Hen Parties & Showers - SouthBound Bride

Get the Look: Rustic Chic Bridal Shower

26 May, 2017 by gaby

Earlier today we featured a fabulous real rustic bridal shower (be sure not to miss it!). I loved this, not only because it was super pretty, but because it was a fresh take on the rustic/natural/organic look. And we are all about fresh, pretty inspiration here on SBB! So I thought I would break down the look so that you lovelies could recreate it for yourself (or your bestie). The good news is, this is a relatively simple look to pull off, and the more simple and natural you go with the details, the better. Plus, the other joy of rustic style is that there’s really no such thing as mismatched, so you can add in touches of girly or glam or boho or whatever, depending on the style of the bride herself. Perfect, right? (Links in bold denote affiliate links. The cost to you remains the same, but SBB may receive a commission for any sales made.)

Rustic Glam Bridal Shower

26 May, 2017 by gaby

TGIF people! And to celebrate, we have something fresh to share. It’s not often we get real bridal showers in the SBB submissions inbox, but when we do, it’s such a treat, especially when they’re as lovely as this one! Lindie’s bridesmaids organised the most gorgeous day for her you can imagine, with a mix of organic and rustic elements and a touch of glam (and hello, donut tower ‘cake’!). What I love most about this look is that it’s both impressive and easy to pull off, which makes it downright inspiring! The lovely Anike Benade took these pretty pics to share with you all!

Tropical Themed Bridal Shower Invitations & Ideas

14 July, 2015 by gaby

Image credit: Krista A. Jones/Bustle Events on SouthBound Bride

So, are you as crazy in love with this tropical bridal shower inspiration as I am? Yep, of course you are. So fun! We’ve already published our guide on how to throw a tropical themed shower for yourself or your bestie, but I thought I would round up some fun stuff that you can use to make it extra pretty. Starting with invitations, because ALOHA, there are some seriously amazing invites on Etsy for a tropical theme shower! Like, enough to make me want to throw one just so I can buy them. Good luck picking your favourite – I know I couldn’t ;) Links in bold denote affiliate links. The cost to you remains the same, but SBB may receive a commission for any sales made.

Tropical Heat Bridal Shower by Oh Happy Day, Kelly Daniels & The Shank Tank

14 July, 2015 by gaby

A few months ago, I got to spend my afternoon in the best way possible, with some of the loveliest ladies (and one gent!) in the local wedding industry, as a guest of the delightful Joelene of Oh Happy Day. Joelene has burst onto the scene full of ideas and enthusiasm and sassiness, and on this particular day, she’d pulled together the talents of some seriously amazing people to help her create a tropical themed bridal shower styled shoot. It was so fun to see them at work, and even more fun sifting through the gorgeous results, thanks to the rockstar photographers, Kelly Daniels and The Shank Tank team. I was already a big fan of tropsy showers (see this post on how to plan one of your own) and now I’m even more so – think gold pineapples, floral print dresses, fruity cocktails (and watermelon on a stick, love), and even a little hula girl cake topper (which I somehow managed to resist slipping into my pocket and stealing away). I also have to make a special mention of the adorable stationery by Ruby + Swallow, as well as the fantastic cakes and sweets by Smith’s Bake Shop, with flavours just as delicious as they were pretty. So here we go – let’s head for the tropics! (PS If you love this ideas as much as I do, pop back this afternoon for some fun buys)Read More

20 Perfectly Pretty Printable Bridal Shower Invitations

3 March, 2015 by gaby

Afternoon, lovelies! For those of you planning a 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 invitations you can get these days – Etsy in particular is full of these lovelies. The best part is, that printables 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 even send the file via email (for extra eco points) and you’re sorted! 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 shower invites for you to choose from. Just click on the links (or any of the images) below, and you’ll be taken straight to Etsy to get more information and make your purchase. Yay! (This post includes affiliate links)Read More

