Industrial Rustic Elegance Wedding at The Venue Fontana by Vanilla Photography

Where do I even start with this incredible wedding? Everything about it is elegant and beautiful, and deeply personal. And to be honest, those were some of the qualities that struck me about The Venue Fontana when I first came across it, researching wedding venues for the SBB Collection (which is how I came across Cameron and Dina’s wedding in the first place). Although it’s gone on to be a huge hit with KZN couples this season, at the time The Venue had hosted precisely one wedding, and this was it. Cameron and Dina are high school sweethearts whose romance blossomed into a lifelong love, so when choosing a venue for their nuptials, there was no better place than Dina’s family farm, which held so many memories for the pair (including the place when Cameron proposed). Of course, the fact that there was no actual wedding venue on the farm was no problem for this dynamic family, who jumped in and custom built the most perfect place imaginable, a mix of rustic barn style, rough industrial elements and Italian sophistication. It’s a magical place, and this wedding was the labour of love that started it all. From ceremony to gorgeous reception, it was a day filled to the brim with family, tradition, joy and romance, captured exquisitely by Vanilla Photography. I could go on about it all day, but I’ll let the pictures (and Dina) speak for themselves. (Better yet, make a plan to visit The Venue, and experience its heartfelt welcome in person!)

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DIY Farm Wedding at De Hoek Country Lodge by DGR Photography

Planning a rustic wedding filled to the brim with fynbos and burlap and cute ‘down on the farm’ touches? Well then, this one’s for you, brideys! Christel and Andries, farm lovers at heart, wanted a real ‘plaas troue’, an intimate celebration with family and friends that brought all their favourite things together: proteas, succulents, windmills, hay bales… even some adorable tractor-themed touches! My favourite detail is their escort display using little enamel mugs – so adorable! Everything was DIY, pretty much, which created a much-cherished opportunity for family to share special times creating all the decor. And I can’t not mention Christel’s dress, with its unusual nude lace overlay effect – love! – as well as the groomsmen’s leather braces and bows (definitely the farm wedding must-have in SA this season!). DGR Photography were on the scene to capture every farm-fabulous detail of the event

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Farm Charm Wedding at Die Klipskuur by Hello Love Photography

If you’re wondering what a sweet as pie, down-home farm wedding looks like – well, this would be it. Set in Die Klipskuur’s rustic barn, with a colour palette of blush, sage and cream, and pretty handmade details throughout, Anri and Abri’s wedding has all the charm of the farm and little extra magic besides. Details to love include cushions that did double duty as favours and ceremony seating, diagonal drapes on the chairs, a naked brownie cake (YUM!), eucalyptus wreath bouquets for the bridesmaids and teeny tiny veldskoen bouts for the boys (SO adorable!). The wonderful Hello Love Photography, part of the SBB Directory family, was on the scene to capture these darling pictures of the big day.

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Contemporary Luxe Wedding at Bordeaux Game Farm by Louise Vorster

Fair warning, lovelies – your Pinterest boards are about to get a whole lot prettier (and more crowded)! I am pretty much obsessing over everything about today’s wedding, from the venue (the amazing Bordeaux Game Farm, which we love so much we included it in our SBB Collection) to the blue, white and gold colour scheme, with chinoiserie-like vases and stationery and glamorous gold flatware, to the crisp white orchids, to the bridesmaids’ gowns. It all fits together into the most gorgeous contemporary luxe whole, with the beautiful bride and her dashing groom, Allane & Wim, at its centre. And with photographer Louise Vorster there to take these fantastic images, the picture is complete.

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Relaxed Rustic Wedding at The Stone Cellar by Leandri Kers

They say home is where the heart is (and I say, where the wine is ;) ) so it’s no wonder that today’s sweet couple, Chris & Karin, wanted to create a home-away-from-home atmosphere for their wedding, in the relaxed, rustic setting of the Stone Cellar. The decor was simple and lovely – lace runners on long wooden tables, hanging greenery and wreaths, lasercut elements, a classic palette of white and green – all of which perfectly complemented the family-style dining and casual canapés that they had in mind. Add in some gorgeous scenery and photographer Leandri Kers to up the romance stakes with her dreamy pictures, and you have a wedding that’s as warm and welcoming as it is pretty.

