Evening, lovelies! Time for some more bridesmaid fashion inspiration, but today instead of looking at dresses, the trend we’re focusing on is bridesmaid skirts. I think this trend started with LDS weddings in the US, but I absolutely love how stylish and sophisticated the look is, and it’s actually really budget friendly. As with all the trends I’ve highlighted so far, there are lots of ways of working bridesmaid skirts and tops – identical skirts and tops, mismatched tops, mismatched skirts, casual tops, formal ones… you can pretty much customise it to whatever look you want. In fact, I think bridesmaid separates a particularly good option if you’re struggling to find dresses that fit with the style you envision – definitely consider the skirt option, whether simple or textured, short or long. I’ve actually worn this as a bridesmaid before (my friend Abbie was so ahead of her time!) and I have to say that it was comfortable, flattering and really pretty. So here are my favourites from t’internets. *Links in bold denote affiliate links. The cost to you remains the same, but SBB may receive a commission for any sales made.
Straight off, I should tell you – jewellery is kind of one of my obsessions. As in, I feel naked without any, and there’s probably no gift you can give me – from a pretty costume piece that will fall apart after I’ve worn it for six months to something in a little blue box – that I’ll appreciate more. But one of the things I love most is how some pieces become iconic to their wearers. Take my mom. She decided against having an engagement ring, and instead got a statement gold wedding band – a chunky piece of 1970s gold that is so completely ‘her’ that I can’t imagine her without it. And that’s what your engagement/wedding ring should be – after all, it’s the one piece you are going to wear every day for the rest of your life. Which is probably why so many brides nowadays help to pick out their rings or have them custom made. But once you start looking, you’ll realise there’s a whole world of diamond engagement ring terminology that you and your fiance need to be aware of. Well, worry not, because SBB is here to help you, along with our friends at Chris Winspear Design Jewellers (based in Gauteng, but able to service clients throughout South Africa). A very welcome addition to our sponsorship team, Chris Winspear Design Jewellers has everything you need for your big day, from engagement and wedding bands (including a range of breathtaking coloured stones) to gifts for the wedding party such as cufflinks and charms. Today we’re showcasing just some of their lovely stock to illustrate our guide.
Get ready for some INSANELY gorgeous photography friends! I had a feeling when I picked this month’s theme for our photography sponsors that they’d like it, but I had no idea just how many incredible pics would flood into my inbox. And the thing is, as much as I know and you know we are all about the details on SBB, sometimes the pics that really take your breath away are those that zoom right out and put you and your new partner in the context of your surroundings. They say that in South Africa we have a big sky, so maybe that’s what makes these pics particularly stunning, or the amazing scenery that we have, from beach to valley to scrub. I also love that the pictures capture the weather’s changing face, and sometimes storm clouds are the most dramatic and wonderful (so don’t be too horrified if you see them on the morning of your wedding!). This is such an afternoon treat, so grab a cuppa and enjoy – and remember that each of these talented photographers is ready and waiting to capture your big day in their own wonderful way, so do click on the links and drop them a line after checking out the rest of their portfolio!
SHOES, you guys! Sorry, I’ll calm down. A while back, a bunch of wedding bloggers used to post pictures of shoes every Tuesday – doesn’t seem to happen anymore, but as a shoe fiend myself, Tuesday Shoesday used to brighten up my day. Well, get ready, because our photography sponsors have put together a delectable selection of shoe shot just for you. Now I know shoe pictures aren’t everyone’s thing – they are literally the thing my friend Abigail hates most about wedding pictures nowadays. So if that’s you, well, look away now. For the rest of us, a shoe shot can be a fun way of incorporating the details of the getting ready, picking up a dash of the signature colour (great for tying your wedding album together, actually) and just generally celebrating what some of us consider a wearable piece of art. It’s also a great way for our sponsors to show off their very different styles – have a browse and be sure to click through and see more of your favourites’ portfolios!
Guys, I’m so happy to introduce today’s third post, and a supplier who I not only like tremendously (and whose work I trust so much that I asked her to create our very own SBB logo), but one who I also admire. I get a LOT of people starting out in this industry asking me how they go about getting their name out there, and I always tell them about Anelle of Seven Swans, one of SBB’s very first collaborators. When I first heard from Anelle, she and her fiance were just moving down to the Cape and she was starting her fledgling stationery brand. She liked what I was doing, and she made contact. Directly, personally (none of these ‘dear blogger’ emails I get every day), with enthusiasm for my work and an eagerness to help wherever she could. It made me want to help her. Then she told me she was planning her wedding, and we dreamed up Real Life Bride. And I wasn’t the only new blog Anelle approached, as she also went to my lovely friends at the Pretty Blog and became one of their first DIY contributors. She is always friendly, professional and full of ideas and enthusiasm, and that came across in everything she did – talk about personal branding! The result? Seven Swans became one of the most in-demand wedding suppliers in SA, Anelle took on an employee and now shares studio space with the equally awesome welovepictures. She’s an industry success story, and I’m SO PROUD of her! And in all of that, I don’t think Anelle has done much direct advertising – everything came from social media and word of mouth. So basically I can’t think of anyone more inspiring to interview today, especially as we celebrate Sparkle & Blush, another winning SBB + Seven Swans collaboration. Welcome Anelle! :)
Hi Anelle! Thanks so much for chatting to SBB today! How did you get started in the wedding business?
