Rainy & Romantic Farm Wedding by Tasha Seccombe {Caitlin & Mike}

by gaby

Oh my word, I am SO excited to share today’s wedding, as it features none other than my very beautiful cousin, Caitlin. I remember when I was younger and we would visit Caty (then just a little girl) and her awesome family on their farm in Elgin – I thought that it was the most gorgeous place in the world. (I admit, there was a part of me at Stellenbosch that was half on the lookout for an apple farmer husband, just so I could move there myself one day!) Fast forward a few years, and Caty was all grown up and set to marry her beau, Mike. Caitlin’s mom, Carol, has absolutely exquisite taste, so I knew it would be lovely, especially after Caty shared some of her own ideas with me (you can see the inspiration board I made for her here). The plan was a super romantic springtime wedding among the new blossoms and abundant roses on the family wine farm. Well… sometimes, life has other plans. Turned out that the weekend the couple picked for their big day was the one in which the Cape was beset by floods. Now, I’m sure there were some brides that weekend who let the weather get them down, but not this one, and not her groom or their families. The night before, the Facebook updates were full of laughter as everyone pulled together to raise dancefloors, move ceremony areas, and build extra marquees. I have so much admiration for their attitude, and it made all the difference (along with a team of awesome suppliers). The result was not only stylish, but unique and memorable and filled with smiles as much as it was filled with showers – as Caitlin summed it up herself: ‘rain, dancing and love’! And if the way these two look at one another is any indication, this is one love story that deserved a legendary celebration. The awesome Tasha Seccombe was there to capture every moment in what was essentially a photographer’s worst nightmare from a technical perspective. She hit it for a six, and I’m so happy to share the results with you today! (Caty and Mike, congrats again and big love to you both, and to the rest of the family who read this too! xxx) Read More

Fairytale Bride #6: Cake & Dessert Table

by gaby

I’m so glad that this entry of cake and desserts comes straight after my previous entry on décor, as the entire dessert table, inclusive of our cake, may just be my second favourite part of planning this wedding (you can read about my first love in the previous post). Cake, desserts… oh the sweetness! I absolutely love to bake, which can be clearly seen through my blog called ‘Baked In Love’. To me, baking is something special as every cake, cookie or cupcake has a story. You bake because you want to bake, not because you have to. You bake to share and you bake to celebrate.
Now that we have acknowledged and established my love for all things sweet, let’s dream of cake pops, cupcakes and buttercream!

Cake inspirations:

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Inspiration Board: Coral, Teal & Gold Leaf

by gaby

Hello lovelies! Today’s inspiration board is a little reader request via Instagram for bride Angelina, who asked for a board in teal, coral and gold. I haven’t done reader requests in a while, but I was happy to oblige, especially with this gorgeous palette. I should say that a lot of brides who lean towards this sort of palette are thinking of a colour slightly lighter than teal – a turquoise or an aqua, or even a mint – as they go absolutely perfectly with coral (if you love this, check out Tropical Coral & Mint, this coral & aqua inspiration shoot, or our Hawaiian Honeysuckle colour story). But I loved the idea of teal, a slightly deeper shade that adds an extra note of sophistication. And of course, gold is the perfect accent colour. I love me a bit of a motif, and recently I have been noticing with pleasure the textured gilt finish of a gold leaf effect (think we’ll be seeing more of this in weddings this year). It makes an awesome touch here – just the perfect amount of distressed glitter. Oh, and how AMAZING are coral peonies? Sigh. Angelina – hope you like your board!

Colour: Teal, coral, gold

Top row (l-r): Bride with coral peony bouquet {Elizabeth Messina/katflower }; gold leaf ring bowl; coral peony wedding cake {Annabella Charles Photography}
Row 2: Teal and gold leaf macarons {Fiona Kelly Photography/Linen and Silk Weddings}; peony centrepiece; teal invitation suite {Marta Harding}
Row 3: Peach wedding dress {Brklyn View Photography}; boutonniere {José Villa}; coral peony arrangement {Zofia & Co. Photography/Soiree Floral }; teal and gold shoes {Apryl Ann Photography/After Yes Weddings}.

 

Ruby Bride #7: The Suppliers

by gaby

The thought of writing about my wedding suppliers is truly overwhelming because I have really been surrounded by amazing, creative professionals through this whole process. So far – not a single hiccough with any vendors. *knocks on wood.*

My dress, cake and flowers are works of genius from friends who aren’t full-time wedding vendors. In fact, our florist works full time for Eskom in a very technical, scientific job! I’m so grateful for the love they’ve put into the wedding.

Of course, we’ve enlisted the services of full-time wedding professionals too. Here are some of the clever people who’ve been involved:

Photography: Lad and Lass Photography
As a long-time follower of Emma-Jane Harbour’s blog, I didn’t look very far for a wedding photographer. I just love the husband-and-wife duo’s style. It’s unpretentious and – most importantly – not too contrived. In the photographs I’ve seen, they’ve captured the little moments that make up a wedding: stolen kisses and quirky faces. To say I am excited to have them photograph our wedding is a total understatement.

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Ruby Bride #6: The Ceremony

by gaby

Can you believe it, friends – our Ruby Bride’s wedding is coming up this weekend! How quickly did that go? So we’re having a whole afternoon with Jerusha on the blog this afternoon, before we send her off into married life with all of our love and best wishes!

