Category: Real Weddings

Behind the Menu: Willemijn & Jan-Willem

by gaby

Good afternoon, lovelies – hope today has been treating you well? I’m stoked to be bringing you another in our ‘Behind the Menu’ series, where we celebrate weddings where food is at the centre of proceedings. Being a bit of a foodie myself, I love looking at how a great menu is customised for each couple, although by the end of working with these pics I am dying to eat the food! Never more than today, in fact, because this lucky Dutch bride and groom had several incredible courses including a fresh crayfish entree. One of my all-time favourites! It really makes me miss home, and especially remember my last meal before going off to university, when we spent the day at Betty’s Bay with my cousins and feasted on crayfish they’d brought in fresh from the sea that morning. Wow. Food flashback! Anyway, I love that the executive chef at Stir Food, Gustaav Boshoff, included it here, alongside a menu that really shows off the best of South African cuisine. Oh, and PS, how much do I love the hanging floral decor? Just gorgeous. Perfect execution from The Aleit Group, as always!

Catering: Stir Food | Venue: Burgundy Bourgogne | Event Design & Co-ordination: The Aleit Group | Photography: Cari PhotographyRead More

Real Wedding at Bloemendal {Candice & Jacques}

by gaby

Yay for summer, SouthBound Brides. It’s finally hit London, and I am loving it! Yesterday I spent a brilliant afternoon with the lovely ladies of The Pretty Blog over at Peggy Porschen, eating cake and drinking champagne, and was home in time for sundowners in the garden. Delightful! Today’s Bloemendal wedding has the same lazy, hazy, glorious feeling that a good summer afternoon always gives me – Kim du Toit’s pictures are so dreamy and yummy! I adore the romantic details done just right – the peachy neutral palette, the mismatched bridesmaids dresses, the outdoor photobooth, the papel picado gardlands, the ribbon backdrop, OMG. I’ve seen these in lots of inspiration shoots, but I love that this couple incorporated it into their décor. Having it over the door to the venue meant that it was a focal point both inside and out, and they placed the bridal table in front of it accordingly. Very clever! But it’s no surprise the bride has great taste, since she’s one of the team over at the fantastic Secret Diary Designs, one of my favourite SA wedding stationers. I know you ladies are going to lap this one up!Read More

Real Wedding at Likweti Lodge {Claudine & Flip}

by gaby

You know, every time I feature a wedding that has proteas as a key element, I get a bunch of extra hits, and not just from inside SA. What can I say – the world loves a protea. So it’s no surprise that our national flower has become a defining feature of South African wedding style (in fact, this blog almost got called something along the lines of Protea Brides, but I decided it sounded like it was for cricket WAGs. It also almost got called Braaied, but that’s another story). Today I have another breathtaking protea-filled wedding for you, this time from the talented Laura Jane Photography at Likweti Lodge in Mpumalanga. Flip and Claudine’s lovely wedding walks that line between traditional and modern – I particularly love the variety of proteas, vases (both glass and silver) and heights in the table arrangements, as well as the lovely crocheted tablecloths, which they sourced from family and friends. Their ceremony area is also one of my favourites ever – how wonderful are all the fabric ribbons hanging from the tree? And my goodness, that sweetie bar has me craving some homemade fudge. So take your lunch hour to enjoy these lovely pics – but don’t forget to come back later when I have an AMAZEBALLS e-session to share!Read More

Real Wedding at Olympia Cafe & Bakery {Vicki & Justin}

by gaby

Surprise! That’s what today’s wedding is, literally. I’ve always loved the idea of a surprise wedding – there’s something that’s so heartfelt and quirky about it. So when I heard that one of my favourite wedding and lifestyle bloggers (Vicki of the amazing I Want That and I Want That Wedding brands) had a surprise wedding in favourite spot, Kalk Bay, I just knew I had to feature it. That was before I had even met Vicki properly (PS she’s just as fab in real life) and heard her and Justin’s story. And yes, heartfelt is definitely the word. The result is a laid back, intimate, special people-oriented wedding and couple shoot rolled into one that feels quintessentially Cape Town and 100% personal. And speaking of personal touches, how much do I LOVE the way Vicki and The Captain customised the ‘This is Your Life’ poster? It’s this kind of detail that makes me love the job I do. I also loved the way Vicki and Justin spent time having pics on their own and with his girls, together with the awesome Lar Leslie,before the big reveal. Read More

Real Wedding at Sea Trader {Misha & Henri}

by gaby

You know, a lot of people, when they find out what I do, comment that organising a wedding these days is such an over-the-top thing. In the same way as I think my mother believes you can only be either a teetotal or a budding alcoholic (guess which side of that line I fall on?), I think many of them believe a wedding can either be a three day zillion Rand extravaganza with ice sculptures, chocolate fountains and swans in the swimming pool, or a pared down civil ceremony with zero decoration and lunch at a nearby restaurant. Well, you and I both know that’s rubbish. There’s a spectrum of weddings, and that’s what makes them so interesting and exciting. But one thing I do know is that adding just a few key details will raise your wedding’s game. Take today’s Sea Trader wedding (photographed by the lovely Bernard Bravenboer), for example. It isn’t over the top, but it is beautiful. Clever Misha and her wedding planning team knew exactly where to add those special details. Coloured glass on the tables. A beautiful rose bridesmaid dress and a flower girl in a baby’s breath crown. A picturesque beach ceremony. Interesting boutonnieres. Wedding newspapers. Pretty cocktails. No swans in the pool. No ice sculpures. Just the gorgeous pink fairytale wedding that Misha and Henri dreamed of. Simples.Read More

