I’m hardly the first to this party, but I thought it was high time I shared this gorgeous trend that has taken the wedding world by storm in the last year. Hand painted cakes are the ultimate in cake art – fondant that has been either stencilled or painted free hand for spectacularly lovely results. Each cake is as unique as the artist who creates them – some are super feminine and delicate, with representations of flowers, birds and romantic patterns like delft and toile. Some use more graphic patterns. Many have been inspired by decorative wallpaper at venues, wedding invitations, etc. As someone who has zero art skills, this is definitely one I would leave to the pros, but in fact if you or someone close to you is a talented illustrator, I’ve read that the technique is relatively straightforward and plain fondant cakes are definitely affordable. So it doesn’t have to be a trend reserved for celebrities and zillion dollar brides, although it certainly requires patience and talent! Here’s some eye candy from around the web to show you just how many lovely possibilities there are.Read More
Afternoon, SouthBound Brides! Time for a couple shoot, and I’m very excited about today’s, from our friend Simone Franzel. I love when a couple choose to do something a bit different for their e-shoot, especially if it shows off something that they love as a couple, and a day at the boeremark (farmer’s market) certainly fits the bill! I can almost smell and hear the market through Simone’s fantastic pics, which also capture those special glances a couple in love share when they’re enjoying spending time together. Loveliness! I also love all the truly South African boeremark products – it’s definitely made me a bit homesick for vetkoek!Read More
Who’d be a matchmaker, eh? For the most part, introducing two friends is a disaster. Sometimes it works but mostly it doesn’t, and there’s always the risk that your friend will feel that the person you choose for them shows how little you know them at all. It’s certainly never been my forté, but the hero of today’s wedding story is a guy who really did know a friend well enough to spot the woman of his dreams when he met her, and to introduce them. Impressive. And hey presto! Just a few years later, you have this beautiful wedding, complete with proteas and bicycles and general awesomeness. I love the chalkboard details (especially the place mats) and the printed words-as-decor runners, the soft pink bridesmaid dresses, and the bicycle boutonnieres. And I’m especially in love with Catherine Mac‘s beautiful pictures, which as always really capture the essence of the day and the couple in glorious colour!Read More
And we’re back with another lovely inspiration board, yay! This time, we’re exploring the warm end of the spectrum, in a board that combines red, yellow, peach and gold. Reader Emily made the request for her romantic summer wedding, and I absolutely love it, don’t you? It’s the kind of palette that often gets used for autumn weddings, which is great, but I think also works perfectly for an intimate outdoor summer feel as well. As always, I love the inclusion of organic colour through fruits, berries and flowers, and you can have a lot of fun adding glitz – maybe some spraypainted fruit pomegranate placecards, for example? I’ve really gone for gold with the bridesmaids, all in spangly dresses, as well as a gold stationery suite – love this combined with the magical fairy lights! One of my favourite summer touches is the alcoholic fruit jellies – a fun but sophisticated dessert option! Hope you like your board, Emily and good luck with the rest of your planning!
Good morning, lovelies! I have two gorgeous inspiration boards to share with you today, both requests from you, our SBB readers. The first is all about the soft vintage palette of dusty pink and teal, and is just for Janel, who is planning a summer wedding at a wine farm. She told me she loves girly things, like lace, flowers and ribbon, and wanted to incorporate these. I can’t think of a prettier, girlier motif than a bit of lace, hanging from the trees in embroidery hoops, draped along the table as a runner. Use vintage objects to create an antique shop feel (just like this couple did so successfully), and the softest pink flowers (in LOVE with this bouquet!), bridesmaids’ dresses and shoes for the bride. I also love the romantic teal touches – paper pom poms, glass jars, and gorgeous painted chairs (if only Anthro did hiring!). Hope you like your board, Janel!
Happy weekend my lovely friends – hope you’ve been having a good one? It’s been curling up inside weather again here in London, so I’ve been feasting on comfort food like homemade bangers and mash with lashings of gravy, sipping on some New Zealand sauv blanc and hibernating with some films. This evening I’m off to a fab engagement party – always lovely to toast a new couple at the start of their wedding journey! Whatever you’ve been doing, hope it’s been a good one!