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If we’re being perfectly honest, my fiancé and I are old people trapped in the bodies of twenty-somethings. We love a good old fashioned church service and would choose hymns written in the 1800s over pop music most days. When it came to choosing what our ceremony would look like, that was easy: a traditional church wedding complete with excerpts from the Church of England Prayer Book. It may seem old-school, but it’s meaningful to us and we figure that’s what it’s all about.

Many people are surprised to learn we’ve decided not to write our own vows either. It’s not because we don’t want to say things that are heartfelt and special to one another on the day (we do!) it’s just because we feel the “traditional” vows say things perfectly; much better than we could ever do anyway.

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Supplier Spotlight: Rifle Paper Co. at In Good Company

by gaby

A few weeks ago I spotted a little item on my newsfeed that got me really excited. Over the last couple of years, I have become more than a little obsessed with the gorgeous stylings of Rifle Paper Co., an American stationery & gift  company that doesn’t just make beautiful things, but has influenced wedding styling in the same way as brands like Kate Spade and Anthropologie. The whimsical hand-painted illustrations (many of them botanical) and hand lettering manage to be both nostalgic and modern – if I were planning my own wedding right now, I have a feeling the Rifle look would feature pretty strongly. I must admit, I haven’t talked about the brand all that much here on SBB, because I know what it’s like when you love something and can’t find a local supplier, but that’s where I was wrong. Turns out that one of my favourite SA shops and online stores, In Good Company, is a treasure trove of Rifle goodness! YAY.Read More

Boy Meets Girl Engagement by Moira West

by gaby

You guys, I have been DYING to share this engagement shoot with you! It has been burning up my Dropbox since before Christmas, waiting for the perfect moment to share its massive amounts of romance with the world, and today is the day. Now I know e-shoots aren’t something all of you follow, but this one is just perfection. It’s not only unique and fun, and photographed to perfection by the always-amazing Moira West, but what I love best about it is that it has a little story behind it. Charles & Liné didn’t actually meet in a bar (read on for how they did meet, so cute), but because it was really love at first sight for them, they wanted to recreate that incredible moment when sparks flew. Butterflies! Be sure to read Charles’ hilarious version of how this love story began – it culminated in an amazingly romantic proposal (a scavenger hunt that started where they had their first date, created the perfect day and night complete with spa treatments, a fancy dinner and a red convertible, and ended with a room full of roses, a sparkly ring, and a bride-to-be saying “A thousand times, yes!”). Thank you so much Liné and Charles for sharing!Read More

Rustic Lace Klipskuur Wedding by GingerAle Photography {Haloise & Jaco}

by gaby

Where do I start with this wedding? Honestly, I don’t know. Is it the whirlwind love story that brought these two lovebirds together? Or maybe the fact that they planned their wedding in just TWO months (not that you could tell – the rustic farm-style details are so beautifully put together!) How about the novelty of a Sunday morning wedding in winter, with all the relaxed warmth of a family luncheon? Or how about Haloise’s incredible lace dress? Or maybe the fact that so much of this wedding was eco-friendly, right down to the gifts. Or the gorgeous atmospheric photographs from GingerAle Photography? It’s impossible to choose, so I’m just going to start at the beginning. Which is after all, to quote Sound of Music (hopefully for the only time ever), a very good place to start. :)Read More

Wedding Dresses with Sleeves

by gaby

*UPDATED FOR 2021* Hello lovelies! The internet was not my friend yesterday, so today we’re jam packing the fabulous content in here on SouthBound Bride, starting with some very lovely bridal fashion. Now, I never thought I would say this, but sleeves are SO my new fashion crush. Of course, there are sleeves and then there are sleeves. And the wedding dresses with sleeves we’re talking here, whether they are little delicate caps perfect for a summer bride or soft sheaths for winter ones, are just as romantic and beautiful as the rest of the dresses they adorn. There’s lace – of course, because lace is a huge trend right now – but not just lace. Dreamy chiffons, sparkly beads, smooth silks. So ridiculously beautiful. The age of the all-triumphant strapless A-line is officially a thing of the past.

*Links in bold denote affiliate links. The cost to you remains the same, but SBB may receive a commission for any sales made.

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Cape Town Chic Grand Café Wedding by Stephanie Veldman {Sally & Shaun}

by gaby

You know, if I think back to Std 5 discos, all I can remember is serious amounts of awkwardness. Sitting on opposite boy/girl sides of the room, wanting to rush out whenever a slow song came on, then dancing stiffly and super far apart (except if you REALLY liked the oke, and then it would be head on shoulder). Once I danced with a boy and mouthed along with the song (Did I think it was sexy, Dirty Dancing style? Probably. It wasn’t.) and he was all “Gabs, what are you doing?”. OMG, so much awkwardness. I definitely did not find lurve at the disco, but I’m delighted to find that someone did. Specifically, today’s gorgeous couple. SO ADORABLE. And that’s just the meet-cute. The stunning wedding itself was held in one of my favourite Cape Town venues, the gorgeous Grand, with its combination of incredible views, bold pink and industrial edge. The photographer was SBB fave, Stephanie Veldman, who captured every dreamy moment from ceremony to sunset.Read More