Real Bridal Shower: Pastel & Gold High Tea

11 September, 2014 by gaby

Time for a bit of bridal shower inspiration, and today’s feature comes to you from the very lovely Chantall Marshall Photography & Design. Who is pretty much the best girl to have on hand as your bridesmaid, considering that she’s not only a photographer, but a designer and lover of all things pretty! Chantall did an awesome job putting together this gorgeous kitchen tea in gold, teal and candy pink for her friend Friedel, including a super fun photobooth for the ladies to capture some memories while playing with props and getting to know one another. Loads of stealable ideas here – from gold sprayed succulents, bottles and tins to lemon meringue pie in a jar!Read More

15 Free Printables for Hen Nights & Bridal Showers

24 July, 2014 by gaby

Credit: Be Inspired PR/Intertwined Events/J Wiley Photography via Inspired by This

The web is an amazing place – so many creative people sharing their expertise and ideas, and so often for free. It seems a pity not to make use of their generous gifts, especially when planning something like a bridal shower slash kitchen tea slash bachelorette slash hen night (can I just call it a henkitch showerette from now on?). I often come across gorgeous bridal shower printables that would fit into a variety of decor schemes, so I thought today I would gather some of my favourites into one place, for easy reference. Here you’ll find everything from hen party games to bachelorette invitations, from recipe cards and gift tags to decor items. Where relevant, the designer as well as the original source of the hen party printables is listed – if you like their work and you’re looking for something customised, why not click through to see more of their portfolio? I’ve also included some not-free options from Etsy to give you extra choice! *Links in bold denote affiliate links. The cost to you remains the same, but SBB may receive a commission for any sales made

SouthBound Guide: How to Plan the Perfect Bridal Shower {Plus Printable Timeline}

4 April, 2014 by gaby

If you follow SBB on Facebook you may have seen that I was invited back this last Tuesday to chat to the lovely Yolanda Martens at OFM, a radio station based in Bloem, as part of her wedding planner series. This time, we were talking all about bridal showers, hen dos, kitchen teas, bachelorettes – whatever you want to call them, I shared lots of info and ideas. (You can hear the podcasts here.) To tie in with my interview, I thought this afternoon I would post the complete SBB guide to throwing a successful kitchen tea/bridal shower (that is, the more sedate day-time party!). If you scroll to the end, you’ll even find a very handy timeline and checklist that your Maid of Honour or bridesmaids can print out to help them in their planning, so don’t forget to pin it! I’ve thrown quite a few showers in my time (both bridal and baby), and organisation is the key to make it as stress-free for the planner as well as for the bride and guests as possible. It’s such a special gift to give one of your best friends – an afternoon with her favourite people, celebrating their relationships with her – but it doesn’t happen by magic. So here’s everything you need to know to organise an amazing kitchen tea.Read More

Vintage High Tea Bridal Shower by Megan van Zyl

28 January, 2014 by gaby

Hello lovelies! I thought today we would finish off with some bridal shower inspiration, courtesy of the lovely Megan van Zyl. This one has all your favourites – a touch of vintage, proteas, and shabby chic decor, as well as a table full of delicious-looking desserts! Megan was contacted by the maid of honour responsible for all this prettiness, Simoné, who was coming out from Australia (along with a suitcase full of decor and handmade floral crowns), for her bestie Eugenie’s kitchen tea at the Magoebaskloof Hotel just outside Haenertsburg. She was delighted to capture the happy day!Read More

Hen Party Theme: Glitter & Glam

7 November, 2013 by gaby

Source: Paige Winn via Ultimate Bridesmaid

It’s been a sparkly week, you guys. From a glitzy gold wedding, to a glam rock shoot this morning, we’re on a sequin strewn roll. Yay. Who’s complaining, right? Anyway, I have been seeing quite a few lovely sparkly bridal showers recently, and what I love about it is that if this is something you like but don’t necessarily want to incorporate into your wedding, it gives you the chance to do that. Plus, it’s the kind of theme that your girls will be more than happy to dress up for, and it’s surprisingly easy (and can be inexpensive) to decorate. The key thing is to mix textures, so a little sparkle goes a long, long way. Here’s how I would go about pulling all the details together for the perfect glittery hen party.Read More