Real Wedding at The View Boutique Hotel {Manilla & Mark}

by gaby

Hello, lovelies. We had some minor technical gremlins today, but I have fought them off just for you and can’t wait to share this incredible Johannesburg wedding which I know will get your evening wedsite browsing off to an amazing start! It begins with a film-worthy romantic meeting, through a phenomenal, original, beautiful dress and a gaggle of elegant green-clad bridesmaids and dashing groomsmen, on to a sweet ceremony and a bright and breezy carnival-tastic reception, and ends on a packed dance floor. (As all the best weddings do.) And you guys, these photos by Rensche Mari will have you gasping. Seriously. This is the kind of wedding that makes me love what I do, so without further ado…Read More

Real Wedding at Schoone Oordt {Harriett & Craig}

by gaby

Needless to say, I love every wedding I feature here on SBB. You brides are so full of creativity and general awesomeness. But there are some where as I go through the pics I am just blown away by the level of detail, and today’s lovely intimate high tea wedding at Schoone Oordt is one of those. I mean, even the ice cubes are pretty. I love all the paper decorations, love the cupcake menu placecards, love the picnic blanket ‘guest book’, love the vintagey paper pinwheels, love the gift bags, love the individual cakes, love love love. I could go on, but I’d just be wasting time that you could be feasting your eye holes on the English country tea party goodness, photographed so beautifully by our friends at Real Simple Photography (who, PS, will be in London for a visit in August – drop Jacques an email if you’d like to book a consultation).Read More

Real Wedding at Anura Vineyards {Cheryl & Sven}

by gaby

SOOOO excited to share today’s (bumper!) post with you – it feels like it has been in the pipeline since forever! Of course, that’s because today we’re sharing the wedding of Cheryl McEwan, our friend and colleague, SBB sponsor, and of course, Real Life Bride. Together we’ve followed Cheryl on her planning journey, from inspiration to reality. And wow. That reality is so much more gorgeous than I could even have imagined. Not just because it’s photographed by the legend that is Nastassja Harvey (although it helps). As a photographer, Cheryl has an amazing eye for detail, and putting that together with her wedding experience, she created a masterclass in shabby chic/country vintage styling that must have been a pleasure to shoot and attend. She’s also collaborated with her friends in the industry – Doodles Laser in particular – to add sweet new twists to the ideas that inspired her (read her Real Life Bride archive to see how these evolved). The result is an incredible wedding, blessed with rainbows (literally) and laughter – here’s wishing Cheryl and Sven many blessings in the next chapter of their lives together.Read More

Real Wedding at Molenvliet {Liesl & Andrew}

by gaby

I’m very excited to showcase today’s wedding. It comes from one of our industry favourites – the always creative and inspirational Aleit Group, and the styling is seriously cool (not to mention the gorgeous pics by the incredible Jean Pierre Uys). I mentioned Delft a couple of weeks ago as an element I have found interesting recently – well, this wedding used it as a motif throughout. Think place settings, origami menus, cookies and (OMG I die for this) even a Delft-patterned dancefloor! That said, the theme is never tacky or overdone, it just blends in beautifully with the winelands venue (Molenvliet) and the safari-inspired details. Another element that must be mentioned is the aisle – how cool is this one? I’ve never seen anything quite like it, and I’m in love! Yet another reason I am loving this wedding though, is Liesl and Andrew’s super cute story, which includes one of the most romantic proposals ever (I just wish I had space to include the whole thing!). She was a South African girl who finished up her education at boarding school in the UK, he was a born-and-bred Brit. Then somehow, after studying in London and Nottingham respectively, they both landed up in London getting started in their careers in accountancy. And so it began…Read More

Real Wedding at Kronenburg {Carla & Johann}

by gaby

Good morning, SouthBound Brides! Today’s wedding at Kronenburg has been waiting in our vaults to come out and play with you for a little while, and I can’t wait to share it with you. Think proteas, for one thing. Lots and lots of very luscious proteas. Proteas as favours even – how good is that? Carla and Johann have paired them with the most gorgeous shade of sage green, which is so elegant and really makes the flowers pop (not to mention looks gorgeous on the bridesmaids). One of my very favourite details is the way that on the tables, boards wrapped in wallpaper are used to create a base for the centrepieces – it really adds visual interest and texture, and is such a simple DIY! But I think my favourite thing about this wedding (captured in glorious colour and detail by regular SBB contributor, Bernard Bravenboer) is the way that you can see that laughter is a big part of the bride and groom’s relationship – just look at the irrepressible smiles on their faces! And, as somebody called August Wilson once said: “All you need in life is love and laughter. That’s all anybody needs. To have love in one hand and laughter in the other.” Baie geluk, you two! I hope that sense of joy always stays with you in your marriage.Read More