Elegant Naturals Picnic Wedding at Elandskloof {Shani & David}

by gaby

What are your ingredients for a fabulous wedding? If I had to make a list, I think Shani & David would pretty much have checked every box. This adorable couple wanted a wedding that reflected their personalities and style, and allowed them to celebrate with family and friends over an extended wedding weekend. They managed both, and more besides. A riverside picnic after a forest ceremony, an open air reception with the most gorgeous rustic florals, including botanical-style arrangements and chandeliers, and a glitter filled pinata to open the dancefloor under the stars. And let’s just take a moment to mention Shani’s gorgeous (and unusual) wedding gown, the troop of sweet flowergirls and pageboys, and the bride’s organic cascade bouquet. Country wedding perfection, basically, delivered up in a chilled out, laid-back, sparkly and super happy style.Read More

Get the Look: Little Black Bridesmaid Dresses

by gaby

Short Black Bridesmaid Dresses

Black bridesmaid dresses are one of those things I get asked my opinion on A LOT. I’ll tell you, people love ’em or hate ’em. But just like I don’t feel like brides HAVE to wear a white dress, I don’t see why bridesmaids shouldn’t rock a little black dress. Especially since I have seen many weddings get this look just right, and not only do the girls look amazing, they also have the best chance of actually wearing their BM dresses again – come on, you know it’s true! So this week in our Bridesmaid Boutique post, we’re looking at some of our favourite little black dresses for bridesmaids, each with the kind of texture, detail or just plain style that makes a bridal party look wow, whether they all rock the same gown or go for mismatched bridesmaid dresses. Yay for the LBD! This post contains affiliate links. SBB may receive a commission on any sales made.Read More

Inspiration Board: Orange Blossom

by gaby

You know, I think orange might be one of the great underrated colours in the wedding palette – less so in the last few years, but still. And I get it, because orange can really be overpowering and very un-pretty when done badly. But when done well, it has such a warm pop of colour that it’s pretty much the most perfect colour for a summer wedding ever. My absolute favourite way to work with strong colours is in their natural state, which might be why citrus has long been one of my favourite wedding motifs. I wanted to pay tribute to that, but also to pair oranges with their beautiful blooms – after all, is there anything more gorgeous than a swag of orange blossom? Add in a Claire Pettibone dress that’s even called ‘Orange Blossom’ and a vintage botanical twist, and you have an orange wedding done absolutely right.

Colours: Orange, white & green

Top row (l-r): Claire Pettibone dress {Vela Images/Claire Pettibone}; orange blossoms {Mowielicious}; cake {Lewis Miller Designs}
Row 2: Centrepiece {Ngoc Minh Ngo/Nicolette Owen}; botanical orange print; chairs with garlands {Aaron Delesie/Belle Destination Weddings & Events, Inc./ Bella Bloom}
Row 3: Bouquet {Finch & Thistle Event Design/Stephanie Cristalli}; cocktail {Tim Ryan Smith}; orange stationery suite {A Day in May}; wedding dress with orange detailing {Jasmine Star/Bow Tie + Bustle}

 

Top 10 Honeymoon Destinations for 2015 {Part 2}

by gaby

I so enjoyed counting down the first five of our Top 10 honeymoon destinations last week, and I think this week’s post has even more destinations on it where I’m dying to go! Someone give me a private jet or a sugar daddy, please! ;) To come up with the list, we’ve trawled all the ‘best destinations’ lists for the coming year, and then applied the honeymoon test to each of them to figure out which locations would really hit the spot for you lovely newlyweds. So here we go! For a squizz at the first five places to see and be seen, see last week’s post.

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Guest Post: Top 10 Chic Eco-Friendly Wedding Ideas

by gaby

Happy Friday, brideys! One of the ‘trends’… and it isn’t really a trend, because it’s a responsible lifestyle choice rather than a fad, of course, so maybe let’s call it a ‘shift’… One of the shifts that I have loved seeing in weddings over the last few years has been eco weddings. In the midst of an extravagant celebration, couples have been looking to introduce elements of sustainability and eliminate waste wherever possible, so that their union treads lightly upon the earth. But HOW? That’s the question I hear most often, and I’ll be honest, I’m no expert. So I asked my friends Madri and Niki from Inkt Marketing Solutions to share their advice and experience on the topic with you today. Take it away, ladies!Read More

