10 Winter Wedding Favour Ideas

by gaby

Winter Wedding Favour Ideas

*UPDATED FOR 2021* Sometimes I feel like I’m split between two halves, a foot on either shore. For example, this week has been boiling here in London (no complaints, summer is way overdue) and even as I write this I’m sweltering in front of a fan with a very restless cat stretched out on the cool floor at my feet. But I know that for my readers in South Africa, it’s the middle of winter and thoughts are of cosy nights under blankets, walks in wellies and frosty mornings, and this post is just for you. More brides are now looking towards winter weddings for the cost savings and increased availability that the off-season brings, and winter itself can be a sort of wedding theme or motif. In the northern hemisphere, winter is all very Christmassy,  but fortunately you don’t need to come over all Santa Claus just to harness the delights of the season. So I’ve put together ten gorgeous winter wedding favour ideas – with links to DIY tutorials and Etsy stores wherever possible!

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

Read More

Pillow Fight Anniversary Shoot

by gaby

Afternoon, lovelies! I have SUCH a fab couple shoot to share with you this afternoon, I absolutely love it! Shireen Louw sent over this couple shoot for Charl and Charlotte who decided to have a shoot in their wedding attire on their one year anniversary. They took photos at the beach and in the hotel where they got married, but the fun really got started when a pillow fight broke out! I love how this shoot brings out the fun side of the couple, but the floating feathers also look completely romantic and beautiful! Thanks so much for sharing Shireen!Read More

Real Wedding at Nooitgedacht {Carol & Carl}

by gaby

Time to meet another SouthBound bride and groom, and today’s stroke of candy pink gorgeousness comes to you courtesy of Carol and Carl, two South Africans who currently live in Copenhagen, Denmark. They share a love of nature and animals, especially their miniature wire-hair Grayhund, Puppy Choo. Carol’s a former lingerie designer who loves being creative and has a passion for fashion, so when it came to planning the big day from abroad, she put it in the hands of the equally creative Megan Fleitmann of Mr & Mrs In Love. I’ve been a huge fan of Megan’s stationery for a while, so I wasn’t surprised to see that she has a fabulous flair for event design too, and she gathered a really brilliant team of suppliers to make Carol and Carl’s dreams a reality. From the striped linens and soft pink and white florals to the hanging bottles of blooms, right down to the sweetest cake topped with a miniature version of Carol, Carl and Puppy Choo, it’s everything you could want from a garden wedding. Oh, and how much do I love the bride and bridesmaids’ statement necklaces? The fantastic Lauren Kriedemann was there to make it look even more luscious and lovely with from behind the camera.Read More

Real Wedding at Kleinevalleij {Anlika & Philip}

by gaby

I have such a special wedding for you today – I am absolutely head over heels in love with it! I just adore when brides decide to flex their creative muscles and come up with details and ideas that are personal twists on things they might have seen at other weddings – it really adds that ‘ooh factor’. Well, today’s gorgeous bride outdid herself – there are so many clever ideas here. Lasercut proteas (LOVE!) in between real proteas and other florals (themselves a twist on the traditional, with fruit and veg included), writing in the signature palette of navy and olive green used as part of the clean, contemporary decor, a salt motif (SO original!), and more. Kleinevalleij is the perfect backdrop – a blank canvas where Philip and Anlika could paint their own picture, and paint it they did, with clean, sophisticated styling that still manages to be warm and welcoming. Lucky for us, Anlika’s sent on loads of advice, so be sure to read to the end of the post so you can learn from the pro! The beautiful pictures are by our friend and sponsor, Andre of Vivid Blue.Read More

Real Life Bride #11: The Bridal Showers

by gaby

I am one lucky girl. That’s all I can really say about the amount of love and spoiling that went into the pre-wedding events planned by my wonderful friends and family during my visit to South Africa. Apart from planning one heck of a bachelorettes, my bridesmaids planned not one, but two beautiful love-filled kitchen teas of note. It doesn’t get much better than that.

It all started when, on a Friday night, my sister picked me up from a dinner party with some random person laying in the back of the car. I immediately figured it must be one of her friends who had a bit too much to drink, when suddenly out jumped my dearest friend Inge, with a big smile on her face. She had flown down from Pretoria to surprise me (and to attend the weekend’s activities I would later learn about).

Okay, I was a little suspicious what with someone flying down for a random weekend, but my sister (who I now know is a very good liar), played everything so cool and had me convinced that we were simply going wine tasting the next day, to be followed by a boozy winefarm lunch in Franschhoek. So off we went for a “bridesmaid bonding day”.

