I don’t know about you, but I LOVE hearing the stories of how couples meet- they’re like snowflakes or fingerprints, no two exactly the same. Today’s love story is a modern one, a connection forged online and confirmed in person, leading to a happy ever after for Carina and Wayne. That connection sparked and sizzled on this glamorous beach engagement shoot with the Cape sunset as a backdrop from the fab Vizion Photo, with sunlight sparkling off the sea, and Table Mountain standing majestic on the horizon.Read More
Oh happy day! I’m super excited to share this wedding with you, because not only is it full of shabby chic, farm wedding gorgeousness, it actually has a little SBB twist. Back when Anna and Piet first got engaged, the bride found her photographer Anneli Marinovich right here, and I was looking forward to hearing all about the (usually London-based) Anneli’s South African wedding. I’ve worked with Anneli loads myself and love her work, so I knew she would do an amazing job! It was such a pleasure not only to see her gorgeous pics, but to hear about how much fun she had with Anna and Piet and their exuberant families, and after a feature in Wedding Inspirations, it comes full circle with me sharing this farm fête here today. Just some of my favourite details: a custom aisle, a cluster of bridesmaids in pretty pastels, flowers in tins and the cheese cake!Read More
I know it’s a cliche for a wedding blogger to say they’re obsessed with details, but it happens to be 100% true – the little touches and clever nuances are what really floats my boat when it comes to wedding design. And I think one of the best places to show your personality or complement your theme or motif is in the way you present your escort cards/table plan. Think about it – it’s practical and it’s something all your guests have to engage with in order to find their seats, so why not make it fun and a visual treat? Whether you decide to work with a seating/table plan or present guests with escort cards that have their name and table number on them, there are so many creative ideas out there, so I thought I would gather 25 of my favourites.Read More
If you ask anyone who knows me, they would tell you I talk a lot. Like, a LOT. They’d also tell you that they’ve received multiple page emails and letters from me over the years, and listened to long and winding stories (the more wine, the more winding). What can I say, I like words. So would you believe me when I tell you that many’s the day that I struggle to find the right words to describe one of our gorgeous weddings here on SBB? Each of them is so uniquely beautiful that I feel like they deserve their very own praise poem, but I end up saying many of the same things: beautiful, gorgeous, lovely. And yet, those are the right words. They’re certainly the right words for today’s hearfelt garden wedding on the bride’s family farm. Beautiful – a ceremony in a rose garden that reflects the rich, vibrant palette chosen by the couple (and how I love that pop of golden mead against the greys and purples on their tables!) Gorgeous – a bride who looks like she stepped off a vintage film set, with a smile that just lights up Michelle van Staden of Michelle Photography‘s luscious photos. And lovely – what it is to have your wedding in such a personal, love and memory-filled place, honouring old traditions and starting new ones. Read More
It’s always such a pleasure to feature weddings of people I know, and when KZN photographer Derryn Semple sent over this wedding I immediately recognised the lovely Bridget from our shared varsity years, looking even more gorgeous on her wedding day than she was then (which is saying something). Straight away I could see that the whole wedding reflected Bridge’s simple, pretty, easygoing style – and set against the elegant emerald backdrop of Abingdon wine estate in the Midlands, it was the perfect place for her to start married life with her handsome groom. From the bride’s stunning Lunar gown to the two-tone bridesmaid dresses, to Derryn’s breathtaking photos, there’s a lot to love about this one, but the detail I most adore is that the couple made use of the so-called Language of Flowers. All the blooms used, from bouquets to loose table arrangements to herbs tucked into the napkins, have a meaning that relates to Bridget and Matt, and to their relationship. Beautiful and meaningful. There’s nothing better.Read More
We love us some colour inspiration here on SBB, and so after this morning’s inspiration board I thought it was time for a wee colour story this afternoon. As in small, not actual wee, since a wee coloured wedding would be weird. Obvs. Anyway, so I took my starting point from a board I created a little while ago that proved to be soopa popular both on the site and social media – I guess the love of blush isn’t going anywhere soon! Here’s the original board:
For me, I love how the soft colour brings sophistication to kraft/brown paper (especially with some calligraphy), which otherwise is usually associated with more rustic weddings. And it’s also quite an easy wedding palette to work with in that you’ll find a lot of blush, white and kraft details available in the shops at the moment (which always helps a lot). Whether you’re donning a pretty blush gown or putting your bridesmaids in this flattering shade, there are lots of stunning options.
