I’m seriously on board with barn weddings right now, and Rosemary Hill has fast become one of my absolute faves. So Clint and Vanessa’s DIY-tastic, greenery-garlanded, rustically romantic, filled-with-love fête is one I would been first in line to attend. Add to that paper cranes bobbing in the summer breeze and some of our fave suppliers involved in making the bride and her girls look like rockstars (I’m looking at you, Refinery Creative Co.!), and you have the perfect way to start our day off sweetly. These lovely, light-filled pictures come courtesy of Aline Photography.
Swoon alert! I have some seriously GORGEOUS fashion inspiration to share with you all today, in the form of the latest collection of fine art bridal accessories from Enchanted Atelier by Liv Hart. Inspired by Albert Joseph Moore’s painting, ‘Dreamers’ and a love for styling her brides with artfully designed pieces, it’s an exquisite collection of crowns, combs, hairpieces and gauzy silk tulle veils that will not only lend their ethereal beauty to the bride who wears them, but become treasured heirlooms in years to come. And don’t get me started on these lookbook images by Laura Gordon – I’m dying over every exquisite frame.
Have I ever mentioned that I love proteas? Yep, I know, about a hundred times. But I bloody LOVE proteas. Set against a crisp white background and filled with the most gorgeous Kings and Blushing Brides, this contemporary classic wedding captured by As Sweet As Images has SBB written all over it. From the glasshouse ceremony at dream venue White Light, to the beautiful reception filled with blooms, to the actual blushing bride in her lace illusion neckline gown, smiling at her new husband, Ash & Andrew’s big day is the kind of celebration that hits my wedding sweet spot and has me oohing over every frame, not to mention falling in love with South Africa’s favourite flowers all over again.
Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue… we all know the rhyme from English folklore, and whether or not you’re superstitious about bringing good luck, I think it’s a sweet tradition to observe on your wedding day. In the past, the ‘something blue’ was often a garter or a handkerchief, or embroidery in the bride’s dress, but while those are still lovely ideas, I thought I would round up 20 slightly different ways that the modern bride could incorporate this part of the tradition. From going all-out with a blue wedding gown (they’re gorgeous, why not!) to little details you can add to your design and decor (even if blue isn’t your main theme colour), each one of these ideas is classy and fabulous.
With a new month, comes a new editorial theme here on SouthBound Bride, and in May we’re focusing on ‘Something Blue’ – or rather, many somethings blue and somethings beautiful. We have some absolutely gorgeous inspiration coming your way, and we’re kicking it off today with a breathtaking styled shoot from one of South Africa’s most talented creative duos, Rensche Mari photography and Eve Poplett of Splendid Wedding Company. The editorial, which was shot on film and digital, took place in a real secret garden, and features a beautiful bride (model Daisy May, made up to perfection by Antonia Gregoriou) in the dreamiest watercolour floral print Silver Swallow gown, stunning florals, and a table decked out in the softest shade of blue. I adore everything about it, and I can’t think of a better way to start our month!
So, who’s ready for a long weekend? Just before you rush off shouting “Weeyheeey, I’m freeeeee”, I have one last piece of industrial inspo for you. In my trawls around the net to see the best of this trend, I noticed some seriously cool ideas for table numbers – a tiny detail, sure, but each of these adds that extra bit of industrial texture to your tables and best of all, most of them are totally DIY-able. Let’s have a peek, shall we?
As we come to the end of our month of industrial chic, I couldn’t resist slipping in one last lovely styled shoot with an urban theme, this time courtesy of fabulous SBB Directory member Blue Olive Events, and their team of Gauteng creatives. I’m fascinated with the Maboneng District as a wedding venue – it’s so achingly COOL, and the images from this shoot and from real weddings I have seen there in the past tell such a story of Johannesburg city romance. It’s no wonder that it was the inspiration for this editorial, which includes so many gorgeous details – a cake display to die for (macaron tower! copper dusted cake!), adorable cut-out cityscape stationery, lush florals, copper and Edison bulbs, a vintage car and OMG not one but two amazing Silver Swallow dresses. The palette is a sophisticated twist on Pantone Serenity and Rose Quartz, with the addition of that rich copper metallic and deep Marsala reds and greens, which really makes it stand out (and would be perfect for an autumn wedding!). And finally, let’s not forget the honeycomb table plan display – we do love an installation! It’s the perfect mix of modern and vintage, soft and hard, glam and industrial, beautifully captured by Christiaan David.
I feel like things have been a little muted around here recently, and while I adore a wedding in classic white or soft neutrals, it’s always a pleasure to have colour wash across my computer screen and warm my wedding-loving heart. Inspired by the colours of a country sunset, this bright and beautiful farm wedding does just that. Liree and Willie (who met as housemates – adorable!) took on a challenge when they picked a venue that needed everything brought in, but the result was a celebration that was exactly as they’d envisioned – a “proper fun farm get-together”. Mingling sophisticated touches like Liree’s gorgeous lace gown and glamorous gold elements with relaxed spit braai catering and ‘just picked’ flowers, they pulled off the perfect mix of laid back and luxe, and the fab Christine Le Roux was there to capture it all in these pictures.
So, earlier today I shared a gorgeous styled shoot celebrating the official launch of the new Aisle Society website, but I wanted to pop back in and give you a better idea of how the site actually works, and more importantly, how you can use it as a bride or groom to plan your dream wedding – not instead of but as well as the tools you already use. We built the site for you, and we want you to love it, and use it, and be inspired by it, and make it part of your planning journey. The day a bride tells me for the first time that Aisle Society is her first stop when she opens her laptop? I’ll be happy as a happy person on Happy Day in Happyville.
Happy Monday, lovelies! And it is indeed a happy Monday for me, because today I get to share something that’s really close to my heart and which, as I come up to the six year anniversary of founding SBB, has me feeling ever so proud and excited for the future! Over the last months, you’ve heard me mention Aisle Society, and you may remember that a couple of months ago I was lucky enough to go and hang out with my fellow Aisle Society bloggers in the Bahamas (more on that soon!), but you may have been wondering exactly what IS this new website? Is it just a new wedding blog? Well, the answer to that is no – Aisle Society is actually a curation of more than 30 of the world’s best wedding bloggers’ content, updated daily. Think of it as a hub – a place to go and find any kind of inspiration your wedding-loving heart desires, and then ultimately follow that link and see more of the things that inspire you. The AS bloggers come from all over, and we cover a huge range of different niches, from fashion-based inspiration to location or wedding style. And because the content’s already been featured on our own sites, you know it’s quality. Like the cream of Pinterest. Plus, you get to curate your own feed – not have it dictated to you by the kind of algorithms that everyone from Facebook to Instagram now employs. You can add certain bloggers or themes or colours or whatever you like to ‘your society’ and then, when you find a supplier that you love, not only find their information right there, but you can also make an enquiry. It’s awesome, and this afternoon I’m going to be giving you some practical step by step advice on how to plan your wedding using AS, but first, I wanted to share some gorgeous inspiration (because that’s what we’re here for, of course!). This is the Aisle Society brand shoot, created by two of the amazing founder members, Lauren of Every Last Detail and Ami of Elizabeth Anne Designs, and a brilliant, beautiful team of creatives and models. I’m also delighted to be featuring Alexis June Weddings, whose photography I have loved from afar since, like, ever, and who I got to hang out with in the Bahamas as well. SO – enough from me. Let’s get our swoon on, shall we?
