Elegant Watercolour Oxbow Estate Wedding by Howling Moon Photography {Annine & Pieter}

by gaby

Rush rush rush! I’m off on a MUCH needed mini-holiday today, to spend a weekend with some of my besties in (hopefully) sunny Plett. No laptop for four days :) But first, I wanted to share this lovely little wedding with you all. Taking classic elements and adding a few personal twists and clever touches, like a super cute escort card display and lovely little watercolours on the tables (what a sweet way to add colour and flowers that aren’t flowers, if you know what I mean). Pieter and Annine obviously had a lot of fun putting their personalities and history into the day, so that it was a true celebration of their past, present and future. Howling Moon Photography captured every moment in these lovely, light-filled images.Read More

Mint Green Pipkin Farm Wedding by Girl in Gumboots Photography {Lindy & Matt}

by gaby

It’s fun that I’m sharing a Midlands wedding today when yesterday I drove up there myself for lunch with the fab Keri of Midlands Musings – isn’t it just the most beautiful place? The fresh mint of today’s wedding is just such a perfect expression of the green landscape that surrounded Lindy and Matt as they said their vows – not to mention one of our all-time favourite wedding colours! I just love the tree-themed details they included, from branches set up around the marquee, to a family tree display, to little herbs in enamel mugs for the guests. The colour is carried through beautifully, right down to the guys’ fun suspenders! Photographer Kate Martens, the Girl in Gumboots, was there to capture all the frolics and festivity from this ‘mint-to-be’ couple on their big day.Read More

Woodland Fairytale Garden Wedding by Love Made Visible {Elize & Steyn}

by gaby

Something I never expected when I started this blog was that some of the people I feature would become friends, and yet that’s exactly what’s happened (in fact, I’m meeting one SBB bride for lunch today, yay!). One of my all-time-favourite couples is Louise & Riaan, who are the kind of people who you know that not only will you like, but you’ll like the people THEY like too. So I wasn’t surprised to see their faces pop up in the pics from Elize & Steyn’s wedding – not just because it was the kind of effortlessly creative and detailed wedding that makes my heart sing, but because when I read the couple’s story, I knew they were full of heart. Just like Louise and Riaan, and just like their awesome photographers, Rebecca and Bruce of Love Made Visible, who have once again done an AMAZING job of doing just that – making love visible.  There’s also something about today’s wedding that reminds me of Snow White (in a good way, without the wicked stepmother obvs). Maybe it’s the red apples and the woodland elements (OBSESSED with the wreath escort cards!) or maybe it’s Elize’s gorgeous dark hair and ruby lips, but whatever the reason, it’s appropriate, because this is a modern-day fairytale – the kind that wedding dreams are made of.Read More

Inspiration Board: Kraft & Blush

by gaby

Hello my lovelies, how was your weekend? Today I’m indulging two of my wedding loves, those for kraft paper details and the softest shade of blush. Kraft (or brown paper) used to be one of those details that was really only associated with rustic or casual weddings, whereas what I wanted to show here is that it can actually be adapted for romantic, sophisticated celebrations as well (win for the budget). The little calligraphed packages are my favourite detail (calligraphy just makes everything pretty, fact) and I thought it went perfectly with the soft pink with the tiniest touch of gold. Not to mention the gorgeous kraft paper wall hangings and adorable frothy flowers. The prettiest way to start off our week!

Colours: Blush pink, white, beige and green

Top row (l-r): Kraft wrapped favours {Jose Villa/Beth Helmstetter/Laura Hooper}; bridesmaids {Nancy Ray/Rebecca Rose Events}; cake {KT Merry/Nine Cakes/Rock Paper Scissors Events}
Row 2: Envelopes with white calligraphy {Landon Jacob/Jessica Rourke/Lady Letterpress}; bouquet {Megan Dandeles Photography/mStarr Event Styling & Design}; rosé champagne
Row 3: Blush wedding dress {Adam Barnes/Katie Stoops}; table setting {Elizabeth Messina}; gold cutlery {Kate Grewal Photography}; kraft backdrop {Kristyn Hogan/Cedarwood Weddings}.

