Category: Real Weddings

Organic Elegance Babylonstoren Wedding by welovepictures {Janina & Léan}

by gaby

It’s a happy day when we get to feature a wedding by welovepictures. This Cape Town duo never fail to deliver images that are fresh, personal and oh so gorgeous! Today they’ve worked their magic with a wedding that personifies the principle of simple elegance, enhancing but not competing with its beautiful natural setting (the organic gardens of Babylonstoren), and generally sitting as gently on the mind as a cool breeze on a summer’s day. I love love love Janina’s dress, the bridesmaids in white, the hanging café lights over the dancefloor and the general sense of wholesomeness and love that wraps around the happy couple as they promise to spend a lifetime together.Read More

Beach Blues Soetwater Resort Wedding by Cheryl McEwan {Sarah & Trevor}

by gaby

Oh I do love a beach wedding, don’t you? I can never get enough of them. So when today’s laid-back, rustic beach beauty turned up in my inbox, in the softest shades of blue and taupe, from one of our fave photographers, Cheryl McEwan, I couldn’t wait to share it with you. As well as the gorgeous colour scheme, which runs through the wedding like a magical thread, there are the kind of clever touches that make my toes curl with happiness – hand-painted ‘take-away’ and ‘shebeen’ menu boards, fun original table names, crochet mason jar covers… And how much do we love a bride in a tea-length gown? This gorgeous couple’s relaxed attire and baby blue getaway car complemented the rest of their wedding perfectly.Read More

Green & Gold Langkloof Roses Wedding by Real Simple Photography {Tamarin & Nicholas}

by gaby

Things my half-Italian self is not talking about today: soccer, the World Cup, or Luis Suarez. So instead, let’s talk about this little gem of a wedding from Real Simple Photography, in South Africa’s gorgeous national colours of green and gold (with a touch of silver). Tamarin and Nicholas (who planned their wedding from the UK) chose the divine Langkloof Roses as their venue, the most romantic of Cape country locations, and filled their tables with gold painted jars, elegant brass candlesticks, linen runners, puffs of white flowers and lasercut elephant table numbers. Adorable! With strings of hanging café lights and a dancefloor under the stars, they danced the night away with their friends from near and far.Read More

Folksy Autumn Glenbrae Wedding by Alice Swan {Jana & Jan-Dirk}

by gaby

Goodness, but this wedding makes me smile. From it’s flower crowned head right down to the tips of its barefoot boho toes, Jana and Jan-Dirk’s wedding was pure whimsical, romantic, folksy, handmade, autumn goodness. Each detail layers on top of the last, creating such a warm and welcoming atmosphere, not to mention a gorgeous reception filled with hundreds of paper cranes in flight, doily lanterns, oodles of bunting, and a lovely bohemian feel. A bride in a gorgeous belted dress and flower crown, a groom in a suit sourced from vintage markets and shops, bridesmaids in autumn-hued patterns with cardigans and mismatched tights. And lest we forget, a little sunshine coloured car. Jana is in fact a talented harpist (available for functions – check her out here), and with Jan-Dirk also being a musician, the air was filled with melody all day long… just the perfect way to throw a wedding. A big thanks to the lovely Alice Swan for submitting this vision of loveliness – how gorgeous are her pics?Read More

Intimate Scottish De Hoop Wedding by Illuminate Photography {Stacey & Stuart}

by gaby

Well, here’s something new – I’ve had grooms contribute to the questionnaire before, but never had a complete he said/she said view of a wedding. It just shows what a strong partnership Stuart and Stacey have, and how much their wedding was a mix of their personalities and backgrounds. Stuart is from Scotland, so beyond the traditional kilts (and let’s be honest, men look faaaabulous in kilts!) there was Highland-style dancing, merrymaking and bagpiping unfer the night sky. Bringing up the South African end, there was braaing, kuiering and gorgeous natural fynbos covering the tables. It’s like Rob Roy meets Jock of the Bushveld, in the perfect fusion of two lives and families. The lovely Tabitha of Illuminate Photography was there to capture every special moment.Read More

