gaby | SouthBound Bride

Proteas & Pallets Rustic Wedding at Leeuwrivier by Nikki Meyer {Martine & Bruno}

7 May, 2015 by gaby

Protea lovers, rejoice! Today’s wedding not only includes tons of these gorgeous South African blooms, but balances them with modern stripes and cafe lights, as well as strong wooden elements, including the most awesome pallet backdrop and ceremony arch detail. It’s this kind of signature element that really gets my heart racing, and shows that rustic wedding style is always open to fresh ideas and new details. And detail is really where this wedding is at, from the custom protea badges for groomsmen and family members, to the teal Chevrolet, to the lacy bunting hanging above the reception space. Happy smiles all round! The delightful Nikki Meyer‘s clean photographic style captures it all to perfection.Read More

20 Naked Cakes for an Autumn Wedding

6 May, 2015 by gaby

One of the things I love most about wedding world in the internet age is that when a gorgeous new trend comes along, all the amazing creative hands and minds across the globe take it as a challenge to create their own spin, and sometimes I look around and just think wow, this is amazing. That’s how I feel every time a beautiful naked cake pops up on Pinterest that I haven’t seen before, and gives me that little thrill of OMG. So when we chose Autumn as our theme for May, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to round up some of those sweet confections, which just happen to be perfect for a rustic, seasonal theme. Let’s go! (PS See our previous roundup of naked cakes here.)Read More

City Botanical Wedding at The Pot Luck Club by Marli Koen {Catherine & Jason}

6 May, 2015 by gaby

Brides and grooms, I beg of you, consider a city wedding, because OMG they are so fabulous. And as cities go, let’s be honest, Cape Town is amazing. So when you combine urban chic with lush botanical styling and a Table Mountain skyline, you get the wedding we have today – super romantic with a touch of glitz… fun, intimate and relaxed… and did I mention pretty? I’m especially in love with both the bride and bridesmaids’ dresses, as well as the greenery that Catherine and Jason chose to decorate both the church (Kate and Wills-style) and their favourite restaurant, The Pot Luck Club. Flowing greenery, inspired by a meadow, bringing the outdoors indoor, and perfectly complementing the city location. Perfect. The lovely Marli Koen was on the scene, capturing every smiley moment and flash of sequin and lace.Read More

20 Ways to Incorporate Autumn Leaves into Your Wedding

5 May, 2015 by gaby

Just a couple of days into our autumn theme month, and I’m already absolutely loving these change of season details (which is just as well, because usually the end of summer just makes me sad!). One thing I love to do in wedding design is to add a little motif to the overall look – not a theme as such, just a little something that reflects the overall style and makes for memorable details. There are lots of autumn motifs, but the most obvious is fallen leaves, and since these are a great budget option (as well as a really beautiful one), I thought that’s where I would focus today. I found lots of pretty ideas for incorporating the leaves into your big day – some more obvious (but beautifully rendered) and others creative and unexpected. Pick the ones you love for your autumn celebration!Read More

Floral Romance Wedding at The Oyster Box Hotel by Vivid Blue Photography {Kerry & Marinus}

5 May, 2015 by gaby

Isn’t it an amazing thing how a smell can instantly take you back to a time and place, or remind you of a person or a feeling? Someone just has to spritz Issy Miyake in my direction and I’m instantly 20 again, getting ready for a night out at Stellenbosch (if only I still looked 20, but that’s another story!). Today’s bride not only filled her elegant reception with enough beautiful flowers that they’d give off the scent of a small garden, but gave each of her female guests perfume to spray, so the whole room was filled with a delicious scent that none of them would ever forget. I love the romance of that, and romance is exactly what Kerry and Marinus’ wedding delivered, from Kerry’s spectacular lace dress, to the Oyster Box location, to the soft pink lighting that infused the scented reception. And all of it was captured to absolute perfection by SBB fave, Vivid Blue Photography. Oh, and PS – flash mob proposal! Wow. :)Read More

Floral Print Bridesmaid Dresses from Plum Pretty Sugar (PPS Couture)

