Beach Weddings - SouthBound Bride

Intimate Surf Lodge Wedding by Long Exposure

7 October, 2016 by gaby

Surf’s up! This laid-back, beachy wedding took place at a local surf lodge – the perfect venue for a couple who first started noticing one another during early morning sessions. With this natural coastal setting in place, they set about infusing their ‘I do’s with soft blooms (including the bride’s sweet flower crown!), rustic elements, and nods to their love of sea and sand. With an intimate guest list and long trestles set up under the trees while paper lanterns swung in the breeze, Alice and Joel’s wedding has the feeling of a family dinner in the garden rather than a buttoned up formal do, and it’s no wonder, as all the details (including the customisation of Alice’s dream dress) were a labour of love by the bride’s mum and other dear family and friends. It really makes you smile, and happily, Christie Long was there to capture all of the love!

Ocean Blue Wedding at Maroupi by Lightburst Photography

5 October, 2016 by gaby

Can you smell the salt air? A breezy colour palette of sea blues and greens makes for a soiree guaranteed to evoke the ocean, even if you’re not throwing a toes-in-the-sand beach bash. When you add in elegant florals, a to-die-for lace gown, and bridesmaids in gorgeous Gelique gowns for that extra touch of mismatched blue, and the whole wedding becomes that much more beautiful – a fusion of coastal and chic that we adore. Lightburst Photography was there to snap these dreamy pictures that make Sam and Darryn’s happy day come alive, including the most romantic, windswept beach portraits you can imagine.

Elegant Pink & Gold Wedding at 12 Apostles Hotel by Tasha Seccombe

29 September, 2016 by gaby

Today’s wedding really has it all. An absolutely breathtaking Cape Town destination wedding location (12 Apostles, caught between sea, mountains and big blue sky), sweetly sophisticated Africa wedding details (including gorgeous foiled stationery, a marimba band, and a biltong food bar – love!), and crazy gorgeous florals from our favourite ladies at Green Goddess. Dieter and Daniella met in another iconic Cape Town location (the Waterfront) and decided to seal the deal with their familes and friends with one of the best views in the country (and in my opinion, the world). From their elegant gold and pink palette, to the dreamy beach portraits, to a darling gold-touched cake, and not forgetting Tasha Seccombe‘s beautiful pictures, it’s the perfect mix of classic and contemporary with a healthy helping of homegrown. *This post includes affiliate links. The cost to you remains the same, but SBB may receive a commission for any sales made.

Elegant Cape Town Beach Wedding by Samantha Clifton

20 September, 2016 by gaby

I may have got a little carried away when choosing the pictures for today’s feature. But who can blame me, because after all, what’s more romantic than a beach wedding in beautiful Cape Town. You can almost smell the sea air in Samantha Clifton’s stunning pictures, and although Lise and Tiaan were married on Clifton Second, it’s like they were on a private island in the middle of nowhere, with white sands and tumbling waves as their witnesses. And as if that wasn’t lovely enough, after the ceremony they adjourned to the Royal Cape Yacht Club for an elegant reception with the lights of the harbour reflecting the warm glow of candlelight within. Let’s just take a moment to mention Lise’s gown, because I am absolutely loving this bride’s style, especially paired with a soft cathedral length veil and a gorgeous protea bouquet!

Boho Beach Festival Wedding in Hermanus by Coba Photography

20 July, 2016 by gaby

I can’t help but smile like crazy when looking at this gorgeous celebration of love, hosted festival-style on the beach in Hermanus (which you might also be able to tell from the fact that I included a bumper crop of pics today!). It’s basically the best. Boho goddess bride, bright colours, a fabulously mismatched (and colourful) wedding party, a ceremony on the sand, and a relaxed reception filled with flowers, greenery, and a rainbow of glassware. There are so many adorable, stealworthy ideas dreamed up by this DIY couple: 3D guitar boutonnieres, paint brushes to clean up sandy feet, leather music festival-style bands which doubled up as favours, tiny origami birds used as confetti. I love everything from the rich palette to the donut desserts – and who better than Coba Photography to capture this super fun affair?

Ocean Glitz Wedding at The 12 Apostles Hotel by Aglow Photography

21 June, 2016 by gaby

This wedding had me at hello, and by hello, I definitely mean Michelle’s shut-the-front-door-drop-everything beautiful dress. The images of her and her new husband Bertie floating across the sands of a private beach in that Maggie Sottero gown are the stuff that wedding dreams are made of. And then I got to see the rest of this seriously gorgeous wedding, from the ceremony with a view, to the gently rustic decor to the glittery proteas. GLITTERY PROTEAS, you guys. It’s glamorous and elegant, but so soft and romantic too, and Celeste from Aglow Photography has captured every moment to perfection with her exquisite imagery. LOVE.

Beach Bohemian Wedding at De Vette Mossel by Anina Harmse

10 May, 2016 by gaby

I’m not exactly known for being at a loss for words (Gaby by name, gabby by nature), but I honestly don’t know where to begin with this wedding. I properly love every single thing about it, from the bride’s stop-you-in-your-tracks AMAZING boho ensemble, to the beach ceremony, complete with Moroccan touches like carpets and lanterns and drapes, to the super laid-back rustic oceanside reception in shades of scarlet and protea, to the gorgeous portraits of Conrad and Lucinda by photographer Anina Harmse on the sand. I kind of had to pinch myself a couple of times when it landed in my inbox, and I have definitely gone a little overboard in the photo selection, but I just couldn’t resist the mix of boho perfection and toes in the sand chill. It’s awesome. And let’s just take another moment to talk about Lucinda’s dress and her sandals, because bride looks like an absolute goddess, which was actually her inspiration (and which, by the way, I loved). So I’ll stop going on, trying and failing to introduce this bohemian loveliness, and let you get an eyeful instead.

DIY Beach Wedding at Grootvlei by Ronel Kruger

1 February, 2016 by gaby

Considering how amazing our beaches are in South Africa, we get relatively few beach weddings submitted to SBB so I’m always thrilled to see a lovely one, especially when it’s a down to earth, toes in the sand West Coast affair like Jaynie & Rudi’s was. This wedding goes beyond in the DIY category thanks to a super creative bride and her family – even the wedding dress was a labour of love. All that time spent creating something special and meaningful makes this aspect go far beyond the wedding day, because you also get memories that last a lifetime, long after the fabric has faded and the flowers have died. And that’s really what this wedding business is about isn’t it? The love, first and foremost. Ronel Kruger was on the scene to capture these lovely pics of Jaynie and Rudi’s big day.

Beach Fairytale Wedding at Blue Bay Lodge by Kusjka Du Plessis

27 January, 2016 by gaby

And now, as the Monty Python boys say, for something completely different… ;) As you all already know by now, we love love LOVE a couple whose wedding reflects themselves, and you just have to look at beautiful purple-haired, pink dress bride Amy to know she’s someone who’ll do just that. I absolutely ADORE her candy coloured, flower-embroidered gown by SBB fave Janita Toerien, especially the way it looks in the golden light before sunset, where Amy and Matt shared kisses and smiles and looks of pure love. But the fairytale didn’t end there. The couple, who were married right on the water at the wonderful Blue Bay Lodge, combined their coastal setting with magical Midsummer Night’s Dream-inspired decor, from moss and woodcuts, to paper butterflies perched on every glass, to rose gold apples strewn along the tables. It’s a fete worthy of a real life Disney princess, and beautifully photographed by up-and-coming photographer Kusjka Du Plessis, who we’re delighted to welcome to SBB for the first time.

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

26 June, 2014 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