Hello lovelies! It’s FRIDAY! We love Fridays. Whatever you have planned, here’s hoping you have a fab weekend. And here’s wishing our American friends a happy July 4th! Today I’m rounding up 20 creative ideas for save the dates, to spark your imaginations for your very own STDs. (Yep, most awkward wedding abbreviation ever.) While many people often feel that an actual invitation should be relatively traditional, the Save the Date is a chance to go a bit off the map, play with your theme (or just your personalities) and surprise and delight your guests. Think 3D, texture and fun. Of course, we love electronic STDs too, but if you’d like to do something tactile, here are 20 of my all-time favourite ideas, each of them guaranteed to get your guests excited about the nuptials to come. Yay!
Forest Fairytale Beloftebos Wedding by Sybrand Cillié {Inge & Ruan}
We’re spoilt for gorgeous weddings this week, as today I get to share an enchanting forest fairytale from the fantastic Sybrand Cillié. Inge and Ruan wanted a whimsical woodland wedding, and that’s exactly what they created at the lovely Beloftebos, complete with a fairy princess wedding gown, bridesmaids carrying firefly jars, wildflowers, wooden signs and a ceremony under the trees. Forest weddings are super trendy at the moment, but I have to say this is one of my all-time favourites, and there were so many magical pictures that I ended up with a bit of a bumper post today. I’m sure you won’t mind – every detail is delicious!Read More
Organic Elegance Babylonstoren Wedding by welovepictures {Janina & Léan}
It’s a happy day when we get to feature a wedding by welovepictures. This Cape Town duo never fail to deliver images that are fresh, personal and oh so gorgeous! Today they’ve worked their magic with a wedding that personifies the principle of simple elegance, enhancing but not competing with its beautiful natural setting (the organic gardens of Babylonstoren), and generally sitting as gently on the mind as a cool breeze on a summer’s day. I love love love Janina’s dress, the bridesmaids in white, the hanging café lights over the dancefloor and the general sense of wholesomeness and love that wraps around the happy couple as they promise to spend a lifetime together.Read More
Inspiration Board: Sophisticated Silver
Hello lovelies! How was your weekend? Mine was fab, apart from being internet free thanks to Telkom (coming to you from an iPad right now – argh), and I’m looking forward to another productive week on the blog, in the background and planning a birthday party for my mom (yay, decor!). But first, I’m kicking off the week with a white and silver inspiration board. I must admit, I often veer towards the gold end of the metallic spectrum, but silver is absolutely gorgeous, especially when used as a subtle sister to a classic, romantic white on white wedding. Add chandeliers, a sparkly gown, peonies and (just for fun) and snowball cocktail, and you have silver sophistication at its very best.
Colours: Ice white, silver
Top row (l-r): Wedding dress {Elizabeth Messina/Bob Gail Special Events}; silver shoes {Jen Huang Photography/Charmed Events}; peony & tulle {Pam Cooley}
Row 2: Earrings {Marcie Meredith}; peony bouquet {Billingham Photography}; bridesmaids in silver shimmer dresses {Blumenthal Photography}
Row 3: Mercury glass vases {Picotte Weddings/Events by Heather Ham}; chandeliers; snowball cocktail {Heather Christo}; silver & white wedding cake {COCO Cakes Australia}
Beach Blues Soetwater Resort Wedding by Cheryl McEwan {Sarah & Trevor}
Oh I do love a beach wedding, don’t you? I can never get enough of them. So when today’s laid-back, rustic beach beauty turned up in my inbox, in the softest shades of blue and taupe, from one of our fave photographers, Cheryl McEwan, I couldn’t wait to share it with you. As well as the gorgeous colour scheme, which runs through the wedding like a magical thread, there are the kind of clever touches that make my toes curl with happiness – hand-painted ‘take-away’ and ‘shebeen’ menu boards, fun original table names, crochet mason jar covers… And how much do we love a bride in a tea-length gown? This gorgeous couple’s relaxed attire and baby blue getaway car complemented the rest of their wedding perfectly.Read More
Green & Gold Langkloof Roses Wedding by Real Simple Photography {Tamarin & Nicholas}
