Real Wedding at Lourensford {Tessa & Nick}

Do I ever have a pretty wedding to share with you today! It had me at hello. Hello breathtaking and unusual bridal gown, hello soft lavender bridesmaids’ pleats, hello muted pastel blooms against grey tablecloths and rustic wooden boards at the reception, hello bang on trend calligraphy details, hello lacy cake. So you won’t be surprised to know that some of South Africa’s finest service providers are involved, including photographer Jani B., Wedding Concepts, Okasie and Roxanne Floquet (who just happened to be one of the bridesmaids!). And of course I was delighted to hear that SBB was one of bride Tessa’s favourite blogs – what can I say, the girl’s got taste ;) Pour yourself a cup of your favourite something hot, settle in and enjoy.Read More

Real Wedding at Langkloof {Anchen & Endri}

All love stories are beautiful, but some have all the hallmarks of a fairytale. A serendipitous meeting, a few heavenly signs… and of course, a happy ending. So it is with today’s couple, Anchen and Endri. They have a very cute ‘how we met’ story (see below), and Anchen also told me how light has become a symbol for them in their relationship. Wouldn’t you know it, but there was light streaming in through the windows of the chapel as they got married (captured beautifully by the fab Veronique Mills Photography!). Added to the bright corals and other summer colours of this gorgeous wedding, it’s a celebration of joy and love and colour. But of course, the best light is the glow of happiness on the happy couple’s faces. Now THAT’s how you know it’s a fairytale.Read More

Real Wedding at Diamant Estate {Suzanne & Nick}

Hello lovelies! I am rushing to catch a plane to Cape Town as I write this, so no big spiel from me this morning. Suffice just to say that this is a really gorgeous wedding! And that the pics from Illuminate Photography certainly speak for themselves, as do the happy faces of bride, groom, bridesmaids, guests… So much prettiness and happiness and pastel goodness in one place! Enjoy :)Read More

Real Wedding at Allesverloren {Amanda & Stephen}

What an exciting day it is when I get to feature a new photographer, but today is especially exciting, because the lovely Tamryn Henn of i.am.tamryn is no stranger to SBB. In fact, I’ve known Tamryn ever since she was a SouthBound Bride herself! Now she’s a fully-fledged photographer, and I’m absolutely thrilled to be featuring one of her weddings. Even more so because it is gorgeous: proteas, lace bridesmaid dresses, adorable little people in the wedding party, a stunning wedding dress and one of my favourite ceremony areas ever. Wait till you see it! So much loveliness to kick off your Tuesday. And look out for the super romantic moment when the groom sings his bride a song he wrote just for her! Sigh…Read More

Real Wedding at Waverley Hills {Anneke & Dawie}

Time for another beautiful real wedding, folks. And even though the sun has (finally) come out to play in SA, this is a winter wedding through and through. What I love most about it is how the bride and groom tried to make sure that there was a cosy contrast between the chilly outdoors and the warmth inside – kind of a ‘weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful’ vibe. With bright and cheerful shades of pink and protea everywhere, and lots of lovely handmade craft details, the glow doesn’t just come from the Waverley Hills fireside, but from the love of friends and family, as they gathered to craft and then enjoy this happy day. Coba Engelbrecht was there to document every hand-warming heart-melting moment.Read More

Real Wedding at Kleinevalleij {Alicia & Stefan}

Glitter, y’all! The magic word to get a girl excited. And actually quite an appropriate one for me today, because for the last couple of weeks that’s exactly what I have been on the hunt for. Let’s just say, I figured out why I get so many queries about glitter bridesmaid dresses from South Africa. Sequins may be everywhere in the UK, but I’ve been hard pressed to find the outfit I had in mind for my latest portrait shoot (taking place as you read this, eek!). In the end, I stumbled into YDE, which I have to say is the last place I thought I would find what I wanted. Last time I was there, I was a skinny 21 year old, and even so, I don’t think those dresses would have fitted on one thigh. I just assumed it was for very tiny, very young people, but today it turned out to be a surprise shopping success. So it made sense to see that today’s gold-loving bride also dressed some of her sequin-clad bridesmaids in YDE dresses – and they look amazing, as does the rest of the glimmering decor. I know the time will come when I’ll get sick of this trend, but for now, it still makes me get all swoony, especially when paired with a touch of lace and a splash of duck egg blue. Get ready for some really beautiful pictures from the talented Adene Photography, one of the cutest pups ever, and an all-round wonder of a wedding!Read More

