Bridal Fashion - SouthBound Bride

Blue by Enzoani 2016 Collection

1 September, 2015 by gaby

Time for some fashion inspiration, lovely ones! South African brides are huge fans of luxury European fashion line, Enzoani, and we’ve featured many real brides rocking their beautiful designs over the years. Today I wanted to share one of the latest Enzoani collections – their in-house Blue by Enzoani line – which I am sure we’ll see on many brides in future! From the romantic silhouettes to the gorgeous lace, they’re the kind of gowns that make you go “ooh!”. One thing I really like about these dresses is that, although they have gorgeous and interesting backs, the front detailing is just as lovely, which I sometimes think gets a bit neglected with illusion lace being such a bit thing these days. That said, there’s lots of on-trend sheer panelling and sparkly embellishment to satisfy those portrait back loving brides as well. Basically, it’s lovely, and this lookbook is all about the European princess look, so let’s indulge ourselves, shall we?Read More

Rosa Clara 2016

25 August, 2015 by gaby

It’s always such a pleasure to scroll through the latest designs from Spanish label Rosa Clara. Not only do we already know the gorgeousness that is Spanish wedding couture, but Rosa Clara’s line always has such wonderful details and textures, and each time I scroll through I notice a new embellishment, a sleek silhouette, or an unusual neckline. The 2016 collection was inspired by divas of the 1930s and 1940s, and manages to mix classic elegance with pretty much every fashion forward bridal trend we’re loving at the moment – two-pieces, off-the-shoulder gowns, portrait backs. Plus, even though this collection is straight from Barcelona with love, I adore knowing that local brides can find Rosa Clara at Olivelli, which makes the line that much more special for South African readers. So let’s take a moment to immerse ourselves in these calming, elegant lookbook images, and dream of each of these lovelies sashaying down the aisle next season.Read More

Gatsby Glam Wedding Dresses

14 August, 2015 by gaby

*Links in bold denote affiliate links. The cost to you remains the same, but SBB may receive a commission for any sales made.

The truth is, there’s a big part of me that still wants to be Daisy Buchanan (even though she was a bit of a cow) – flitting about in her beautiful dresses with her voice full of money, breaking hearts all over West Egg. Maybe that’s why every time I see a wedding gown sporting art deco embellishment and a slinky, satiny silhouette, I have a full-on, hold-on-to-your-chaise dress swoon. Or why designers like Johanna Johnson and Jenny Packham always have me dying over their latest collections of Gatsby wedding dresses. Forget princess dresses – for a glamorous bride, there’s no better way to go than with a touch of 1920s vintage. Especially when its complemented with gorgeous retro hair, a red lip, or a spectacular hairpiece. I went on the hunt for some of the most breathtaking glam wedding dresses for the Gatsby bride, each of them worthy of Daisy herself.

BHLDN Autumn 2015 Collection: Twice Enchanted

11 August, 2015 by gaby

Time for some fashion inspiration, lovelies. As you know by now, there’s nothing I love more than a beautiful lookbook shot in a beautiful place, chock full of beautiful dresses, so I couldn’t help but share the latest images from BHLDN with you all. I adore the gowns that BHLDN curates every season – handpicked from some of the finest designers, they really are worthy of the ‘swoonworthy’ tag. This lot are super glamorous, with incredible beading and embellishment and detailing, as well as some dreamy top-and-skirt combos that are bang on trend, as well as a host of gorgeous accessories. For the lookbook, photographer du jour Chloe Mallett headed to the Palácio de Monserrate in Sintra, Portugal, and the result is a fairytale collection in a fairytale setting – no wonder it’s called ‘Twice Enchanted‘. So let’s get to it, shall we? (PS Shop the look here)Read More

Abigail Betz Bridal Couture 2015 Collection

28 July, 2015 by gaby

As you all know, we love sharing local design talent here on SBB, so I’m delighted to be debuting the latest collection from Abigail Betz, which celebrates the ‘brave, free-spirited new bride’. Abigail’s haute couture dresses are always so unique and so beautifully crafted, with tailored accessories that really make her brides’ big day looks one-of-a-kind. With this new collection, she has retained her label’s signature sense of romance, but introduced colour, texture and a hint of sexiness that accentuates the female form. Abigail says: “In a bridal market with so much over embellishment and lack of variety, I wanted to set the modern bride free to look as enchanting and have as much fun as possible on her special day without being weighed down by excessive, restrictive petticoats and overstated trimmings. It is her unique spirit that should be on display in the most magnificent way. That is what we strive to achieve with our pieces.” These Rossetti-esque lookbook images give a peek into the collection’s four themes, with refinement as a common thread across them all.Read More

