Category: Inspiration

Green Garlands

by gaby

Credit: Esther Gallarday/Fleurishly Inc via Hey Wedding Lady

It’s time to showcase a new trend, folks, and I have to say, I have been looking forward to bringing this one your way for a few months now. Of course, wreaths themselves are nothing new in wedding decor (see our archive post on them here) and hair garlands are a huge and lasting trend among stylish, free-spirited brides. But with the move towards greenery like eucalyptus, fern (HUGE right now) and olive branch, the kind of garlands I am talking about are those made of simple twines of greenery or even herbs, hanging simply from a ceiling or against a wall, or worked into something more intricate like a chandelier or fun like an escort card display. In fact, we’ve already featured a few pretty laurels and wreaths in our own recent weddings and every time I see this detail I admit I love it more. From stationery motifs to full-scale backdrops, there are many ways to make this work for you, and here are some of my favourites!Read More

Summer Splendour Meets Opulent Chic by Lorinda Spies

by gaby

Afternoon brideys – time for some styled shoot inspiration from the fab Lorinda Spies and her team of talented SA wedding pros. This is kind of two inspirations in one – the first a colourful, slightly boho look with gorgeous brass detailing, and the second a sophisticated, opulent evening look with a fresh, modern table. The whole thing was shot at Brenaissance, surely one of our loveliest venues. Whether you’re more a bright colours and flower crowns kinds gal, or a monochrome and pastels fan, you’ll find something here to inspire. So let’s start off with the first look, Summer Splendour…Read More

Inspiration Board: Pretty Preppy

by gaby

And we’re back – I couldn’t let Monday go by without some inspiration board loveliness, could I? :) Today’s combo has been my new little colour crush for a few weeks now, because seriously, how amazing do grey and navy look together? It’s so chic. I especially love the mix of a dark slate grey with a softer, bluer grey, and then sophisticated navy (plus, of course, lots of crisp white). If you like a country club chic look, this is absolutely perfect, and of course you can also inject a few softer colours like peach or coral if you like. But I actually like it just like this – it’s like a sophisticated, on-trend take on the navy and white stripes that I have been loving over the last couple of years. What do you think?

Colours: Slate grey, dove grey, navy & white

Pretty Preppy

Top row (l-r): Invitation suite {Beaux Arts Photographie}; bride {Sonya Khegay}; bridesmaids {Brett Heidebrecht}
Row 2: Grey suit {Loren Routhier}; bridesmaids {Perez Photography/The French Connection}; place setting {Lizelle Lotter}; cake {Brooke Allison Photography}
Row 3: Bride & groom {The McCartneys Photography}; bouquet {Kali Leenstra/Katy Grifiths/Flora Nova Design}; cocktails {Lizelle Lotter}.

 

Ten Tables: Travel Theme {Part 2}

by gaby

Pack your bags! It’s time for us to take another trip to the magical land of lovely wedding tables, with the second part of our Ten Tables special on travel-themed wedding tablescapes. Love it! As always, I’ve broken down some of my favourite tables from real weddings and styled shoots into their easy-to-make-your-own components. Along with DIYs and top tips. Because that’s just how we roll. If you’d like to see all the pretty tables from Part 1, you can find it right here.

Table #1: Gorgeous Globetrotter

SUGGESTED FLOWERS: Baby’s breath

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Sizzling Sunset Engagement by Vizion Photo

by gaby

I don’t know about you, but I LOVE hearing the stories of how couples meet- they’re like snowflakes or fingerprints, no two exactly the same. Today’s love story is a modern one, a connection forged online and confirmed in person, leading to a happy ever after for Carina and Wayne. That connection sparked and sizzled on this glamorous beach engagement shoot with the Cape sunset as a backdrop from the fab Vizion Photo, with sunlight sparkling off the sea, and Table Mountain standing majestic on the horizon.Read More

