If you read our popular post in January on How to Write Your Guest List, you may be A-for-away on the whole guest list front. But for those of you planning a small wedding (and here’s why you might want to), maybe you need an extra bit of help. After all, while we love the intimacy and lower budget of a bijoux bash, nobody loves having to cut friends and family out of a very special day. So today we’re bringing you our seven top tips for making the snip, as well as some extra tips for how to break the awkward news.Read More
You’ve probably gathered by now that our ‘theme’ for April is intimate weddings, and I have to say, I am super excited to be focusing on this wedding style in many of our posts over the next few weeks. Everything from elopements to destination weddings to surprise weddings to smaller soirees of 75 guests or less – there’s a lot of wiggle room under that ‘intimate wedding’ banner, so it really suits all kinds of couples and budgets. But before we get into the nitty gritty, I thought I’d answer the question: what exactly makes small weddings rock? Because they definitely do. So here are my Top 10 reasons why you should consider a bijoux bash for your own Big (little) Day.Read More
It’s that time of year when lots of you will be planning your summer engagement shoots (something I wholeheartedly approve because trust me, you are going to want a chance to get comfy in front of a camera!). That’s all good, but one of the questions I get a lot from readers is: what in the name of Beyonce’s extensions do I wear? Now, I’m all for spontaneity and comfort, but this is one thing you definitely want to put some thought into. So like a good bestie (because we so ARE besties now, right?) I’ve put together 10 top tips to get you started. And even better, I’ve rounded up four fab engagement shoots from the lovely Migneon Marais of Pritti to show you how it’s done. The best part is that none of the four couples we’re featuring were specifically ‘styled’ or told what to wear for their shoots with Migneon, but in their own ways, each nailed the subtle details that turn a pair of outfits from drab to fab in front of the lens.Read More
For the last three years, hubby and I have celebrated our anniversary as a priority (ten days earlier) far from the crowds and general cheesiness of the holiday. (Sorry, die-hard romantics!) It might sound like a cop-out but it works for us. I have also personally learned that true love is more than random, grand romantic gestures It’s about daily sacrifices – dragging myself out of bed to make hubby a morning coffee (as he has done for me on countless occasions) or quietly packing away the 20 pairs of shoes spread out all over our home without moaning or making a fuss! It’s also about being intentional in the way you show love and appreciation to your partner, something that came up in conversation with some of my married girlfriends at our recent monthly dinner (aka free therapy session!).Read More
Happy Friday, brideys! One of the ‘trends’… and it isn’t really a trend, because it’s a responsible lifestyle choice rather than a fad, of course, so maybe let’s call it a ‘shift’… One of the shifts that I have loved seeing in weddings over the last few years has been eco weddings. In the midst of an extravagant celebration, couples have been looking to introduce elements of sustainability and eliminate waste wherever possible, so that their union treads lightly upon the earth. But HOW? That’s the question I hear most often, and I’ll be honest, I’m no expert. So I asked my friends Madri and Niki from Inkt Marketing Solutions to share their advice and experience on the topic with you today. Take it away, ladies!Read More
A few years ago, when one of my university friends was planning her wedding, I checked in to see how things were going. “We’re doing things a little differently,” she said. “You might think it’s weird.” I doubted that – after all, I believe couples should do what’s right for them. “There are no groomsmen or bridesmaids,” she said. Makes sense, I thought, if that’s what you want. “There aren’t formal speeches – but there’ll be periods where we’ll have an open mic.” I wondered how that would work, but thought it was a fun idea (it was). “And we’re not having assigned seating.” Wait, say what now? I mean, I’d been to plenty of events where you weren’t assigned a specific seat, but you did get assigned a table, but she was talking about no direction at all. A seating free-for-all. Table anarchy! How would that even work? Would it be like a game of musical chairs or (shudder!) the scramble to get on an Easyjet flight? I’ll be honest, I was kind of dreading it, and I totally made sure my friends and I had done some strategising about nabbing seats together. I worried about getting stuck on my lonesome. The funny thing is, that when the day came around, it turned out to be so not a big deal. A table had been reserved for the family and a few close friends, and everyone else just made themselves comfy. In fact, it was kind of brilliant and really in keeping with the laid back vibe of both the couple and their wedding. So since then, I’ve been a lot more open to the idea of unassigned reception seating, which I’m noticing a few more couples choosing these days. You only need to Google it once to find out this is kind of a controversial wedding etiquette topic, so today on SBB we’re rounding up the pros and cons, and helping you with top tips and wording for if you do decide that unassigned is the way to go for you.Read More
*UPDATED FOR 2021* I did a post on the language of flowers a few years ago, when Kate Middleton selected the blooms for her bouquet to represent various sentiments, and I thought it was about time to update it and introduce some of you to a beautiful tradition you might not be aware of. In fact, the language of flowers goes back about 200 years, and was especially popular in the Victorian era, when young ladies consulted one of the many flower dictionaries available at the time in constructing their ‘tussie-mussies’. These days the interest in ‘florigraphy’ has largely been lost, but I think it’s a super romantic vintage tradition to bring into your wedding (as this real bride did to gorgeous effect) and a really sweet, meaningful way to construct your bouquet. You can find meanings for dozens of blooms online, but today I’ve drawn together ten of our favourite wedding flowers together with their meanings, which come from The Knot Book of Wedding Flowers by Carley Rooney. And some gorgeous wedding flowers to get swoony over too, of course!
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For those of you planning a summer wedding, now is about the time when hair and makeup start moving up the priority list in terms of decisions to be made and bookings to be confirmed – after all, your look is something that relies heavily on the style of dress you’ve decided on, the jewellery or accessories you’ve picked, and the style or level of formality that you’ve chosen for the wedding as a whole. Now’s also a good time to start locking in that hair and makeup trials, and we’ve got you covered with our top tips for how to make the most of this important pre-wedding event.Read More
Today’s post is partly aimed at the overseas brides and grooms, who are considering whether South Africa is the right place to celebrate their weddings (hint: it SO is). But let’s be honest, for those of us blessed to be born or live here, it’s nice to remind ourselves why this is one of the best destinations on earth. A little smugness never hurts, right? ;) To make the deal even sweeter, we’re featuring images from a styled wedding shoot put together by photographer Tania Timkova and Michele Steyn of Passionately Weddings. Tania, a destination photographer, was a visitor to our shores herself and fell in love with SA, especially Cape Town! She wanted to show off the potential to those back home, so worked together with real-life-couple Chantelle & Retief to capture the beautiful scenery, the tenderness, and of course, the love!Read More
Happy Friday, friends! You know, in my years as a wedding blogger, many’s the time I’ve come across pictures of a hapless groom waiting for his bride at the altar, boutonnière akimbo. Bless them. By the time we’re at the couple shoot, that lil’ bout has always been rearranged. Now, whether your groom’s buttonhole is up, down or sideways is the absolute least important thing going on during your wedding ceremony. But to help the guys out (and save you having to fix it later), here’s a quick and simple SBB guide to pinning the boutonnière. You’re welcome, gents! PS Did you know that the tradition for pin corsages (aka the ladies’ equivalent of a boutonniere) is to be worn on the opposite (wearer’s right) side and with the stem facing up?Read More
