Category: Cape Weddings

Real Wedding at The Cape Farmhouse {Sarah & Pete}

by gaby

Happy Friday lovelies! I have to be honest, this week has kicked my butt, big style. So apologies if you missed your posts on Weds and Thurs, but the good news is, we have triple – triple! – the loveliness today! And the even better news is that this is a long weekend for us in the UK, starting with me having the afternoon off. I’m going to a schnazzy hair place to be primped, highlighted, blowdried and manicured. Best Friday ever! Anyway, time to kick off with an amazing wedding I have been saving for all of you. Sarah and Pete were married at The Cape Farmhouse in a laid back, intimate, daytime and very African country-style celebration. I love their earthy colour scheme, succulent table settings and eco-friendly approach. And I am completely in AWE of Sarah’s look. Wow can this girl accessorise! I absolutely adore not only her look, but that of her bridesmaids – don’t you? Sarah also happens to be a photographer, which is always a little intimidating, but Brenda Wardall of Hearts in a Shutter has done such an awesome job in capturing all the rustic gorgeousness of the big day.Read More

Real Wedding at Molenvliet {Jackie & Japie}

by gaby

Ok, something you don’t know about me – I am a HUGE big band fan. Which may not seem that strange, but when I was in high school, it made me a little unusual. I was, for example, the only kid I knew who begged my father to bring Harry Connick Jnr CDs back from a business trip in America instead of, I don’t know, MC Hammer or Boyz II Men (don’t get me started about my love for Harry). The only person I know who puts Ella, Dean and Frankie on my iPod when I’m feeling the mean reds and can sing along to pretty much any Gershwin lyric. So you can imagine that when I saw Jackie and Japie had pulled off a 1940s Glamour-themed wedding at Molenvliet, I was super excited to feature it! As we all know, love and marriage go together like a horse and carriage, and the two of them wanted to celebrate theirs in style – getting a kick out of champagne with their besties, facing the music and dancing all night and promising to love each other come rain or come shine. (Ya, I know. I couldn’t stop myself. Throw your tomato if you must.) They had a shindig old Frank himself would have been proud to have thrown, co-ordinated by Jaco van Loggerenberg of Just Jack and photographed by the fab Andre from Zara Zoo. And now I get to share it with you. Ain’t THAT a kick in the head?Read More

Real Wedding at Le Bac {Yolandi & Ludwig}

by gaby

Okay, confession time. Before I started this blog, when I used to flip through a wedding magazine I have to admit I used to feel totally irritated by how many dress advertisements and features there were. Because to me, it was probably the least interesting aspect of the day. Yes, I know, but it’s true. I was definitely not one of those little girls who grew up imagining my dream dress. Now that I have seen so many unbelievably gorgeous dresses, that’s changed, and there are some brides who literally take my breath away (hello, Kate Middleton!). Today’s is one of them – I am completely and totally in LOVE with her styling. That bracelet! That wrap! That dress! Crazy beautiful. And not just that, but Mitch Wong Ho (who I have been wanting to feature here forever!) turned a photo shoot with her and her handsome groom at the Taal Monument in Paarl from drab to fab – I adore the architectural shots he got (totally appropriate since the bride is an architect) of a spot that is normally not exactly up there on my list of inspiring locations (sorry, I know lots of you love it, but I am not a big fan of monument shots in general. Usually!) Le Bac was the venue for their stunning reception – all in all the perfect wedding for me to feature in our week of celebration!Read More

Real Wedding at Beloftebos {Melissa & Arnold}

by gaby

When I started looking around for weddings to celebrate my one year blogiversary with, I must admit, I wasn’t sure which way to go. I mean, frankly, every single wedding I feature has an ooh moment for me, a special something that takes my breath away. Which is why, after all, I’ve poured my heart and soul into this blog over the last year. And every single wedding is joyful and special and celebratory. And there are sooooo many fabulous photographers whose work I love to showcase. Then, one afternoon, I got a heads up from one of those fabulous photographers about a very special wedding on a colleague’s blog. I was on a train, and the internet loading the page on my phone was maddeningly slow (seriously, what is that, satellites? Can you not beam back to earth fast enough for me?). MADDENING, because as soon as I saw one picture I wanted to devour them all. This really was something ranking very high in the awesome department – a wedding based on a carnival theme, with rock ‘n roll details and a dress (oh, that dress!) that had me zipping straight over to my inbox and begging for a feature. And then, when it all started coming together, realising that it would be perfect for today. And here we are. Ta Da! People, I’m EXCITED. So I’ll let you get to it, with a big thank you to the bride (Melissa Van Zyl, who is also an awesome photographer!) and groom, and the fabulous Carmen Visser who nailed every one of these shots, and the fab Jaco of Just Jack, who co-ordinated this shindig. You are all rockstars. Now, it’s after 5pm, so break out the champers and start the party. I know I will be!

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Real Wedding at the Mowbray Golf Club {Celeste & Aiden}

by gaby

Woohoo! Holly holly holiday! How I do love a few days off. Hope whatever you’re doing, that you have a brilliant one. And here to continue the festivities, is the third wedding for this week (and it’s a city wedding, which I always love!). Celeste and Aiden chose to have a super slick modern soiree in classic black and white at St George’s Cathedral in Cape Town and Mowbray Golf Club. Think black glass, silver plates, a touch of damask. Bridesmaids in elegant black dresses and a gorgeous orchid bouquet. All you need is Frankie Sinatra crooning That’s Life in the corner and you have a swingin’ celebration any hipster would be proud of. Which shouldn’t be a surprise, really, since Aiden happens to be the creative director at GQ South Africa. Celeste is a doctor. Talk about a power couple! The fabulous pictures were taken by Toni and Desmond of Desmond Louw Photography. Enjoy!Read More

