I like to think that SouthBound Brides are fashion forward, and you always prove me right, so it’s no surprise that even though she was married a few months ago, today’s bride, Alicia, just happened to choose one of Pantone’s 2016 colours of the year for her marriage to sweetheart Pieter. Instead of combining it with Rose Quartz as the Pantone folks have done though, she instinctively mixed the hue of the moment with soft shades of peach and blush, and pops of hot pink for good measure – a gorgeous pastel palette for a rustic, country vintage style wedding. That Serenity though… We especially love the way that Alicia’s bridesmaids rocked it with their Gelique gowns, and matched the bride’s pretty satin sash. Take a moment this Thursday morning to swoon through the pastel loveliness courtesy of photographer Charl van der Merwe.
Much as we love a wedding with a crazy beautiful colour scheme or a unique theme or venue, it’s also a regular pleasure to fall in love with a classic white wedding. It’s like hearing a favourite song, if that song were sung by Sinatra or Ella Fitzgerald (as all my favourite songs are, actually), because a white wedding is all class. And when it has a clean, contemporary feeling like Pedro & Chelsea’s does, it’s all classic too. Long white bridesmaid dresses, tulip bouquets, tailored suits, and of course a bride in a beautiful dress. And that’s just the bridal party. I think what I love most about this one, photographed to perfection by Fiona Clair, is that it mixes this high society elegance with a very relaxed ambience, serving guests from canape and braai stations out on the Kleinevalleij lawns. Lovely to look at and fun to be at. And that’s the perfect wedding equation!
A while back, I created an autumn inspiration board in beautiful jewel tones, and our friends at Green Goddess flower studio got in touch to say that they loved it, and that they just happened to be working on a wedding using a similar palette. Needless to say, I couldn’t wait to see it! And when Tina & Kevin’s relaxed, rustic, navy, olive and russet autumn celebration popped into my inbox a few months later, it was everything I imagined. Rich, jewel-toned decor, a boho lace wedding dress, amazing florals (of course!) and beautiful pics by Wrensch Lombard. But here’s something I only found out when I read Tina’s story – this fabulous fete took its style cue from a suit! Which just goes to show, inspiration is everywhere, and when you find an element for your wedding that you love, you can totally build on that element to create a colour scheme and design that you adore.
I can’t think of a better way to end off a crazy Monday than with some jewellery, can you? One of the trends I mentioned last week was alternative engagement rings, which we’re seeing more and more couples choosing for reasons of budget, taste or because of the ethical issues around diamond mining. Etsy is a great place to source artisan jewellery, and while there are many stones to choose from, the ones that really catch my eye are morganite. This rose gold stone is trending big time, and I must admit to being more than a little jealous of anyone who gets to sport its peachy loveliness on their ring finger! There’s one question I do hear from brides from time to time though: ‘Is a morganite ring tacky?’ The short (and the long answer) is no. As with diamonds, you’ll get what you pay for with a morganite engagement ring, so while they tend to be more affordable, you still want to make sure you pay for a good cut. And yes, beryl stones (morganite being one of them) can get cloudy more easily than a diamond, but they clean up super easily with a little TLC so you can easily keep them at their sparkling best. Also yes, there is a morganite engagement ring trend going on right now, but does that mean they won’t stand the test of time? In my opinion no. Their soft colour co-ordinates beautifully with any number of outfits – in fact, I think morganite is just getting started. Bottom line, if you love it, and it suits your personal style, you can’t go wrong. So let’s round up a few of our favourite morganite rings from Etsy, shall we?
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Hello friends! After a couple of crazy weeks including a last-minute rush trip to Joburg to sort out travel docs for a suuuuuper exciting trip I’m taking at the end of this month (details soon, I promise), I’m back on schedule and ready to serve up some seriously awesome daily inspiration. Let’s get this party started! Last October, there were a lot of reasons I wished I was at New York Bridal Fashion Week (Aisle Society launch party, yay!), and of course the beautiful dresses were top of the list. It’s always awesome to see how the Fall catwalk will affect bridal fashion in the coming year, and if these trends are anything to go by, you brideys are in for a treat. I think if there’s one look that was predominant, it’s what I think of as #modestnotmodest. Traditionally modest elements like sleeves and high necklines, but reinterpreted with lace and sheer panelling for a very sexy and very contemporary look. So let’s take a look at our top ten runway trends for 2016 – which will you be coveting for your own dream dress?