Travel Themed Old Mac Daddy Wedding by Yolandé Marx {Marli & Pieter}

by gaby

You all know how I feel about travel themed weddings (love ’em!). Which might have something to do with my own love of travel, but I also love how it can be a metaphor for life and relationships. Because life really is a journey, isn’t it? I’m the first to admit I don’t always look at the scenery along the way, preferring to focus on the destination, but in hindsight it’s always the journey that gets you somewhere that teaches you or inspires you or provides you with the lasting lessons or memories. Today’s couple, inspired by their awesome airstream trailer park venue (oh, we love Old Mac Daddy’s don’t we!), based their wedding around the idea of going on a trip together – kind of a perfect metaphor for starting out on the adventure of marriage. They incorporated this theme in sweet, subtle ways – through an airstream logo, and travel-themed stationery, and (my fave) little old school cartoon-hobo-style knapsacks on a stick to house the favours. Adorable! The vibe was light hearted and lovely, made even more so by the drop dead gorgeous pics by Yolandé Marx. I’m a huge fan of Yolandé’s work (in fact, check our her gorgeous new category images in our Supplier Directory – swoonage!), and her dreamy shots of Marli and Peter in their lakeside location are some of my favourites!Read More

Wedding Video by The Shank Tank {Taetim & Darren}

by gaby

We don’t feature a lot of wedding films here on SBB, but some just capture my heart and my imagination, and today’s joy filled video by The Shank Tank was an immediate favourite. I adore Jewish weddings – they’re filled with the most incredible, meaningful traditions as well as a vibrant atmosphere of love and celebration (and lots and lots of dancing!). Tae and Darren’s film really captures all this as well as the connection between a gorgeous couple. And when I heard that my fave Fiona Clair had taken the pictures (including some breathtaking portraits of Tae in her beautiful lace dress!), I just had to do a mini wedding feature to celebrate.Read More

Pastel Rose Vrede en Lust Wedding by Vizion Photo {Rose & Darren}

by gaby

Give me a wedding in ice cream pastels and you’ll have one happy blogger. There’s just something about the soft shades (especially when mixed together) that I absolutely love – it feels like spring and easter and an afternoon on the beachfront wearing a sundress and eating a 99, all in one. Today’s pastel fest has an extra special fun aspect – roses for Rose, the lovely bride who decided to play on both her first name and new surname to add a whimsical touch to the decor. With a crown of her namesake flowers, towers of macarons and cupcakes and (Shut the Front Door!) a custom pastel dance floor, it has everything a pastel-lover could dream of. Thanks to fab Vizion Photo for sharing this wedding with us today!Read More

Handmade Rustic Little Farm Wedding by Kristi Agier {Deidre & Leon}

by gaby

I love bringing you fresh wedding venues here on SBB, and they don’t get fresher than this one (in fact, Deidre & Leon were the very first to get married at the lovely Little Farm on the Stream, a gorgeous olive farm in Wellington. They incorporated the intimate, rustic feel of the farmyard into their DIY-tastic celebration, which also has a lovely, earthy feel to it – the heart-stamp leaf confetti is my fave! I also love that this fun couple included a whimsical element, with both river stones (from their own trips) and toys in between the antique bottles filled with wildflowers on the tables. There are so many gorgeous personal touches, right down to a handmade dancefloor, which is where they closed out the night with one final, incredibly romantic, dance. Sigh! And speaking of fresh talent, I’m so happy to welcome photographer Kristi Agier to SBB for the first time too!Read More

Perfectly Protea Vrede en Lust Wedding by Sybrand Cillié {Carlen & Lynton}

by gaby

This is the kind of wedding I live for, the kind that makes me wonder why anyone would get married anywhere else but our beautiful country (take note, Clooney, although I’d rather you eloped with me). Being talented graphic designers, the bride and groom also have exquisite taste, turning a protea-themed, rustic slash boho style wedding into something more than I’ve ever seen before. For one thing, there’s the floral arch – serious wow factor, and it has me falling in love with our big, bold, beautiful national flower all over again. Then Carlen’s flower crown and soft curls, and graceful Elbeth Gillis dress (one of my personal favourites of Elspeth’s designs, in fact). Succulent favours in tin mugs branded with the awesome protea logo the couple created. Tables filled with burlap and wildflowers and glass clear as the summer sky. A trio of fashionable bridesmaids. And to top it all off, dreamy pictures by the incredible Sybrand Cillié. In fact, the service providers list reads like a who’s who of brilliant SA wedding suppliers (and I’m delighted that SBB was part of helping Carlen & Lynton put their team together and plan their big day from abroad!). I love every inch of this one, and I’m sure you will too – so enjoy!Read More