Charming DIY Wedding at Cranford Country Lodge by Tanya Jacobs

If I think of a countryside wedding, and imagine the most perfect place to exchange vows, I always picture the chapel at Cranford Country Lodge (one of SBB’s preferred venues and a member of the SBB Collection). With an ivy covered doorway and views over the spectacular little England that is the Natal Midlands, it’s pure rural romance, and a perfect example of why the phrase ‘country wedding’ immediately puts a smile on any wedding lover’s face. Today’s wedding shows Cranford off in all its pretty glory – Charl & Kim are an adorable couple who wanted to infuse their intimate celebration with their personalities and the things they love, and did it by DIYing their way to a celebration that was oh so charming (and budget savvy too!). From the colourful bunting to Kim’s wreath bouquet, to her bridesmaids’ peachy two-pieces and the groomsmen’s cork bow ties, from the sparkly linens to the origami flowers, you can see that every detail has been selected and created with love, and caught on camera beautifully by Tanya Jacobs!

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How to Make a Cheese Wheel Wedding Cake

How to Make a Cheese Wheel Wedding Cake | SouthBound Bride

Wine farm brides and grooms, rejoice! This October on SBB, our theme is Vineyard Weddings, so we’ll be looking back at some of our favourites from SA’s wealth of wine farm venues, as well as rounding up lots of little details and lovelies that you can include to bring your location to life (or just bring a bit of the vineyard into whichever venue you choose!). When I think about wine (which is a lot), I also think about cheese – the two go together like love and marriage. So an obvious option for a vineyard wedding cake is to go for a cheese wheel tower instead of (or as well as) a traditional sweet cake. It may no longer be a new idea, but it’s always a crowd-pleaser! Because cheese, duh. And sure, you could just plonk a bunch of cheese on a tray or pile a few rounds up and call it a cake, but it’s much more fun to create something pretty with just as much panache as a classic cake. Depending on how you style your cake, it can fit in perfectly with a rustic wedding, a contemporary one – even a romantic or glamorous one! And the best part is that you (or a friend or family member) can do it yourselves, following our handy tips. And, of course, we’ve rounded up lots more gorgeous cheese wedding cakes (many from our own SBB weddings) to inspire you!Read More

Pastel Wedding DIY Roundup

I thought it was high time for another DIY roundup, and of course with spring pastels on the brain, I just had to go a-looking for some pastelly loveliness for you all to add to your wedding To Do list. From table decor to bridesmaids gifts, I’ve found 15 seriously cute ideas in sorbet shades that would really brighten up any celebration, or add that extra little somethin-somethin to a pastel themed Big Day. My absolute fave is those candyfloss sodas (above) – anyone serving those at cocktail hour would immediately have me over the moon as a guest. So fun! Which is your favourite? Remember – even if pastels aren’t your thing, you can totally adapt any of these to suit a different colour scheme, so go ahead and be inspired!Read More

Handmade Feminist Wedding at The Nutcracker by GingerAle Photography {Ines & Fergus}

When an email landed in my inbox from bride Ines titled ‘DIY Feminist Wedding’, I was intrigued. As you know, I’m a huge fan of making your wedding a reflection of you as a couple, and I’m a feminist myself, so I wondered how Fergus and Ines had incorporated their values into their big day (I’ll admit, there was a part of me imagining bridesmaids dressed as Rosie the Riveter!) What I found was the kind of sweet, handmade celebration where the couple had really thought about the details of how and when and who – especially at the ceremony. Things like wording can often be overlooked, but after all, the vows you make and the words said are the cornerstone of your new marriage, and I loved that this special couple took the time to craft a day that was completely their own in look and philosophy. Hopefully it’ll inspire more of you for your own wedding days. I know you’ll be inspired by the gorgeous pics by GingerAle Photography, who captured every lovely vintagey detail, and every happy moment!Read More

