From winter to spring, we’re changing seasons from this morning’s winter wedding to this sweet e-shoot that takes place in the gardens of Val de Vie. Candice and Greg chose this locale for a relaxed stroll together and brought along a rather fabulous bouquet. And while it’s all about the love first and foremost, you KNOW I am also going to mention the styling because I do love a great choice of e-sesh outfit for the bride-and-groom-to-be! This is spring perfection – Candice in a classic Little White Dress with sequin jacket, and Greg in pastel trousers. Classic and preppy, but with just the right amount of interest to look great on camera. And look great they do, in these truly lovely pics by Claire Thomson!
Last week we showcased the first part of this gorgeous shoot and today we’re revisiting it for part 2 and a second dose of colour – love! Bring me all the colour! This time, instead of lush real blooms, the focus is on lush paper blooms! And these aren’t the kind you made in pre-school, oh no – this is paper flowers on a whole new level thanks to Luna Artistry. And while I love the real thing, colour loving brides can get an extra punch from the bright hues available outside the natural world, along with fantastical shapes and whimsical floral creations that are oh so lovely! Once again, the pics and styling come from the talented Hello Love Photography – we love having Dominique as part of our circle of wedding pros!
OK SERIOUSLY, HOW IS IT OCTOBER? I’m sulking a bit, I have to admit (especially as I have a birthday looming at the end of the year) but fortunately, if I wanted cheering up there is literally no better way than with this month’s theme. Because in October we are ALL about the colour. Summer Brights, to be specific. It’s like jumping out of the cool muted hues of the fine art features of the last month straight into a neon rainbow, and I love it. I also can’t think of a better way to kick it off than with today’s feature, which comes from the wonderful Hello Love Photography and Dominique’s talented team of vendors (have to make special mention of Oopsie Daisy Flowers for these flowers!). This is actually a two-parter (look out for more inspiration tomorrow) but today we have a riot of tropical colours, bold makeup, bright blooms, and general incredibleness. In fact, if you were ever on the fence about whether too much colour could be a good thing, this will change your mind! So let’s embrace this new season and dive in, shall we? Yay!
As we come to the end of our month of Fine Art Wedding inspiration, I thought that it might be a fun idea to put everything together into one neat little guide. There are of course no hard and fast rules in wedding styling, but if this is a look you love, there are a few elements that, when put together, will recreate the look (or when added one by one, will add just a touch of that fine art style to any big day). There are also some important elements that I haven’t included here. Photography is the most obvious, since that’s where it all began – if this is a look you love, you’ll want to connect with a photographer who shoots film or digital with a film look (think light, airy, ethereal). After all, the point of these particular details is that they photograph beautifully! The next guiding principle is to choose a muted palette (and not to get matchy about colours) – taupes, greys, muted pastels, etc. When it comes to your venue, you’ll want to lean towards a romantic, old world style rather than something too modern (and no, I know we can’t all book a villa in Tuscany, but there are many local options that will work just as well, with a South African twist!) Finally, embrace texture and quality when it comes to the details. Beautiful linens, handmade stationery, dreamy gowns with unique colour or embellishment, lush blooms. And that’s where all of the ideas below come in. I’ve included some gorgeous inspiration from around the web, as well as shoppable items from Etsy, so you can easily recreate the look for yourself. Links in bold denote affiliate links. The cost to you remains the same, but SBB may receive a commission for any sales made.
One of the things haven’t spoken about so much this month of Fine Art Weddings is photography, and TBH that’s a bit of an oversight, because so much of this style comes from the whole movement of fine art wedding photography, and the stylists who regularly work with the pioneers of that style and have together created this new trend in wedding design. And after all, there’s no point in putting all that effort into styling your big day if you’re not going to get it photographed by someone who ‘gets it’. Think Jose Villa, Elizabeth Messina, Jen Huang. That dreamy, ethereal look they are known for has a lot to do with the fact that they shoot on film, and while this is nothing new, it’s taken a while for film to make its way to SA weddings for various reasons. But over the last year or two, I’ve seen it offered more and more, and it makes my little heart so happy. Of course, film is more expensive, and digital work can be just as lovely, but I’m so glad that couples who love this look now have more options in terms of being able to choose it (most photographers who offer this as part of their wedding package shoot a combo of film and digital). One of my favourite local photographers in general, and on film in particular, is Rensche Mari. A few weeks back we featured Luan & Marné’s wedding, which she captured beautifully, and today we get to share their engagement shoot, which also happens to be all film! So you’ll get to see a perfect example of what I’m talking about. The idea is simple – an outdoor picnic, a walk among the willows. But through Rensche’s lens, it takes on a truly magical quality. Sigh!
