If there’s one wedding trend that South African brides and grooms have embraced wholeheartedly, it’s lasercut stationery. I think this has a lot to do with the talented stationers and designers we have in SA, especially Doodles Laser, who have really made this form their own. I love seeing Doodles work crop up in the weddings I feature (as it frequently does), and spotting all the new and exciting ideas that the team come up with. I was also lucky enough to work with Leigh from Doodles on a shoot earlier this year (see it now in the latest issue of Wedding Inspirations) and she is such a pleasure to work with, and full of awesome ideas. But what’s the best way to incorporate lasercut into your wedding decor? We’ve rounded up three clever ways, with lots of eye candy! All stationery below is by Doodles Laser.
Real Wedding at The Roundhouse {Bonnie & Antonie}
Good morning, lovelies! Time for some gorgeous wedding inspiration. First and foremost, I have to mention Bonnie’s dress because OMG SERIOUSLY. I mean, it’s Jenny Packham, so this should be no surprise, but Bonnie wears that dress like she was born to do it. It is SPLENDID. And moving beyond that for a second, I am loving the understatedly colourful decor (navy and red, je t’aime), the stationery, the beautiful navy bridesmaids’ dresses, the groom’s boutonniere (both bride and groom are avid cyclists), Lindt chocolate and hangover kit favours, the stunning Roundhouse setting, the getaway car… I could go on and on. But all of this prettiness is made even prettier through the photographic stylings of Gavin Casey. We knew he was talented, but this wedding really blows me away – I love every single shot. So it’s pretty much the perfect wedding to start your morning. Enjoy. But come back later, because we have even more in store!Read More
Inspiration Board: Navy & Chalkboard
Hello friends! I’m rounding up this afternoon with a reader request board – you’ll be seeing a lot of these in the next few weeks as I am trying to finish all of them off from this year as I know there’ll be lots of new requests for 2013! I do try to do all of them, but it’s getting tough to keep up with demand, so do bear with me :) Anyway, this one is for the lovely Stacy, who’s getting married at Shalwyn in Natal next summer. She and her fiance chose the venue because of the relaxed feel and open fields, so they’re looking to reflect this with an elegantly rustic wedding in shades of navy, grey and white. LOVE. And I love even more that Stacy loves chalkboard and succulents. They go together just beautifully, and with a cool palette, you have that combination of elegance and rusticity (is that a word? no? should be.). Chalkboard can be quite beautiful, especially when combine with calligraphy, but my favourite detail here is the altar platform decorated with chalkboard paint and words of love. Hope you like your board, Stacy – enjoy your planning!
Colours: navy, light grey, white
Top row (l-r): Wedding dress {Elizabeth Scott Photography}; bridesmaid with succulent bouquet {Kate Harrison/Downey Street Events/Eventscapes}; navy shoes {Visions by Heather}; silver tipped glasses {Fiona Kelly/Helen Carter Weddings}; chalkboard programme
Row 2: Chalkboard ceremony platform {Sybrand Cillié/Aleit Wedding Coordination}; succulent and burlap decor {Kate Harrison Photography/Off the Beaten Path Weddings}; LOVE chalkboard {Tanamachi Studio}; striped navy paper straws
Row 3: Navy bridesmaids {Jen Huang Photography}; chalkboard; centrepiece {Eric Kelley/Lora Kelley and Mallory Joyce}; chevron cake with succulent accent {Sweet & Saucy}; Shalwyn couple {Brightgirl Photography}.
Inspiration Board: Cape of Storms
Good morning friends! I have another very special inspiration board to share today – this time we’re featuring the photographs of photographer Jo-Ann Stokes. Going through a photographer’s portfolio to put a board together is so interesting, as it really allows me to get a sense of their style, and I love the way Jo-Ann uses shadows and light to create atmospheric pics that are a little bit fashion and a little bit cinematic. I couldn’t help but be drawn to some of the moody blue images, as they remind me of the changeable weather in the Cape, and all of that natural beauty. So that’s where we went with the board. I think this is such a good look for a local wedding – soft naturals, a whole range of shades from grey to blue, and again that interplay between shadows and light. I love it, and I hope you will too! Head over to Jo-Ann’s blog to see examples of her lovely work, and remember that she’s taking bookings for your big day!
