With an intimate garden atmosphere, a beautiful bride in a Janita Toerien dress (rocking the prettiest ballet slippers!), and a lineup of blushing bridesmaids in soft peachy crop and skirt combos, you just know that this wedding in amongst the Cape winelands is going to be a special affair. A lovely mix of classic and rustic styles, from the flower arch and outdoor ceremony area to the tables decked out with wood cuts and proteas, and even a rainbow to wish Hannes & Marike joy and luck, it’s the kind of laid-back and lovely wedding that reminds me why getting married in the Cape is such a wonderful experience, captured to perfection (as always!) by Claire Thomson!
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!
Working in the wedding industry, I’m lucky enough to regularly come across some of the most creative, interesting, and downright nice people you’ll ever meet. And maybe it’s just my opinion, but I think industry weddings are some of my absolute favourites. Maybe that’s down to a combination of the fact that they know immediately who their go-to dream team of suppliers is (and trust them to work their magic) and the fact that when you’ve seen a hundred other people’s weddings, there’s a simplicity to your choices that really lets the love shine through. And shine through it definitely does in today’s wedding – when I first saw Bron and Dean’s breathtaking pictures by Kikitography pop up on my Facebook feed I couldn’t take my eyes off them! Boho country foresty perfection, not least thanks to Bron’s incredible gown and the backdrop of gorgeous Camp Orchards in KZN. You may know Bron from her work behind the camera as the owner of Vanilla Photography, very much a SBB fave, but it turns out she’s just as radiant in front of the lens, along with her handsome groom. Add in some of the most perfectly mismatched bridesmaids and groomsmen, and organic-style greenery arrangements by the wonderful Carolyn of Adore Weddings, and it’s a treat for the eyes and for the soul.
They say it takes a village, and although the expression is supposed to be about raising a child, it could just as easily apply to the way that family and friends pitched in to make Minette and Louis’ vision of their beautiful big day come to life. From the flowers arranged by a talented aunt, to the wooden doors that were a beautiful focal point at their outdoor ceremony (built by Minette’s dad), to the army of crochet-ers who helped create the doily runners on their rustic vintage tables, it was all a labour of love and togetherness that’ll have farm wedding lovers jumping for joy. My personal favourite detail is the blue glassware – a simple but super clever touch, because of the gorgeous pops of blue the glasses bring to the reception. And speaking of pops of blue, Minette’s MOH crop and skirt combo is amazing (second only to her own, dreamy lace gown!). But best of all is the relaxed, happy vibe that the couple projects, which was as much part of their day as the decor itself – no wonder their ‘village’ were happy to pitch in to make their wedding dreams come true. Linda Fourie captured these beautiful images.
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!)
Happy Monday, lovely ones! Spring has sprung, the sun is out in Durban and it has me wanting to get out of my winter cocoon and out into nature. Which is pretty appropriate, since this month on SBB, we’re all about wild beauty – everything from boho to desert chic to game lodge weddings and back again. And there’s really no better way to kick that off on a South African blog than to head into our own wild place, the breathtaking bushveld, for some inspiration. I absolutely ADORE aloes, so the first thing that struck me about this gorgeous shoot from Charl van der Merwe (commissioned for the rebrand of the Mohatjane venue) was the backdrop of tall aloes, and of course, the bride’s incredible dress. There’s a lovely marriage here between earthy and glam: a palette of mixed neutrals with a touch of shimmery copper; succulents and seed pods with elegant white orchids (and a gold-foiled, orchid topped cake); a rustic wooden table laid with vintagey luxe decor; a table for two in the bush and a serving of champagne. It’s basically the perfect inspiration for an elegant safari-style wedding!
Oh my! I just want to wrap myself up in this wedding, with its neutral backdrop, romantic textures and pops of bright colour from the most gorgeous florals. Throw in magical elements like a trio of cakes (one dusted with copper dust), a cathedral length veil, floral runners, sparkling chandeliers and soft flutters of fabric dancing in the breeze, and you have a mix of rustic and elegant wedding style that is equals romance. WJ and Chantelle also just happen to make the most adorable couple, and Clareece Smit‘s beautiful pictures of their big day are such a pleasure to behold!
People talk about a fairytale wedding, and they often mean a princess dress or a horse and carriage, or a grand castle-like venue. But for me, today’s wedding has a real fairytale quality. It’s like it takes place in its own magical, intimate little world, deep within a forest. An outdoor ceremony down a path through the trees… a reception in an elegant glass marquee with dapped sunlight falling through the branches, and when night falls, lit by chandeliers and fairy lights long into the night. From first look to last dance, Elizma & Ruan’s big day is the very picture of an enchanted forest wedding, and with gorgeous images by Fiona Clair, the fairytale is complete!
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It’s time to stop and smell the roses – or rather, the roses, peonies, tulips, orchids, banksia, hydrangea and more! The flowers at this colour-happy wedding fest really had me doing double take – Leipzig as usual have done an incredible job of creating the most gorgeous array of blooms in shades from deep crimson to soft blush to vibrant yellow and tangerine. Add in some sweet bunnies (which became the couple’s own wedding motif), soft pastels, rustic textures and classic elements including an elegant winelands setting, and you have a wedding lover’s paradise. And to prove it wasn’t all just a beautiful dream, Claire Thomson was on the scene to capture these gorgeous images of Sianne and Shane’s big day!
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