Good morning darlin’s – how was your weekend? Mine was super chilled, mostly working away behind the scenes and catching up on some zzzzs! On the technical side, you may notice (I hope!) that SBB is sooopa fast today, which is down to some upgrades I have been making to ensure the site is at its very best for you all. And while it’s always a hassle to migrate to a new server, it’s a tribute to the fact that there are now so many of you visiting SBB on a daily basis that the previous one couldn’t cope. I am so grateful for you all! And so excited for what I have planned for this year – it feels like everything is moving organically in the best of directions. ANYWAY, enough of that, it’s time for our weekly inspiration. Today I thought I would take the concept of milk and honey for a wedding, updating the bee motif that we were seeing a bit of a couple of years ago, and bringing it to a really warm, rustic wedding concept that would be absolutely PERFECT for a brunch wedding in the countryside. Can’t you just imagine it? Rays of morning sun peeking out from behind the clouds as you promise your love to each other, followed by a breakfast of pancakes and butter and honey at long open air tables, with milk white daisies forming your bouquet. Morning weddings have never been so pretty.
Colours: Off-white, honey yellow, taupe and gingerbread
Hello friends! It’s been a few weeks since I did a SouthBound Sunday (blame tax season, bleugh), but I have been rounding up all my faves from around the web this weekend and I can’t wait to share them with you! Every week I am just blown away by how much creativity and gorgeousness is going on in wedding world, as well as by you ladies, with all your enthusiasm and spirit! I really do love my job :)
If you follow SBB on Facebook you may have seen that I was invited back this last Tuesday to chat to the lovely Yolanda Martens at OFM, a radio station based in Bloem, as part of her wedding planner series. This time, we were talking all about bridal showers, hen dos, kitchen teas, bachelorettes – whatever you want to call them, I shared lots of info and ideas for bridal shower planning. (You can hear the podcasts here.) To tie in with my interview, I thought this afternoon I would post the complete SBB guide to how to plan the perfect bridal shower (that is, the more sedate day-time party!). If you scroll to the end, you’ll even find a very handy printable bridal shower timeline and checklist that your Maid of Honour or bridesmaids can use to help them in their planning, so don’t forget to pin it! I’ve thrown quite a few showers in my time (both bridal and baby), and organisation is the key to make it as stress-free for the planner as well as for the bride and guests as possible. It’s such a special gift to give one of your best friends – an afternoon with her favourite people, celebrating their relationships with her – but it doesn’t happen by magic. So here’s everything you need to know about how to plan the perfect bridal shower.
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OH YOU GUYS. I think it’s safe to say I am totally, completely, head over heels, over the moon in love with today’s wedding style inspiration, which comes from a truly fantastic team (including Veronique Mills, Just Jack and Whispers of May – who just happens to be one of our own SouthBound Brides). It’s glittery, it’s gorgeous, and it’s a brand new take on autumn/fall weddings, using the warm shades of copper or rose gold to glam up a clean white space. Just the palette is enough to have me pinning all afternoon, but I also happen to adore the details – dipped feather place names, a sequin runner, breathtaking florals, and a sweet metallic cake. It’s just perfect, and I have a feeling you all will think so too. Oh, and PS, we have a bit of a behind-the-scenes bonus today, so head over to our Facebook page for a glimpse at how it all gets put together :)Read More