Contact Jo-Ann Stokes:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +27 (0)82 650 9238
Website: www.joannstokes.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Photography-by-Jo-Ann-Stokes
Featured in Wedding Inspirations
Happy Sunday lovelies! I have been having an AWESOME weekend, including having spent yesterday with some brilliant blogging and industry buddies at a full day workshop with top photographer Victoria Grech learning all about photography and even getting to have a go at a styled shoot. So fun to be behind the camera, although my photographer friends will be glad to know that their jobs are more than safe! I might have to invest in a proper camera though… ANYWAY, I’m delighted to have some other fantastic news to share with you today. Back in May, at the tail end of three months in South Africa, I was lucky enough to work with some amazing SA suppliers to style a shoot based on my Toile & Rose inspiration board and stationery suite. It involved: three days of running around like a mad person (big thanks to my lovely friend Robs for the moral support!), turning up to lovely Elbeth Gillis‘ studio drenched from a rainstorm (thankfully she still trusted me with three of her gorgeous creations), pushing rogue shopping trolleys around Canal Walk and losing my car in the parking lot, buying Fairview out of their morning bread stock, a tour around Langkloof with manager Adelaine (who is just the sweetest) where photographer Cheryl McEwan and I basically had our mouths hanging open the whole time from how stunning it is, a courier driver who got lost with half of our decor, an amazing team on the day who not only cheerfully did their jobs but also jumped in and helped out whenever needed to assist Cheryl and myself, and finally, a set of images that I am totally in love with. And I’m delighted that I’m finally able to share these with you in the latest issue of Wedding Inspirations over TEN WHOLE PAGES. That’s a lot of awesome inspiration! The magazine is on shelves now, so get out there South Africans, and grab yours! (Everyone else will have to wait a liiiiittle while longer, but I promise it will be worth it!) HUGE thanks to the Wedding Inspirations team for this opportunity, and to every single one of the dream team (see full credits below). Yayness.Read More
Real Wedding at Kleinevalleij {Helmare & Len}
Get ready, lovelies, because the inspiration is about to start coming thick and fast today, on into the evening. Starting with this incredible wedding from Nastassja Harvey. That in itself is exciting, since I LOVE Tash’s crisp, clean style but for those of you who love a white on white colour scheme full of glamour and grace, this wedding will blow you away. It’s just beautifully put together. I think one of my favourite details (a small but effective one) is the way that the flowers are a twist on the recent ‘white flowers in different vintage containers’ trend. For a more modern look, Helmare & Len have gone for a variety of glass containers, with white flowers grouped according to type. It’s just so clean and fresh and lovely. Not to mention the custom dance floor, the elegant escort card board, or the cake and sweet table. Kleinevalleij really lends itself to this look, and co-ordinator Izandi of I Do has outdone herself on this one! Here we go… enjoy! (And don’t forget to keep checking back today so you don’t miss a thing!)Read More
A Bride Abroad #4: The Stationery
They say the Devil’s in the details. I love love love the details. If one looks carefully, it is precisely the little things that make a wedding unique. We all have a version of the usual formula: a dress, a ceremony, a reception and then dancing till the lights go out. A wedding wouldn’t really be a wedding without these things. But it’s the little bits of prettiness captured in the DIYs and personal touches that make people go WOW!
Inspiration Board: Dolce Vita
Good morning friends! Today we have something a little different for our inspiration board. It’s no news to you that I’m a fan of Cape Town photographer Cheryl McEwan‘s work as we’ve been working together for some time, but I’m delighted to feature her as one of our Days of December sponsors. Since an image is worth a thousand words, I’ve trawled through Cheryl’s archive (the happiest of tasks, with her dreamy style and attention to detail) to come up with a brand new SBB inspiration board. Cheryl’s a keen traveller (in fact, her husband Sven proposed to her in the middle of their world travel adventure!) so although she is based in South Africa for much of the year, I wanted to pay tribute to that love of travel in my choice of theme. And I personally find nothing more inspiring than a little trip to Italy. I took the palette for this board from Cheryl’s pic from the Cinque Terre, the muted mishmash of Mediterranean colour, sun bleached walls and intricate detailing that immediately sets a warm, summery tone for a wedding. Use heavy urns and candelabras, with platters of fruit instead of flowers on the tables, and of course plenty of wine! This makes me think of long Sunday afternoons and long tables, family, friends, laughter. All those things that make an Italian feast, a sweet life, and a beautiful wedding. Head over to Cheryl’s blog to see more of her gorgeous photography, including weddings, couple shoots and some personal travel gems.
