Author: gaby

DIY Sparkle Birdcage Veil

by gaby

I could tell it was a good day when not only did a fab city elopement editorial land in my inbox, but the lovely Rebecca of Runaway Romance offered to share some of her crafty expertise in the form of a DIY from the shoot (which we featured this morning – didn’t you love it?). As you know by now, I’m besotted with all things bling, so when I laid eyes on the sparkly birdcage veil she custom made for model Setsoali, I knew you all would want to know how to recreate this stylish and subtly glamorous look for yourselves! To be honest, I’m trying to figure out where I could possibly get away with wearing a sparkly birdcage veil myself, just so I can make one. Supermarket run? Dog park? Rugby? I’ll figure it out. Meantime, let’s get to grips with the how to. Thanks so much for sharing, Rebecca!Read More

Romantic Rooftop Elopement Inspiration by Black Frame Photography & Runaway Romance

by gaby

Holy cannoli, do I have something special to share with you guys today! As you know, it is our month of small weddings, and this fine morning we have a super creative elopement inspiration from a brilliant team. It combines a few of our favourite things – a wedding for two, urban chic, and a city skyline. But what tickled me was the little details – a naked red velvet cake, a table runner made of 5 cent pieces (seriously, I LOVE THIS), and a sparkly birdcage veil (which huzzah, we’ll be sharing a DIY tutorial for later on today). It’s so fun and unique and South African – basically everything we like to celebrate here on the blog. Thank you so much to the awesome Rebecca of Runaway Romance and her team for sharing!Read More

Intimate Orchid-Inspired Dullstroom Wedding by Jack and Jane {Cindy & Carsten}

by gaby

We always love when a couple use the details of their wedding day to tell their love story, but when it’s a bijoux wedding, those details often become even more unique and special because there’s more focus (and often more budget) to invest in them. Take today’s gorgeous pair of lovebirds – Carsten proposed to Cindy in tropical Singapore, where she fell in love with a specific type of orchid in the botanical gardens. So when planning their small wedding back in SA, it was those very flowers that the couple chose to remind them of that special time, and which formed the basis of their wedding and floral design. Sweet, simple and truly intimate, we’re so excited to share their happy day with you, beautifully captured by SBB faves Jack and Jane Photography.Read More

30 Super Chic Short Wedding Dresses

by gaby

30 Super Chic Short Wedding Dresses

*UPDATED FOR 2020* With micro weddings and minimonies on the rise in a big way right now, I couldn’t help but jump at the opportunity to showcase short wedding dresses. I know they’re not everyone’s cup of tea, but if you think about it, some of our greatest fashion heroes over the years have opted for chic and short for their weddings over long and lovely. Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Kiera Knightly, Natalie Portman, Carrie Bradshaw… With that kind of inspiration, it’s actually surprising that more brides don’t opt for the cropped cut. Of course, there’s also a ton of variety under the short dress banner – from mini to tea-length to hi-lo, and so on. All of them have a sassy elegance that’s beautiful at any wedding, but has become especially synonymous with stylish elopements and small weddings (or even as reception dresses for the bride for whom one pretty dress just won’t do). So it’s high time I rounded up my favourites, no? Maybe I can even convert some of you fashion-conscious brideys to the short dress brigade ;)

*Links in bold denote affiliate links. The cost to you remains the same, but SBB may receive a commission for any sales made.

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Musical Pastel Wedding at Kleinevalleij by Nikki Meyer {Alexia & Wimpie}

by gaby

Wimpie and Alexia’s wedding had me at hello, if by “hello” I mean the giant Mumford & Sons quote that dominated one wall of their reception venue. Being a lyric lover myself, I just adore it when couples incorporate quotes and lyrics that mean something to them into their big day – it adds such a special touch, and gives a little insight into their taste and what resonates with them. Of course, that’s not where my wedding crush ends, because with a soft pastel and neutral palette, sparkly bridesmaid dresses, elegant details, fairy lights and even rhino bouts for the boys, there’s a lot to love. I’m also super excited to welcome photographer Nikki Meyer back to SBB – we love Nikki, and we think it’s been far too long since we’ve worked together. Just look at the beautiful pictures below and you’ll see why we missed her.Read More

Misty Bohemian Wedding at Corrie Lynn Farm by Duane Smith {Michane & Nic}

by gaby

Well, it has been a week y’all. (Yes, I know I’m not Southern, but I’m giving into my desire to say y’all because I can.) From tech issues to a very minor foot surgery that had me hobbling about with a cartoon-big bandage on my toe, it hasn’t got off to the best start. But that all changes now, because this wedding is insanely cool. So much so, that it took just one incredible image for me to mail talented photographer Duane Smith with an “OMG I must have that wedding” email.  I LOVE, heart and adore Michane’s bridal style – I’ve seen a lot of flower crowns but hers is just amazing, and I love that her daughter got to wear a mini version too. Then let’s talk about the floral print bridesmaid dresses (from PnP – budget bridesmaids for the win!), the beribboned feet, the red barn… All of that bright and beautiful against a backdrop of Midlands mist and rustic neutrals. It’s amazing. And I’m so excited to share it with you. My good week officially starts here.Read More