I was so busy chatting (and chatting… and chatting…) to my friend, whom I hadn’t seen in months, that I didn’t really pick up on what was going on around me. We walked into the Green House at Babylonstoren and I looked up to find a table full of some of the most special ladies in the world and my MOM! She, as it turned out, also secretly flew down for the weekend. I had to fight hard to keep emotions intact and not become completely overwhelmed by the enormity of such a big moment.Read More

Inspiration Board: Midsummer Night’s Dream

by gaby

I read a lot of wedding blogs, but one that consistently inspires is the fab Magnolia Rouge – I never fail to be inspired by what Kate features! This week one of the pics she posted from a shoot by the fabulously talented Annabella Charles caught my eye, and I was immediately carried away with the idea of a beautiful Midsummer Night’s Dream garden party theme – a delicious twist on the soft pink, green and gold colour scheme that I know so many of you are in love with at the moment. Delicate climbing vines (how pretty is this table?), lush blooms, curly calligraphy, a mossy bed for the rings, a touch of glitz and a night dancing under the stars. It’s elegant, but soft and romantic and even a little bit playful – the perfect combination!

Colours: White, sage green, blush pink and gold

Top row (l-r): Bride with mask {Annabella Charles/Haute Horticulture}; cake {Odalys Mendez Photography/Sweet Sensations}; peony bouquet {Katie Stoops Photography/Pat’s Flowers}; chair {Odalys Mendez/Ginny Au}
Row 2: Calligraphy table numbers { on Etsy}; boutonniere; invitation {Paperfinger}
Row 3: Table with trellis {Pasha Belman Photography/Stunning & Brilliant Events}; gold bridesmaid dress {Izzy Hudgins Photography/Simply Savannah Weddings & Events}; nest ring pillow {Acanthus Floral}; table setting {Megan Thiele Studios}; outdoor reception {Edyta Szyszlo/lovely little details}

 

SouthBound Sundays {7 July 2013}

by gaby

Oh glorious British summer! Sorry South Africans, but today I am 100% enjoying the sunshine. I made a cheeky trip up to Carnoustie in Scotland to attend my friend Nikki’s summer party last night, so as I write this, I’m sitting in the sunshine (sore head ‘n all), sipping a Pimms and watching Andy Murray (hopefully) win Wimbledon. If it happens, there’s going to be a lot of excitement up here! Anyway, I won’t stay long, but I wanted to stop by and share with you my favourite pins and finds of the week.

♥ WEEKLY FAVES

Read More

The Groomsmen’s Duties (Plus Groomsman Proposal Ideas)

by gaby

Image: Daniel West on SouthBound Bride

Happy Friday, lovelies! I have such a treat for you today! A while back, we asked the lovely Theresa Lazarevic of Creation Events to share her advice for bridesmaids and maids of honour. I knew her advice was good, but I couldn’t imagine how many times it would be read and shared by brides all over the world – it’s been consistently our top post ever since (over 125,000 views so far!), and has been pinned and repinned thousands of times on Pinterest as well. So we thought it was about time that we gave the guys a turn, and Theresa has been good enough to gather more of her straightforward, sensible advice for the groomsmen and best men of the world. Send this off to the hubs-to-be and his besties, pin it for future reference and rest assured that now your whole bridal party will know exactly what needs to be done. Thanks so much, Theresa! Over to you…

Read More

Real Wedding at Providence {Keri & Andrew}

by gaby

Are you ready… are you ready for love? Lordy, I’m clearly more than a little sleep deprived. I think I just quoted Elton John. Even so, it’s an appropriate question, since love is what you’ll find plenty of in today’s gorgeous real wedding. Love between the cute as anything bride and groom, love from their friends and family, and love-liness all over the place in their design and decor. You may remember me mentioning Keri and Andrew’s story last week, when I featured their engagement shoot (so cute) – after helping Keri out with an inspiration board I was dying to see how it all turned out and couldn’t wait to see Eileen Laubscher of Bright Girl‘s fantastic photos. Well, they were even better than I’d imagined – a rustic French-inspired palette with a handmade feel and very personal touches (LOVE those cow table plans!). Keri looked absolutely beautiful and natural, her groom seriously dapper, and I’m a sucker for her stylish mismatched navy bridesmaids’ look, especially in their fun shades! If you haven’t already, be sure to check out Keri’s own blog, Midlands Musings – she’s a rising star in the SA blog scene, and you’ll soon be a fan ;)Read More

Ask the Photographers!

by gaby

Afternoon, lovelies! I’m just stopping by to let you know about an exciting feature we have in the works with Luis and Kerry of Piteira Photography. Not only am I a big fan of their gorgeous photography, but this husband and wife team are just the loveliest, and I’m happy to count them as friends. In fact, I’m looking forward to seeing them when they’re working in South Africa this summer wedding season (December/January) and this is where the great news comes in – they have some availability, so if you’re still looking for a wedding photographer over the busy season, you can nab this awesome pair! Their work has been featured all over the place: Style Me Pretty, 100 Layer Cake, Ruffled, Bridal Musings, The Pretty Blog – and of course, right here on SouthBound Bride – so you know you’re in the best hands.

To celebrate their South African trip, Luis and Kerry have offered to step in as our experts for the day. They’ll be answering your questions about wedding photography, posing, light – whatever you’re wondering about. They also planned their own (gorgeous) South African wedding from abroad, so they have awesome insight into planning from afar. So here’s the deal: just leave your question at the end of the post (or on our Facebook page) and we’ll put all the answers together into a special post.

Fire away!Read More