Real Wedding at Palmiet Valley Estate {Amie & Christoph}

Happy Tuesday SouthBound brides – hope your week has got off to a splendid start! Mine certainly has, being in Joburg for a flying visit and seeing a couple of friends before I head to Kruger on Thursday. Can. Not. Wait. I am such a bush baby. Anyway, to make your week even more splendid, I have another beautiful winelands wedding from the fab Jani B. I absolutely adore the bright citrus palette that Amie and Cristoph used, their understated rustic styling, and my goodness, Amie’s dress! Not to mention a macaron tower decorated with succulents to match the stunning bouquet – how gorgeous is that? Grab yourself a mid-morning cuppa, and settle in for a big fat dose of lovely.Read More

Real Wedding at The White House {Jo & Corey}

Morning, lovelies! I thought it was about time we had a beach wedding here on SBB – as much as I love the countryside, I do love me a good ol’ toes-in-the-sand beach ceremony and reception so much. And I LOVE today’s beautiful, personal celebration, which brings together everything we love about the West Coast, including an absolutely stunning beach house venue. I fell in love with The White House (SO my dream house!) when I came across it a few months back (have to stay there at some point!) and I immediately wondered how it could be used for a wedding, bearing in mind that it’s a house of course, and not an actual venue. I had assumed that meant tiny intimate weddings only, but our creative couple today utilised not just one but three separate locations and created a sort of open air market to really capture the Yzerfontein vibe. Such a brilliant idea, don’t you think? Jani B‘s pics capture every lovely moment in glorious detail and colour – I especially love the couple pics up in the master bedroom with that glorious view of the sea. It’s the perfect way to send us off into the weekend dreaming of summer! Oh, and PS, these two have the most amazing story of how they met and Corey’s proposal, so don’t miss it!Read More

Real Wedding at Delsma Farm {Elmarie & Sakkie}

Today’s real wedding was a submission from the bride herself, the lovely Elmarie, who worked her pretty socks off to pull off the handmade vintagey country look for her big day. It’s all here: pastel painted faux milk glass vases, bunting, doilies, ribbons, flags and bunting. It’s like a Pinterest board come to life! I ADORE the bridesmaids’ dresses and even more so their bouquets – I just never get tired of these little wooden proteas as a truly South African floral alternative. But I think my favourite touch is the sheepies – the bride and groom come from farming backgrounds and they brought this in in such a cute way through both the boutonnieres and the table plan – such a simple but effective and memorable design! I have a feeling this one is going to have a  very high Pin count – enjoy!Read More

Real Wedding at Café Felix {Henda & Danie}

Zippididoodahzippidi-ay… You guys I am in such a good mood – the sun is out in Durbs and I am BEYOND excited for this weekend which I get to spend with some of my favourite people in the world. I am declaring Sunday my godsons’ un-birthday (which I do once a year or so, by the power invested in me as a fairy godmother, obvs) and I can’t wait to hang out with them on the beach and catch up with their parents. So that’s why I’m a bit hyper, but also because YAY PUNCH THE AIR I have another beautiful wedding to share with you this fine Thursday. Danie and Henda had their big day at Café Felix, an awesome Cape venue that never fails to impress, and they dressed it in the prettiest of pastel florals, soft white fabrics and bunting, wreaths and garlands and ribbons, oh my. It looks like some kind of fairytale garden, with just a touch of boho. The weather wasn’t perfect – in fact, these are some of the windiest photos – but oh my word, Anné Gray of Anné Photography used it to create the most stunning portraits, with Henda’s soft dress and veil floating and billowing out behind her. They look like Cathy and Heathcliffe. (But, you know, not annoying.) This one is pure romance.Read More