25 Unique Escort Card & Seating Plan Ideas

by gaby

I know it’s a cliche for a wedding blogger to say they’re obsessed with details, but it happens to be 100% true – the little touches and clever nuances are what really floats my boat when it comes to wedding design. And I think one of the best places to show your personality or complement your theme or motif is in the way you present your escort cards/table plan. Think about it – it’s practical and it’s something all your guests have to engage with in order to find their seats, so why not make it fun and a visual treat? Whether you decide to work with a seating/table plan or present guests with escort cards that have their name and table number on them, there are so many creative ideas out there, so I thought I would gather 25 of my favourites.Read More

Colour Story: Kraft & Blush

by gaby

We love us some colour inspiration here on SBB, and so after this morning’s inspiration board I thought it was time for a wee colour story this afternoon. As in small, not actual wee, since a wee coloured wedding would be weird. Obvs. Anyway, so I took my starting point from a board I created a little while ago that proved to be soopa popular both on the site and social media – I guess the love of blush isn’t going anywhere soon! Here’s the original board:

Kraft & Blush

Full credits here

For me, I love how the soft colour brings sophistication to kraft/brown paper (especially with some calligraphy), which otherwise is usually associated with more rustic weddings. And it’s also quite an easy wedding palette to work with in that you’ll find a lot of blush, white and kraft details available in the shops at the moment (which always helps a lot). Whether you’re donning a pretty blush gown or putting your bridesmaids in this flattering shade, there are lots of stunning options.

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Inspiration Board: Milk & Honey

by gaby

Good morning darlin’s – how was your weekend? Mine was super chilled, mostly working away behind the scenes and catching up on some zzzzs! On the technical side, you may notice (I hope!) that SBB is sooopa fast today, which is down to some upgrades I have been making to ensure the site is at its very best for you all. And while it’s always a hassle to migrate to a new server, it’s a tribute to the fact that there are now so many of you visiting SBB on a daily basis that the previous one couldn’t cope. I am so grateful for you all! And so excited for what I have planned for this year – it feels like everything is moving organically in the best of directions. ANYWAY, enough of that, it’s time for our weekly inspiration. Today I thought I would take the concept of milk and honey for a wedding, updating the bee motif that we were seeing a bit of a couple of years ago, and bringing it to a really warm, rustic wedding concept that would be absolutely PERFECT for a brunch wedding in the countryside. Can’t you just imagine it? Rays of morning sun peeking out from behind the clouds as you promise your love to each other, followed by a breakfast of pancakes and butter and honey at long open air tables, with milk white daisies forming your bouquet. Morning weddings have never been so pretty.

Colours: Off-white, honey yellow, taupe and gingerbread

Top row (l-r): Milk & honeycomb {Sunday Suppers}; outdoor table {Aaron Delesie/Beth Helmstetter Events}; honey favours {This Love of Yours Photography/Engaged & Inspired}; wedding dress {Jane Allen Photography/Scout & Charm}
Row 2: Bridesmaids; daisy bouquet {Jemma Keech}; bee stationery {Brooke Boling/Lauren Ledbetter}
Row 3: Honey cake {Love Me Do Photography}; honey dipper favours {Brancoprata}; milk vases; bride with flower crown {Elizabeth Messina}

Inspiration Board: Milk & Honey

 

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

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

Autumn Glitter Styled Shoot by Veronique Photography

by gaby

OH YOU GUYS. I think it’s safe to say I am totally, completely, head over heels, over the moon in love with today’s wedding style inspiration, which comes from a truly fantastic team (including Veronique Mills, Just Jack and Whispers of May – who just happens to be one of our own SouthBound Brides). It’s glittery, it’s gorgeous, and it’s a brand new take on autumn/fall weddings, using the warm shades of copper or rose gold to glam up a clean white space. Just the palette is enough to have me pinning all afternoon, but I also happen to adore the details – dipped feather place names, a sequin runner, breathtaking florals, and a sweet metallic cake. It’s just perfect, and I have a feeling you all will think so too. Oh, and PS, we have a bit of a behind-the-scenes bonus today, so head over to our Facebook page for a glimpse at how it all gets put together :)Read More