The Whole World Is A Garden

by gaby

It’s a brand new week, full of possibility, and the first good thing to happen on my Monday is definitely this gorgeous styled shoot by Roxanne Davison and our friends at Oh Happy Day. I have been dying to share it with you for months, and now that February has rolled round with our ‘Secret Garden’ theme, it’s finally time to share this Secret Garden-themed shoot! Inspired by a quote from the novel which I love – “If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden” – these talented ladies and their team created a little garden hideaway punctuated by beautiful florals and fine vintage china, the dreamiest of dresses and the most delicate of jewels, gorgeous brides and beautiful calligraphy. It. Is. Swoony. So grab a cuppa and get settled in for some very Pin-worthy inspiration!

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20 Blooming Gorgeous Floral Wedding Dresses

by gaby

Floral Wedding Dresses

Embroidered Flower Wedding Dress by Wow Bridal Dress

*UPDATED FOR 2020* This month we’re crushing on everything floral and garden wedding, and that includes floral wedding dresses – in fact, they’re at the top of our list! From floral printed fabric to whimsical 3D flower applique and lace to gorgeous embroidery, a floral gown is like a little garden all on its own – can you honestly think of a prettier way to walk down the aisle? And as always, when I’m looking for cutting edge, accessible bridal fashion, I’ve turned to the talented makers at Etsy to find twenty floral gowns that will honestly make you swoon.

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

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Love in Bloom Country Wedding at Thorner Estate by Vanilla Photography

by gaby

My first clue that Andrew and Marie are a couple after my own heart? The fact that the Proudly South African pair went about sourcing every detail of their gorgeous KZN Midlands wedding from local businesses – rings, bridesmaid dresses, decor, everything. All in line with their pretty-as-a-picture garden-style wedding vision, and the result is an affair that will have all you country wedding-loving brides jumping straight out of your seats and cheering for joy! I loved the way that the pair chose a cool blue hue to contrast with the mixed colours of all the flowers – such a lovely touch that really stands out. And the blooms really were everywhere – in floral runners along the tables at the reception (thanks to Marie’s mum’s ‘army of ladies’ and their very own gardens!), in beautiful bouquets, in darling little embroidered wreaths on each napkin, on the wine labels and stationery… even right on down to the bridesmaids’ getting-ready robes. And love was in bloom too, of course, overflowing on the faces of the delighted bride and groom, and those of their family and friends. Michigan Behn was on the scene to capture these precious moments for Vanilla Photography and share them with you today.

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20 Fancy Floral Wedding Cakes

by gaby

Oh flowers! I’m so excited that this month is about everything floral and green and garden wedding related, because it really gives me a chance to indulge my love of extravagant florals and do I ever have some pretty stuff coming your way. But to kick it off, I just had to round up one of my favourite places to find florals (apart from bouquets and tables) – on wedding cakes. I’ve rounded up floral print cakes in the past (swoon!) but today we’re going 3D. Some of these floral toppers are real, some are sugar, some you can barely tell. But what they all are is stunning. Whether you go for something statement and extravagant like this or something more subtle, even the most plain and classic cake can be completely transformed with a floral makeover.

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North Coast Tropical Chic Wedding at Burndale by Oh Happy Day

by gaby

Durban North Coast Tropical Chic Wedding | Credit: Oh Happy Day & Dane Peterson

Sometimes I see a wedding and I immediately not only fall in love with everything about it, but with the couple as well. This is one of those. Maybe because I love Durban so, along with everything tropical, maybe because Dominique and Josh managed to not only pull off a totally unique, totally stylish, totally them (AND proudly South African) theme, and maybe because they chose to work with one of my favourite wedding pros ever, Joelene of Oh Happy Day. Whatever it is, I have a great big crush on this wedding and the couple who dreamed it up, and I have been absolutely dying to show it to you ever since I first spotted  it on Jo’s Instagram feed. Basically, if you turned all the best things about the North Coast into a wedding, this would be it. Tropical print bridesmaid separates… strelizia bouquets… plenty of light and white and rustic texture. And the tropical greenery wall is everything. So get your pinning fingers at the ready coastal brides, because this is a special one!

