There’s just something so fairytale-surreal-lovely about oversize paper flowers, and this wedding is full of ’em. Cornelia and Paul’s Old Mac Daddy celebration was a labour of love, quite literally – together with friends and family they created their gorgeous decor from scratch, every petal and every origami fox (yep, foxes – this couple loves them, and they made an absolutely adorable motif woven through the wedding in unexpected places!). With bright pops of yellow, blue and orange – including a peekaboo yellow train on Cornelia’s dress – as well as the sunny Elgin weather, this was a wedding that was full of cheer, and as fun and laid-back as it was original. Lindsay of Dear Heart Photos took these amazing pics!Read More
Gypsy Boho Forest Wedding by Summertown Pictures {Kerry & Jeremy}
Do I ever have a gorgeous wedding for you all today! You know, I’m always fascinated to see how people in the wedding industry choose to design their big day – we all see so many weddings, that it can be difficult to choose just one style. Today’s bride and groom are both KZN industry peeps, and instead of worrying too much about colour or theme, they put together all their favourite things – gorgeous decor from the bride’s personal collection (complemented with copper and brass bottles and candleholders – love the gypsy feel of this!), food from all the many local suppliers who stock their market, and an absolutely magical forest location. The ultimate feel is relaxed and organic, with a real bohemian flare – not least from the bride’s beautiful dress and styling! And the bouquet… oh, the bouquet – an amazing job from planner Carolyn of Adore Weddings. I have spent a lot more time poring over these absolutely breathtaking images from Summertown Pictures than I care to admit – and now it’s your turn!Read More
Cozy Winter Engagement Shoot by Angie Capri
Afternoon, lovelies! As you’ve probably picked up by now, I’m am absolutely dog-besotted, so when photographer Angie Capri sent over this absolutely adorable winter shoot including not just the sweetest couple, Melissa & CJ, but their dog Yukon too, I just couldn’t resist sharing it with you! It’s such a relaxed shoot (in the dreamiest light), that really shows off the personalities of the couple (and their pooch) and instead of being stiff, formal posed pics, are the kind that show them enjoying time together as a little family, and I’m sure are much-treasured! I also love the way that Melissa and CJ chose to have their wedding and e-shoots in two of their favourite locations – nothing like celebrating life’s biggest milestones in places that you absolutely love.Read More
Elegant ShweShwe Mountain Shadows Wedding by welovepictures {Anita & Ulrich}
Today’s bride is really, truly a SouthBound Bride, in so many senses of the word. Anita may not be from SA, but she has a deep bond with our country, and when she and her South African-bord husband tied the knot, they went above and beyond to include dozens of gorgeous South African elements in the mix, including loads of beautiful shweshwe. As a regular reader, Anita found all of her suppliers via SouthBound Bride, and having been in touch with her during the planning process, I loved her enthusiasm for every little detail. It’s worth reading her story and advice below to get a sense of just how much thought went into each aspect – right up to a stargazing lounge so guests could see the Southern Cross, sigh. The day was beautifully captured by the wonderful welovepictures.Read More
Supplier Spotlight: Seven Swans Collection
Four years ago, not long after I started out, I got an email from a brand new, super enthusiastic stationer, the very lovely Anelle of Seven Swans. We immediately clicked, and over the following years she became our first real life bride and the designer of the SBB logo and indentity, while I had the pleasure of regularly featuring her work and watching her business grow. It’s no secret I’m a HUGE fan of the Seven Swans brand, so I was super excited when Anelle told me about a stationery collection they had put together in addition to their continuing work on the bespoke suites I always love to see coming out of the studio. This is the Seven Swans Collection, and it’s already been bringing happy smiles to brides and grooms around the world! The concept is brilliant – a selection of patterned sleeves (customisable by colour scheme) combined deliciously with two kraft paper inserts to make little packages of lovely that are not only beautiful and quirky but budget friendly. I couldn’t wait to show you!Read More
Inspiration Board: Something Blue
Welcome back, lovelies! I hope you’re ready for a gorgeous new week. I’ll be spending the first few days of it away from my computer for once, enjoying some relaxing mom and daughter spa time in the Drakensberg. As I write this, I can’t wait – feel free to be made jealous by following me on Instagram. Anyway, in the meantime I’m turning back to the Pantone Spring 2015 colours I introduced last week, with the first of a few full inspiration boards that include these gorgeous shades. Today I’ve combined two of the spring blues – Classic Blue and Aquamarine – with the warm neutral, Toasted Almond. It’s a pretty, preppy mix, and absolutely perfect for a fresh, modern wedding.