While studying Information Design at the University of Pretoria, I always knew I wasn’t going to end up in corporate design or advertising, but with a nudge from my pragmatic father, my first job was in a wonderful through-the-line agency where we did everything from logo design to strategy and advertising campaigns. I learned heaps and heaps from my amazing employers but the creative world of weddings and events inspired my thoughts. When my husband-to-be got a job in the winelands, we moved down to my home town, I got myself an iMac and took the plunge. At that stage there was a tiny gap in the market for fresh, modern (young at heart) stationery. Lucky for me a few important role players loved what I loved in terms of design and gave me all the exposure I needed to actually make this home-office job a fully fledged business.Read More
Hello friends! One last piece of Valentine’s inspiration for you today (and a welcome slice of happiness with the horrible news of this morning). To celebrate all that is love, I asked the SouthBound Bride photographer sponsors to share their favourite kiss. I worried it might be cheesy, but when these pictures started coming in, I was reminded just how lovely that moment is – what a simple, intimate connection a kiss can be. Not cheesy at all. Every one of these pictures captures that moment – each gives me a big smile and makes me want to cheer for love, which is exactly what today is all about. Hip hip hooray! And don’t forget, if you love a pic, show the photographer some love by clicking through to their site or leaving a comment!
Good afternoon my dears, and a good afternoon it is when I get to introduce my readers to one of my very favourite industry people. Anneli Marinovich is a long-time supporter of the blog – she was one of our first sponsors and since then I have had the pleasure of getting to know Anneli both as a person (she’s lovely!) and as a businesswoman and photographer. And let me tell you, this girl is going places. Not only does Anneli shoot the most beautiful pictures that really capture the moment, but she’s super switched on, which has made working with her a pleasure. In fact, Anneli and I are currently working on a special project that I can’t wait to announce very soon! In the meanwhile, I thought it was high time I got my friend to answer a few questions for us. And remember – although Anneli is based in the UK as I am, she also shoots during the season in South Africa, and she’d love to hear from you!
Hi Anneli – thanks for joining us on SBB today! How did you get started as a photographer?
I’ve always enjoyed photography, especially travel and street photography and after we tied the knot in Cape Town in 2009, having had a wonderful experience with our own wedding photographer (Andre van Niekerk), I decided to look into wedding photography. I took an intensive course focusing on building a successful wedding photography business when we returned to the UK and realised that this was what I wanted to do… full time. I shot my first solo wedding in London in May 2010 and absolutely loved it. The decision to leave my full time job in advertising came in July 2011 after having shot weddings part-time for just over a year as well as second shooting with established wedding photographers, and I haven’t looked back since!Read More
Time for some inspiration from SBB’s photographer friends! I have to admit, I am a huge sucker for the subject of this month’s pics: bouquets. I know not everyone loves flowers as much as I do, but for me (having been a bridesmaid three times now), the moment the bouquets are delivered is one of the most exciting of the day. I absolutely LOVE how not only has floristry really become such an art but how for wedding photographers they’re no longer just a thing the bride holds, but the opportunity for both breathtaking still lifes, and a way of showing the personality of the bride or wedding. So when I sent out the call for this month’s showcase, I asked SBB’s wonderful photographers not to necessarily choose the most stunning bouquet, but the pic that best represented their style. And wow. Every single one of these images (which actually do show beautiful flowers, by the by) had me floored. So have a look through and be inspired in more ways than one – and remember to show our sponsors some love by heading over from their links to check out more of their lovely work!
Hello friends! Just before our Friday comes to a close, I have someone lovely to introduce you to. I met photographer Lizanne Higgstowards the end of last year – she had been living in London for a while, but has now made the move back to SA with her husband – congrats, Lizanne! Before she did, I was able to get to know her a bit, and she answered a few questions for me over a glass of wine. I’m sharing what she had to say together with some of the pics from her first Cape wedding – both were teachers, so there was a bit of a school decor theme going on, how cute is that?
Hi Lizanne – thanks so much for chatting to us today! How did you get started as a photographer?
Hi Gaby, this is so exciting being interviewed for your amazing blog, SouthBound Bride. Thank you!
I have had a desire in my heart to do photography since my high school days and now I am finally living the dream. Unfortunately I could not afford to buy a digital camera back in those days and so I set that dream aside and slightly forgot about it… until a few years later when I read the book by Joyce Meyers, I Dare You: Embrace Life with Passion. The book inspired me and I remembered what I wanted to do with my life as a profession, I wanted to be a photographer and within a month after reading the book I bought my first camera in the UK (on my credit card!). I starting taking photos of scenery and eventually a few friends asked me to photograph their weddings and newborn babies and from there on I could not stop. Every photo shoot was more exciting than the last and the adrenalin rush I got on some of the photo shoots was mind-blowing! I LOVE photography. I had some awesome opportunities in second shooting weddings in the UK and from there on shot my first solo wedding in London.Read More
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – South Africans are quietly taking over the world. Not least the wedding world either (*cough cough Colin Cowie*). And I often meet amazing service providers here in the UK who are making a big name for themselves. I love this – not just because I’m proudly Saffa, but because all of that talent is often available to brides and grooms in SA as well as abroad. I mean, we all love to go home, right? And with the summer season in the UK being different, you can often get an amazing international (homegrown) talent on their holidays (just like our amazing local photographers often travel during the SA winter) – many of them even have a South African side to their businesses. How cool is that? This is the case with today’s featured photographers, who have been longtime Twitter pals and supporters of SBB, and whom I am delighted to introduce to you properly today. SO… meet Weddings by Nicola and Glen! Nicola (from SA) and Glen already have a thriving business based in the Cotswolds (but shooting all over the UK) – just take a look at their site to see the dreamy country celebrations they have shot, in a style that’s a lovely combination of intimacy and grandeur. I can just imagine the shots they would take amid the Cape scenery…Read More