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Copper, Pastel & Greenery Wedding at Poortjie Saal by JCclick

by gaby

Bride and Groom | Image: JCclick

This wedding though! Riaan & Luzahn’s big day is one of those beyond gorgeous weddings, the kind that I kind of have to pinch myself to remind myself is real and not a styled shoot dreamed up by talented photographers JCclick (who by the way, have taken the most beautiful, luminous shots of this celebration!). It starts with a setting that’s super stylish – a touch of industrial in the middle of the countryside, decorated to perfection, but in a modern, natural way. It’s filled to the brim with greenery, and from the bridesmaid dresses right down to the sunset, it’s  painted in shades of soft blue-grey, blush and copper. And did I mention, a BHLDN dress? But beyond all the pretty, it’s also the story of a family coming together to celebrate this most special of all days, with a couple who are head over heels in love. Bliss!

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How to Plan an Engagement Party

by gaby

How to Plan an Engagement Party

Image: Katie Parra Photography/Clutch Events on SouthBound Bride

As we come to the end of our month of engagement-themed posts, there’s no better way to finish off than with a party! In this case, an engagement party, because if you’re just engaged, this is the first celebration that might be on your mind. Engagement parties are such a lovely tradition (although certainly not something you should feel you HAVE to have, time and budget being major considerations for many) as they give you a chance to celebrate a very exciting moment in any couple’s lives with their nearest and dearest. Here are some guidelines and ideas to get you started.

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Summer Brights Wedding Inspiration

by gaby

Bohemian Bride with Bright Bouquet | Credit: Wedding Concepts & Tyme Photography

Happy Monday, friends! I know the start of a new week is supposed to be dull and depressing and blah, but today we’re turning Monday on its head with an inspiration shoot full of vibrant acid brights and rich copper – a palette that perfectly shows off the look of the season! For this cutting edge design we turned, as we always do, to Wedding Concepts, whose trendsetting vision always ensures they’re a step ahead. I love how unexpected this palette is, how elegant, and yet how gorgeously African (flash of Skinny laMinx, love!), and the use of shiny acrylics, lasercut, hanging florals, luxe copper touches and the most incredible cakes and desserts. Planning a summer wedding? Take a second look at your colour palette and see if you can infuse it with an unexpected bright or a luxe metallic for extra gorgeousness. Tyme Photography took these lovely pics.

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How to Create a Wedding Inspiration Board

by gaby

Credit: Deborah-Ann Photography/Wildeflower on SouthBound Bride

So I’m guessing that for those of you who just got engaged, unless you’re in a design or creative field, you may never have heard the term ‘inspiration board’ or even ‘mood board’ before. And suddenly, you’re a bride, and it’s everywhere, right? To be fair, inspiration boards are a little less all over the wedding blog landscape than they were a couple of years ago, but they’re still very much part of the planning experience. Here on SBB, I’ve been creating inspiration boards for many years now (and several for styled shoots that put those ideas into practice as well) and I love doing them, but if you’re a newly minted bride-to-be, it can seem a little intimidating. Well, worry not. Today we’ll cover everything you need to know, step by step. And I’m sharing some of our prettiest boards from the archive. Read on!

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Fynbos Chic Wedding at Emily Moon by Maxeen Kim

by gaby

Protea Rose Fynbos Bouquet | Image: Maxeen Kim

When you have a memorable backdrop like Emily Moon River Lodge in Plettenberg Bay, it’s always a good idea to embrace its beauty and character as part of your wedding. Today’s couple, Rosalie and Martin, did just that, with a rustic wedding which included playful pops of colour, lots of lovely fynbos flowers, and fun personal touches, like a polaroid escort card wall. You can see every moment from their sweet celebration thanks to the marvelous Maxeen Kim, who took these gorgeous pics!

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