Colours: Pantone Classic Blue, Aquamarine & Toasted Almond
Top row (l-r): Bride & groom {Alea Lovely}; programme with blue ribbon {Laura Gordon Photography/Shine Wedding Invitations}; chair {Lane Dittoe, Fine Art Wedding Photography/Twine Events}; blue shoes {Kina Wicks Photography}
Row 2: Blue china {Taylor & Porter Photographs}; groom in tan suit {Lisa Berry Photography + Carla Ten Eyck/Jubilee Events}; cake with blue flower {Lane Dittoe, Fine Art Wedding Photography/Twine Events}
Row 3: Bouquet {Anastasiya Belik/PEONY Art Decoration Studio}; table numbers; blue ceremony chairs {Hazelnut Photography/Les Belles Affaires}; bridesmaid dress with bow {Blue Rose Photography/Simply by Tamara Nicole}
Portuguese Rustic Styled Shoot by Piteira Photography
Happy Friday, lovelies! We’re escaping the city for beautiful Portugal today, with an absolutely gorgeous styled shoot from our dear friends at Piteira Photography. Luis and Kerry live in this sun-kissed country for most of the year (the rest spent in South Africa, when they grace us with their talented presence for the summer wedding season) and so together with some fantastic local suppliers, put together a dreamy alfresco-style shoot complete with the most gorgeous rustic details. Portugal is a wedding destination that’s largely untapped, and it’s also a source of style inspiration that’s still very fresh and unique among Mediterranean countries. For example, if you love French country or Italian style, but want something just a little bit different, then adding a little bit of Portugal-inspired detail to your big day is a great idea. This shoot, with its pretty mismatched crockery, flowers in glass bottles, café lights hanging over cobbled streets, and perfect rustic dessert table has me dreaming of a trip across the ocean and of outdoor weddings full of sunshine and smiles.Read More
Gold Leaf Wedding Ideas
*UPDATED FOR 2021* As you know by now, I love nothing like I love a little sparkle, and recently I have been absolutely loving the little gold foil and gold leaf wedding details that I’ve seen popping up, especially those that have an imperfect textured look. So soft and pretty! Gold foil is, quite simply, a thin sheet of gold, while gold leaf is even thinner. They can be used in printing (see our roundup of gold foil invitations here) or applied to objects for a gilded, luxurious finish. This is also quite a versatile technique, and can be incorporated anywhere from gold foil cakes and table décor to a bold gold leaf bridal makeup look, or even a wedding dress of veil with handpainted gold leaf detailing. Swoonage! Here are some of my favourite gold leaf wedding details to inspire you.
*Links in bold denote affiliate links. The cost to you remains the same, but SBB may receive a commission for any sales made.
Pastel Blush Wedding at Lezar Opstal by Laura Jansen {Evette & Emile}
The next time I come across a bride who’s wavering about a ‘first look’ photo session because she doesn’t want to spoil ‘that moment’ (you know, the one where you lock eyes from opposite ends of the aisle and even though you’re in a room full of your family and friends you can only see one another and your heart’s beating out of your chest and you’re gripping your dad’s arm but you’re looking at each other and it’s amazing) – well, next time I am just going to show her Evette and Emile’s wedding. Because they had a first look (the sweetest of first looks for this pair of childhood sweethearts) and some gorgeous portraits with their awesome photographer Laura Jansen before the ceremony. But when Evette’s walking down that aisle – wow. The emotion in these pictures is so real, it actually brings a tear to MY eye. I have a feeling these two are going to be looking at one another like that for a lifetime. For their big day, they picked a beautiful pastel palette (including a gorgeous blush dress for the bride), and like the ballerina she is, she danced through ceremony and reception, right through to a first dance with her handsome groom that looks like it came from a movie. Ah, love. It gets me every time.Read More
Something Blue Fairway Hotel Wedding by Jack and Jane Photography {Gugu & Bongani}
Happy heritage day, folks! You know, with some things in life, a little really does go a long way. Chanel No 5, kindness, chilli oil. And colour, especially when you’re dealing with the clean lines of a bright, modern wedding style like Gugu and Bongani decided to do. They chose blue as their accent colour and added just the perfect amount into their venue’s blank canvas of white and soft grey – adorable baby blue bridesmaid dresses, dusky blue tablecloths and then a pop of electric colour from sprays of dendrobium orchids and individual blooms placed at each setting. The couple themselves are the picture of city wedding chic – love the sparkled-up sweetheart neckline of the bride’s dress especially! Our lovely photographer friends Jack and Jane Photography (who you may remember as Laura Jane Photography until their fabulous recent rebrand) were there to capture these gorgeous images of the big day.Read More