Q&A with My World Creations

Good morning, friends! As you may have picked up by now, I’m passionate about the South African wedding industry, and for the last while I’ve made it my mission to connect couples with great suppliers. I know that sometimes those small business owners with limited advertising budgets have a difficult time, but that doesn’t mean you want to know about them any less, right? So a few weeks ago I launched a promotion called the Days of December, and I’ll be introducing you to a whole family of new blog friends throughout this month in a series of posts. We’re all working hard to make sure this isn’t about boring old adverts, but rather the same high quality editorial content you expect from SBB. You can find all of the suppliers here through the month, but today, we’re meeting the first: Craig of My World Creations, a videographer from Port Elizabeth. I’m always hearing from brides how not getting a videographer is their one regret, so it’s always great to come across someone who can produce something beautiful to complement your photography. Craig has spent some time answering my questions about his business and his advice for brides and grooms, and sharing some of My World Creations‘ gorgeous videos with you today!

Hi Craig – thanks so much for chatting with us! Tell me a bit about your company…
My World Creations was established in 2007. At the moment, we are a two man team with myself concentrating on the editing and the main camera work. I have chosen to specialize in video because of the medium’s “story telling” ability. I feel that there are so many little moments and feelings that pass us by that cannot and should not only be captured by a photograph. I love to capture the essence of how the day felt.

How did you get started in videography?
I got started totally by accident, actually. When looking for a career change about eight years ago a friend asked if I did not want to help him with some video work on the side. With that the bug bit and I knew that this was something I wanted to pursue.Read More

Q&A with Stephanie Veldman

In our Reader Survey (if you haven’t completed this yet, you still can right here) one piece of feedback that has been coming through is that you’d like to know more about wedding pros. So I’m delighted to introduce you to Stephanie Veldman, a Cape Town-based photographer. Her photographs really caught my eye from the first time I saw them – they seem to have a special kind of radiance, which is of course exactly what you’re looking for on your wedding day. I wanted to find out more about her, so I asked Stephanie to answer a few questions for you all.

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Q&A with Essie Letterpress

Happy Friday, my lovelies! And time for me to introduce you to another fabulous South African service provider. Essie Letterpress is one of SBB’s sponsors, which I’m thrilled about because I love their work so much – not just the beautiful letterpress printing they offer, but the designs they produce as well. It makes me want to reach into my screen and stroke the invitations (is that a publishing thing? an obsession with paper?) just so I can feel those delicious indentations and smell the ink. My love affair with letterpress aside, Vanessa and Ben of Essie Letterpress are just the nicest people to work with, so I asked them to share some behind-the-scenes info and advice with my readers.

Hi Vanessa – thanks so much for taking the time to answer a few questions about your business! How did you get into letterpress?
I was living in San Francisco twelve years ago, whilst studying interior design, when I first came across letterpress, as one of my housemates was doing a part-time course. I immediately fell in love with it! I went on to work as an Interior Designer, but when I moved to a farm from Cape Town two and half years ago and wanted to do something creative, I instantly thought about starting a letterpress printing company. There was also a gap in the South African market for letterpress, so it seemed like the perfect venture.

As well as straightforward letterpress printing, what other services or products do you offer?
We offer a design service, and on the printing side we have just started doing hot foiling as well.

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Q&A with The Desert Rose Project

Hello friends! First of all, my apologies if you stopped in yesterday and found the site down. The bad news is, it was kind of a stressful day sorting that out. The good news is that the reason it all went pear-shaped is because so many of you have been stopping in to check out SouthBound Bride. You crashed the server, y’all! Which is actually a great problem to have. :) Anyway, I’ve made a few improvements, and the site should actually load a little faster for you now too. Thanks for your patience!

On to today’s feature. I am absolutely thrilled to bring this one to you, because it has everything I love. Friendship, entrepreneurship, art and passion for details, and some good old South African ubuntu. What first caught my eye about the Desert Rose Project was the gorgeous wire hangers that had started popping up in South African brides’ dress pictures, a local cousin to a trend that started across the pond, but with a unique African twist. I loved them, but I had no idea where they came from. Then I started working with Yolande Snyders, a Cape Town photographer and one of SBB’s friends and sponsors. I found out that Desert Rose is a joint initiative by Yolande and her friend Tendai, a local wire artist. Not only do I love what Tendai creates, but I was dying to know more of the story and how this unique partnership came about, so I sent over a set of questions to the pair of them, and I’m sharing their answers with you today. I know you’re going to feel as much enthusiasm for this initiative as I do, not to mention wanting your very own piece of Desert Rose art to add an extra something special to your getting ready pictures!Read More

Q&A with Piteira Photography

Happy Friday, friends! It’s been a crazy but wonderful week at SBB headquarters, as I take a bit of a break to enjoy the Olympics. I’ll tell you more about it on the weekend, but for now, let’s just say that I am super excited and proud for all our gold medal winners! And speaking of South African talent, I have an awesome (part-South African) duo to introduce you to this morning. I first came across Kerry and Luis of Piteira Photography when I featured their adorable engagement shoot right here on the blog, and after that I started following their gorgeous work both in South Africa (where they spend time every year) and in Portugal, and they have really just gone from strength to strength. Somehow we all managed to synch our schedules and catch up in Cape Town in March, and they were just as warm and lovely in person as they’d always seemed online. I love the story of how they met, and I wanted you to meet them too, and to hear a bit of what they’ve learned working in Europe as well as SA. I love the concept of a husband and wife team shooting a wedding – not only do you get two talented photographers and two lens perspectives, but you also get two  creative minds. And I’ll give you an insider tip – Kerry and Luis just happen to still have dates available for December 2012, so drop them an email and let them know I sent you. ;) {Oh, and PS, come back later today for a special SBB announcement!}

Hi guys! Thanks so much for talking to me today! Tell us about how you met?
We met while working as photographers for a cruise-line company and worked together onboard for several years before moving to Portugal.

