A marquee overflowing with flowers, hung with bowers of greenery, edison bulbs twinkling, whimsical china, pops of fuschia and candy pink – all in a lush, green garden setting. Sounds magical, doesn’t it? Well folks, that’s the setting for this gorgeous intimate celebration, with sort of an Alice in Wonderland meets Secret Garden vibe. Sjaun and Anita came from London to celebrate their big day and they did it in style, with their closest friends and family, in a wedding that looks like it was as much fun as it was pretty. And with pretty pictures by Sonje Ludwick, whimsical brides will be pinning to your hearts content!
I’ve heard of saying it with flowers, but when it came to his proposal, today’s groom said it with coffee! Which is kind of the perfect city living touch for Henrietta and Ross, who also picked a classic city location for their wedding (the historic Cape Town Club) and took it as their cue for a celebration that was infused with 1920s vintage style. The reception was class all the way – candlelight bouncing off wood-panelled walls from the elegant black tapers, gorgeous arrangements of white flowers from the amazing Neva at Bright & Beautiful (who actually DOES know how to say it with flowers!), and the sweetest menus with a dog motif from our friends at Blooming Wonderful. All captured perfectly by Duane Smith.
There are so many gorgeous details I could talk about when it comes to this floral-filled wedding by the fabulous Aleit Group at Boschendal, and let’s be honest, we could spend the whole day gawping over the beautiful images by Shanna Jones. But there’s one element that completely, utterly took my breath away: the bride’s bespoke Kobus Dippenaar gown. Holy hauteness. With hand-placed lace floral applique reflecting the floor to ceiling flowers at the reception, a froth of tulle at the bottom, and tiny pearls for good luck, it is everything. And as for the rest, from the coolest custom cocktails, to the decor, to a late night Mickey D’s surprise, I can’t do any better in describing Marilize & Helgard’s wedding than the bride herself, so be sure to read her words, below.
Sometimes the simplest things in life are the best. A breeze at the end of a hot day. A single flower. The smell of rain. Rob & Amy’s wedding reminds me of this principle – it’s simple and unfussy, but every detail is a delight, from tables decked in amber glassware and foliage to the stylishly minimalist stationery, to the silvery lace trailing over the bride’s shoulders and around her waistline. It’s warm, natural, inviting – delivering the quintessential Cape country wedding experience, but with added freshness and fun. Through a sweltering Tulbagh day, to sun setting behind the mountains (that Olive Rock view NEVER gets old!), to a long night spent feasting and celebrating, each special moment was captured by Yeah Yeah Photography and I’m super excited to share them with you now.
When the planning talents of Kraak are woven together with the irresistable gorgeousness of Vivid Blue’s photography, you can be sure that a stunner of a soiree is about to be served up to you on a platter! This chilled out gem of a wedding takes place at one of our all-time favourite venues, The Dairy Shed, and harnesses its rustic beauty for an al fresco celebration that showed the large contingent of overseas guests that we South Africans know how to throw a party. Think gourmet braai, gumboot dancers, and a jazzy African band to keep everyone on the dancefloor all night long. Zoe and Clinton are such a fun couple, and I love how this wedding combines all kinds of pretty (including a breathtaking Janita Toerien dress, sparkly pink bridesmaid gowns, and some showstopping florals) with their super fun, super laid-back vibe, to make a whole that it utterly, uniquely theirs.
When it comes to styled shoots, I’m definitely of the school of making models smile – I mean, who wants to see a moody bride or groom? But even if a model’s skills are Kate Moss-level awesome, there’s just no faking the real thing. And Nathan and Brendan’s big day is full of the real thing – smiles as wide as the sky, true happiness, and love. This adorable couple not only held their nuptials in fabulous Cape Town (LOVE me a city wedding!) but followed the natural ambience of an outdoor ceremony with the fun of a quirky modern reception space, which they filled to the brim with proteas and greenery. The best of both worlds, truly. And speaking of both worlds, I also loved how the couple managed to honour Indian wedding traditions, like mehndi and varmala garlands, making this a truly multicultural celebration. SBB faves Thunder and Love Photography captured all the love (and all the pretty) from this special day!
Nature meets luxury in this beautiful forest wedding at Die Woud, which is ending off our week in the prettiest way possible! Paul and Chloë wated an outdoorsy feel to their Cape wedding, and fell in love with Die Woud (who could blame them?). Natural elements like wooden tables and beautiful proteas, contrast with romantic twists like chandeliers and twinkle lights (oh, the lights!) and Chloë’s incredible Cindy Bam dress. Music was another super important part of the wedding, from the fun song choices for vital moments, to the bride’s dad serenading her (awwww!) to SBB DJ faves Silkmusic pulling out all the stops to get the dancefloor pumping all night long! Let’s get up close and personal with all the pretty captured by Jani B. Photography!
It’s no secret that I’m a fan of all things Italian (I mean, I’m half Italian myself, and proudly so). But in the absence of a plane ticket to Tuscany, if I were to receive an invitation to a beautiful, intimate, Italian-inspired soiree like this one? I’d be there faster than you could say “I do”. Ilna and Neil created something really special for their big day – a sophisticated, jewel-toned celebration that manages to fuse the best of the South African winelands with a touch of La Bella Vita. The flowers, for one, are ridiculously beautiful – peonies and hydreangeas and orchids in shades of mauve and plum and burgundy. And contrasting with that abundance is Ilna’s breathtakingly elegant gown and Neil’s classic black suit. Sleek sophistication meets organic. And talking about sophistication, I love that the couple opened the dancefloor with a tango! These beautiful pics by the lovely Tasha Seccombe capture every bit of their big day, and will stick in your memory for a long time to come!
As an Oud Matie I’m more than a little bit biased, but I think that the view over Stellenbosch is the most beautiful view in the world. Those mountains against a summer sky just take my breath away every single time! Which is what makes it the most breathtaking backdrop for a wedding, and one of the reasons why Katherine and Rupert chose Landtscap as their venue. This adorable pair, who met and legally wed in London and headed to South Africa for their wedding celebration, had a simple plan for their big day – classic colours, gorgeous textures, and a light and romantic feel. With the help of some very talented vendors (right down to our fave catering supremos, Two Chefs), they pulled that off. I especially love Okasie‘s beautiful florals – the shelves of greenery and blooms behind the bridal table, the flower arch, the bright bouquet. And with the bride rocking a stunning lace Anna Georgina gown and the groom in Hugo Boss, it was unfussy but glamorous style all the way. The lovely Stephanie Veldman took these happy pics.
When it comes to wedding day weather, it’s rain that makes most brides’ toes curl in terror, but wind never really gets a mention although if you live in the Cape, you know it’s a fact of life sometimes. So when I was looking at the images of Chanel and Rikus’ wedding – these beautiful portraits made even more beautiful by the fact that some are a little wild and windswept, I was wondering to myself if it had bothered them, or if they’d realised how much extra movement it would add to Migneon Marais’ of Pritti‘s gorgeous pictures of their big day. Then I read their story, and discovered that the wind is their talisman – a literal force of nature that brought them together and showed up to surround them with love as they exchanged their vows. That’s magical, isn’t it? And looking at these two, you can see that their love is something natural and unstoppable too. The romance! I’m totally neglecting to talk about the details here, but trust, they are awesome too – greenery done in a modern, minimalist way, and super fun touches like a blockbuster first dance, bridesmaids rocking contemporary Audrey Hepburn LBDs and updos, incredible catering from amazing SBB faves, Two Chefs, and a glow stick dance party. Let’s all get swept away, shall we?