20 Botanical & Floral Bridal Hair Accessories

27 July, 2015 by gaby

Edwardian Leaf Circlet by Anna Marguerite (photography by Hamish Melville and Shannon Moffit)

**Updated for 2020** Time for some gorgeous adornment, brideys! I’m forever getting stopped in my tracks while browsing Etsy by some of the absolutely spectacularly gorgeous bridal hair accessories – and I’m especially partial to those with a bit of a botanical bent. Cleverly crafted gold and silver leaves in goddess-like crowns, pearls and crystals fashioned to look like flowers and berries… I just wish I had an excuse to wear one of them, but they might be a bit faaancy for the supermarket, no? Anyway, if you’re planning your big day accessories, I really don’t think you’ll get much prettier than these 20 nature-inspired hair accessories, from some of my favourite Etsy makers.

Links in bold denote affiliate links. The cost to you remains the same, but SBB may receive a commission for any sales made.

Elbeth Gillis Opulence Collection

17 July, 2015 by gaby

As much as I love featuring international wedding dress trends and designers, it’s always a happy day for me when I get to showcase some homegrown talent, especially when it’s a designer like Elbeth Gillis, who inspires complete devotion in her brides. If I had money for every time one of them told me what an amazing experience they had working with her! In the years since I started SBB I’ve featured many of Elbeth’s brides and worked with her in person, and at the same time I’ve watched as Elbeth’s star rises internationally. She’s especially making a big name for herself in the UK at the moment, and with dresses as absolutely drop-dead-gorgeous as the new Opulent collection, it’s no wonder. The gowns are a mix of sophisticated and whimsical, romantic and modern, with luxurious fabrics and dreamy details galore. Whether the silhouette you’re craving is slinky or fairytale, you’ll find something to adore here – in fact, I especially love that some of the dresses have a completely different look with the addition of a frothy overlay. Picking my favourite images was hard, you guys, so ENJOY.Read More

Elizabeth Stuart Spring 2015 Collection

10 July, 2015 by gaby

“The most delicate of French laces, sumptuous silks and opulent embellishment… gowns inspired by and named after the many heartfelt emotions felt by a bride on her most magical of days… all the feelings of love, endearment and joy that are experienced when a bride and groom come together as one…” When that’s how a new bridal collection is introduced, you can’t blame me for falling in love a little bit myself, especially since British designer Elizabeth Stuart‘s beautiful gowns are showcased in a series of dreamy lookbook images that I get to share with you today. Everything about this collection is lovely, from the classic-but-modern silhouettes to the fine fabrics (Chantilly lace, soft tulle, gold crepe silks – sigh). But then, why take my word for it? See for yourself…Read More

Mociun White Bridal Collection 2015

3 July, 2015 by gaby

On any given day, I can think of about a hundred solid reasons why I’d love to just head for the airport and jump on a plane bound for New York, one of my favourite places on earth. Today I’ve found another one – an achingly cool new bridal salon in Williamsburg, Brooklyn: Mociun White. Sleek, airy spaces with vibrant pops of primary colour, peach ombre shelves laden with registry wannahaves – and that’s just the decor. The real highlight is the gowns themselves, a combination of jewellery designer Caitlin Mosiun’s simply elegant contemporary creations and a collection of embellished and printed dresses by Naeem Khan. And since you already know from yesterday how much I’m crushing on floral prints, you’ll see why I’m besotted with the floral elements in this collection, from bold botanical patterns to gorgeous detailing, and blocks of eye-catching colour (a canary yellow wedding dress? Yes, yes, yes!). There’s gowns galore here for every modern bride – a colourful and inspiring start to the weekend!Read More

Floral Wedding Dresses

2 July, 2015 by gaby

If there’s one trend that has just EXPLODED all over the runways and new collections this year, it’s flowers and floral prints. But these are not your typical floral print dress, oh no. Combine gorgeous colours, pretty prints and watercolour effects with bridal shapes and dreamy fabrics, and you get something truly spectacular – real little works of botanical art. I’m stoked that a couple of our real brides over the years have been ahead of this curve in wearing floral wedding dresses, but I’ve seen so many more pretty examples on the wedding web of late that I couldn’t wait to share my favourites with you in a roundup!

*Links in bold denote affiliate links. The cost to you remains the same, but SBB may receive a commission for any sales made.