Batten down the hatches, because there’s a whole storm of wedding awesomeness heading your way. First, let me just nail my colours to the mast – I have a total nautical style obsession at the moment. Something about the colour navy, boats, bunting and shiny ships’ bells gets my inner preppy all adither. So when I saw today’s wedding, with its nautical colour scheme and pretty navy, white and grey details and OMG a compass motif on the dancefloor, it’s fair to say I fell stern over bow. And you guys, it’s not just nautical. It’s also travel themed! Now don’t pretend you’re not all jumping up and down excited, because I see my webstats, and I know how many of you all are searching for travel-themed wedding details. So I know you are going to LOVE the cut of Mariette and Sarel’s jib (so to speak) as much as I do. Which is a LOT. Plus, they had it at one of my favourite venues, Kleinevalleij. PLUS, it was shot by a photographer I have been wanting to feature since I started Cap Classique, the very lovely Lizelle Lotter. I’ve been dying to share this one with you for ages, and the moment is here. Anchors away!Read More
So the other day there I am watching Glee, and that Mercedes chick is singing – really singing, not just wailing at the end of the song – and it’s Aretha and she’s nailing it and I’m thinking what must that be like? You know, to just open your mouth and God comes out. Because when I open my mouth to sing, it’s more like dog comes out. But that’s what makes talents special. Not everyone has them. And watching someone do that one thing that only they can do, and love, is just magic. I’m getting to the point here. Today’s bride is one of those magic, talented people. I have no idea if she can sing, but what she can definitely do, is flowers. I’ve been dying over the weddings she’s worked on through her company, Flowers in the Foyer, for a long time now, so you can imagine how insanely excited I was when Mandie from Joe Photography told me about her wedding. And as soon as I saw Joe’s stunning photos, I was obsessed. Read More
I promised a follow up to my post on bridesmaids in cardigans, and here it is! And after all, why should your girls get to have all the pretty? There are so many reasons why this works for brides as well. First, if you’re having a religious ceremony and want to cover your shoulders, they’re a sweet and more laid back alternative to sleeves or a bolero. Or, if you’re getting married at a time of year where the weather isn’t going to be brilliant, wearing a cardie will be your saving grace through a long couple shoot (nothing worse than trying to look hot and relaxed when all you can think about his how chillsome you’re feeling!). Or your cardie could be a late night addition – perfect for wearing as your guests see you off into the cold evening air. Plus, cardigans are a great style choice for an autumn or winter wedding – they add a pop of colour to your white dress and work in anything from soft, neutral colours to statement brights. And who could forget the ultimate jersey girl, aka Princess Kate? (OK, not jersey, darling, but angora. Still, Kate knew how to work her evening cover up.) What about you? Would you wear a cardigan with your wedding dress? Have a look at these lovelies, worn by real brides around the web. Links in bold denote affiliate links. The cost to you remains the same, but SBB may receive a commission for any sales made.
It might be sunny in London at the moment (ha! worst summer in years, for the record) but I know my South African readers are feeling the chill. I know this because my mother, who lives in Durban, where it’s never anything less than about 30 degrees, keeps telling me how cold they are. Which probably only means it’s too cold to get in the pool, but not do anything drastic like wear long sleeves or anything. So my mom may not be getting any sympathy from me (sorry, ma!), but in Cape Town and much of the rest of the country, it gets a bit more nippy noodles. And if you’ve chosen to have a winter wedding (or hell, a spring or fall wedding, with the unpredictability of the weather these days), today’s roundup is just for you. In fact, the bridesmaid cardigan trend makes me feel so cosy that it’s almost worth having an out of season wedding for! One word: Cardies. Links in bold denote affiliate links. The cost to you remains the same, but SBB may receive a commission for any sales made.
Winner winner, chicken dinner! Today is a good day. There are actually quite a lot of reasons for that, but I can only tell you two of them right now. One, I have a new home! Wooo! It’s a little further into suburbia, but in return for leaving my beloved Putney behind I get my own little home office. Which, as a blogger (and hell, as a Londoner), is seriously exciting. And also, there’s a trampoline in the garden, which I will no doubt make use of after a couple of glasses of chenin. Two, I have a faaaabulous wedding to share with you from the wonderful folks at the Aleit Group. Their features always rate amongst my most viewed, and it’s no surprise, since they’re full of panache and pretty details. Enter Woutrine and Tate, who not only combined romantic and strikingly modern into one gorgeous package, but chose to brand their wedding with a beautiful monogram and used it everywhere. I can’t say this enough times: you cannot go wrong with branding your wedding. It’s memorable, it ties your whole look together, and it actually saves a lot of deliberation over the smaller details. Woutrine and Tate’s letterpress monogram was pure class – I especially love how it turned up on napkins, giant screens, you name it. Their decor (OMG, strelitzias!) also fit perfectly into the incredible 401 Rozendal – what a find! Love the fusion of rustic, sophisticated ballroom details and even a little modern/industrial – it works amazingly, doesn’t it? I’m expecting to see a lot more from this venue. Pictures are by the talented Jan Hendrik.Read More
Good morning everyone! My apologies that last week I didn’t get to post everything I had planned – bear with me, as there’s an awful lot going on behind the scenes. For now, here’s this week’s inspiration board and it’s one of my personal favourites! Green and gold are very special colours to South Africans, as they’re our national sporting colours and also represent our beautiful land and its natural resources. So I can’t think of a more appropriate palette for a South African wedding, and don’t they just look beautiful together?! By adjusting the details slightly you could make this work for just about any season, and add more rustic or more sophisticated touches depending on your venue and taste. One of the details I love is the elegant use of green glasses and gold utensils to get the colour scheme across on the table without going overboard. In terms of flowers, you could really go with any white flowers but I ADORE the combination of ranunculus and baby’s breath in this bouquet, and baby’s breath makes a great filler for elsewhere around the church or venue, which can allow you to have a bigger floral presence than you may otherwise be able to afford. Green shoes are a must for the bride, and this is a perfect opportunity to dress your girls in trendy white bridesmaids’ dresses. In terms of DIY, moss monograms are simple and incredibly lovely, and I also love the gold spraypainted wishing tree for your guests to leave messages on. And you guys, how gorgeous is this cake? All in all, I think it makes for a beautiful wedding. Who knew you could be patriotic so prettily?
