gaby | SouthBound Bride

20 Boho Wedding Ideas

4 March, 2015 by gaby

Image credit: Julia Stockton Photography/Rosie Posie Flowers on SouthBound Bride

*UPDATED FOR 2021* Confession: I feel kind of weird writing a post about the elements that will help you put together a bohemian wedding. Because, after all, the whole point of bohemianism is that anything goes, right? For a truly boho bride, you’re going to really make it up as you go along and just include the things that you love, that are in season, and that are at hand. And that’s awesome. In my view, wedding design should always be about what you love rather than conforming to what you think is expected of you. But let’s be honest, boho has become a ‘look’, and if that’s a look you’re trying to achieve, it’s my job to help you do that. And there are certain ingredients that immediately scream boho – a flower crown, a fishtail braid, perhaps a ’70s style crochet lace dress, a ceremony out in the open, a festival style reception. I still love all of those things, but for today’s roundup, I wanted to focus on the less obvious boho wedding ideas that you could include in your design. There are some seriously cool little boho wedding details here, so dive in, and see what takes your fancy!

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

Quirky Country Wedding at Jan Harmsgat by Stroopsoet Photography {Lizahn & Bennie}

4 March, 2015 by gaby

I’ve said it before, but some venues really speak for themselves, and a wise bride and groom will let them do just that by keeping decor and details to a minimum and letting their choice of location shine through. Sometimes that’s through amazing nature or grand architectural style, but with today’s wedding, we have a thoroughly unique, quirky and all-round amazing venue in the form of Cullinan’s Jan Harmsgat. Bennie and Lizahn really wanted something unusual for their big day, so this spot was a perfect reflection of their laid-back, happy personalities, and I was blown away by the cool little touches: hanging tins and plates, enamelware embedded in the walls (seriously, there’s even a tin cup arch!), rich, eclectic fabrics, vintage signs. I’m also really excited to introduce you to new directory members Stroopsoet Photography, who took these lovely pictures – be sure to click through and have a look at their listing!Read More

20 Perfectly Pretty Printable Bridal Shower Invitations

3 March, 2015 by gaby

*UPDATED FOR 2021* For those of you planning a bridal shower at the moment, one of the details that can really be a pain in the pachanga (unless you’re actually a designer) is the invitations. The last shower I organised, I spent DAYS making them from scratch, complete with fabric envelopes (nobody even commented on them, gah). Frankly, I would have been better off going with one of the gorgeous printable bridal shower invitations you can get these days – Etsy in particular is full of these lovelies. The best part is that printable invitations are either an immediate download, or are sent to you once customised, so they’re quick, reasonably priced and can be bought from anywhere in the world. All you do is take them to your local printshop or online print service, or even send the file via email (for extra eco points) and you’re sorted with your DIY shower invitations! There’s loads of choice too – in fact, so much choice, that it can be time consuming to sift through all the options. That’s where today’s post comes in, because we’ve picked out 20 of our absolute favourite Etsy printable bridal shower invitations for you to choose from. Yay!

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

Romantic Duck Egg Blue Wedding at Barker Manor by Knot Just Pics {Lauren & Scott}

3 March, 2015 by gaby

Nothing sends us head over heels here at SBB HQ quite like a gorgeous wedding, beautifully photographed, and that’s just what we have in store for you today. This rustic-meets-classic affair in shades of clean white and duck egg blue (how much do we LOVE this colour?) from the fab Knot Just Pics team has us completely captivated, from the white VW Beatle wedding car, to the romantic arch and flower chandelier at the ceremony, and on to the delicate florals and soft stripes at the reception. Plus, don’t miss bride Lauren’s hilarious write-up on her big day! It’s no wonder with so much prettiness, and the couple’s sense of fun, that there’s such a happy atmosphere in these images.Read More

20 Romantic Bohemian Wedding Dresses

2 March, 2015 by gaby

Nevaeh Floral Lace Open Back Wedding Dress by Wear Your Love

*UPDATED FOR 2020* Looking for the most gorgeous romantic bohemian wedding dresses for hippie, festival or indie brides? Whether you’re getting married in a field or on a beach or just have a free spirit, these gorgeous gowns from Etsy will set your wild heart aflutter. And while I know buying gowns online can feel like a risk, but I think the boho style particularly lends itself to it, since the cut is usually a little looser, the style a little more flowing than your average ballgown. Plus, there are lots of small, up-and-coming designers in this space (where many an independent bridal label began). I’ve rounded up just 20 of my favourite romantic bohemian wedding dresses, but be sure to click through and see more from each of these fab Etsy stores.

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

Inspiration Board: Blackberry Boho

2 March, 2015 by gaby

Morning lovely ones! It’s the start of a new month, and this time, Candice and I thought we would try something different and take a page out of the magazine playbook by having a bit of a theme for our features, and the one we’ve chosen is Boho. That’s not to say that everything we feature in March will be boho (so don’t despair, glamour brides, there’s something for everyone!) but we will be featuring lots of fab bohemian, boho luxe and boho rustic content during the month. So I thought I’d kick things off with a boho board today! You probably know by now how much I love incorporating natural elements like fruit into wedding design, so I was totally inspired a while back when I saw this flower crown that also included berries – SO pretty! That’s where this board started, and it’s ended up somewhere really pretty I think, with tones of blush, raspberry and blackberry against soft white. This is boho at its most romantic – I just want to dive right in.