Things my half-Italian self is not talking about today: soccer, the World Cup, or Luis Suarez. So instead, let’s talk about this little gem of a wedding from Real Simple Photography, in South Africa’s gorgeous national colours of green and gold (with a touch of silver). Tamarin and Nicholas (who planned their wedding from the UK) chose the divine Langkloof Roses as their venue, the most romantic of Cape country locations, and filled their tables with gold painted jars, elegant brass candlesticks, linen runners, puffs of white flowers and lasercut elephant table numbers. Adorable! With strings of hanging café lights and a dancefloor under the stars, they danced the night away with their friends from near and far.Read More
Folksy Autumn Glenbrae Wedding by Alice Swan {Jana & Jan-Dirk}
Goodness, but this wedding makes me smile. From it’s flower crowned head right down to the tips of its barefoot boho toes, Jana and Jan-Dirk’s wedding was pure whimsical, romantic, folksy, handmade, autumn goodness. Each detail layers on top of the last, creating such a warm and welcoming atmosphere, not to mention a gorgeous reception filled with hundreds of paper cranes in flight, doily lanterns, oodles of bunting, and a lovely bohemian feel. A bride in a gorgeous belted dress and flower crown, a groom in a suit sourced from vintage markets and shops, bridesmaids in autumn-hued patterns with cardigans and mismatched tights. And lest we forget, a little sunshine coloured car. Jana is in fact a talented harpist (available for functions – check her out here), and with Jan-Dirk also being a musician, the air was filled with melody all day long… just the perfect way to throw a wedding. A big thanks to the lovely Alice Swan for submitting this vision of loveliness – how gorgeous are her pics?Read More
Inspiration Board: Lovely Laduree
You didn’t think I’d let another Monday go by without a SouthBound Bride inspiration board did ya? This is a little colour combination I’ve been looking forward to working with, even since I saw the stationery set in the first row. I thought it was a gorgeous update to the grey and pink palette that has been so successful – a dark charcoal grey instead of a pale dove shade, a soft rosy blush, a baby blue and of course a bit of glamorous gold. It’s delicious, and I love how the pastels play so well together, but are made elegant and sophisticated by the neutral and metallic. The combination of pastels and gold reminded me a little of gorgeous Laduree macaron packaging, and the rest of the board was born!
Colours: Pastel pink & blue, charcoal and gold
Top row (l-r): Bride at Laduree {Jen Huang}; stationery suite; cake {The Cake Parlour}
Row 2: Macarons; rose centrepiece {Aaron Delesie/Lisa Vorce, Event Design & Production}; vintage daybed; champagne {Arielle Doneson Photography}
Row 3: Grey suit with pink bowtie {Adrienne Gunde Photography}; reception decor {Kristin Newman}; blue and pink bouquet; charcoal bridesmaid dresses {Forever Photography Studio/Something To Celebrate }
Tropical Boho Styled Shoot by Maxeen Kim Photography
Good morning, brideys! We’re kicking off this week with some fresh, beachy inspiration courtesy of the awesome Maxeen Kim, who I first met last year when she was part of our Editorial Wedding workshop. When Maxeen let me know she was putting together a styled shoot loosely inspired by one of my absolute fave SBB inspiration boards, Hawaiian Honeysuckle, I was super excited, and even more so knowing it stars another of my favourite people, the beautiful Ché of indielovebooks. The original board was all about laid back surfy style, which the team translated into a beautiful, ethereal boho setting with a bold tropical palette and sweet ribbon details. I ADORE the Jenny Packham dress, and that casual, hand-tied bouquet with the perfect pop of fuschia complements it perfectly. Best of all, the tablescape was created with real (aka budget conscious) brides in mind, so get ready to be inspired!Read More
African Geometric Styled Shoot by Yolande Snyders & Yellow Papaya
Happy Friday lovelies! I have some super sunny, summery inspiration to share with you today, an African take on sunshine yellow with (eep!) a dip-dyed Didi Couture gown. Wow. I adore everything about the styling of this shoot by Simone of Yellow Papaya – the use of geometrical and ombre elements, the relaxed farmyard vibe and the inclusion of shweshwe (which we KNOW I love!). It all makes for a wedding design that is familiar but unusual, and pretty without being overpoweringly girly. In short, super inspiring! Thanks to the awesome team behind this shoot for sharing it with us today, including fab photographer Yolande Snyders and video by The Wedding Revelation.Read More