 

SouthBound Sundays {9 March 2014}

by gaby

Hello my lovelies! How has your weekend been? I have been busily working away launching our new directory and getting the posts ready for next week so that I can outwit those darn load shedding blackouts, and better yet so that I can take a long weekend off from Thursday – heading to Plett with my girls from high school and I can.not. WAIT! But I had to stop by and remind you of the goodness that we saw on the blog this week as well as the goodness around the web!

♥ WEEKLY FAVES

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Illusion Neckline & Statement Back Bridesmaid Dresses

by gaby

We’re continuing our busy Friday with a look at one of my FAVOURITE bridesmaid trends of the moment. Actually, this one started as a wedding dress trend, but good news girls, illusion necklines and statement or portrait back dresses are now for bridesmaids too! There’s just no denying how pretty these are, and how gorgeous and sophisticated they will make your bridesmaids feel. Plus, win, they look GREAT in photos! I think we’ll be seeing lots more of these this season, but today I’ve rounded up some of my favourite looks so far.Read More

DIY Paper Plane Drink Stirrers

by gaby

Morning lovelies! We have a busy day here on SBB, as Telkom and Eskom put paid to some of my well-laid plans this week, but all the better to fill up your Friday with pretty. We’re kicking things off with a little bit of DIY goodness. BY FAR the most popular theme in weddings (if you could call it that, since it isn’t necessarily all themey) is travel. Every time I write about it on SBB, it gets a ton of hits and frankly, I love writing about it since travel theme design often includes some of my favourite things – air mail stripes, vintage stamps and postcards, maps, globes, hot air balloons… and paper planes. I’ve been wanting to do a couple of travel theme DIYs for a while, and I thought I would kick things off with a little something for cocktail hour. This DIY is super, super easy. If you can fold paper and use glue, you can make these. They make an adorable little detail for your pre-drinks, and you can just as easily use the same DIY (with toothpicks instead of full size skewers) as cupcake or even cake toppers.

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Pigs & Pastels Hartford House Wedding by Knot Just Pictures {Micky & Brandon}

by gaby

Pigs and pastels – I never thought I’d be introducing a piggy themed wedding, I must admit! But what I love about Micky and Brandon’s unusual theme is that it’s part of their personal story (it relates to Brandon’s nickname), and was a way of making sure that the wedding was a representation of both their styles and personalities. And I’ll bet it got some fond laughs from those who know and love them best when they discovered it! Micky cleverly mixed the motif with her own love of vintage, and the result is a mixture of English garden and English pub, with lush pastel florals all over the tables and those cheeky piggies making their appearances on table napkins, menus, etc. And can we just take a second to talk about Micky’s illusion lace wedding dress? WOW. It’s a showstopper. Definitely not a look every bride could carry off, but it fits her like a glove, and she looks amazing! I also love how the dress adds an extra element of couture and sophistication to the overall look. Knot Just Pics were there to capture every lovely moment and every unique detail, beautifully.Read More

Burlap & Wildflower Gourmet Shed Wedding by Kim Tracey & Rensche Mari {Rene & Tiaan}

by gaby

I have SUCH a lovely farm wedding to share with you this afternoon! First of all, it has the kind of spectacular mountains and veld setting that makes my South African heart sing, and the kind of details that makes my wedding blogger eyes glitter! Perfectly mismatched (and stylishly neutral) bridesmaids, burlap runners with custom stamping, proteas, succulents and little wildflowers in milk bottles and vintage South African brand tins, kraft paper flags, a swishy lace wedding dress, and a thousand fairy lights twinkling against the night sky. Rustic farm wedding perfection. The photography glory today is shared between the lovely Kim Tracey, who took the images on behalf of Rensche Mari (who also did all the post production in her trademark, beautiful style).Read More