A few weeks ago, we looked at some of the gorgeousness and variety that has been floating around the web in the form of protea bouquets, from pincushions to kings to Blushing Brides. Today I’m showcasing ten gorgeous centrepieces, also containing proteas, from weddings around the world. I love every one of them, and although proteas work beautifully on their own, I’m amazed how striking they can be with other flowers and interesting containers. So much lovely inspiration for South African brides! And remember, you can always find the latest protea looks on the SBB ♥ Proteas Pinterest board.Read More
Sometimes it amazes me that I’ve been working in this little wedding blog industry for three years now. I remember when I started, and I would go on Twitter, and all these other bloggers would be chatting away like the cheerleaders at the cool table. But it turned out, that unlike every John Hughes movie I ever saw, these particular cool kids were more than happy to let me ‘sit’ with them, and in no time I found myself making friends. Some I have been lucky enough to meet in person (or even just by phone) since then, others not yet, but as I have watched this little community of talented people rise to great heights and become significant industry names, I feel so proud of them. Plus, I get such a kick out of having these industry friends all over the world. Sofia from Branco Prata was one of the first I started following, and since then it has been such a pleasure to see the wedding business she has built with her partner Andre (he does the photography, she does the flowers & styling) thrive, both in their home country of Portugal and overseas. I never fail to be seduced by their gorgeous work (check out, for example, this dreamy e-shoot and this fab invitation download Sofia did especially for SBB). But today, Sofia and Andre are on the other side of the lens, courtesy of the awesome Anneli Marinovich, who caught up with the pair on a recent trip to Portugal. No props, no gimmicks, just golden hour on golden sands, and a whole lot of love. :) Read More
Something I love about my life, and the way that life has turned out for many of my friends, is that we’re all kind of… international. Every time I attend a wedding, there’s a mix of nationalities there, and many of my friends have married outside the South African circle or spent extended time living overseas. People live all over the place, and they move around. Sure, it makes it harder to see everyone (am I the only one who has total envy of the HIMYM crowd for being able to see their besties at McLaren’s all the time?), but it also makes occasions like weddings into reunions and introductions and mixers – a chance not only to spend quality time with wonderful people and re-live old memories, but to make new ones, and meet new people, and get a 360 degree view of a couple’s multi-faceted life. The world, vast and strange as it is, is really rather small. Today’s couple are evidence of that in more ways than one. Not only was their wedding very much an international affair, the small world part is that Bruce’s best man happens to be my cousin. Which is how Emily became a SouthBound Bride, and found her venue and suppliers. It feels a little like I’m celebrating with friends, and it’s especially wonderful to be showcasing the great work of some of my favourite suppliers – Theresa Lazarevic of Creation Events, who co-ordinated the whole wedding brilliantly, Catherine Mac who as usual outdid herself with the photos, and Rockhaven, always a picture perfect rustic venue. I could get into how lovely it all is, but Catherine’s pics and Theresa’s decor really do speak for themselves, so I’ll let you get to sighing over it all!Read More
Okay, this is about to be a jealous-making post. Because tomorrow, bright and early, I’ll be jetting off to Bella Toscana for three weeks in some of the most heartbreakingly beautiful scenery on earth. Picture every Tuscan vineyard you’ve ever seen in a film? Yup, exactly like that. I can’t wait! I’ll be working hard under the summer sun, but I’m actually looking forward to it – and to my ‘farmer tan’! ;) As promised, the blog will continue as if nothing has changed, but please be patient if emailing me, because I am officially off the grid. In fact, that’s something I’m almost as excited about, since for the last few years I’ve been constantly connected to some kind of electronic or social media, and it’s time to switch off and just be in the moment. So to celebrate my trip (YAY!), I’ve created a Tuscan-style inspiration board. There were a lot of ways I could have gone with this – understated olive leaf and grey, lavender and green… But one of the things I love about Tuscany is its warmth and abundance, and the fields of sunflowers I saw for the first time from a train window many years ago. These flowers are gorgeous, but they can be overpowering, so I’d just use single blooms for the bridesmaids and then in sporadic arrangements in the reception venue. Include materials such as terracotta and linen, and the straw covered bottles that traditionally hold chianti (called a fiasco, how fun is that?). Fabrics are floaty, and an open sided marquee with long tables is a must (or just set up under the trees). Tuscan olive oil is the best (believe me, I plan to eat lots of it!) and makes the perfect favour. So there you go. And here I go! See you in a month!