Inspiration Board: The Botanist

by gaby

Happy Monday, lovelies! When I was putting together last week’s post on the Etsy Wedding Fair, I just fell in love with the gorgeous Liberty print shoes by Hetty Rose, and I thought how amazing they would be for a botanical wedding, which got me all inspired to create a new botanical inspiration board. I really love the unusual colour scheme I’ve ended up with – the soft vintagey peach and off whites, with tiny punches of orange, red, coral and blue. In larger colour blocks, they’d be overpowering, but here they have a lovely, mismatched but pulled together feeling. I’m especially loving the flowers in the image top right and the flower wrapped oversize balloon, and the cutlery escort cards – those little details that catch the eye and spark the imagination. Fun!

Colours: Peach, ivory, emerald, coral, magenta, orange, purple & blue

Top row (l-r): Bride {Hetty Rose}; wreath invitation {Modern Hearts/Katrin Coetzer}; centrepiece {Rustic White/Molly Mckinley}
Row 2: Naked cake {Stephanie Yonce Photography/Amore Events by Cody/Maliha Creations}; cutlery escort cards {Clayton Austin}; cocktail; place setting with fern {Jessica May Photography/Paisley Petals}
Row 3: Balloon with floral tie; peach bridesmaid dresses; botanical wedding shoes {Hetty Rose}

Let’s just take a closer look at those gorgeous shoes, shall we?

They’re created using Liberty botanical print fabric in five different styles, and are made bespoke for you, so you can adapt each style with a heel of your choice and other design features. You’ll find the full range in the Hetty Rose Etsy store.

 

Embellished Bridesmaid Dresses

by gaby

One of my favourite types of SBB post is our bridesmaid fashion posts, because it gives me a chance to indulge in the latest fashion and lust over some gorgeous gowns and gown trends. And if there’s one current gown trend that really makes me get my ‘ooh’ on, it’s long, embellished dresses – those beaded and sequined beauties that immediately raise the style stakes when you see them on a bridal party. Even better, a mismatched bridal party, so there’s multiple dresses to fall in love with. If you’ve been loving this trend, you’ve probably noticed that there are a couple of specific dresses that have become synonymous with this look, and that those dresses happen to have been designed by one label, Adrianna Papell. Available in both the US and UK (and of course, shipping to SA from either), I’ve seen these gowns on everything from whole bridal parties, to maids of honour, to brides themselves (they’re perfect for an elopement or reception dress, or for a really chic engagement shoot look). Basically, we love Adrianna. So I thought it was high time that we did a post specifically dedicated to her dresses, and to this absolutely gorgeous bridesmaid look. As always, just click on any of the product images below to shop (or for UK shopping links click here).Read More

Elopement en Vogue by Green Goddess & Debbie Lourens

by gaby

When I put out a call for elopements and intimate weddings among our favourite SBB wedding pros, I was absolutely thrilled to receive this stylish gem by Green Goddess flower studio, with beautiful images by Debbie Lourens – one of those submissions I just think of as a ‘hell yes’. With a sort of 1950s Italian Vogue feel, it tells the story of a pair of starry-eyed lovers and a surprise elopement. Totally adorable, and incredibly romantic! I just love everything about it, from the bride’s gorgeous Gavin Rajah dress and coat to the flower-embellished umbrella, and the cake display that’s almost too pretty to eat. And even though it’s an editorial, I love the intimate, fun feeling that the team managed to create – the same feeling I imagine that a real couple would experience if they pulled off this wedding coup. This, friends, is why elopements are awesome.Read More

10 Unique Wedding Invitation Packages

by gaby

So as you all know, April is our month for intimate weddings, and one of the things we love about a small guest list is that you can allocate a bit more of your budget to extravagant details. Hands up, I’m a bit of a stationery fiend, and there’s also nothing I love more than sending and receiving little parcels, so when I see creative, elaborate invitations (especially those that require more than the usual envelope to send) I get really excited (yep, I’m dorky like that). The thing is, I know that those sorts of invitations don’t scale up well to 120 guests on a normal budget. So as I say, this is one of those details that’s absolutely perfect for a small, intimate, beautifully styled affair. Here are 10 of my all-time favourite wedding invitation packages, made by some of the most talented and creative designers in the industry!

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