bridal fashion - SouthBound Bride

Beautiful Pearl Wedding Dresses & Accessories

28 April, 2021 by gaby

Bridal Gown With Pearls by Dream and Dress

Pearls are nothing new to bridal style, but they’ve recently come back in a big way and are making a truly gorgeous fashion statement! Pearl wedding dresses have been all over the bridal runways, from delicate sheer gowns with pearl details to heavily beaded gowns studded with pearls and crystals. And it’s not just about wedding dresses with pearls. Pearl wedding accessories are also super hot right now. Bold pearl headbands, belts, boleros and capes, veils… you name it! What I love most about the pearl wedding dress trend is that it manages to be classic and chic as well as contemporary and cool – the perfect combination for a bride! If you love the look as much as I do, then read on for my pick of the best pearl wedding dresses and pearl bridal accessories from Etsy.

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

The 2019 Wedding Dress Trends Brides Need to Know

24 August, 2018 by gaby

So you’re shopping for your wedding dress! Exciting! And while you want something classic and beautiful, you also want to make sure you’re not wearing the same dress as every bride at every wedding you went to last year, but rather something fresh and fashionable. Lucky for you, the bridal runways are teeming with brilliant ideas at the moment – new takes on old silhouettes, exciting embellishments, and dreamy fabrics. We’ve looked into our crystal ball to predict the ten wedding dress trends that will be making a splash with brides in 2019. You will have already seen some of these gracing celeb weddings, and others on the bridal catwalks – we can’t wait to see them in our real weddings inbox! Which of these 2019 bridal trends speaks to you the most?
*Links in bold denote affiliate links. The cost to you remains the same, but SBB may receive a commission for any sales made.

What’s Your Bridal Style?

9 July, 2018 by gaby

SERAPHINE Couture Silk Paillettes Gown by Gibson Bespoke

*UPDATED FOR 2021* Time for some styling inspiration! Choosing all the elements of your wedding design can be a challenge. What if you’re in love with ALL the things? The best place to start is with your wedding style. Picture your big day. Is it casual or formal? Glam or romantic? Maybe boho or colourful or full of handmade DIY touches? Maybe it’s in a far-flung location, whether that’s a tropical beach or under the Mediterranean sun. Perhaps it’s in your parents’ backyard or in a game lodge in the South African bush. Sometimes it takes just one element to unlock it, whether it’s your location, wedding venue, stationery – or, of course, your wedding dress! To get you inspired, I’ve narrowed down five popular bridal styles and created a styling scrapbook for each one, including some truly spectacular gowns. So the question is: which kind of bride are you?

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

Beautiful Bridal Capes & Capelets

27 June, 2018 by gaby

Palais Crystal Snowflake Cape by Gibson Bespoke

*UPDATED FOR 2020* Hands down my favourite current trend is bridal capes! This trend has been brewing on the catwalks for some time, but this is the season where I feel like the trend for bridal capes and bridal capelets has really come of age, and WOW but there are some gorgeous options for you to buy right now! Whether you want a cover up for church, to add a little bit of drama to a simple gown, or as a veil alternative, this is a look that has plenty of drama but at the same time looks super classic and beautiful! Here are some of our faves from Etsy – the only problem is picking just one!

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

Introducing Bride&co’s New 2018 Collection

17 April, 2018 by gaby

If you’re looking for a wow-worthy dress this season, then pull up a chair and get comfortable, because I’m about to sweep you off your feet! Bride&co, South Africa’s most beloved wedding and eveningwear store, have just celebrated their ten year anniversary by launching their 2018 Collection and I have a feeling you are going to love it! It’s not just wedding dresses either, but breathtaking occasionwear for the ladies (matric dance dress, ball, whatever you need), and suits for the boys too. And the wedding gowns… oh my. I’ve long been a fan of the Oleg Cassini and Viola Chan brands, and to see them available in SA (alongside the Bride&co in-house label) is amazing – I can’t wait to feature brides walking down the aisle in these beauties! Last month I was treated to a showcase of all this gorgeousness in Johannesburg and I couldn’t stop snapping away on my phone – each piece in the full 2018 Collection is more spectacular than the last! Whatever your bridal style or body shape, there’s something here for you, from dreamy princess ballgowns to sophisticated, slinky numbers. And as I mentioned, I LOVE that Bride&co is not just for brides anymore (er, someone invite me to a red carpet event now please!) With ten stores nationwide and a wide variety of suits, suit separates and dresses on offer, the Bride&co and Eurosuit team are able to help customers style their perfect look, whatever the occasion. Let’s take a look, shall we? Expect to be wowed.

