You know it’s going to be a fabulous day when I get to post a Rensche Mari wedding, and today is such a day! And boy am I in love with Luan & Marné’s wedding! Take your classic farm wedding, add a beautiful twist of rustic beauty and you have this! From the bride’s princess gown to the pastel palette (supplemented with punches of bright blue from the Delft details and toile du jour linens – love!), from the ceremony in the prettiest outdoor chapel to the first dance under a constellation of fairy lights, and everywhere in between, it is pure, dreamy romance. Brought to life in these gorgeous images, as only Rensche can do!
They say it takes a village to raise a child – well, sometimes I think it takes a village to make a wedding too. I’m always touched by the lengths our couples’ family and friends go to in helping with their big day – from folding hundreds of paper cranes to making space for the wedding on their properties, to simply being there, cheering them on throughout the process. That’s why a wedding is so much more than a pretty day, or even an exchange of vows between two people. It’s also about all the love and joy of their people, the ones who care for them and help them make it happen. So today’s wedding is bittersweet. It’s a beautiful, beyond-happy celebration, made possible not least through the love and generosity and hard work of the groom’s sister Sunita and her husband Jacques. I’m told Sunita loved to create beautiful events, so the farm where she and Jacques lived was the perfect place for Hendriette and Manus to plan their lush, vibrant, rustic barn wedding. Together, the two of them helped turn the utilitarian industrial-style shed into a wonderland filled with curtains of twinkle lights, and lashings of greenery and jewel-coloured blooms. Hendriette made for the most elegant of brides, in her stunning low-back wedding gown, and was joined by a troop of girls in glittery sequin bridesmaid dresses, her handsomely suited and booted groom and his gents, and a vintage car just to finish off the rest of the glam in this rustic + glam equation. It was perfect. And while tragically the family lost Sunita and Jacques recently, this wedding is a testament not only to Hendriette and Manus’ relationship and happiness, but to how much they were loved by those close to them. To the couple and their families, I’m so very sorry for your loss. I hope this post, and Matthew Carr‘s wonderful images, bring back some very precious memories to bring you some comfort.
They say it takes a village, and although the expression is supposed to be about raising a child, it could just as easily apply to the way that family and friends pitched in to make Minette and Louis’ vision of their beautiful big day come to life. From the flowers arranged by a talented aunt, to the wooden doors that were a beautiful focal point at their outdoor ceremony (built by Minette’s dad), to the army of crochet-ers who helped create the doily runners on their rustic vintage tables, it was all a labour of love and togetherness that’ll have farm wedding lovers jumping for joy. My personal favourite detail is the blue glassware – a simple but super clever touch, because of the gorgeous pops of blue the glasses bring to the reception. And speaking of pops of blue, Minette’s MOH crop and skirt combo is amazing (second only to her own, dreamy lace gown!). But best of all is the relaxed, happy vibe that the couple projects, which was as much part of their day as the decor itself – no wonder their ‘village’ were happy to pitch in to make their wedding dreams come true. Linda Fourie captured these beautiful images.
