Elegant Naturals Picnic Wedding at Elandskloof {Shani & David}

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

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

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

Eco Chic Botanical Wedding at Rosemary Hill by Van der Bijl Photography {Leigh & Byron}

When Brownwyn of Van der Bijl Photography sent over today’s gorgeous organic-lovely wedding, I had to go back and double check her email after the first few pics that this was a real wedding and not a styled shoot, since the florals and details are that perfectly styled. Of course, once I saw Leigh and Byron’s ceremony pics, the happy tears and the love between the couple (and on the faces of all their guests) there was no doubt this was as real a wedding as you’ll find, which of course makes me love every pretty botanical detail put together by Carol-Anne of Eco-chic Weddings even more. And eco-chic is the right word – everything right down to Leigh’s gorgeous frothy dress was created with an eye on upcycling and sustainability. It’s a beautiful day with a big heart, and I’m delighted to be sharing it with you all!Read More

Inspiration Board: Black Tie Botanical

Morning, lovelies! I have a busy week ahead (including throwing a very special party for my mum), so let’s start it off right with a mix of two gorgeous styles that I think make a beautiful wedding combination! Lots of weddings that incorporate the botanical trend have a rustic feel (which is fantastic) but I think that the botanical look just as easily lends itself to a very glamorous, black tie wedding as well, with just a few sophisticated tweaks. The look is lush and luxurious, in classic shades of white, black, emerald green and gold, with the tiniest hint of blush. Swoonage!

Colours: Black, white, gold, emerald, blush

Top row (l-r): Bride & groom {Three Nails Photography/Clementine Custom Events}; cake {Anushé Low/B.loved Wedding Styling & Design/Cakes By Krishanthi}; table setting {Bryce Covey}; botanical invitations {Aubrey Renee Photography/Tiffany Collins Events}
Row 2: Botanical escort cards {Aubrey Renee Photography/Tiffany Collins Events}; rosemary cocktails {Jose Villa/Laurie Arons}; table setting {Alissa Saylor Photography}
Row 3: Boutonnieres {Onelove Photography/JL Designs & Events}; bouquet {Leo Patrone/Honey of Thousand Flowers}; gold shoes in cloche {Simply Bloom Photography}; groom in tuxedo {Trent Bailey/Inspired Bride/Daughter of Design}

 

Fern Wedding Details

A few years ago, when baby’s breath first became popular again, I remember thinking that this might mean that some other low-cost fillers may also have their day in the sun, but I must admit, that I never would have predicted ferns as the next big thing in weddings. Not to the same degree, of course, but there’s no doubt that these lovely bits of greenery have been enjoying a very stylish turn on the worldwide bridal stage of late. That’s partly to do with how perfectly they fit in with the botanical trend, partly to do with the move towards greenery and garlands (see our roundup of that here), and a lot to do with the fact that they’re really pretty and versatile (and of course, relatively lower cost). I’ve been looking forward to doing this roundup for a while, but I was surprised just how many pretty options you have for incorporating this trend into your wedding design.Read More

Supplier Spotlight: Rifle Paper Co. at In Good Company

A few weeks ago I spotted a little item on my newsfeed that got me really excited. Over the last couple of years, I have become more than a little obsessed with the gorgeous stylings of Rifle Paper Co., an American stationery & gift  company that doesn’t just make beautiful things, but has influenced wedding styling in the same way as brands like Kate Spade and Anthropologie. The whimsical hand-painted illustrations (many of them botanical) and hand lettering manage to be both nostalgic and modern – if I were planning my own wedding right now, I have a feeling the Rifle look would feature pretty strongly. I must admit, I haven’t talked about the brand all that much here on SBB, because I know what it’s like when you love something and can’t find a local supplier, but that’s where I was wrong. Turns out that one of my favourite SA shops and online stores, In Good Company, is a treasure trove of Rifle goodness! YAY.Read More

Inspiration Board: Botanical Blush

Monday, Monday… Never my favourite day of the week, except for one thing. We always get to start it off with a lovely inspiration board, yay! I absolutely love today’s – botanical has been a gorgeous theme that has come up in wedding design recently, and ferns are one of the florals that have been a big part of that. So I thought, what if you combined these pretty organic elements with just the softest touch of blush, for romance? I have to say, I LOVE the effect – what do you think?