20 Chic & Sheer Wedding Dresses

13 March, 2018 by gaby

FRIGGA Floral Lace Wedding Dress by Milamira Bridal

*UPDATED FOR 2021* Sheer and lace wedding dresses are where it’s at – a chic, sexy, super feminine way of expressing your fashionable self that I absolutely love. From the established illusion neckline and illusion back style, to nude lade gowns and sheer fabrics, to sheer panels showing off flashes of ‘skin’ (usually lining, in fact, which makes the look ironically and surprisingly quite modest), the whole thing is sheer perfection! We’ve rounded up 20 BREATHTAKING gowns from Etsy to inspire!

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

10 Dreamy Wedding Dresses Under £500

23 February, 2018 by gaby

Cathlyn Bridal Dress by Phase Eight

Over the last few years, I think it’s safe to say that bridal fashion has gone from pretty awesome to OMG amazing. Every season designers take my breath away with their dreamy creations, and it just seems to get better and better each time. But as much as I LOVE couture, not all of us can afford Vera Wang, amiright? Champagne tastes, lemonade budget. Fortunately, as bridal fashion has grown, so has the market for beautiful affordable wedding dresses, and these days, the high street delivers some absolutely swoon-worthy (and budget friendly!) options for the modern bride. Today I’m rounding up 10 of my favourites – each for under £500! Links in bold denote affiliate links. The cost to you remains the same, but SBB may receive a commission for any sales made.

20 Beautiful Bridal Separates

22 January, 2018 by gaby

Lace Top Wedding Dress by Tavifa Bridal

Why have one piece of bridal fashion gorgeousness, when you can have two? Bridal separates have been taking wedding world by storm, especially those brides leaning in the boho direction. And I have to say, two-piece gowns are a special kind of gorgeous. I think one of the things I like most about them is how you can mix and match to get the right style for you and your body, whether that’s a cheeky crop top, a luxe silk or sequin creation, or a super intricate embellished number on the top, and then a floofy tulle beauty or something more structured on the bottom. And of course, there are some seriously gorgeous options on my fave site, Etsy, so I just had to round up 20 of the best for you today!
Links in bold denote affiliate links. The cost to you remains the same, but SBB may receive a commission for any sales made.

20 Best Wedding Dresses of 2017

21 December, 2017 by gaby

Gorgeous gowns are one of the things I have come to love most about my job and year after year I’m stunned by the sheer beauty of our brides and their choices in bridal fashion, whether classic or daring. Each one comes with its own story, of how it came to be THE dress, and like finding a partner, finding the perfect dress can be a struggle. But every one of our brides tells us when you know, you know! The evidence is clear for all to see, and in between all the exciting talents emerging in the SA bridal fashion scene right now, it is SO hard to pick! But pick we did, with special reference to the dresses that YOU loved on social media in 2017. Each one of these is as special and unique as the woman who wears it, a reflection of the many hours of care that goes into creating a bridal masterpiece. That’s the hard work and talent of the designers we’re honouring here. But slaying it IN your dress? Well ladies, that’s all you.

20 Elegant Minimalist Wedding Dresses

20 November, 2017 by gaby

Magnolia Minimalist Wedding Dress by Lilu Bridal

*UPDATED FOR 2020* Some brides are all about extra-ness – enchanting embellishment, beautiful bling, statement lace, or frothy tulle skirts that wouldn’t look out of place at an embassy ball. But for some brides, less is more. Think clean lines, ’90s-style silhouettes, and minimal embellishment. For a sophisticated minimalist bride, it’s all about gorgeous fabrics, stunning cuts, and fresh, pared-back styling. So if you’re planning a modern minimalist wedding or just want to rock elegantly simple wedding dress on your big day, I have the perfect roundup of minimalist wedding dresses, which also happen to be fairly minimalist on the ol’ pocketbook – forget high end designers; every one of these beauties comes from Etsy! Plus, they’re perfect for a beach or destination wedding, a civil or symbolic ceremony, a mini-mony or a chic modern celebration. No fuss, but lots of gorgeousness!

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