Bicycle Bride #4: The Decor

by gaby

Pinterest is an amazing tool when planning your wedding. The possibilities and inspiration are endless and it’s highly unlikely that the virtual pin board won’t have at least a few images or posts on something you’ve entered in its search engine.

However, Pinterest can be highly addictive, and when it comes to wedding planning, it’s not always a good thing. I’ve had more than a year to decide on my decor elements for the wedding (I say “my”, because Du Toit is not interested in decor at all, and the few inputs he did try to make made no sense to me, and were thus instantly discarded…) and yet it is only now, three weeks before the big day, that I can finally say that I’ve decided on the decor for the wedding.

See, I’ve been on Pinterest practically every evening since we got engaged, and my real Pinterest board (I’ve only shared my board with shortlisted ideas) is out of control with more than 600 images! I literally changed my mind at least every week, with the result that I now have to scramble to get things done in time. Confessions of a Last Minute Crammer!

A&K027-southboundbride-old-mac-daddy-wedding-love-made-visibleRead More

Inspiration Board: Wedgwood & Wildflower

by gaby

Happy Monday, lovelies! It’s time for our weekly inspiration board, and today I am singin’ the blues. But the good kind. The kind that makes me think 2014 is the year that Something Blue becomes more than part of a motto for the bride. Now, don’t get me wrong, blue goes beautifully with many other colours, but lately I find myself drawn to the cool freshness that an all-blue palette can bring, especially when it combines a couple of interesting shades. It’s preppy and formal enough for a wedding, but bright and interesting too. I fell in love with the bouquet in this board from the second I saw it, and I adore how it mixes casual and formal, as well as two shades of blue with classic white. I thought it would make a great palette, but it wasn’t until I came across some lovely Wedgwood details that it came together – again, it’s the mix of formal and classic with a laid-back modern aspect that makes this so winning in my book! It really is the best of both worlds.

Colours: Cornflower blue, baby blue & white

Top row (l-r): Bouquet {Lisa Vorce/Kate Holt/Jose Villa}; bride {Virgil Bunao/Ooh Events}; monogram handkerchief {Bella Grace Studios/Allure Events}; shoes {Graham Terhune Photography}
Row 2: Wedgwood cookies; bridesmaids {Emily Steffen}; dress with monogram embroidery
Row 3: Invitation suite; wedding table {Carmen & Ingo/Doreen Winking}; flowers.

 

Q&A with Dana LaRue {The Broke-Ass Bride’s Wedding Guide}

by gaby

I promised that I would be back today to chat with Dana LaRue, the original Broke-Ass Bride, and author of The Broke-Ass Bride’s Wedding Guide. Which, by the way, is an awesome little book (and nobody paid me to say that). If you read her blog, you’ll already know all about Dana’s witty and chilled-out take on wedding planning, which takes a lot of the stress out of planning according to a budget. Earlier I shared an extract from The Broke-Ass Bride’s Wedding Guide, and this afternoon I have an exclusive behind-the-scenes Q&A with the author herself.

Hi Dana, thanks so much for chatting to SouthBound Bride today! For readers who may not yet know you and thebrokeassbride.com, how did you get started as a wedding blogger?
I was newly engaged to my first husband, and reading a lot of blogs for inspiration. However, none of them really spoke to my situation, specifically. Most budget advice was limiting, rather than empowering: invite less guests, or just serve a buffet, etcetera. I have a huge family and really wanted to do it my way. So I started writing the blog, partly as a creative outlet, partly as a place to sort of record my journey for my own posterity, and partly in case it might help another bride like me. But I never dreamed it would blossom into something so big, or the opportunity to write a book! That was all just a very happy accident, for which I’m grateful every day!Read More

Stormers Wedding at Brenaissance by Agapé Studio {Stacey & Gio}

by gaby

It’s not every day we get to feature a Springbok rugby player on these pages, so of course as a HUGE rugby fan myself I jumped at the opportunity when Charl Smith of Agapé Studio asked if I’d like to cover Gio Aplon‘s recent wedding! As many of you will know, Gio is a Stormer when he’s not in green and gold, and (whether by coincidence or design) his wedding to long-term sweetheart and fellow athlete Stacey was decorated in the vibrant blue and red of the Stormer’s logo. Stacey rocked not just one but two gorgeous gowns, and together with her handsome groom and seriously adorable daughter, Gia, made a picture perfect family as they celebrated this milestone together with 180 friends and family. You’ll see quite a few familiar faces from the rugby world among the guests, of course! And you can see even more from this happy day on Top Billing, where it will be featuring next month.Read More

Two-tone Bridesmaid Dresses

by gaby

If you follow on Twitter or Facebook, you might have spotted a little something about SBB making its radio debut on OFM, a radio station based in Bloemfontein yesterday. Fun! I was delighted to be approached by DJ Yolanda Maartens, and I was more than happy to act as one of her experts on a spot she calls The Wedding Planner. This time, Yolanda suggested we chat about bridesmaids and the latest trends for dressing your girls, and it got me thinking that it’s been a while since I did one of our bridesmaid dress trend roundups. Last year I covered a huge series of looks, and many of these are going strong into 2014 (hello sparkle, lace & pastels!) but there are a couple of key looks I haven’t yet covered. So I’m declaring March the Month of Bridesmaids, and I’m starting things off today with two tone dresses. Now, colour blocking is by no means a new trend on the catwalks (or even on bridesmaids), but I think 2014 is the year it really comes into its own, thanks to the development of two other trends. One is for longer lengths, with many bridesmaids rocking floor length gowns where a couple of years ago it was all about the cocktail dress. The other is for skirts (one of the trends I looked at last year). And while two-tone dresses can be any combination really, my favourite look – and the one that I’m seeing more of this season – is a white top or bustier with a long, flowing, skirt. Not only is it very, very pretty, but it’s super flattering on a huge variety of figures. So yay. We like this one. :)