Botanical Wedding DIY Roundup

Lovelies, let’s close out the week with some DIY goodness, shall we? Since July is all about the ‘greenhouse’, I thought I’d find some fun ideas that fit into a botanical wedding (beyond just the gorgeous florals or greenery obviously!) I have to say, I’m loving these ideas, from invitations to escort cards to table numbers – some that weren’t designed for weddings, but that I think lend themselves to beautiful and unusual centrepieces or focal points. So pick your faves and get making!Read More

DIY Beauty Gifts for Bridesmaids

I remember when I was little – every Christmas my mom would go to Woolies and pick out little gifts for her girl friends – sniffing all the different flavours of soap and talcum powder (do they even still make this?) and hand cream. I loved helping her, but I didn’t totally get why she would buy them all something similar when she was such a thoughtful gift giver – it seemed like a token gift. Roll on adulthood, and I totally got it. Because when you give someone you love a little something for bath and body, what you’re really giving them is a moment of personal indulgence, an excuse to pamper themselves, a tiny break from the rigours of daily life. Personally, I really love getting little pamper gifts and for a while I’ve been wanting to try making them (because something homemade is always extra special). As it happens, I think these would also make great budget-friendly bridesmaid gifts, especially if you make up a basket for each of your girls to let them know how much you appreciate all the spoiling they’ve been giving you. Here are 15 fab DIY tutorials that will help you do just that.Read More

DIY Edible Autumn Wedding Favours

Hello lovely ones! When I started putting together a roundup of autumn DIYs, I discovered that lots of the ideas out there were for edible favours with a bit of an autumn twist. Since edible favours are a big favourite of mine (after all, guests are always less likely to leave something delicious behind at the end of the night), I thought it warranted a dedicated post. There are so many fun ideas here – the only bad part was trying to control my tummy rumbling and my sweet tooth crying out while I was sorting through them! Some of the links have packaging suggestions or even printables included, but you can always adapt the idea to suit your own colour scheme and look. Consider glass canning and jam jars, glass bottles, kraft boxes and paper bags, among your options, and pretty up with ribbon, twine and calligraphy.Read More

DIY Sparkle Birdcage Veil

I could tell it was a good day when not only did a fab city elopement editorial land in my inbox, but the lovely Rebecca of Runaway Romance offered to share some of her crafty expertise in the form of a DIY from the shoot (which we featured this morning – didn’t you love it?). As you know by now, I’m besotted with all things bling, so when I laid eyes on the sparkly birdcage veil she custom made for model Setsoali, I knew you all would want to know how to recreate this stylish and subtly glamorous look for yourselves! To be honest, I’m trying to figure out where I could possibly get away with wearing a sparkly birdcage veil myself, just so I can make one. Supermarket run? Dog park? Rugby? I’ll figure it out. Meantime, let’s get to grips with the how to. Thanks so much for sharing, Rebecca!Read More

How to Create a Boho Cocktail Bar for Your Wedding

Credit: Kimberly Chau Photography/Two Be Wed via Junebug Weddings

How does one justify making loads of herb infused vodka? Create a Boho Cocktail Bar of course! When we came across this clever little alcoholic DIY, it inspired us to come up with five top tips for styling a boho cocktail bar of your own, filled with both natural/organic and bohemian mismatched elements. Perfect for a themed wedding (where it’ll keep your guests entertained while you have your photos taken), bridal shower, or even just a fun get together with your girlfriends. Set up your bar on a vintage table or dresser (or even better, on an antique bar cart) underneath a shady old tree, tie some ribbons and dream catchers onto the branches and lay down an assortment of persian rugs, crochet blankets and pillows to lounge on – your guests won’t want to leave!Read More

Feather DIY Roundup

Time for some DIY goodness, brideys! And in line with our boho bent this month, I thought it was high time I rounded up some feathery goodness for your weddings. Feathers make a great motif for boho celebrations, and there are so many ways you can include them – plus, I adore the whole gold-dipped feather trend, which is perfect for boho luxe! Of course, make sure you source the feathers responsibly, and remember that you can always use paper instead of real (some of the tutorials below cover paper feathers, and even clay ones, which I love). Let’s go!

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