4 May, 2015 by gaby

Well, this morning we were all about autumn, but this afternoon we’re taking a step back into spring and summer for a second, because I have the most beautiful collection of bridesmaid dresses to share with you from Plum Pretty Sugar‘s new PPS Couture line. I mean, I’ve seen and been crushing on floral print dresses for some time, but these really take the cake. You may already have spotted them on a couple of the US wedding blogs, but with gowns this gorgeous (and dreamy pics by the legendary Jose Villa), I just had to share them with my lovely South African brides too. The four gowns in the collection are made from silk and chiffon, and are full of pretty little details to complement the ethereal floral prints (which just happen to mix and match to perfection). With boys names (cute!) but a distinctly feminine aesthetic, I have a hard time picking my fave. And just in case you think they’re out of local reach, you’ll be happy to know that PPS ships worldwide.Read More

10 Autumn Wedding Colour Palettes

4 May, 2015 by gaby

Weyhey! It’s a new week! Hope you all are back renewed and refreshed after your long weekend, and ready for a new month of inspiration here on SBB. I certainly know I am ready to start a fresh page, with a pretty stressful week behind me. And what better way than with our new theme. This month, seeing as Autumn has finally started to Fall here in South Africa (see what I did there, huh huh?) I thought that it was the perfect time to focus on everything wonderful that the cooler months have to offer a bride and groom – everything from colours to fashion inspiration to a bit of sound advice. To kick things off, I thought I would round up some of my absolute favourite autumn wedding palettes from over the years. You’ll find the more traditional colour schemes here – the shades of autumn leaves that so many seasonal brides favour – but you’ll also find some fresh twists to inspire. Click on to find your favourite!
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Intimate Red & Grey Wedding by Maré Rootman {Dominique & Gerrie} PLUS Top 10 Tips for Planning an Intimate Wedding

30 April, 2015 by gaby

When weddings are what you do for a living, it can feel a little like you’ve seen it all, and a traditional Big Day is sometimes the last thing you want to plan for yourself. So it’s no surprise to find that what happens when two Johannesburg wedding photographers decide to get hitched is a fun-filled, intimate weekend wedding in Cape Town! Dominique (and her company Hello Love Photography) is already a member of the SBB Directory, so when I asked for intimate weddings for April, I thought it was awesome that she submitted her own! Not just because it’s fun and relaxed with lots of grey and red handmade details, beautifully captured by Maré Rootman, but because I could pick Dominique’s real bride brain, and ask her to give you her words of wisdom on planning an intimate celebration. So be sure to read ahead to the end of he feature, where you’ll find her Top 10 Tips! (Be sure also to check out the Hello Love profile in our directory to hear more from Dominique.)Read More

Inspiration Board: Rings & Arrows

27 April, 2015 by gaby

Hey lovelies! It may be a public holiday in South Africa (mmm… sleeping in), but I just had to stop in with a sweet little inspiration board. I’m finding pink and blue so satisfying at the moment, and while I really loved the navy/fuschia and pastel pink/blue combos of the last few years, the marriage of the two is what’s really catching my eye right now. A bold, dark blue mashed up with a soft pink or peach, and a touch of gold. I mean, come on, it’s pretty right? Anyway, add in a few little arrows like the ones shot from Cupid’s bow (or just because they’re kinda cool) and you have yourself a wedding inspiration. Enjoy the day off, friends!

Colours: Navy, blush, flamingo & gold

Top row (l-r): Bride & groom {Bia Sampaio Photographs}; ornamental arrows {Sepia Smiles}; shoes {Melissa Kruse}
Row 2: Marquee light arrow {Lauren Peele Photography}; blush wedding gown {Samuelle Couture/Elizabeth Messina Photography}; groom {Catherine Mead}
Row 3: Cake {Sweet & Saucy Shop}; forever in love invitation {Wedding Paper Divas}; blue bridesmaid dresses {Julina Marie Photography}

Let’s take another look at those adorable ornamental arrows, shall we? They’re made by Sepia Smiles, one of the awesome Etsy makers who’ll be exhibiting at this year’s London Etsy Wedding Fair. If you’d like to be in with a chance to win a ticket, be sure to leave a comment on this post before 30 April!

How to Cut Your Guest List

24 April, 2015 by gaby

If you read our popular post in January on How to Write Your Guest List, you may be A-for-away on the whole guest list front. But for those of you planning a small wedding (and here’s why you might want to), maybe you need an extra bit of help. After all, while we love the intimacy and lower budget of a bijoux bash, nobody loves having to cut friends and family out of a very special day. So today we’re bringing you our seven top tips for making the snip, as well as some extra tips for how to break the awkward news.Read More