Friends, this is a good day. I not only get to share this BEAUTIFUL styled shoot, the last of the series in our Fine Art Weddings month, which will absolutely send you into fits of swoonage with its painterly prettiness and impressionist charm, but I also get to introduce you to an exciting new friend. A few weeks back, I discovered the very lovely Mary-Ann Wiggill of Mary-Ann Art, who offers something really special and exciting when it comes to weddings: live art. Working from the sidelines while your magical day is going on, Mary-Ann creates acrylic paintings that recreate a scene from the wedding. Can you imagine a keepsake more lovely than that? (Not to mention that your guests will get such a kick from seeing it happening!) Today’s shoot has Mary-Ann in her element, capturing the romance of a couple in a field of lavender (we seriously could be in France right now) and includes even more gorgeous fine art-inspired details, like a hand painted cake, a floral gown, an artist’s palette a bouquet alternative (genius!) and the loveliest stationery by our talented friends at Blooming Wonderful, and of course dreamy images by Natasha Taljard. Which just goes to show: every wedding is a work of art, but some can be a masterpiece!
The other day we rounded up some GORGEOUS fine art wedding dresses from Etsy, but I’m not done yet with the pretty, oh no. Because a fine art bride also wants to rock a beautiful veil. And why wouldn”t she? Veils are quintessentially romantic and feminine, they look incredible on film (especially those with extra length or lace detailing) and they can also add a bit of vintage flair, whether that’s a touch of Art Deco glamour or a swish of old European grace. But don’t just take it from me. Dive into these 20 spectacular beauties, and you’re sure to agree! Links in bold denote affiliate links. The cost to you remains the same, but SBB may receive a commission for any sales made.
This morning we’re focusing on one of my favourite elements of a fine art wedding – the dreamiest gowns you can imagine! Because of course, you want to look like a masterpiece on your wedding day! So what IS a wedding dress for a fine art bride, exactly? Well, it’s less a specific look than a feeling: ethereal, hand crafted, unique, with beautiful fabrics and intricate details. It’s definitely not your standard wedding salon ivory ballgown, and often it isn’t white or ivory at all – colour is definitely part of the equation. Above all, a fine art dress photographs beautifully, which is another reason why you’ll often see dreamy rivers of tulle in fine art inspiration shoots. But where to find these one-off beauties? Well, there are some local designers who lean in this direction, but you could also take the leap and look to the artisan dressmakers on Etsy, which is what I have rounded up here today. Get ready for full scale swoonage. This might be our prettiest dress roundup EVER. Links in bold denote affiliate links. The cost to you remains the same, but SBB may receive a commission for any sales made.
We don’t feature a lot of engagements here on SBB, but when we do, they always include a unique theme, gorgeous styling or a super cool location. Today’s e-shoot has two out of three, because Elzaan and Rikus not only picked a fabulous locale (cotton fields for days! And a citrus orchard!) but made it totally pop with their own fashion styling. We’re loving Elzaan’s embroidered floral Burberry dress (a bold choice, which totally works!) just as much as we adore Rikus’ tweed blazer and bowtie combo. Of course, what brings it all together is these wonderfully romantic pics by JCclick. I met this super nice pair of photographers recently at the TopVendor awards, and can’t wait to feature more of their work on SBB!
Happy Monday friends! We have so much fab content to share this week, and we’re starting off with a beautiful fine art shoot from my friend Louise over at B.LOVED. I love stepping into Louise’s world, which has got more beautiful as the years have gone by and she’s gone from strength to strength as a stylist, and this spring-inspired shoot is a gorgeous example. With a spectacular English venue, soft fabrics, romantic details, and a beautiful corally-blush palette to match the camellias that were abundantly in bloom, and stunning photography by Kate Nielen, I can’t think of a better way to celebrate spring.