I don’t know if all of you know this about me, but I’m half Italian. And although my dad mostly grew up in SA, my grandparents were full blood, full throttle Italian. My Nonna was also the most incredible cook, so early on I learnt to appreciate the beauty of Mediterranean cooking – not just the taste, or the amazing ingredients, but the way Italians cook and eat. Everything is generous: the quantities, the portions (the calories!), the time spent eating (never ever rushed), the sense of sharing and abundance celebrated at every meal. It’s the best. So when I see that in a wedding, I am hooked. Then add that to sunny rustic florals and details (especially in love with the wooden block place settings), a glowing bride and groom who are clearly having the best time, a sunny day and a gorgeous setting and it’s an official swoonfest. So in love with Ciska and Warren’s South Hill luncheon wedding was I, that I shot off an email to photographer Catherine Mac begging her to let me feature it. And because she’s lovely, she said yes! What really struck me about this one was how Ciska wanted the food itself to be the key part of the decor and mood – just like a kitchen is the heart of the home, the meal really was the heart of this incredible wedding. (Oh, and this is also the first wedding I’ve featured that has a ‘first look’ – something I think I like more every time I see it. What do you think?)Read More
As a wedding blogger, it’s an understatement to say that I see a LOT of weddings. And sometimes, they start to sort of blend into one another like one long, pretty dream sequence. But some weddings just kind of stick out in the memory, and today’s in one of those. I first spotted it on the ZaraZoo blog a while back, and I just had to ask photographer Stefan Steenkamp if I could feature it. Lucky for me, lucky for you, he said yes. So why do I love it so much? First of all, I have a total venue crush on Firlane House, where it was held (the bride’s brother owns it – win!). Secondly, a HAMBURGER station? What’s not to love? And finally, I’m a big fan of the laid back French feeling, and the use of ultra modern grey – even the bride is in a gorgeous silver gown (how much are we hearting silver gowns right now?). I fall to the floor ADORE their bunting – is it not one of the most creative and gorgeous ways of using photographs you have ever seen? Go on, you know it is. And it’s no wonder the bride got it so right – she is, after all, the owner of gift shop Rhubarb Room in Cape Town. Some people have all the taste!Read More
Happy 4th of July to all my American readers! Today’s board is another reader request (I’m loving how many requests I’m getting these days!) – this time from the lovely Ingrid – and I have to admit, it was a bit of a challenge. I knew exactly what I was looking for, but it wasn’t easy to find in the right colours. I’m so excited with how it turned out though, and I hope you are too, Ingrid!
When Ingrid emailed me, she knew exactly the sort of colour palette she was after for her Kleinevalleij wedding. She’d also fallen in love with the table arrangements for this unbelievable Style Me Pretty wedding, which pretty much inspired everything else. Let me break down this look a bit. The key is in its contrasts: modern paired with a bit of vintage and a touch of rustic. Succulents and silver? Shouldn’t work, but they SO do. The components – lush purple flowers (dahlias! so gorgeous!), succulents, mercury glass, wooden boxes, moss, distressed ceramics and silver. I’ve added in a few avian details and some blackboards and lilac for even more of that French country style. Doesn’t it look amazing together?
Ingrid’s bridesmaids are going to be getting their own dresses, so she wanted to make it easy for them, and chic little black numbers are a great way forward. To distinguish the girls, I suggested giving them long strings of pearls that they can all wear in a different way, but purple shoes are another alternative (Ingrid could wear sparkly and silver if she wants to stand out). I love that guests would start off with a classic black and white wedding (maybe with a couple of small purple touches in the stationery at the ceremony) and then be wowed by the whole look when they move into the reception hall. I see a lot of weddings currently at Kleinevalleij using some pretty grey/silver damask tablecloths, and these could also work brilliantly here. I don’t know about you, but I’m dying to see how this wedding turns out! (And don’t forget – if you’d like me to create a board just for you, drop me an email and let me know a bit more about what you’re looking for.)
Ok, I have to tell you, I am in LOVE with this wedding. Like, properly. Full-blown, fill your mailbox with orange tictacs, build you a house of candles, stand outside your window with a boombox kind of love. You may even have seen it before, but I don’t care. It is the absolute definition of boho beach perfection and it’s filled with my favourite things. Floral crowns for the bride and bridesmaids, blackboards, proteas, flocks of origami birds, hanging bottle vases, lots of bright whites, sparkly lights and the cutest fringed beach umbrellas. Not to mention a fab venue (Strandkombuis), a beautiful couple who are completely gaga for one another and the most gorgeous, swoonworthy photographs from dream team welovepictures. I have stars in my eyes just looking at it all, and when I heard about the bride’s entrance music (Florence and the Machine’s Cosmic Love) I so choked up. (Take a moment, get out your iPod. It may be the best entrance ever.) Sit back and immerse yourself in the amazingness…Read More