Bo & Luca: Now in South Africa

by gaby

I’ve been doing this wedding stuff for a while now, and there are a few days when I feel like I’ve seen it all. That’s why having Candice on the SBB team has been so refreshing, because she’s like my own awesome-o-mometer. I always know if I send her something and she comes back all “OMG I love it!” that I’ve found something special, and that makes me excitable all over again. Well, when I sent Candice a link to Bo & Luca, an Australian bridal brand that has just launched in South Africa, there was a lot of squealing going on. From both of us. Because, hello gorgeous dresses! I’m SO thrilled to see labels like this appearing on the SA scene – labels that take a fresh look at bridalwear for more fashioney or relaxed, boho brides, and I can’t WAIT to visit Bo & Luca‘s new Cape Town store in person. Let’s take a look, shall we?Read More

Violet Botanical Wedding at Blue Horizon Estate by Yvette Gilbert {Jessica & Sean}

by gaby

One of the things I love most is when a bride incorporates a theme or motif that’s current, but gives it a fresh spin with a unique colour scheme. We’ve seen lots of botanical weddings in the last year (and oh, how I love them!) but usually they’re paired with a palette of neutrals or blush. Today’s couple instead decided to go for a palette of different shades of purple, from violet to magenta, which added a real punch to the theme! Especially when combined with pretty berry-coloured details from cocktails to one of the prettiest cakes I’ve seen, ever (both inside and out – scroll down to see what I mean!). One of my favourite touches is the way that Jessica and Sean used only indigenous flowers in their botanical seating chart and table numbers – a simple touch, but one that is proudly South African! Yvette Gilbert captured these dreamy pics of Jessica & Sean’s big day.Read More

Flower Walls & Backdrops

by gaby

I never thought I would (actually, make that: fervently hoped I would not) be inspired by anything that Kimye did, ever. They are just the worst. But what can I say, the floral wall at their ceremony last year kind of rocked. And it just happens to be one of 2015’s biggest trends (along with floral arches). And OKAY, I admit it, I am loving it. Flower walls are just so over-the-top pretty, and they make an incredibly gorgeous statement piece for either a ceremony or a reception (or both!). Flower-intensive, with little in the way of greenery or stems, lush, colourful, and very romantic. So of course I’ve been rounding up my favourites from around the web – trust me, you’ll be seeing many more of them this year!Read More

Peaches & Cream Summer Wedding at Langkloof by Michelle van Heerden {Chloe & Keith}

by gaby

Once upon a time I did a business trip to some incredibly random place up in the north of England, and stayed overnight at a B&B full of chintz and plastic flowers. The new owner picked me up from the station (yep, this town was so small there were no taxis) and on the way he told me he’d spent the whole of the last week learning how to make this soup that was the old B&B owner’s speciality. Vegetable soup made with chicken stock. So, alone in the dining room that night, I ordered the soup. It was good. And that is LITERALLY the best thing that ever happened to me on a business trip. Because as we all know, most of the time they kind of suck. But today’s bride and groom have a far, far better story – they went home with the beginnings of true love! Of course, their sweet ‘how we met’ story was just the first thing I fell in love with about Chloe & Keith’s wedding. Chloe, who just happens to be a talented florist herself, built her wedding inspiration from the flowers forward, resulting in the most beautiful, natural, rustic arrangements on long tables. Everything about it is pretty and breezy and laid back, like a cool sip of lemonade on a summer afternoon – just like Michelle Van Heerden‘s photographs of the big day. And here’s a fun fact – this wedding makes it a hat trick for Langkloof on the blog this week, since both yesterday’s wedding and styled shoot were set there too (pure coincidence, I promise!) – I just love how it demonstrates that a great venue can be the backdrop for a celebration that is truly you, no matter what your style!Read More

Frozen Fairytale Styled Shoot from the New Wedding Inspirations Magazine

by gaby

On a day like today, where every fan in the house is on full blast and I’m still wilting at my desk, it seems a million miles away to be featuring an editorial shoot with misty castles and frozen gems, but that’s another reason why I love it so much! Loosely inspired by Disney’s Frozen, it’s the tale of a princess who is trapped in a freezing castle, dreaming of escape and a world of colour and sunlight and laughter. But even though it’s so fantastical, at the heart of these gorgeous images is a set of super inspiring wedding details, from berry-laden table and cake, to the most GORGEOUS gowns by Gavin Rajah, that would make any bride feel like an absolute princess. We’re sharing this shoot from the pages of the current Wedding Inspirations magazine, and inside you’ll find all the info you need to reproduce this stunning wintery look from the lovely Celeste Potgieter of Celeste Styled Events, as well as loads more wonderful wedding inspiration, so do grab a copy today. In the meantime, let’s sit back and enjoy these beautiful images by Claire Harries and Kristi Agier.Read More