Category: Styled Shoots

Jardin de Dentelle by Jessica Notelo & Elli-Nicole

by gaby

It’s Fashion Friday, and this week I’m super excited to be able to share this bridal inspiration, featuring the new collection from one of my favourite up-and-coming SA designers, Elli-Nicole! If you’re not yet familiar with this homegrown haute brand (which extends to both gowns and shoes) – well, you’re in for a treat! Because not only are Elli-Nicole’s shoes BEYOND, but the Elli-Nicole dresses are utterly, breathtakingly fit for a queen too. So basically, bridal heaven. In this lovely lookbook, photographer Jessica Notelo has captured all those incredible textural details – 3D petal bodices, a scattering of pearls like tiny seeds, a lattice of lace. She calls it Jardin de Dentelle, which means ‘Garden of Lace’ in French – and well, that pretty much says it all! So let’s take a stroll down this particularly lovely garden path, shall we?

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Ethereal Seaside Bridal Inspiration

by gaby

We like to mix things up here on SBB so while the last couple of weddings have been all about jewel tones and wintery style, this afternoon we’re off to the beach! This bridal inspiration shoot is all about sunrise light, soft sands, elegant textures and pastel blooms and boy oh boy is it ever pretty! From the Elizabeth Stockenstrom lace sleeve gown to her golden laurel crown, this bride looks like a goddess, with her bouquet adding a touch of wild beauty that reflects that around her. Gorgeous pics by Astrid Bradley!

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Bohemian Baroque Wedding Inspiration

by gaby

You all know how much I love it when wedding pros find a current trend and add their own twist? Well, boho brides get ready, because today’s inspiration shoot adds a super cool spin to the bohemian trend that’s so popular right now. Taking its cue from old world elegance, including dark colours and heavy fabrics, this shoot from Natalie Loots Photography, Evoque Events and their team is all about ‘more is more’ – more patterns, more textures, more detail. “We had the idea to show that the bohemian trend can be taken up a notch by adding crystals, candles and a sense of opulence,” Natalie says. The team used black with hints of silver, and indigenous flowers (proteas, yayness!) as splashes of colour to complement the gorgeous, statement gowns. And while not all brides will be bold enough to rock a pantsuit or floor length, rose-embellished dress (although what a showstopper you will be if you do!), this shoot should act as an inspiration for every bride to ‘take things up a notch’ as Natalie puts it, and not be afraid to add that little something extra. Who knows? The results may surprise you!

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Thumbelina Wedding Inspiration

by gaby

One of my favourite things is finding fresh sources of inspiration, so when I themed this month on fairytales, I wanted to make sure it wasn’t just the usual suspects (much as I love the Cinderellas and Belles of the wedding world!) Serendipitously, I came across this gorgeous, whimsical shoot by Celeste Cilliers and her team, based on one of my favourite Hans Christian Anderson stories, Thumbelina. Like any bride, Thumbelina celebrated finding her flower prince (after a few near misses), and this light, bright, floral fantasy is a lovely modern interpretation of the tale. And they all lived happily ever after…

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Pretty in Paris Wedding Inspiraton

by gaby

Happy Friday loves! It may be a public holiday in South Africa, but I couldn’t resist sharing just one more touch of gorgeous inspiration with you all before the weekend begins. This charming bridal shoot comes from Mauritius-based fine art photographer Josué Bonnefemme (remember that name, those of you heading over to Mauritius for your weddings!) and I’m besotted by its combination of vintage-style lace gown and mantilla veil, and romantic garden elements. It’s such a fresh take on a Parisian shoot, and it has me yearning to visit again. Sigh.

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A Touch of Alice

by gaby

If there’s one literary inspiration that weddings have embraced again and again, it’s Alice in Wonderland. I have a bit of a weakness for Alice myself, since I played her a million years ago in a school production, and the sense of wonder and whimsy that runs throughout the story has never been forgotten (I mean, croquet with flamingos? Fun!) So I just had to include some Alice-y inspiration in our month of fairytale wedding style, and today I get to share this lovely little shoot by Jaqui Franco and her team, which puts a fresh spin on this old favourite. The tea party element is still there, of course (with some to-die-for cakes and ‘eat me’ macarons!), but glitzed up with sparkly linens and foiled stationery. And there’s plenty of whimsy thanks especially to some oversize paper flowers, which would add a touch of Wonderland to any wedding celebration!

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Pastel Princess

by gaby

It’s a new week, and a new chance to be inspired, thanks to this gorgeous pastel shoot by Lauren Pretorius Photography and her team! And you just need to look at the pic above to know this one is a little big magical. Pastels are always a good idea, but this shoot takes them to a new level, with a gorgeous watercolour cake, a grown-up pastel table and (swoon of all swoons) two BEYOND gorgeous dresses from Stephen van Eeden. It’s all those little-girl princess bride fantasies brought to life, and I’m super excited to share it with you!

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Twilight Ocean Bridal Inspiration

by gaby

It’s been a week of pretty here on SBB, and we’re ending it off the same way – although pretty doesn’t seem enough of a word for this bridal inspiration from Anandi Photography, which just stopped me in my tracks. It’s full of movement and wild beauty, and the way that the incredible Simoné Couture gown interacts with the backdrop of the Strand beach at twilight is something almost… otherworldly. I’ll let these gorgeous pics can speak for themselves!

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Beauty & the Beast Organic Wedding Inspiration

by gaby

Tale as old as time… yep, that’s going to be in my head all day now. Possibly all month (sorry!), because today we’re kicking off our June editorial theme, ‘Fairytale’. (After all, every wedding should be a fairytale, right?) And with the live action screen version of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast being such a thing right now, this shoot was the perfect way to get started. I absolutely LOVED photographer Jaqui Franco and her team’s take on this fairytale from minute one – it has an organic, natural edge to it as well as a big helping of glam, and with jewel tones a-plenty in the palette, it also happens to be perfect for this time of year. With a real Beauty, a table feast, and gorgeous paper elements, not to mention a cake that’s a fairytale on its own, you’ll find plenty to inspire!

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Lady of the Manor Boudoir Inspiration

by gaby

Get ready for some absolutely beautiful images this afternoon, lovely ones, because this boudoir session, styled and photographed by Natalie Shelton, just makes me want to stare at my screen all afternoon. With delicate lace, soft light, and the backdrop of an elegant manor house, she’s captured not just the beauty of her model (which is what boudoir is all about, as far as I’m concerned) but that feeling of anticipation and grace the morning of a wedding and it’s that time before the celebrations kicked off that actually inspired this session. Natalie was originally born in SA but now lives in Germany where this session was shot, and I’m so thrilled to be bringing you this gorgeous feature of her work!

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