How did you get started in wedding photography?
Honestly, it was quite by accident. We never really thought about being wedding photographers because we didn’t really identify with the traditional, posed, cliché style that was predominant in the industry… we didn’t even think about it for long enough to consider that wedding photography didn’t have to be like that, until we were asked to photograph a wedding close to where we live. It was a last minute request and a favour for a friend so we took it on and it totally changed our minds about what wedding photography can be. The couple was madly artistic and gave us free reign to shoot whatever, however we wanted, the ceremony and decor was totally original, bohemian and completely non-traditional, we had the best time ever and at the end of the night we decided that if we could shoot weddings the way we shot that one, we could do this forever… and that was the beginning.Read More

Q&A with Francesca Bourke {The Irreverent A-Z Wedding Guide: South Africa}

Good morning! It’s Friday, but I have that Sunday feeling today as I pack up from a week in Cape Town and finally board that flight back to London. Just in time for my housemates to inform me that the summer is probably over, as the sunshine has disappeared. Boo! Hopefully I’ll be able to smuggle some of it into my suitcase! In the meantime, I’m feeling very cheerful about today’s posts, as I have a double dose of fabulous for you! Just a few weeks ago, a friend told me about The Irreverent A-Z Wedding Guide: South Africa, and I was intrigued. Then I got chatting to one of the writers, Francesca Bourke – a real SouthBound Bride who comes from Ireland but married her South African boy here, and got my hands on a copy. You guys, it is awesome. Fran and co-author Martin Heller write in such a combination of hilarious and practical that it’s the perfect antidote to wedding craziness. It has TONS of info especially tailored to South African couples, laugh-out-loud horror stories, tongue-in-cheek bridezilla tips – plus some very flattering mentions of the former Cap Classique (thanks, authors!). And as a book publisher in my other life, I love the production values – it’s the perfect size to fit into a handbag but hardy enough to survive months of being toted about, it’s easy to navigate, and it’s a little bit shiny and gold and special. I very much recommend you get your hands on a copy! It’s available at all good bookstores in South Africa (for UK availability, please drop me an email) and you can find out more on the book’s website or Facebook page. Today on SBB I’ll be sharing a Q&A with the woman behind the book, Francesca Bourke, and later this afternoon you can read an extract.

 

Hi Fran – thanks for agreeing to answer some questions today! Tell me a bit more about yourself and your book. How did you find yourself writing a book about weddings?
Well, I’d never been the kind of girl who dreamt of her wedding day. In fact, I never thought I’d get married and then suddenly here I was with a ring on my finger, blissfully in love and completely lost! I both envied and scoffed at all those girls who seemed innately to know what a boutonniere was… and then I realised that there must be other women out there like me who just didn’t have a clue and needed open, independent advice… minus all the drama. So The Irreverent A-Z Wedding Guide: South Africa was born.

What was your own wedding like?
Very, very hot! We married in Paarl and on our wedding day we had a freak heatwave – 40C! It was the best day of my life though, despite the heat. I had lots of friends and family over from Ireland so we had a week long party. If I had to choose a favourite part of the day it would be sneaking off with my husband during the reception to have one final photo taken. It was the night of a super moon – the first time in 20 years that the moon was as close to earth – and we decided to have a shot taken in the moonlight. There was something very special about standing on top of a small wall staring into my new husband’s eyes in the moonlight! Things like that can’t be planned and that’s what makes them so special.Read More

Q&A with Elbeth Gillis

I’m super excited about today’s Q&A, as it features a designer I have admired for a long time, Elbeth Gillis. You’ve seen many of her dresses on real brides here on SBB, and every time I do I’m struck by how beautiful they look. Elbeth also has a reputation for being amazing to work with, which really makes the whole process of creating your dress such a special experience. I’m thrilled to be working on a little something behind the scenes with Elbeth too – watch this space! For now, let’s meet the lovely lady, and find out a bit more about what drives and inspires her. (All images are from Elbeth’s 2012 collection.)

Hi Elbeth – thanks so much for taking the time to chat to me! I’m a big fan of your gorgeous dresses – how would you describe your latest collection?
Very romantic and feminine with a vintage feel.

How did you get started in the business?
I studied Fashion Design at CPUT and then worked as a designer for some of the big chain stores before starting my own business designing what I love most, wedding gowns.

Do you have a design philosophy?
Less is more and always use the best quality fabrics and trims available.

Where do you find inspiration?
I look at trends from the Haute Couture collections. Beautiful fabrics always inspire me and sometimes the smallest things like a new sleeve detail or beaded flower can lead me to create a new design for a gown.

What’s a typical day in the studio like?
I usually start the morning by checking on the gowns that my staff are busy with, seeing how far they are and if things are being done the way I envisioned. Then I check the dresses that brides will be fitting that day. I usually have a few fittings and consultations with new clients every day. I will also check that we have all the fabrics and trims we need for the gowns we are working on and either my assistant or I will pace orders or run around to source the fabrics. I will also respond to queries and do quotes on email and update our facebook and twitter accounts.Read More