Real Wedding at Chamonix {Libby & Grant}

by gaby

If you read a lot of (or even a few) wedding blogs, there are certain words you’ll hear us use again and again (and I don’t mean “breathtaking” or “amazeballs”). Certain things we generally agree on, as a tribe. And one of these is ‘details’. We’re kinda obsessed with them, and I want to tell you why. Because on paper, weddings are pretty much the same. White dress, aisle, rings, kiss, confetti, party. Just like on paper, every love story is the same. Boy meets girl (or boy, or girl meets girl, whatever), spark, kiss, courtship, proposal. But you know and I know that every love story is unique, like a fingerprint, or a flake of snow. And if your wedding is the celebration of that uniqueness, the details tell the story. They’re the little things that your guests remember, and for an outsider looking in, they’re what inspires them to tell their own story. So you can guess why I fell in LOVE with today’s wedding at Chamonix the moment I saw it. It is detail-palooza. Seriously, it’s the grand daddy of detailed weddings. Heartfelt, personal, handmade details. I adore it, and I know you all are going to go gaga over it too. Also, I should say that the pictures were shot by the super talented Adene Photography, and that the bride, Libby, is one of the sweetest I’ve ever dealt with. There are so many highlights, but I’ll let the bride tell you in her own words…Read More

Wedding Flowers: Tulips

by gaby

Tulip Flower Crown

Credit: Lisa Dolan Photography via Style Me Pretty

Ah, tulips for weddings. Hearty heart heart heart them. I mean, what’s not to love? They’re beautiful and elegant, they come in every colour imaginable, most are unscented, and they’re affordable. And for me, they really mark the start to spring, when I see them appearing on flower shop pavement displays all over London. Unlucky for me, those days are gone here on Mud Island, but with spring very definitely in the air in South Africa, I thought it was a good time to cheer myself up with a focus on one of my all-time favourite flowers. Here are some of my favourite recent wedding flower inspirations, from tulip bouquets to tulip centerpieces. *This post contains affiliate links. The cost to you remains the same, but SBB may receive a commission for any sales made.

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Owning Your Brand

by gaby

Hello, blog friends! Ok, cards on the table, I am a little nervous about this post. Not just because I am veering away from the pretty to share something more personal, and to discuss social media (don’t worry, I actually get back to weddings by the end of it!) but because I’m also posting images from my recent shoot with the fantastic Monica Dart. Monica was in London this summer, and Louise from Bijoux Bride and I asked her to let us play model. (You can see some of Louise’s shoot here.)Read More

Real Wedding at Kleinevalleij {Candy & Nic}

by gaby

Well bake me a cake and call me Martha. If this isn’t one of the sweetest weddings! Sweet like sugar. Sweet like candy! ;) Candy and Nic chose one of the breeziest venues in the Cape (the light, bright, white-washed Kleinevalleij) and the loveliest of colour schemes (grey and pink, which I still heart bigtime), and created a little piece of heaven for their family and friends. There were pretty shoes, and ribbons, and a fairytale dress, and roses, and sugar and spice and all things nice. And proteas, you guys. I never get sick of looking at them, and I adore the table arrangements and bouquets in this wedding. I also LOVE the little fabric hearts on each chair, and the way that the wooden fan favours have been integrated into the place settings. Not to mention the lovely stationery, designed by the bride herself. And here’s the kicker – absolutely BEAUTIFUL photographs by Jani B. It is, quite simply, the kind of wedding that little girls dream about. Oh, and Nic – seriously awesome proposal skills, dude. You should give seminars.Read More

Love Story Wedding Invitations

by gaby

**UPDATE** Find our roundup of 20 Adorable Love Story Wedding Invitations from Etsy here

Here’s a little trend I am weak at the knees for. Maybe it’s because I’m a sucker for romance, and maybe it’s just because I like to have something to read on my fridge, but I love the idea of sharing your love story with your guests as part of your invitation. It’s a great reminder of how it all began and what you’re getting together to celebrate, but more than that, from a design perspective, it’s the perfect marriage between sentiment and beautiful typography. Form and function. Goosebumps. As far as I know, it all started with this one – a totally original invitation dreamed up by New York designer Matt Dorfman for his own wedding.

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Inspiration Board: Burlap & Blueberry

by gaby

Good morning! How was your weekend? I spent mine on a massive organisation kick – moving into my new office, and trying to implement a system for getting things done. Although the To Do list is massive, it’s actually really empowering to feel more on top of it all! One thing on this weekend’s task list that didn’t take me very long to complete was this little inspiration board, because I’ve been dreaming it up for ages. I am totally smitten with navy at the moment, and while I do adore a nautical wedding, there are so many other ways of using navy as a wedding colour. One of my favourite is to combine it with burlap or hessian for a stylish cross between preppy and rustic that I am just crazy about. And of course blueberries make the perfect country motif. I am dying over the blueberry bouquet below (okay, those are probably choke or elderberries, but they have the right look – your florist may be able to achieve something similar with ivy or similar, and make sure to have them wrap it in twine for the perfect rustic detail) and the blueberry cups – such a sweet dessert, or leave one at each place setting. Printed burlap elements give that extra preppy edge (don’t you just love the date ring pillow?), as do the striped navy napkins. Kraft or corrugated paper also work really well here alongside the burlap. And of course, what would a farm-style celebration be without strings of bunting and fairy lights? (Best news – the bunting invitations come from this free template!) As always, it’s the tiny details that make a big difference – matching burlap rose and boutonniere for the bride and groom, and navy nailpolish for the bridesmaids (where do I find that? sign me up). You could introduce other colours – a soft pink, coral, yellow, or green would all work, but I like the cleanness of this simply stylish palette.

