Category: Styled Shoots

A Little Bit Boho, A Little Bit Rock ‘n Roll…

by gaby

Morning lovelies! Sorry about the lack of post yesterday – this week has just been insane. But we’re making up for it with a double dose of awesome today. Starting with this absolutely gorgeous styled shoot from some of my absolute favourite suppliers. We hear a lot in the industry about ‘alternative’ brides – I am totally behind people making their wedding style reflect their personalities, but sometimes I wonder if these ‘alternative’ weddings are getting a little cookie cutter in their own way. That’s one of the reasons I loved this glam rock styled shoot – it’s genuinely different But (and yes, that is But with a capital B) totally elegant. The couple and their stylish crew, sitting down for an intimate reception at a lavish gilded table. The bride’s huge statement bouquets. The DRESS (and who knew sequins went so well with leather?). It’s the Kate Moss or Russell Brand of styled shoots: beautiful, but with an edge. And even though I know most of you won’t necessarily take the entire look on board, you’ll find tons of inspiration for glitzing up your own winelands venue (how stunning is Langverwagt?) or mixing and matching colours and textures and styles, or adopting some high fashion styling for you and/or your bridal party. The photographic glory here goes to Lauren Kriedemann, with styling by Karien Belle, Paradiso and the talented Theresa of Creation Events, a long-time friend of SBB! Enjoy!Read More

African Glam by Fox&Co and Stephanie Veldman

by gaby

Good morning, SouthBound brides! I have such lovely inspiration to share with you today, which comes from the fab Fennec Deuchar from Fox&Co. (a Cape Town based event and decor specialist) and one of our fave photographers, Stephanie Veldman. You already know I’m a huge fan of proteas and fynbos, as well as some of the beautiful South African patterns and textures we have at our disposal, and I also know we have a shared love of glitter, right? Well, put the two together, and you have one of the loveliest tables I have seen in quite a while. Gorgeous muted jewel tones, big king protea blooms, porcupine quills, guinea fowl feathers and a beautiful touch of gold glam. I just love it! And that’s even before we get to the floral arch – wow. The perfect venue for this glamorous homegrown look is Pure at Hout Bay Manor (check out this amazing wedding we featured here a couple of years ago).Read More

La Belle Maroc

by gaby

Oh hello, beautiful! I have such a lovely styled shoot to share with you all this morning, inspired by the colours and romance of Morocco. I’m a big fan of Moroccan-style decor (see our full feature on Moroccan wedding style here) – it’s such a great theme for bringing colour and texture to your wedding design but in a sophisticated, cosmopolitan way and Moroccan decor is also relatively easy to get hold of. So of course I was thrilled when the team from TopVendor Wedding Awards got in touch to share this gorgeous boho styled shoot. TWA was created to recognise the talented service providers in the growing South African wedding industry, and today’s shoot features some of our favourites, including awesome photographer Vivid Blue and decor and planning specialists Flamboijant. I’m more than a little obsessed with the bougainvillaea bouquet – how pretty is that? – as well as the other beautiful flowers including pincushion proteas and the pancake wedding cake. And how stunning are the models’ boho styles created by the awesome Corlé Barnard? There’s so much creativity in this industry and in this country – thanks so much for promoting it and for sharing this today, TWA ladies!Read More

The EdWed Recap (Part 2)

by gaby

We’re back this afternoon with the second part of our recap from The Editorial Wedding. From our talented students’ work earlier you will have had a good idea of the gorgeousness that Louise of b.loved Wedding Design and Styling created for us that day, but now it’s time to share the full shoot from my EdWed partner, Anneli Marinovich Photography. Anneli’s love of colour was so perfect for highlighting Louise’s design – like the ‘Kate Spade meets Elizabeth Messina’ theme, it was a marriage made in heaven. Lou’s inspired idea was to mix bold glitzy graphic prints with soft florals, and to introduce colour gradually through the design. So starting with the set-up of the bridal suite, which has just a little touch of gold, black and white to offset the romantic vintage gown and accessories, it moves into an emerald and gold ceremony area and on into a riot of gorgeous colour at the reception. I love it. In fact, I loved it so much that I’m surprised Louise managed to take any of it home, as I wanted to steal every glass, every invitation, every plate, every glittery peg and tassel to hang up in my house and stare at forever.Read More

The Editorial Wedding Recap (Part 1)

by gaby

The Editorial Wedding Class of 2013, image by Anneli Marinovich

I am SO HOTDAMN EXCITED to be sharing todays posts with all of you, brides-to-be and industry peeps alike. Pictures from my first ever workshop, the debut of The Editorial Wedding (or the EdWed, as it came to be known). You may remember me mentioning this a few months back, but in case you don’t, The Editorial Wedding was a workshop and styled shoot for wedding photographers to learn everything they needed to know about shooting editorially and submitting their work successfully to magazines and blogs. Today I finally get to share it with all of you – and photographers in the UK and SA, please be sure to read all the way to the end for a very special announcement! This morning I’m showcasing the awesome students’ work (click through to their websites to see more of their portfolios) and this afternoon I’ll be sharing the full styled shoot.Read More