Colours: Fern green, blush pink

Top row (l-r): Bride with fern {Heather Roth Photography/Simply & Forever}; fern table arrangements {Erin Grace Photography/Fieldwork Floral Operation}; cake {Heather Roth Photography/Simply & Forever}; bride in blush dress {Landon Jacob/Parkside Wedding Studio}
Row 2: Fern wedding invitation suite {Bailey and Emma of Antiquaria}; blush patent shoes {Aaron Snow Photography/Gibson Events}; table setting {Leo Patrone/Honey of Thousand Flowers}; ferns in vintage vases {Dear Heart Photographer/Function Flowers}
Row 3: Marquee {Birds of a Feather/Amorology}; fern wreaths {Leo Patrone/Honey of Thousand Flowers}; place setting {Anneli Marinovich Photography/Branco Prata -Sofia Ferreira}; chair {Jose Villa /Laurie Arons Special Events}; bouquet {Katie Stoops Photography/Events in the city}.

 

Farm to Table

Credits: see below

It’s Wednesday Trendsday, lovelies, and to follow up on the post a few weeks ago with fruit and vegetable bouquets (how much did we LOVE them?), today I’m focusing on ten tables, centrepieces and place settings that look like they came straight from a farmer’s market. This little wedding theme is a fun translation of the growing farm to table movement as well as part of the beautiful botanicals trend, and floral designers and savvy brides around the world have come up with the most beautiful ways of presenting unexpected additions to the table, including edible ones. Putting one of these tables together is a little like arranging a still life for a painter – it’s certainly no haphazard dumping of produce on a table, and neither should it look so organised that it reminds guests of a supermarket veggie aisle. Shape, texture and colour are all there to be played with, and I for one love the results!Read More

Inspiration Board: Botanical Brights

Happy Saturday, lovelies! Here’s our last inspiration board for the week, and while the rest have been reader requests, this one’s just for me :) One of my biggest sources of inspiration is the amazing online magazine Magnolia Rouge, and in the last issue, one of my favourites was a gorgeous bouquet recipe photographed by Annabella Charles. I absolutely loved the mix of cool green, soft pinks and purples and a pop of bright fuschia, as well as the botanical feel of the bouquet and the feature. Botanicals are a big design trend in weddings this year (more on that soon) but while most botanical looks feature muted colours, I was inspired to create a board that incorporated both the delicate botanical look and that beautiful dash of bright colour. I love it – hope you do too!

Colours: Green, purple and fuschia

Top (l-r): Flowers and calligraphed envelopes {Annabella Charles/Haute Horticulture/Kristin Wolter}; bridesmaids {Sarah Hasstedt/Pink Champagne Events}; dress {Eric Kelley Photography/Beehive Events}
Row 2: Pie table {Kellan Studios}; leaf place cards {Annabella Charles/Haute Horticulture/Kristin Wolter}
Row 3: Table setting {Odalys Mendez Photography/Virtu Floral and Event Design/The Funky Shack/Southern Flair}; bouquet {Alea Lovely Photo/The Bridal Tree}; Figs in bowl {Annabella Charles/Haute Horticulture/Kristin Wolter}

Title of Recipe Goes Here

 

A Day at the Nursery Engagement Shoot

Two things about this couple shoot that have made me ampedissimo. First, it is SUPER sweet – a romantic couple (Ashley & Wilsey) taking a stroll through Petersham Nurseries. And secondly, it is captured by the awesome Anneli Marinovich, who I have been looking forward to featuring here on SBB for a while. Yay! Seriously though, I see a lot of engagement shoots, and the ones that stand out often are those that show a couple doing something they love to do, or in an unusual location. This ticks both of those boxes, and the background of plants and greenhouses is so lovely, don’t you think?Read More