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Handmade Natural Wedding at DuVon Estate by Marli Koen

For a couple who love the outdoors, it’s a natural (pardon the pun) choice to bring a sense of Mother Nature’s own elegance to their big day. Hannes and Wilna decided to keep things simple, focusing on the things that really mattered to them, keeping the details simple and beautiful, and letting the stunning setting of the area they grew up in speak for itself. Add to that: lovingly crafted handmade details (including the bride’s gorgeous fits-like-a-glove lace dress, made by her mama), a mix of greenery and white blooms (including oversize bouquets – LOVE), good food, good wine and good company, and you have the magic combination. Marli Koen captured it all in these lovely pictures.

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Bright & Bold Countryside Wedding by Christine Le Roux

I feel like things have been a little muted around here recently, and while I adore a wedding in classic white or soft neutrals, it’s always a pleasure to have colour wash across my computer screen and warm my wedding-loving heart. Inspired by the colours of a country sunset, this bright and beautiful farm wedding does just that. Liree and Willie (who met as housemates – adorable!) took on a challenge when they picked a venue that needed everything brought in, but the result was a celebration that was exactly as they’d envisioned – a “proper fun farm get-together”. Mingling sophisticated touches like Liree’s gorgeous lace gown and glamorous gold elements with relaxed spit braai catering and ‘just picked’ flowers, they pulled off the perfect mix of laid back and luxe, and the fab Christine Le Roux was there to capture it all in these pictures.

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Equestrian Themed Wedding by Christine Joy Photography

There’s something special about home weddings – they have such a sense of warmth and comfort and happiness about them, and I love picturing the couple returning time and again over the years and always thinking of their special day, and how this tree is the one they got married under and that spot is where the marquee was, or whatever it is. Today’s home-on-the-farm wedding is all that and more, because it also includes a very personal theme, perfect not just for the Karoo stud farm location, but for the horse-mad bride and groom. As well as getting married in a paddock, having their reception at the stables, and having plenty of their four-legged friends included as part of the day, Alex and Jess opted to include sweet equestrian elements in their decor, from horse shoe escort cards, to rosette table numbers, to tack and trophies on the tables, to ‘grass’ centrepieces. So fun, and so personal. And I can’t not mention Jess’ blushing bride bouquet, or the blushing bride-bedecked cake! My FAVE. Christine Joy took these lovely pictures that really capture all the down-home fun and happiness.

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Summer Greenery Wedding at Ou Stal Equestrian Estate by Liesl Le Roux

If you ever thought that planning a wedding on a budget meant sacrificing style for your big day, then take note, because today’s wedding is budget beautiful. And that’s partly because bride and groom Bianca and MJ made some seriously smart decisions. First, they picked a venue that had a lot of natural beauty going for it and didn’t need a whole lot of dressing up, and that’s immediately half the battle right there. Then Bianca followed her own personal style preference, for casual minimalism, and picked a palette of white, green and gold, which allowed the use of budget-friendly florals that still look super elegant, like paper white baby’s breath and sage green eucalyptus. They still managed to add some adorable personal touches to the classic tables, like giant scrabble table ‘numbers’ and little terracotta plant pot favours. And finally, Bianca and MJ picked great suppliers they could rely on, and let them do their thing, including photographer Liesl Le Roux. The result? A perfect summer wedding day in the countryside, with all of the pretty but none of the fuss.

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Enchanting Berry-tone Wedding at The Glades by CC Rossler

Enchanting Berry-tone Wedding

When I asked today’s bride, Nicol, about her wedding, she said something that really tickled me: “Up until the Friday before our wedding it had been pouring with rain and there was even a snow warning, but on the Saturday the weather was perfect. Okay, it was still chilly, but a bride’s superpower is not to feel the cold!” I love that. A bride’s superpower. So true! Although I have to say that this particular bride (and her husband, Roland) had another superpower up their sleeve – namely, gorgeous taste. They filled their reception at the rustic-fabulous Glades farm with incredible flowers in berry hues, including trailing fronds of amaranthus and jewel coloured orchids in Nicol’s bouquet, and paired them with copper vessels, raw wooden tables, embroidery hoop table numbers, and tiny wreaths made of rosemary at each setting. The botanical element was mirrored in the bridesmaids floral print dresses, and there were plenty of personal details, including local coffee (the groom’s fave) and a VW Combi photobooth. It’s that perfect mix of pretty and personal, beautifully captured by the lovely CC Rossler. And despite that chill in the air, it’ll leave you with warm hearts and bruised Pinning fingers ;)

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