Contact Cheryl McEwan:
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.cherylmcewan.co.za
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cherylmcewanphotography
Twitter: @CherylMcEwan_
SBB ♥ Cheryl McEwan Photography, a featured member of our Directory
Q&A with My World Creations
Good morning, friends! As you may have picked up by now, I’m passionate about the South African wedding industry, and for the last while I’ve made it my mission to connect couples with great suppliers. I know that sometimes those small business owners with limited advertising budgets have a difficult time, but that doesn’t mean you want to know about them any less, right? So a few weeks ago I launched a promotion called the Days of December, and I’ll be introducing you to a whole family of new blog friends throughout this month in a series of posts. We’re all working hard to make sure this isn’t about boring old adverts, but rather the same high quality editorial content you expect from SBB. You can find all of the suppliers here through the month, but today, we’re meeting the first: Craig of My World Creations, a videographer from Port Elizabeth. I’m always hearing from brides how not getting a videographer is their one regret, so it’s always great to come across someone who can produce something beautiful to complement your photography. Craig has spent some time answering my questions about his business and his advice for brides and grooms, and sharing some of My World Creations‘ gorgeous videos with you today!
Hi Craig – thanks so much for chatting with us! Tell me a bit about your company…
My World Creations was established in 2007. At the moment, we are a two man team with myself concentrating on the editing and the main camera work. I have chosen to specialize in video because of the medium’s “story telling” ability. I feel that there are so many little moments and feelings that pass us by that cannot and should not only be captured by a photograph. I love to capture the essence of how the day felt.
How did you get started in videography?
I got started totally by accident, actually. When looking for a career change about eight years ago a friend asked if I did not want to help him with some video work on the side. With that the bug bit and I knew that this was something I wanted to pursue.Read More
Inspiration Board: Zen Neutrals
Ah Friday. A thing of beauty. But before we all head off for the evening, I have another reader request inspiration board to share with you. This one came from a bride and groom – Andreas and Melanie – which is a first for me (love an involved groom!). They’ve chosen to have a simple, intimate wedding in McGregor at a fab venue I hadn’t come across before, Temenos, and are planning on a gorgeously subtle palette of silvery grey and earth tones. They want to create something casual but ceremonial, well-balanced spiritually and materially. I immediately thought back to this memorable wedding I featured a few months ago, including the bonsai trees that were on the tables (a simple, relatively hassle free, but very effective centrepiece that you can then give away or use in your home). I also loved the long tables and rustic Scandinavian feel of this wedding, including a teepee and a branch chandelier. Stone, feathers and wood are three more natural textures that add a bit of zen-like balance (as well as contemporary chic) to proceedings, and for an intimate wedding I really like the idea of lots of candles, creating an intimate glow. Dress bridesmaids in silvery grey goddess dresses, stick with creamy flowers, and use minimalist stationery. Finally, for an extra bit of zen, why not have your ceremony in the round? This is sure to be a beautiful wedding for a low maintenance couple – hope you like your board Andreas and Melanie!
Colours: Grey, taupe, stone, mocha
Top row (l-r): Dessert table {Oh, How Charming!/Mindy Rice Floral and Event Design/Aaron Delesie}; bridesmaid dress; balsa wood bouquet {Stephanie Williams}; stone candles; bride and groom {Iz Photography}
Row 2: Buddha; branch chandelier {Kate McLuckie}; bonsai centrepiece {Picture Me & U}; stationery
Row 3: Feathers {Arrow & Apple}; bonsai centrepieces {Picture Me & U}; ceremony in the round {Caroline + Ben}; white peacock.