Category: Inspiration

Nude Lace Wedding Dresses

by gaby

What do J-Lo, Camila Alves and Beyonce have in common? Probably quite a bit, but for today, it’s that they’ve recently been rocking the latest trend in bridal on the red carpet, and looking oh so gorgeous doing it. Nude lace is one of the key trends in the 2015 bridal collections, a beautiful, feminine, sexy development from the lace and applique detailed look that has been so popular for the last couple of years. The key feature of the style is a nude or blush-coloured underlay with a full or part-body overlay, allowing the detail on the lace or applique to really shine through. Some versions of the look are more daring than others, but one thing’s for sure – it’s taking bridal designers by storm. I’ve been a fan ever since we featured Haloise and Jaco’s wedding earlier this year, when our fashion-forward SouthBound Bride wore an absolutely gorgeous, statement gown. Designers like Zuhair Murad and Mira Zwillinger have made me love it even more since then, but I think my absolute favourite example is the dress worn by European royal, Claire Lademacher, in her wedding to Prince Felix of Luxembourg. And if it’s good enough for Beyonce AND a princess? It’s good enough for me. Here’s a roundup of some gorgeous nude lace dresses, both on and off the catwalk.Read More

Candy Crush: Fashion Preview from Wedding Inspirations Magazine

by gaby

It’s no secret that we love Wedding Inspirations magazine around these here parts, and it’s always a super exciting time when I get to share a little sneak peek with you of the latest issue (which was released yesterday, YAY!). Today we’re taking a dip into the fashion pages, where in this issue the WI team are showcasing a bit of a love affair with blush wedding dresses – and we know just how they feel, don’t we? In the last few years, since blush gowns first became a whisper on the lips of fashion-forward weddingistas, I’ve fallen more and more for this sweet, romantic look and there are some absolutely GORGEOUS dresses now available off the peg for blush-loving brideys. So without further ado, let’s take a look! And don’t forget to pick up your copy of the new Wedding Inspirations, where you can find all the details on these dresses and so much more loveliness besides.Read More

Styled Shoot Contest Winners

by gaby

So you guys, last week was amazing – I feel so proud and privileged to have been able to bring you five such gorgeous, fresh and truly South African wedding editorials from some of the most talented photographers, stylists, hair and makeup artists, cake creatives, caterers, dress designers, stationistas, etc. etc. etc. in the country. I am so in awe of the incredible work they did, and so very grateful that they chose to do it for the SBB contest. It’s always been my dream to bring you beautiful, original, local wedding style and that’s just what we were able to do. So a HUGE thank you to every one of the teams – you are all ROCKSTARS. To those of you who read and liked and commented and pinned and supported – thank you! It was so lovely to see such a great response. Finally, I owe another huge debt of gratitude to my wonderful judges, Sarah Burnett of Burnett’s Boards and Louise Beukes of b.loved – they are both such talented bloggers and stylists in their own rights, and I’m so grateful that they offered their time and taste and expertise to help me choose finalists and ultimately, a winner.

Speaking of which, I don’t mind telling you what a hard time we had deciding. Each of us had different favourites, which I think is a tribute to just how brilliant all of the finalists were. But in the end, we totted up our scores, and one team emerged victorious: Wesley Vorster & Leipzig’s Voortrekker Frontiers! I never imagined that voortrekkers would be used as wedding inspiration, but with a combination of designer fashion, drop-dead gorgeous florals, decor and food, and Wesley’s lush pictures, this shoot was our winner. CONGRATULATIONS!