Colours: Sunflower yellow, olive green & Tuscan terracotta
Well, lovelies, it’s almost time for me to say goodbye for a little while, kind of (because just LOOK at a sneak peek of what’s coming – you won’t even know I’m gone!). I know things have been quiet this week, as I have been packing up my house, but the ironic thing is that the reason I hadn’t got round to it before is that for the last six weeks I have been working non-stop on August’s content. A lot of late nights y’all. Because I’m a total sucker for punishment (and I love my readers), I didn’t just want to give you a month of archive and stand-in posts, but the best darn two-posts-a-day brand new awesome content I could find. I am pretty excited about it, actually. It’s all lined up and ready to go (assuming tech gremlins don’t take it out, but I have some help making sure that doesn’t happen – thanks Louise!). I hope you love it. I hope you have a WONDERFUL August. And I hope you don’t email me, because I am going to be 100% off the grid, and I won’t answer you. Sorry. Don’t take it personally. I’ll be somewhere on a vineyard in Tuscany, getting dirt under my fingernails and poetry back into my soul. I really, really need a break. And by the time I’m back I’ll be aching to bring you all kinds of new loveliness and get cracking on some projects I have in mind for when I am in South Africa. Can’t wait.
Crunch time you guys! It’s my last week as a Londoner (for a while anyway) and I have about a ZILLION things to do before I go. But we won’t think about that. What we will think about is a bit of a tribute in loveliness to the city. There are a lot of sides to London that could inspire a wedding and many that have inspired me in other ways, but the one I have chosen today is all about glitz and glamour, as symbolised by one of the grand old ladies of the London hotel scene. The Ritz, baby. The palette is mint, gold and classic black and white (with just a teeny tiny hint of blush), the look is chic and romantic and the waiters are definitely serving champagne. So put on your finest frocks and starched collars and come join me! Of course, you don’t have to be in London to make this look work for you – all it requires is a glamorous venue, a cocktail or champagne and canape reception, and a dash of sparkle. Dashing, dahling!
This week, you guys, is the WORST. Well, okay, that might be an exaggeration, but here I am looking at my monster To Do list, not a box packed to move out of my house, not a suitcase packed for my trip to Italy, writing my little heart out to get everything done for my August writing schedule and it is way too hot to care about any of it. I’ve had to move downstairs, because my office is like the devil’s kitchen, and the cats keep coming in and throwing themselves down on the linoleum with cries of abject despair (their fault if they won’t get in the paddling pool, I say!). It is HOT. But hey ho, because I love the summer so I don’t want to complain, and I’m about to feel a lot better with a pretty wedding from our sponsors Real Simple Photography to share with you today. I don’t know about you, but I love bridesmaids in elegant little black dresses, which is how bride Adrie styled hers. Her taste is clearly very classic, and she chose white tulips for her bouquet (LOVE) and lush long tables topped with candelabras at the gorgeous French-style venue, Cabrieres. Very cool. And cool, as I can definitely tell you today, is good.Read More
There’s a lot of gorgeous happening in wedding paper design right now – with letterpress on one hand and foiling on the other, and watercolour and calligraphy and hand drawn beauties in the middle, I don’t know which to call my favourites. But if there’s one trend that South African brides and grooms have been embracing for a while now, it’s lasercuts, and stationery is no exception. Just like letterpress and foil embossing, lasercut adds a really special texture to any paper product and its fine detailing allows not only for intricate detail but the use of unusual materials like wood or perspex as well as paper. The possibilities are vast, and I think we’ve only just begun to see the creative juices start to flow with this design form. Even so, there’s a lot of very beautiful invitations going around at the moment – here are ten of my personal faves to inspire you!Read More
Holy moly me oh my. Get ready for a handmade farm wedding that is going to blow your socks off! I’m a big fan of Mpumalanga venue, The Cowshed, and have been looking forward to featuring a wedding there for ages, so when I saw Chrisinda and Wouter’s ice cream pastel paletted, bunting and origami bird festooned, colourful Consol jar decorated, protea filled Cowshed wedding, I thought all my rustic wedding Christmases had come at once. It’s just so gosh darn lovely, and even as I have been editing the photo selection, there have been tons of little details I didn’t see the first time round. A woman after my own heart, Chrisinda, clearly. (Although I shouldn’t be surprised, since she is the owner of Hello Dolly, an awesome invitation and design company.) This is classic South African styling, beautifully done, and the fab Yolande Marx has captured everything wonderfully. In fact, it was hard to narrow down the selection, so enjoy a bit of a photo bonanza!Read More
Hello lovelies! How has your weekend been? Mine was awesome, but stressful – only two weeks left to get everything done before I take my month off. The good news is that I have lined up a TON of gorgeousness for you on the blog while I’m gone – all fresh new posts, real weddings, trend roundups, inspiration boards etc. The bad news is that I feel like I haven’t slept since June. Ah, the things I do for my readers! ;) Anyway, it’s been hard to work with the sun out, and that same summery feeling is what I wanted to bring to today’s inspiration board. I’m still so in love with Pantone’s Spring 2013 colour palettes, and a combination I’ve been wanting to do since I first saw them is this one: grayed jade, lemon zest and African violet. I love how the three colours complement one another and are so fresh and pretty together. Greyed jade and soft purple together are so calming, but the pop of bright yellow really livens them up. Perfect for a summer wedding!