Colours: Blush pink, garnet, mahogany, green & white

Top row (l-r): Flower crown with berries {Sonya Khegay/Ajur Wedding/Latte decor/Olga Chursina}; cake with berries {Eyelet Images/The Ruffle Effect/Elise Cakes}; bridesmaids {Jen Huang/Magnolia Rouge/Fleuriste}
Row 2: Bouquet {Mint Photography/Lindsey Zamora/Without Wax Katy}; blackberry cocktails {Anastasiya Belik Photography/Peony Art Decoration Studio}; rustic handdrawn invitation {Christie Graham Photography/The Written Word Calligraphy}
Row 3: Tablescape {Onelove Photography/WINK! Weddings/Seed Floral}; ceremony arch {Linda Chaja/Magnolia Event Design/NLC Productions}; red cocktail {Summer Street Photography/Whim Events}

Fiona Mauchan Demi-Couture Collection

27 February, 2015 by gaby

Dress crush alert! I’m super excited today to be featuring the work of up-and-coming South African designer, Fiona Mauchan, who has just launched her demi-couture collection. Up until now, Fiona’s only made one-of-a-kind dresses, and while she’ll continue her bespoke service, she’s also created this exciting ‘petite’ ready to wear collection, comprised of three breathtaking gowns: Angelica, Anise and Annabel. The collection made its debut just last weekend at the Canal Walk Bridal Show, so this is really hot off the press news. And even better, we have some beautiful lookbook images to share, courtesy of the talented Claire Thomson! Now that’s how you kick off a Friday. ;)Read More

This Searching Heart: Woodland Fairytale Inspiration by Gingerale Photography & Absolute Perfection

26 February, 2015 by gaby

You guys, I have something so special in store for you today! You know, back in high school, one of my favourite things was my homework diary. Not because of the homework, obvs, but because I used to decorate mine so meticulously with images I cut out of magazines. Particularly fashion editorials. Here were these beautiful images, and it always made me so sad that they’d just sit in an old mag and be forgotten. I loved choosing them and using them. I think that’s where I might have fallen in love with photography. I can’t believe that today I get to play with gorgeous images for a living, and today’s shoot reminds me why that’s such a joy and a privilege, because this styled shoot from Gingerale Photography and Absolute Perfection is sheer beauty and creativity. And yes, there’s some absolutely gorgeous wedding inspiration there – the most amazing woodland-style cakes, and dresses, and canapes, and stationery, and styling – but this is the kind of editorial where you can just sink in and immerse yourself in the loveliness. (With the water shots, it reminds me a bit of the story of Ophelia, except in this case, Hamlet stops fannying about with philosophy and rescues his drowning girlfriend. Go Hamlet.) I went a bit overboard on the number of images, but what can you do? They were too wonderful to cut! Enjoy…Read More

Handmade Forest Wedding at The Big Red Barn by Stella Sassen {Carien & Hannes}

25 February, 2015 by gaby

If you go down to the woods today… well, today you’ll find no teddybear’s picnic, but the big surprise you’re in for is a beautiful forest wedding from the fab Stella Sassen. Carien and Hannes perfectly combined the handmade look with an unusual palette (slate, mustard and white – love!) and an amazing rustic, forest venue for a perfectly pretty country wedding right in the middle of Gauteng. And I love Carien’s bridal style too, including a stunning portrait back dress (with very special meaning, dreamed up by the bride herself!). In fact, there are so many elements to love – paper flowers, succulents, buckets of proteas… And of course, those beautiful, serene trees. What a perfect place to promise your forevers.Read More

Urban Luxe Wedding at Katy’s Palace by Lad & Lass {Alexia & Albert}

24 February, 2015 by gaby

I have to tell you guys, as much as I love a country wedding, I get a special little thrill when a city affair lands in my inbox (or when my talented intern, Candice, unearths a little urban gem, as she did with this one). Especially when it’s a city wedding at a completely awesome venue, as Alexia and Albert’s turned out to be. I hadn’t come across Katy’s Palace Bar in Johannesburg before, but knowing that it’s part of the same family as the gorgeous Emily Moon in Plett, I’m not surprised that it’s amazing – full of luxe, eclectic styling, with a breathtaking view over the Jozi skyline, and the kind of industrial antique touches that bring to mind the city’s history. There’s not much you need to do with a venue like this, and Alexia and Albert played it perfectly, lining the tables with lace and filling the room with tall white candles and lush, bright florals. And let’s just take a moment to talk about Alexia’s Abigail Betz dress – I LOVE the convertible dress trend (where a single gown goes from day to night with the removal of a long skirt usually), and this one is romantic and effortless – such a clever look, and perfectly suited to the church ceremony and city chic reception. Lad & Lass recorded this one for the ages, combining their amazing talent for detail and colour with a capture-the-moment flair – the result is just as wonderful as it sounds.Read More