Real Wedding at Diemerskraal {Diné & Nick}

by gaby

Smell that, folks? Yep, it smells like freedom. The freedom of a long weekend, and I’ll tell you a little secret, mine has already started. Started last night, in fact, with wine and cupcakes at Altar-ed, a fab little event organised here in London by OMG I’m Getting Married and Forever and Ever Events (thanks, ladies!). Which is, obviously, the best way to start a long weekend. Prettiness always is. So allow me to do the same for you, by providing you with your own dose of prettiness courtesy of this wedding at Diemerskraal. I have been DYING to share it for weeks, and I am so excited that the moment has finally arrived! Where do I start? The buttons, maybe my favourite little touch? The bunting? The supercool invitations? The OMG they actually WILL wear them again bridesmaids dresses? The fact that the venue is an aircraft hangar? Actually, it’s all of it together, tied up in a perfect little bow by Stephan Marais, who took these gorgeous pictures. To me, it strikes the perfect balance between contemporary, classic and cheeky, and I absolutely LOVE it! So enjoy. And if I don’t see you here tomorrow (even though you totally should pop in, because we have another loooovely wedding!), have the best Easter weekend!Read More

Real Wedding at Die Strandloper {Nadine & Philip}

by gaby

There’s a part of me that is all Tiffany’s girl. Give me a martini (vodka, extra dry extra cold with a twist, cheers), a pair of Badgleys and a rooftop bar in Manhattan and I’m a happy woman. But I grew up on the coast, and there’s another big part of me that is all barefoot, shell necklaced and freckle nosed. That wants nothing more than salt on my lips and the beat of the surf in my ears. That’s one of the reasons why I’m so in love with beach venues, and the more rustic, the better. Today’s is about as laid-back seaside as you get – the awesome Strandloper restaurant in Langebaan, where you can rock up, pay your cover and enjoy a long session of fresh and delicious seafood right on the beach. (I am seriously salivating right now just thinking about it!) Nadine and Philip chose it as their wedding venue, and the result was a super relaxed day with family and friends that I am completely smitten over. Their details are just subtle enough to enhance the venue, never competing with it, and allowing all of their guests to get into the beachy groove. As usual, Warren Williams‘ pictures really bring the celebrations to life. Doesn’t it just look like so much fun? I want to be there. Now.Read More

Real Wedding in Matjiesfontein {Vasthi & Lourens}

by gaby

Happy Friday, folks! You know, I see a lot of Victorian country vintage being in this industry at the moment. Some days, I think I may have seen every bit of vintage I may ever want to. And then I come across a wedding that embraces the olde look so beautifully that my love of lace is renewed. Today’s wedding is one of those. Vasthi and Lourens chose the romantic village of Matjiesfontein for their destination wedding, just two and a half hours from Cape Town, but about a hundred years back in time. The town has a fabulous history tied in with the railways, and is immediately evocative of colonial South Africa, so it was absolutely perfect for the vintage vibe they wanted to create. Look out for their mason jar candle invitations (LOVE 3D invites!) and some of my favourite country florals ever, not to mention the bride and groom’s outfits! Gorgeous. Images are by the wonderful Judy Stofberg of Just Judy Photography, and she has totally nailed the spirit of this wedding in her pictures, which to me is always the mark of a great photographer. Hope this makes your day, just as it has mine!Read More

Real Wedding at Beloftebos {Alexandra & Rob}

by gaby

Morning lovelies! If you popped in yesterday looking for your real wedding fix, apologies that it wasn’t there as usual – Chez Gaby is full of visitors at the moment. Which is lovely, but does make it difficult for me to find time to blog. But I was too excited to share today’s colourful, sunny wedding with you to wait any longer! And what a perfect day for it – the sun is shining in London and it looks like it’ll be a beautiful day!! (Erm, I realise this means summer is over for you lot in the Southern Hemisphere, so sorry about that, but on this side of the world we are very happy to see blue skies again!) ANYWAY. As I said, today’s wedding is full of colour, including the gorgeous sunflowers, which are the bride’s favourite flowers. I think they set such a great tone, don’t they immediately make you cheerful?! Alexandra and Rob chose one of my favourite venues for their big day – the gorgeous Beloftebos – and I love how it looks completely different with every wedding. Its country vibe was ideal for what they had in mind, and Bernard Bravenboer was there to capture all the goodness with his camera.

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Real Wedding at Honeywood Guest Farm {Olivia & Richard}

by gaby

It’s like ray-eee-aynnnn… on your wedding day… Pretty much every bride’s worst nightmare, right? You spend months, sometimes even years planning an outdoor wedding with the decor and the entertainment and the sunshine, and of course you’re relying on the good old South African weather so at no point in all your visions of loveliness do you imagine yourself huddled with your new husband under an umbrella. But for all that, rain happens. And actually, it’s not the train smash that many brides imagine it will be. Yes, it changes the game plan and yes, it’s a little disappointing, but with a bit of forethought and creativity, it can be one of the things that breaks the ice for your guests and makes your wedding day extra memorable. And today’s wedding at Honeywood Guest Farm is the perfect example. When I first saw a few pics of it on one of my favourite blogs, Lanalou Style (Lana was one of the lucky guests), I was drawn not only to the quirky, handmade details, but to how sweet everything looked even after a bit of a downpour. I had to know more, and as soon as I saw Alan and Heather van Gysen‘s photographs I fell in love with them. The sun may not have shone, the bunting may not have been strung from the trees, and the meal may not have been a picnic as planned, but this eco-tastic, heartfelt wedding was every bit as special for it. I think the final photo, with all of the colourful beach umbrellas and an intimate moment between bride and groom, has to be one of my favourites ever – this is love, come rain or come shine. Suck it, Alanis.Read More