Afternoon friends! A few weeks back, we took a look at coloured wedding dresses as a big trend for 2013, and I have to say, I fell in love. Not just with the colour trend, but with the concept of using a special occasion dress that wasn’t necessarily designed with a bride in mind. Every time I see a bold bride doing this I fall more in love with the idea – they look spectacular. But where, I wondered, would you go looking for a dress like this? Well, there are two accessible designers that come up again and again for me – both are popular for bridesmaid dresses, but I reckon you could happily wear one of their creations as a bride (although if you’re going for a traditional dress, hopefully this will inspire you for your girls). And the best part? Not one costs more than £300 including post and packaging. Seriously. Now that’s something to make you sit up and take note, right? Because the wedding dresses that usually go for this price can be a little plain, and not everyone can afford high end designer, let’s be honest. The labels I’m thinking of are Adrianna Papell and Elliot Claire, and just for fun I thought I would round up some gorgeous inspiration on Pinterest combined with a budget friendly version from one of these designers. Which is your favourite?
Good morning, friends! We have some fabulous inspiration for you this Friday, starting with a gorgeous inspiration shoot all the way from Canada! Mona Abo Said of Birds & Honey Events dreamed up this lovely shoot – a fuse of urban red brick chic and modern styling with a ballerina-esque bride, and a few dreamy vintage touches (the quote from Pride and Prejudice is one of my favourites!). Love it. I also love the cake with all its many ‘I do’s – so joyful! Thanks so much for sharing, Mona!Read More
Afternoon, lovelies! What a busy week it has been, but there’s still time to share this wonderful wedding that I’ve been so looking forward to bringing to SBB’s pages. Annemarie might be one of my favourite brides – she has been such a star in getting me her story and favourite pics from her wedding. But not just that – I adore her taste. For one thing, she wore one of the most spectacular (pink) dresses I’ve yet seen (with a gorgeous lace top for the ceremony) and accessorised it with an exquisite statement necklace that, get this, she designed and made herself. What makes this detail extra special is that this was the beginning of a new journey for Rhys and Annemarie, who now own their own jewellery shop in Franschhoek. Talk about a personal detail! I also just love her floral design, and the inclusion of white candy Easter eggs on the tables to celebrate the season in a subtle and incredibly pretty way. It’s an absolute treat, not least because of the amazing pictures by SBB fave Vivid Blue Photography. Sigh. I do love weddings.Read More
EXCITEMENT! I have a little announcement today that I have been looking forward to for some time. Since I started SouthBound Bride three years ago, my mission has been threefold. One, to inspire and support all of you lovely brides (which hopefully, I do every day). Two, to promote South Africa as a wedding destination. And finally, to promote the amazing talents of the South African wedding industry. This year will be seeing a few big moves in that direction, and today is the first. Ladies and gents, allow me to introduce The Editorial Wedding.
What is The Editorial Wedding?
Put simply, it’s a way of looking at wedding photography through an editor’s eyes. Many photographers take beautiful pictures, and many want to promote their business through publication both in print and online, but not all know how to go about doing this. Which publication to choose, which pictures to submit and how to do so through effective pitches and networking. With competition growing each year in the industry, this is the knowledge I have seen take photographers to the next level, strengthening individual brands and creating international opportunities. As an editor, I see the mistakes made and opportunities missed every day, but I want my photographer friends to make their businesses everything they can be! I’m dying to share the tools and insider tips I’ve learned to help them get published.
But my knowledge as an editor is just half of the equation. Knowing how to shoot a wedding in an editorial way is just as important. Using details to tell a story, making the most of what’s available, framing the narrative. Each photographer has their own style (and every wedding is different), but those who are consistently published are able to do so not just because they shoot beautiful weddings, but because they know what to shoot. And when I think of a photographer who has used these skills to create a powerful marketing engine for her business, I think of Anneli Marinovich. Anneli has been published in multiple magazines and blogs (including SouthBound Bride), and she has an amazing understanding of where she’d like her business to go and how to take it there – bloggers love working with her, because she really ‘gets it’.
Today, I’m thrilled to announce that Anneli and I have joined together to launch The Editorial Wedding: Getting Your Photography Published, a brand new workshop for photographers. Our very first full-day workshop will be next month (9 April) here in London! Even better, the workshop will include a styled shoot by the awesome Louise of b.loved!
What will the workshop cover?
how to add an editorial element to your wedding photography, making the most of design, details and context
which images to submit for publication, and which to save for your portfolio or for the couple’s album
differences between blog and magazine submission and publication
where to submit your work, and how to give yourself the best chance of success
common mistakes and how not to make them
how to network and build your profile so that editors find you
how to make the most out of publication and use it to build your brand.
Participants will have lots of time to ask questions, take photographs at the styled shoot and get to know their fellow photographers. They’ll also be taking home a ‘cheat sheet’ guide to UK and international publications to keep handy for whenever they have images ready to submit.
