A magical forest is always a good idea for a wedding ceremony backdrop – just take a look at this delightful De Uijlenes celebration captured by Yeah Yeah Photography if you have any doubt! Bride and groom, Nicky and Max, drew their inspiration from the raw beauty of this spectacular setting, incorporating natural materials and handmade details throughout. The bride wore a beautiful boho gown with a floral crown, while the groom rocked a waistcoat perfect for a rustic summer do. And with watercolour stationery and fairy lights a-twinkling, this whole gallery of images is a breath of fresh air!
Some weddings really strike a chord for me and I feel like this is one of them. Beach, bush, laughter, origami? Tom and Tammy are totally in my Whatsapp group, so to speak. The South African lad and English rose met in Cape Town and wed on the Cape shores at Grootbos, in a beach ceremony that was the perfect amount of casual, personal, and fun. Not to mention breathtakingly beautiful with that pounding surf and endless sky. Afterwards, it was the best of both worlds, as they adjourned to Grootbos’ boma for a safari lodge style reception under trees covered in fairy lights. And with dozens of animals in attendance (paper ones on every table – seriously the coolest origami detail I’ve ever seen, and such a gorgeous African touch!), they partied the night away with their loved ones. Sigh. The wonderful Charlene Schreuder was on the scene to take these gorgeous pictures.
The minute I saw today’s shoot, I knew it was spot on for the SouthBound Bride reader! This season y’all have embraced those deep, dark, rich and moody tones: berry reds, black, emerald, rich purple, etc. And while these colours naturally lend themselves to a winter wedding, there’s no reason why you can’t make them work just beautifully for summer too! This styled wedding from Tori Lynn Photography and her team of talented Chicago wedding pros has a romantic, moody vibe and mixes deep autumnal colours with a light feel, making it perfect for any season. No surprises that my favourite element (besides a spectacular lace dress, velum stationery, and a beautiful black cake) is the bride’s protea bouquet – it’s a stunner!
*UPDATED FOR 2021* Time for some styling inspiration! Choosing all the elements of your wedding design can be a challenge. What if you’re in love with ALL the things? The best place to start is with your wedding style. Picture your big day. Is it casual or formal? Glam or romantic? Maybe boho or colourful or full of handmade DIY touches? Maybe it’s in a far-flung location, whether that’s a tropical beach or under the Mediterranean sun. Perhaps it’s in your parents’ backyard or in a game lodge in the South African bush. Sometimes it takes just one element to unlock it, whether it’s your location, wedding venue, stationery – or, of course, your wedding dress! To get you inspired, I’ve narrowed down five popular bridal styles and created a styling scrapbook for each one, including some truly spectacular gowns. So the question is: which kind of bride are you?
*Links in bold denote affiliate links. The cost to you remains the same, but SBB may receive a commission for any sales made.
We’re closing out our week with some seriously amazing, truly South African bridal inspiration, set amongst the Overberg fynbos. Not only are the gowns just perfect for a free-spirited boho bride and the models all absolutely stunning, but the images and styling are so on point – I have to tell you guys, I’m a little obsessed with these pics. They make me want to jump in a Landie and head for the hills, to soak up some of the wild beauty that is our beloved corner of the planet. Gorgeous work by the team, which included photographers Nina Zimolong and Zach Louw, and MUAH artist Taryn Vogl!
I remember featuring my first forest wedding a few years back, and wondering if it was a trend that would be a hit with SA brides and grooms. Well, safe to say, the answer is hell yes. You all LOVE a woodland wedding, and in the past couple of seasons it’s been a pleasure not only to share a number of seriously gorgeous forest wedding ceremonies, but to see many SA venues create forest ceremony spaces that rival the best in the world (if you’re looking for ideas of where to host your wedding in the woods, just check out our archive). I thought it was high time I rounded up some gorgeous ceremony setups amongst the trees to inspire! (And be sure to scroll through to the end for some bonus forest wedding inspiration in the form of some gorgeous wedding invitations!)
And now, as the Monty Python boys say, for something completely different. Kat and Keith’s wedding danced to its own tune: a sunset ceremony, a cocktail reception punctuated with wild blooms and houndstooth accents, fairy lights and floor-to-ceiling window views. A bride who looked like a modern fairytale princess in the most spectacular Janita Toerien gown with statement sleeves and gold belt detail (this is how minimalist bridal style is done right folks!) carrying a simple bouquet of Odessa calla lilies, bridesmaids in a rainbow of autumn shades, a geode cake. And of course, a love between bride and groom like no other. It was, as their photographer Nikki van Diermen put it: “perfectly unordinary”.
This wedding almost didn’t make it to your faces today, thanks to a suuuuuuuper long power outage (thanks, Eskom), but I just couldn’t wait another second to share the love that is this contemporary, classic, little-bit-botanical, gold and greenery wedding with you all! By now you know that I believe a wedding should ALWAYS and above all be a representation of the couple themselves, so I love it when a bride and groom take the time to really think through their theme like Anuschka and Stefan did. They came up with the idea of a blank canvas, representing the clean slate of a new marriage, and picked one of the best blank canvas venues out there as their starting point, Neo. Then they filled this classic, contemporary space surrounded by its beautiful views with lush white blooms, touches of gold, black, white and grey, sumptuous trellises of greenery and Edison bulbs dripping from the ceiling, and a group of loving family and friends to celebrate with. Anuschka looked absolutely stunning in her nude lace gown, and was flanked by a bevvy of equally stylish bridesmaids in tulle tutu skirts and off the shoulder tops (love a bridesmaid separate!). And with the groom and his groomsmen in smart navy blazers, the long pink shadows creeping up the mountains, and the gin and whisky bars in full swing, Christene de Coning was on the scene to capture these lovely images we’re sharing with you today. Totally worth the wait.
I’m pretty sure if I was planning my own wedding right now, I’d want it to be just like this one. An incredible location (I mean, a riverbed ceremony in the middle of the African bushveld and a reception under the stars? Dying), a handful of my favourite humans, a breathtaking lace gown, boho wedding details, a protea bouquet, and of course my sweetheart by my side. This is what Adam and Natasha chose for their nuptials, and you guys, it is stunning. From their ceremony beneath a floral tipi to their beautiful, radiant couple shoot images, it’s all just so picture perfect – thanks also to the gorgeous images by Derryn Schmidt of course! I have no doubt you bushveld loving brides will be totally inspired for your own big day, out under our endless South African skies.
Fierce fashion, armfuls of beautiful blooms… and cake! I mean, really. What more does a girl need? Today’s gorgeous inspiration shoot comes from a talented Canadian team (led by Kathy Demerchant Photography and Sue Gallo Designs), and brings these elements together in the most stylish of settings – a fashion house in Hamilton, Ontario. With incredible, lush pastel florals and a jawdropping dessert spread (including the prettiest donuts ever!), it’s all a bit Versailles, but in a very modern way, thanks to the clean lines of the contemporary wedding gowns and bold hair and makeup. I imagine this is what Marie Antoinette might have rocked if she’d been a bride today, right down to the sequin jacket. Let’s dive in, shall we?
