Doctor Gaby has prescribed a dose of sheer prettiness. Floaty pink dresses and OMGiwantthose shoes, pink roses, a monogrammed handkerchief, homemade ginger beer, two excited flowergirls, and what has to be one of my favourite cakes of the year. It’s just delightful, and it makes me want to use words like blythe and jolly, although I suspect it’ll make me sound more like I’m auditioning for Downton than enthusing over a wedding. But enthusing I am, from the awesome venue (we so love Beloftebos, don’t we?) to the Elizabeth Stockenstrom dress, to the gorgeous pictures by Wesley Vorster. Take once today with food (preferably cupcakes) and call me in the morning.Read More

Naked {Un-iced} Cakes

by gaby

Let’s get naked, people. If you’ve been following my inspiration boards you will already know that I have a style crush on the biggest trend to hit wedding cakes since pies and donuts, and if you follow any other international blogs you probably will have seen a good few of these already, but I thought it was high time we had some naked cake roundup goodness here on SouthBound Bride. So what is a naked cake? In short, it’s a sponge cake that remains un-iced. It might have icing in between layers (although cream cheese frosting, cream and fruit are also common) and it might be beautifully dusted with icing sugar or dribbled with caramel, but the sides are generally left au naturel. And unlike Britney getting in a cab without her undercrackers, it’s a beautiful sight to behold, especially if you’re having a rustic wedding. Decorate with fruit, flowers or both, and stick to a series of smaller cakes or follow the traditional tiered round or square cake. You can go for a classic deconstructed Victoria sponge, or have different layers in different flavours and colours, which also looks pretty amazing! Of course, not everyone is a fan – some cake pros I know feel it looks unfinished and worry about the cake drying out – and, of course, there’s no hiding any cake mishaps under fondant here. Despite this, I think we’ll be seeing lots of these in the upcoming season.

**UPDATE** See our latest roundup of naked cakes (especially for autumn weddings!) hereRead More

Real Wedding at Rain Farm Game & Lodge {Sarah & Matt}

by gaby

Just when you think you’ve seen everything, you find a wedding at a game lodge inspired by a perfume advert (and I don’t mean ‘Beautiful’). A wedding that takes its blueprint from  a fashion shoot. A wedding that should represent everything about this industry that we’re always being criticised for – that we’re all about the form over content, that we’ve lost sight of what’s meaningful, and classic, and appropriate. A wedding that, as it happens, turns that criticism on its head. Because the thing is, that fashion is bride Sarah’s passion. It’s what she does for a living, it’s what inspires her. So when she dreamt up her special day, it didn’t look like an Estee Lauder advert. It was elemental and edgy and, as it turns out, exquisite (thanks in part to the stunning pictures by Fiona Clair), but it was also very personal – an expression of romance in the couple’s private language. This is the kind of wedding that reminds me of why I love weddings – of the infinite creativity that can go into designing them, of the way you can take a concept you love and make it classy and classic, even as it’s vibrant and unique. And meaningful? Well, you only have to read Sarah and Matt’s ‘how we met’ story to know that this is one very special love story, and that’s only fitting, because it’s one very special wedding day. I’m inspired by it. I’m invigorated by it. Fact: I bloody love it.Read More