Planning a rustic wedding filled to the brim with fynbos and burlap and cute ‘down on the farm’ touches? Well then, this one’s for you, brideys! Christel and Andries, farm lovers at heart, wanted a real ‘plaas troue’, an intimate celebration with family and friends that brought all their favourite things together: proteas, succulents, windmills, hay bales… even some adorable tractor-themed touches! My favourite detail is their escort display using little enamel mugs – so adorable! Everything was DIY, pretty much, which created a much-cherished opportunity for family to share special times creating all the decor. And I can’t not mention Christel’s dress, with its unusual nude lace overlay effect – love! – as well as the groomsmen’s leather braces and bows (definitely the farm wedding must-have in SA this season!). DGR Photography were on the scene to capture every farm-fabulous detail of the event
‘Boho’ is a term that gets applied to a lot of weddings these days, but I feel like today’s wedding really deserves it. It’s got that laid-back, mismatched, organic look down to a tee, with a touch of whimsy, from the maypole ceremony area to the wooden tables to the bride’s yellow-gold dress (and we do love a coloured wedding dress, don’t we!) I think my favourite touch, though, is the use of Delft-style vases and plates on the tables – mixed in with proteas, wildflowers, fruits and silver candelabras, it’s the perfect mix of casual and formal, not to mention oh so pretty! We don’t have a story to share with you today (for the best possible reason – Natasha & Gavin now have a little one demanding their attention!) but we’ll let Brenda Wardell of Hearts in a Shutter’s warm and wonderful pictures tell their own tale.Read More
I’ll tell you why today’s wedding really has my heart, you guys. I mean, we all love some classic South African country vintage decor – proteas, and succulents and lace. Add in bold navy stripes and a sense of bringing the outdoor in with woodsy details like moss and raw wood, and you have a gorgeous wedding design. But what I really love (and this won’t come as news to any of you who have been reading SBB for more than five minutes) is that the conception of this pretty, pretty colour scheme and set of details was based entirely on the couple’s personalities and tastes. Which in my book, is pretty much everything a wedding ever needs to be. That attention to detail reaches right on down to the choice of wine, and includes a SUPER romantic gesture by the groom during his speech – a song written just for his bride. Swoon. So there you go. Navy, sage and blush and love all over. Captured to perfection by GingerAle Photography!Read More
“Once in a while, right in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairytale.” I have no idea where that quote comes from, but it pretty perfectly sums up how I feel about today’s wedding. A couple of years ago, I shared this love story, which belongs to my friends Sven and Louise. What I didn’t know was that their wedding wasn’t the end of the bigger picture love story. Because while we were toasting the happy couple with chilled rosé, the wheels of Fate were turning in the background. Who would have known that bringing together Sven, Louise, their planner (Faye of Poetry Weddings) and their photographer CC Rossler (who happened to be a friend of Sven’s friend Gary) would ultimately lead to Faye and Gary finding their very own fairytale? There’s something kind of magical about that. Serendipity. So I’m super excited to be sharing Faye and Gary’s rainy, romantic Midlands wedding (beautifully captured by CC, of course!) with you today.Read More
I had such fun reading the ‘beind the scenes’ story from today’s couple, who have such a lovely sense of humour and fun as they recount the series of circumstances and happenings that brought them together. So it didn’t put a single bit of a dampener on proceedings when they said their vows at The Cowshed in Mpumalanga on a rainy afternoon. Weddings at this venue always have a great mix of casual and country chic, and with a reception filled with proteas and roses, silverware and chandeliers, candelight and cake, that’s exactly the kind of farm charm that we adore. Look out for the Coke can favours (love this idea!) and some beautiful floral bridesmaid dresses among the pretty pics delivered by Lad & Lass.Read More
When you’re picking a wedding design, we’d always advise that you take your venue into consideration – after all, as much as I love contrasts, there are some venues that just will never suit some themes, and you don’t want to spend a year of engagement trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. But for some couples, the venue goes so much further, completely inspiring the look and feel of the wedding, especially when they’re as crazy about the place as Simona and Emile are about Babylonstoren. Fair dues, it is a pretty amazing place, and I especially loved that this sweet couple wanted to share this place that is so special to them with their favourite people. They completely embraced the Babylonstoren aesthetic, the vast, edible gardens and greenhouses, the elegant but simple menu. And, thanks to Simona’s trust in her suppliers, their flowers had a special fruity element to them which I especially love! It’s just the perfect embodiment of farmhouse botanical style, beautifully captured by Claire Thomson.Read More
It’s sweet little rustic weddings with a big heart like this one that really make me melt. Kelly and Duncan chose a venue for their wedding that isn’t even an actual function venue (although you wouldn’t know by the fantastic show of hospitality that Dalmore put on for the couple). Rather, it’s a place that’s close to their hearts, a country getaway where they feel relaxed and happy, and where they could bring their guests to experience the same, among the spectacular scenery of the Natal Drakensberg. Add in some DIY rustic detailing, a few Madiba proteas (wow, but they’re gorgeous, aren’t they?) and a glam lace dress for the bride, and you have the perfect lil’ mix for a wonderful day. Casey Pratt captured every lovely moment from behind the lens.Read More
