Tag: Bernard Bravenboer

Glamorous Gold Lourensford Wedding by Du Wayne Photography {Grethe & Bernard}

by gaby

Glamorous Gold Lourensford Wedding by Du Wayne Photography {Grethe & Bernard} | SouthBound Bride

Today’s wedding is extra special, not just because it’s gaaaahwjuss (in different shades of glittering gold, I die), but because it features a couple who I feel are part of the SBB family. I’ve been working with photographer Bernard Bravenboer since the early days of SBB, and from his tweets I picked up that he had a sweetheart called Grethe (who assists him often at weddings). Fast forward a few years, and Grethe got in touch to ask my advice on some of her hiring, and when she told me what they had planned for their big day, I knew it would be beautiful! Seeing the breathtaking images by Du Wayne Denton, I wasn’t disappointed – it’s not just the sparkly, shiny loveliness, but the whole day seems bathed in a golden glow that can only be true love. There are some fantastic ideas here to inspire – I loved the dummy cakes, the white flowers against sequin linens, and the way that the couple wove a favourite CS Lewis quote into their day especially. Congrats Grethe & Bernard!Read More

Real Wedding at D’Aria {Grethe & Alex}

by gaby

Happy days, friends! Ever since rainbow weddings became a thing, I’ve been patiently waiting for a brave South African bride to put her stamp on it, and today is the day. Yay. And seriously, if I had been giving someone advice for pulling off this colourful, bold look without making it tacky or like a children’s party, I couldn’t have explained it better than the way bride Grethe put her design together. There are lovely pops of colour everywhere – in the flowers, in the ribbon-backed chairs (a room full of them – I am in LOVE!), in the cocktails, even in the cake (so cool that it had a plain white outside and a surprise inside!). But it isn’t too much. In fact, the bridesmaids are in a sober navy (sober, but very, very pretty with their lace backs and gold belts) and with the bride’s beautiful, classic Elizabeth Stockenström dress and her handsome groom, the look says 100% wedding. Look out for tons of clever touches – the fun way the church flowers are displayed, the braai plank favours, the custom linen binding for the ceremony. And Bernard Bravenboer was there to capture it all to perfection!Read More

Real Wedding at Mont Rouge {Loura & Derick}

by gaby

True story: I would have written this intro last night if it weren’t for Grey’s Anatomy. But after watching McSteamy’s demise (and, er, crying for an hour while it happened) I felt so miserable I couldn’t write about love and romance. I know, ridiculous. But if you have any complaints about today’s post starting late, please send them directly to Shonda Rhimes and her team of writers. Mean Shonda. ANYWAY, it’s a new dawn and a new day, and I’m super excited to bring you this wedding. It is adorable, in truly South African country vintage style, with a beautiful lace dress (LOVE that statement back!), proteas and Bashew’s bottles. But the star of the show is a car so small that the bride and groom were able to literally drive into their reception. Is that not the cutest thing you’ve ever heard? Well, wait till you actually see it. I love fun little touches like this, and Loura and Derek had a huge amount of fun planning their big day and making it perfect. Bernard Bravenboer was there to document all the happiness in these beautiful pictures.Read More

Real Wedding at Fairhill Lodge {Gina & Ben}

by gaby

If you caught my ‘Inspiration Board revisited’ post on Saturday, you’ll be as excited as I am to see Gina and Ben’s fabulous Moroccan-style wedding. I absolutely loved how Gina pulled everything together (and talk about handmade – this is what happens when a talented artist does DIY!) in a way that was a classy nod to all things North African, without being completely over-the-top or costume party. If you’re considering a theme for your wedding, you could really take a page out of her book. My absolute favourite detail is the tiles she used (and made!) as runners, with the same motif repeated on her invitations and cake. The white tiles look amazing under the silverware, and the pops of colour in the flowers and candles are just mesmerising. I also adore the colour scheme in general, and Gina’s striking mantilla veil (not to mention her dress – LOVE the texturing!). The venue (Fairhill Lodge) is quite classic, but with low tables, floating candles in the water feature and some hanging lanterns, it’s transformed into a Moroccan fantasyland. What a pleasure to feature it here today, and even more so since I’m sharing Bernard Bravenboer‘s bewitching photographs of Gina and Ben’s big day. Enjoy! Oh, and PS, if you have the same theme in mind, don’t forget to check out our feature on Moroccan-themed wedding details.Read More

Real Wedding at Sea Trader {Misha & Henri}

by gaby

You know, a lot of people, when they find out what I do, comment that organising a wedding these days is such an over-the-top thing. In the same way as I think my mother believes you can only be either a teetotal or a budding alcoholic (guess which side of that line I fall on?), I think many of them believe a wedding can either be a three day zillion Rand extravaganza with ice sculptures, chocolate fountains and swans in the swimming pool, or a pared down civil ceremony with zero decoration and lunch at a nearby restaurant. Well, you and I both know that’s rubbish. There’s a spectrum of weddings, and that’s what makes them so interesting and exciting. But one thing I do know is that adding just a few key details will raise your wedding’s game. Take today’s Sea Trader wedding (photographed by the lovely Bernard Bravenboer), for example. It isn’t over the top, but it is beautiful. Clever Misha and her wedding planning team knew exactly where to add those special details. Coloured glass on the tables. A beautiful rose bridesmaid dress and a flower girl in a baby’s breath crown. A picturesque beach ceremony. Interesting boutonnieres. Wedding newspapers. Pretty cocktails. No swans in the pool. No ice sculpures. Just the gorgeous pink fairytale wedding that Misha and Henri dreamed of. Simples.Read More