If you’d like to hear my full OFM interview, you can play the podcasts from here. Read More

Bunny Themed Vineyard Hotel Wedding by Love Made Visible {Samantha & Paul}

by gaby

I always know it’s going to be a good day when a submission lands in my inbox that features some of SBB’s favourite suppliers, from the heartfelt photographic stylings of Love Made Visible to a stunning Elbeth Gillis gown, to stationery by Mocho Loco and a cake by Edible Art (not to mention a guest appearance as a bridesmaid by one of my favourite bloggers). But Samantha and Paul’s wedding isn’t just a collection of talent and prettiness – it’s unique, because it tells their story (and you know how much I love personalisation!). To compliment the fresh spring green and pink palette of their wedding, they added a bunny motif, which has very special meaning on both sides, and then brought it in through some super cute (and not at all cheesy) ideas, like little rabbit topiaries on the tables and bunny brooches for the groomsmen. It’s this kind of detail that makes a wedding really unique, and adds just the right amount of whimsy to your celebration. Plus, it’s bound to put a big ol’ smile on your face – so enjoy!Read More

Citrus & Slate Styled Shoot at Kelvin Grove

by gaby

Afternoon lovelies! Very excited to share this styled shoot with you today, which comes from a very talented team of suppliers, including photographers Heathyr Huss and Nicole Rich, as well as event designer Nicola Jane Wedding & Event Specialist. The theme of the shoot was Nutopia, a romantic infusion of citrus and slate. I am always a huge fan of modern wedding styling, especially when it uses innovative colours or textures and this shoot is chock full of lovely ideas to inspire you. First of all, it is sunshine yellow, which has to be the most cheerful colour ever. With a healthy dose of citrus detailing and gorgeous flowers (including pincushion proteas, my best), parts of the look are really organic and certainly very summery. And did I mention the romance of the dresses? Wow, Elbeth Gillis gets me every time! These soft aspects contrast with some industrial elements – not scary industrial though, pretty modern industrial. As in, hanging bulbs, concrete planters (LOVE this idea), and slate grey which really makes the lemon yellow pop. The whole look is fresh and elegant and gorgeous!Read More

Vineyard Chic Hidden Valley Wedding by Lauren Kriedemann {Georgie & Brad}

by gaby

When people ask me how I choose weddings for the blog, I often talk about the ‘ooh factor’ – those little inspiring details that make me go ‘ooh’ (yep, I make the noise and everything). But when I saw today’s gorgeous bride in her Johanna Johnson dress, it was more like a WOW than an ‘ooh’. And everything just got more gorgeous from there – crisp modern whites on the tables, stylish chalkboard details, and an unexpected (but oh so lovely) pop of red on the elegant bridesmaids. I just love everything about Georgie & Brad’s big day, especially that in amongst all of that style, the priority was on a day that was relaxed, happy and romantic, and the talented Lauren Kriedemann was there to capture every bit of it, as only she can!Read More

Bicycle Bride #3: The Ceremony

by gaby

With only four more weekends left before our wedding, and after having more than a year to get it done. I still don’t have an arch. Or I do, sort of – it’s just not able to stand upright yet.

I fell in love with ribbon arches when I first started planning the wedding, and it’s one of the first things I started to work on. Don’t be fooled by it’s simplistic nature, it was hard work gathering and wrapping all those ribbons! I changed my arch up a bit by also using a lot of lace with the ribbon, and I’m pretty happy with how it came out (who cares that I realised too late that its structure might not be wide enough, right?). Only problem that remains unsolved is HOW TO GET IT TO STAND UPRIGHT!

Read More

Inspiration Board: Cornflower & Orange Grove

by gaby

Morning, friends – time for our Monday morning inspiration! Today I’ve put together a board that mixes some of my favourite things – a dash of duck egg blue, a spritz of citrus, and a soupçon of French countryside styling. I absolutely love the way that these colours work together, and it gives me such a feeling of summer and sunshine, but with an elegant edge. Although it’s a look that would happily translate to a number of venues, it has me dreaming of a blue-shuttered chateau in France, with orange garlands and little kumquat decorations on the cake and table, and a gorgeous pale blue wedding dress. Isn’t it pretty?

Colours: Duck egg blue & orange

Top row (l-r): Table setting {Stephanie Williams}; blue wedding dress; cake with kumquat decorations {Lisa Vorce/Mindy Rice}; vintage truck {Joy de Vivre/Michael & Anna Costa}
Row 2: Orange crate with soaps {Hand in Hand}; invitations {Raymond Hom}; blue wedding shoes {Jeremy and Alicia Brown/Vintage Whites Weddings}
Row 3: Orange chandelier wreath {Ryan Ray Photo/Events of Love and Splendor}; chateau wedding.