Colours: Navy, white and beige

Top row (l-r): ; Blueberry ring shot (Jamie Delaine); burlap place mat (Amy Karp); blueberry cups
Row 2: Burlap Save the Date ring cushion (Shawn Connell for Christian Oth); navy and burlap garland (Domestic Construction/Max Dworkin); blue bunting love birds invitation (EE photography/Wedding Chicks); striped navy napkin and 3D glasses (Domestic Construction/Max Dworkin)
Row 3: Bride & groom (Jodi Miller Photography); blueberry bouquet (Oasis Flowers/Sakura Photography); barn (Stone Crandall Photography)

Inspiration Board: Burlap & Blueberry

Real Wedding at Shelley’s Gourmet Cafe {Catherine & Mark}

by gaby

So the other day, there I was sitting at a table with a group of awesome ladies from the wedding industry, and we were discussing wedding size. General consensus? Small weddings rock. And I’ll admit, a lot of that comes from us all being design and detail oriented, but the fact is, especially during a recession, you can just get much more for your money with fewer guests. A wedding that, as my friend Louise of Bijoux Bride (who specialises in this kind of thing) would say, is small but perfectly formed. And I’ll tell you another secret reason I have for loving intimate weddings – somehow, they seem to make brides and grooms feel free to make bolder, less traditional choices. Take today’s wedding, which stopped me in my tracks as soon as I saw it over on photographer Allan McCreadie‘s blog. Not only is it at an unconventional location (a favourite Cape Town restaurant), but you guys, HOW MUCH are we loving Catherine’s styling? I adore her Vivenne Tam dress and seriously gorgeous accessories. Every photo of her looks like it’s a fashion shoot (although we shouldn’t be surprised – her day job is as a design manager for a bag company in China). The whole day just looks like so much fun, and has such an intimate atmosphere with family and friends. So if you’re considering a smaller celebration, let Catherine and Mark’s wedding style inspire you.Read More

Real Wedding at The Grand {Fiona & James}

by gaby

Today I am EXCITED, and it’s not just because my guilty little pleasure Made in Chelsea came back on TV last night, yah. (Um, Gabriella my namesake “making a point”? Awkward.) It’s because of this wedding. See, I happened to go to university with the groom, and when I heard a rumour that the fabulous wedding he and his lovely wife-to-be were planning was going to be at The Grand, which is just one of the best hangouts in Cape Town (two, in fact, with one in Clifton and one in Granger Bay) and an absolute dream for a cross between Cape Town city chic and right-on-the-beach style, I jumped on the email to Fiona to find out all about it. Co-ordinated by the fab Event and Design, it turned out to be just as gorgeourific in reality as Fiona and James had planned, and now I finally get to share it with you! Wait till you see Fiona’s dress and shoes – she made such a beautiful bride and looked like she stepped straight out of an Audrey Hepburn movie.Read More

Real Wedding at Vrede en Lust {Sohini & Kieran}

by gaby

There’s a quote I’ve always liked, from one of South Africa’s fathers, Desmond Tutu. “We are made” he says, “for complimentarity. I have gifts you do not; and you have gifts that I do not. So we need each other to become fully human.” I think that’s something that could be true of all good relationships, but it’s never more obvious than when you see a wedding that blends two very different cultures, whether that’s a bride and groom from two different countries, faiths, whatever. It reminds us of the beauty that is all marriages – two complete individuals forging their lives together to create something new. And so it is with today’s bride and groom. South African Sohini not only chose to marry her Scottish groom in a colourful, joyful and superchic Indian-Caledonian fusion wedding at Vrede en Lust, but this girl can rock a sari! I adore her citrus colour choices, and the way that bright flowers were incorporated with birdcages throughout the decor. It’s just so gosh darn purdy. As always, I’m delighted to feature photographer Annemari Ruthven, who totally captured the joy on everyone’s faces, and all the movement and magic of this family-filled celebration.Read More

Dessert Table Inspiration

by gaby

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been in love with dessert tables ever since I discovered the genius that is Amy Atlas. It takes such a simple concept – a spread of sweets, usually including a cake (but I’ve seen them done with all veggies, or cheeses, or whatever you like really!) and elevated it to a level where dessert meets design. I’d hate to be the first person at these buffets, because it must feel a little like taking a bite of a museum masterpiece, they’re just that pretty. And the best thing is, you can be really creative with them, and incorporate one into just about any style of wedding and make your dessert table a real feature of your reception that your guests will be talking about for years to come! To show you how, I’ve paired up some gorgeous dessert tables with matching Cap Classique inspiration boards. So fun!

VINTAGE BIRDS

This is one of my all-time favourite dessert tables, combining gorgeous green, brown and blue with vintage elements and a bird motif. It’s so usable, and all the different containers at different heights make it so easy on the eye. Perfect for an elegantly rustic wedding, or for a lovebirds theme. It’s paired here with (and partly inspired) the Vintage Birds inspiration board.

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