To celebrate, I’m sharing some not-yet-seen images from the shoot – enjoy!Read More

Get the Look: Rose Quartz

by gaby

The best part of a styled shoot for brides and grooms (apart from basking in the sheer prettiness, of course!) is the wealth of fresh ideas that you can borrow to add an extra special touch to your own celebrations. As part of our Styled Shoot Competition showcase this week, we’re breaking down five of our favourite ideas from each shoot, as well as bringing you tips and advice for recreating the look from the talented team behind each entry. Next up, we’re taking a second look at the romantic Rose Quartz shoot by the very talented Yolande Snyders and Yellow Papaya. Read More

Rose Quartz by Yolande Snyders & Yellow Papaya

by gaby

Our final shoot of the competition takes rose quartz as inspiration, a precious stone that is both locally mined and perfectly symbolic for a wedding (it’s called the ‘love stone’ and represents unconditional love in all its forms). Combining this idea with gem-shaped hexagons is bang on trend, and I also love the combination of rose with indigo in the form of shwe shwe (and you know we LOVE shwe shwe!) – including a shwe shwe cake (eek, amazing). The fabulous team headed by Yellow Papaya and photographer Yolande Snyders put together an alternative take on a seated reception with a mimosa bar and cocktail snacks that are all adorable little mini versions of South African favourites. It’s bright, crisp and colourful – the perfect way to end off an amazing week!Read More

Get the Look: West Coast Glamour

by gaby

The best part of a styled shoot for brides and grooms (apart from basking in the sheer prettiness, of course!) is the wealth of fresh ideas that you can borrow to add an extra special touch to your own celebrations. As part of our Styled Shoot Competition showcase this week, we’re breaking down five of our favourite ideas from each shoot, as well as bringing you tips and advice for recreating the look from the talented team behind each entry. Next up, we’re taking a second look at our gorgeously glitzy West Coast Glamour shoot by the very talented Memory Box Photography and Blank Canvas Event Design.Read More

West Coast Glamour by Memory Box Photography & Blank Canvas

by gaby

We’re heading to the seaside with today’s team of finalists in the SBB styled shoot competition. This entry was a collaboration between vendors in Gauteng and the Cape (how cool is that?) and was inspired by the gorgeous wild West Coast, with lashings of glitter and sparkle including a gold dress that I basically want to live in. I’m so inspired by the South-African-beach-rustic-turned-glam details styled by Blank Canvas, and the dreamy photography by Memory Box. It’s sheer editorial loveliness.Read More

Get the Look: Voortrekker Frontiers

by gaby

The best part of a styled shoot for brides and grooms (apart from basking in the sheer prettiness, of course!) is the wealth of fresh ideas that you can borrow to add an extra special touch to your own celebrations. As part of our Styled Shoot Competition showcase this week, we’re breaking down five of our favourite ideas from each shoot, as well as bringing you tips and advice for recreating the look from the talented team behind each entry. Next up, we’re taking a second look at our Voortrekker Frontiers shoot by the dream team of Wesley Vorster and Leipzig.Read More

Voortrekker Frontiers by Wesley Vorster & Leipzig

by gaby

We’re at the half-way mark of our week of homegrown inspiration and I am loving it – aren’t you? There are so many clever ideas and beautiful images in these shoots that I have literally found myself dreaming about them! Today’s finalist is something so original, so rooted in a (sometimes controversial) aspect of South African history, and yet is a somewhat playful (hanging paper bonnets I love), always stylish, exploration of themes that we all share, like new frontiers and exploration. It’s a showcase for some seriously amazing and innovative local design talent (including fashionista Mieke Vermeulen), and with Leipzig‘s flawless florals and attention to detail and Wesley Vorster‘s crisp images, the result is FIERCE.Read More

Get the Look: Protea Landscape

by gaby

The best part of a styled shoot for brides and grooms (apart from basking in the sheer prettiness, of course!) is the wealth of fresh ideas that you can borrow to add an extra special touch to your own celebrations. As part of our Styled Shoot Competition showcase this week, we’re breaking down five of our favourite ideas from each shoot, as well as bringing you tips and advice for recreating the look from the talented team behind each entry. Next up, we’re taking a second look at the Karoo chic of this Protea Landscape shoot by Kadou (who made many of the amazing details by hand, right down to painting the chairs) and Michelle Wiese.Read More