Real Wedding at Kronenburg {Carla & Johann}

by gaby

Good morning, SouthBound Brides! Today’s wedding at Kronenburg has been waiting in our vaults to come out and play with you for a little while, and I can’t wait to share it with you. Think proteas, for one thing. Lots and lots of very luscious proteas. Proteas as favours even – how good is that? Carla and Johann have paired them with the most gorgeous shade of sage green, which is so elegant and really makes the flowers pop (not to mention looks gorgeous on the bridesmaids). One of my very favourite details is the way that on the tables, boards wrapped in wallpaper are used to create a base for the centrepieces – it really adds visual interest and texture, and is such a simple DIY! But I think my favourite thing about this wedding (captured in glorious colour and detail by regular SBB contributor, Bernard Bravenboer) is the way that you can see that laughter is a big part of the bride and groom’s relationship – just look at the irrepressible smiles on their faces! And, as somebody called August Wilson once said: “All you need in life is love and laughter. That’s all anybody needs. To have love in one hand and laughter in the other.” Baie geluk, you two! I hope that sense of joy always stays with you in your marriage.Read More

Real Wedding at Firlane House {Leanie & Pieter}

by gaby

Hello lovelies! How’s your week going so far? I must admit, I am finding work hard at the moment with the short days on this side of the equator, and so much to do before Christmas! But it’s lovely to be in the festive season (even if I will be another year older at the end of it, gah). Anyway, if you have the December stresses (or even if you’re riding high on a wave of festive cheer), here’s something pretty to make your afternoon just before you rush off from work to finish off that Christmas shopping. Pieter and Leanie were married at what is fast becoming a favourite venue for me, the classy and intimate Firlane House. They used Leanie’s favourite flower, the arum lily, as a motif, and incorporated lots of pretty but subtle touches. It’s class all the way, and Bernard Bravenboer has captured these gorgeous pics to share with you. I especially like how Bernard manages to capture the spirit of the later evening – I always think this is a real challenge for a photographer, but the pictures from the dance floor and cake cutting are some of my favourites. Ah, just give me some twinkly lights, a chocolate cake and a pumping dancefloor, and I’m a happy woman. ;)Read More

Real Wedding at Skilpadvlei {Joy & Alex}

by gaby

Welcome back folks! You will no doubt have seen what’s been going on in London, and yesterday I just didn’t feel right talking about wedding prettiness when my home town had been under attack just a few hours before. It’s been a horrible couple of days, but I won’t go into it except to say what a relief it was to see it under control last night (and let’s hope the same for the rest of the country too from now on), and how grateful we all were for the police and emergency services, and for the spirit of community that sprang up amongst Londoners. I feel proud of that. ANYWAY. Today’s wedding is the complete antithesis of anything scary or dark or sinister. It is, quite literally, filled with Joy! Beautiful bride Joy and her husband Alex wanted a great celebration filled with colour, and that’s exactly what they got. I loved the brights they contrasted with charcoal throughout (how clever was it to use pops of colour on the bridesmaids’ sashes?), and super fun touches like groomsmen’s socks embroidered with their role as best man, etc., balloons, a crafty DIY guest book and my favourite, a getaway moped! Ooh, and don’t you just adore the little pink petticoat Joy has peeping out from under her dress? But I think my favourite pics are the ones at the end of Alex singing to Joy and the couple embracing – there’s so much love in these stunning pictures (by fab photographer Bernard Bravenboer). Altogether now: aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!Read More

Real Wedding at Beloftebos {Alexandra & Rob}

by gaby

Morning lovelies! If you popped in yesterday looking for your real wedding fix, apologies that it wasn’t there as usual – Chez Gaby is full of visitors at the moment. Which is lovely, but does make it difficult for me to find time to blog. But I was too excited to share today’s colourful, sunny wedding with you to wait any longer! And what a perfect day for it – the sun is shining in London and it looks like it’ll be a beautiful day!! (Erm, I realise this means summer is over for you lot in the Southern Hemisphere, so sorry about that, but on this side of the world we are very happy to see blue skies again!) ANYWAY. As I said, today’s wedding is full of colour, including the gorgeous sunflowers, which are the bride’s favourite flowers. I think they set such a great tone, don’t they immediately make you cheerful?! Alexandra and Rob chose one of my favourite venues for their big day – the gorgeous Beloftebos – and I love how it looks completely different with every wedding. Its country vibe was ideal for what they had in mind, and Bernard Bravenboer was there to capture all the goodness with his camera.

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Real Wedding at Harold Porter Botanical Gardens {Carley & Marius}

by gaby

Living in London, one of my all-time favourite days of the year is when I walk past my local florist and notice that the tulips are in. There they sit, in all their pretty, perfect colours, telling me that spring is on its way and immediately making me well up with happiness. I’m a HUGE fan of tulips. Which is why I totally coveted the bouquet today’s bride carried from the very first moment I saw it. But it didn’t stop there. Once I saw the rest of this oh-so-laid-back picnic wedding, I just knew I had to share it with all of you! Carley and Marius decided to host their ceremony and reception at the Harold Porter Botanical Gardens, which I hadn’t even heard of, but which I am totally putting on the list for next time I’m home because the surroundings are just so beautiful. Their day was everything a Cape Town summer wedding should be – all bright colours and parasols and cupcakes. I just love Carley’s pretty dress, and the way they used streamers instead of confetti. And anyone who serves choc ices at their reception is a winner in my book! Their photographer was Bernard Bravenboer, who I’ve been looking forward to featuring on the blog for some time. Welcome, Bernard! And a massive thank you to Carley and Marius for sharing their day.

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