Downton Abbey Wedding Inspiration

by gaby

What’s the expression: we plan and God laughs? Well, it’s been that kind of a day. The wedding I had for you had to be put on ice at the last minute, for one. But that is no worries, because it just means that I get to share this piece of loveliness with you all a bit sooner. I don’t know how many of you are Downton Abbey fans (and I can’t believe how behind SA is…) but I definitely am, and I’m totally amped for Series 3. And as much as I’m a Gatsby girl, I also love the alternative wedding style from the same era that Downton offers. While Gatsby is all about loud, wild, flapper style (even if you don’t go all out Baz Luhrmann), Downton is much more refined, more elegant, but just as opulent in its own way. So I was absolutely thrilled when South Africa’s own Nuptial Network got in touch with their latest styled shoot project, which was inspired by Lady Mary et al. And it is gorgeous – you vintage loving brides are going to ADORE it. But what I especially love is how many little touches could be incorporated into any kind of wedding – the subtle sweetness of an ombre cake, the pretty chair ties, the ceremony area (LOVE), the pretty styling of the bride and bridesmaids. The table draped in lace. With lace and silver and lasercut, and pretty pretty flowers, all you need is Carson to lead you in to dinner. Ready, my lords and ladies?

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Beach Beautiful

by gaby

What are the two magic words guaranteed to set any wedding blogger’s heart a-thumping? (And no, they’re not ‘mason jar’.) Jose Villa. Only my favourite photographer, ever. And what are three magic words guaranteed to get South African brides excited? Why, ‘new Wedding Inspirations‘, of course. One of my all-time favourite wedding magazines, and the first thing I picked up a copy of when I landed in SA. So what happens when you put the two together? Well, that’s what I get to share with you today. I’ll explain – the brand new issue of Wedding Inspirations is out now, and it’s an absolute feast. There’s ideas, advice, fashion and some absolutely beautiful shoots. Including this one, which was not only photographed by the aforementioned Jose Villa, but styled by the fab Joy Proctor of Joy de Vivre, a super talented wedding stylist in the States who is bringing her considerable skills to the SA market. It’s a beautiful, romantic and refined coastal look, with selected vintagey accents and a soft but classic colour palette. I’m more than a little in love with it, and I’m so thrilled that our friends at Wedding Inspirations have allowed me to spotlight it here today.Read More

How to Create a Toile & Rose Wedding

by gaby

Hello lovelies! Today we’re not featuring a wedding, but instead a shoot that was styled by little ol’ me, and that I am still so in love with even though it was put together over a year ago. In that time, it’s had a huge spread in SA wedding magazine, Wedding Inspirations, and been featured on two of my all-time favourite blogs, Magnolia Rouge and b.loved. I consciously don’t style a lot of shoots, and it’s been an honour to have those I have done featured so widely. So you may have seen Toile & Rose in one of these places before. But I thought it was high time I showcased the shoot here on SBB, along with my top tips for recreating the look for your own wedding.Read More

L is for Love

by gaby

I have such a fab shoot to share with you today! I absolutely love a bit of colour, and this styled inspiration, from the awesome Louise of b.loved and EFC Photography, is ALL about colour. And not just in the decor, which has a super fun pop art vibe to it, but in four different, really gorgeous looks perfect for a statement bride. This is the kind of shoot that is a perfect example of why I think inspiration shoots are good for the wedding industry. Sure, you might not reproduce the entire ensemble for your big day, but everywhere you look here, there’s a great idea. Pick one or two, and they’ll really jazz up your wedding with that extra edge of ‘specialness’ (for lack of a better word).Read More

Rainbow Rustic

by gaby

Hello lovelies – how has your Tuesday been going so far? Mine didn’t get off to an ideal start, but never mind that, because we have such a lovely styled shoot to brighten things up this afternoon. And I’m particularly excited about this one, in that it was created especially for us by an awesome team from the Nuptial Network, using some of the beautiful stationery from the SBB Collection at Invitation Gallery. I’ve loved seeing rainbow brights make their way into weddings in the last couple of years, and while this isn’t strictly a rainbow-themed affair, it’s colourful and rustic and a look that is really easy to recreate. I love it for a summer farm wedding, for example. The basic details are budget friendly – glass jars with different coloured flowers, fruit used for its natural hues (I really love how natural colour makes a table pop) and, of course, the stationery. This particular suite (Will We Have Rainbows by Mister and Missis) is one of my faves – it has such a fun, playful carnival vibe, and it also works perfectly with the neon trend that is going on at the moment (without looking like someone threw up 1992). I hope you’ll all be as inspired as I am by it – come back this evening and I’ll have a bit of a style guide for you if you want to recreate this yourself. But for now, let’s get colourful! Huge thanks to photographer Abigail K., co-ordinator Mosaic Wedding Company and the rest of the Nuptial Network team (full credits at the end).Read More