It’s a strange kind of magic, how there are some corners of the world that the minute you set foot in them (or in this case, start down their lush, tropical drive), you know they’re going to settle on your heart. That’s what The Venue Fontana is like. Maybe it’s because it’s built with so much love – built FOR love, in fact – or the way that it’s infused with family, or that it has its own chic and unique sense of style, but it’s the kind of venue that makes a bride or groom think: “Here. This is our place.”
Sometimes I sit and think how lucky we are, and how lucky I am, to be a wedding blogger at this time in South Africa. It’s not that long ago that we were fractured into groups, but it’s easy to forget that when you see our many rich cultures coming together in the best place possible – a wedding. Like today’s couple – Vincent and Rochelle come from Zulu and Afrikaans backgrounds respectively, and here they are with their jubilant families, bringing those two backgrounds together in a celebration rich with proteas and fynbos and touches of gold (just like South Africa, now that I think of it). It’s enough to make me seriously patriotic, but the main point here of course, as always, is the love and these two have it written all over them. Tabitha from Illuminate Photography took these gorgeous, romantic pics of their big day.
Just stopping in for a little (okay big!) announcement this rainy afternoon. There’s a lot going on at SBB HQ at the moment (a LOT, actually). 2016 is going to be quite the year, and I feel like in some ways, everything is just starting to fall into place from the way I’ve pictured running this business for quite some time. It’s always been my passion to promote the South African wedding industry – it’s why, even when I could make more money by taking a general, international focus for the blog, I’ve always tried to keep things local in terms of the real weddings I showcase and the talents I promote. I want this to be a place that inspires anyone who visits, but gives real, practical access to the best of the SA industry for local brides. Since the very beginning, venues have been a big part of that vision, but I haven’t found the exact right way of partnering with them (and in the meantime, so many AMAZING venues have sprung up, it’s unbelievable!). Until now, that is. Towards the end of last year, I felt the time was right and started to curate my own collection of the best of the best. The venues that give you that feeling of wow. The ones that make me think when I visit: ‘I would totally book this venue on the spot’. They’re all over the country, and they represent a huge range of styles, but what they have in common is that they’re each special in their own unique way, and absolutely gorgeous of course! And very soon, I’m going to be introducing you to them all.
Over the next few days and weeks, you’ll see the launch of our venue directory, with more new and wonderful venues added every day. You’ll also be seeing spotlights of these venues on the blog and on our social channels, along with roundups of different venue types and styles, to inspire you as you get planning – and of course, breathtaking real weddings! Some will be familiar names. Some are newer (and making waves in a big way!) To top it all off, we’ll be publishing a beautiful digital magazine for you to download and keep. An information source, sure. But more than that, pages of love and light-filled images to inspire your most romantic wedding dreams, and maybe spark some ideas you may not have thought of before. I’m so thrilled to be working with the amazing, handpicked venues who are part of the Collection, and to show you that what’s out there in our beautiful country is better than your wildest wedding dreams. So watch this space… the SBB Collection is almost here!
Real weddings. They’re our bread and butter here on SouthBound Bride, and this year we have plans to share more than ever before. So it’s always a happy moment when I get to kick off a new year of real weddings, and I can’t think of a lovelier one to start with than Kiki & Duma’s. Like all our favourite weddings, it combines beautiful decor and a fantastic South African setting with heartfelt emotion that jumps off the page and gives you that giddy kind of smile that only true love can. Kiki and Duma chose the wonderful Molenvliet for their day wedding, and used a palette of mint and peach brightened up with gold and pops of tangerine to make it extra lovely. My favourite thing about this one – beautifully captured by ZaraZoo – is the exuberant joy shared by the couple with their guests (that moment where Duma’s groomsmen do a victory dance after the wedding? One of my all-time faves). We don’t have full info from the bride and groom to share with you today, but everything you need to know is written all over their glowing faces.
Hello lovelies! This time of year, we always do a whole heap ‘o bridesmaid posts, to inspire all you new brides as you start out on the journey of colour scheme choosing and bridesmaid asking and dress shopping. The good news? There are SO SO many gorgeous looks to choose for your girls. The bad news? Picking one! Sequins and sparkle have been a huge trend over the past couple of years, but most of the time we’re talking gold or rose gold when it comes to bridesmaids. But now we’re seeing more cool silvers, and I personally love this elegant twist on bling. Tell me you don’t feel the same after seeing these beauties!
