We’re closing out our week with some seriously amazing, truly South African bridal inspiration, set amongst the Overberg fynbos. Not only are the gowns just perfect for a free-spirited boho bride and the models all absolutely stunning, but the images and styling are so on point – I have to tell you guys, I’m a little obsessed with these pics. They make me want to jump in a Landie and head for the hills, to soak up some of the wild beauty that is our beloved corner of the planet. Gorgeous work by the team, which included photographers Nina Zimolong and Zach Louw, and MUAH artist Taryn Vogl!
There’s nothing I love more than a country wedding filled with fynbos and laughter and love, especially when that wedding was handmade by all the special people in the couple’s life, just for them. Pieter and Renée’s wedding was just that, and it set the tone for a sweetly personal affair in the cool air of autumn, embellished with a host of darling DIYs. But my favourite part? That incredible, intense moment when bride and groom see each other for the first time at each end of the aisle. Tears! And the way they look at each other in every lovely frame by Those Photos, you just know they’re the real deal.
I could use a little beachiness today, to remind me of summer, and this bijoux Garden Route wedding really fits the bill. Infused with sunshine and salty air, Tarryn and Warwick’s ceremony overlooking Noetzie Beach was the first part of their wedding celebrations (with part 2 being a reception at a local wine estate), and it exemplified everything I love about intimate weddings. There’s an incredible feeling of warmth and family and togetherness, exemplified by the way that, at the dinner that followed, each guest made a heartfelt (and tearful!) speech. Tarryn’s dreamy Silver Swallow gown and gold laurel headpiece and Warwick’s pastel blazer were the perfect complement to their laid back wedding style, and that beautiful simplicity carried through to the dinner decor of hanging bunches of fynbos and greenery garlands interspersed with candles – all at a table with the most incredible view of the sea. Alfred Lor was on hand to capture all the natural beauty of this special day.
Sometimes I sit and think how lucky we are, and how lucky I am, to be a wedding blogger at this time in South Africa. It’s not that long ago that we were fractured into groups, but it’s easy to forget that when you see our many rich cultures coming together in the best place possible – a wedding. Like today’s couple – Vincent and Rochelle come from Zulu and Afrikaans backgrounds respectively, and here they are with their jubilant families, bringing those two backgrounds together in a celebration rich with proteas and fynbos and touches of gold (just like South Africa, now that I think of it). It’s enough to make me seriously patriotic, but the main point here of course, as always, is the love and these two have it written all over them. Tabitha from Illuminate Photography took these gorgeous, romantic pics of their big day.
I love that in weddings I feel like I learn something new every day. Today’s fun fact is that the yellow fynbos which is included so liberally and joyfully in Leande & Martin’s gorgeously rustic, elegant-with-a-touch-of-Karoo wedding is called Cape Everlasting – which let’s be honest, is kind of the most perfect name for a wedding flower, and my new favourite South African touch. It also happens to be the loveliest bright against a palette of navy and rust, one lovely detail amongst many – this really is the kind of wedding that every time you look at Laura Leigh‘s pictures, you notice something different. Fruits and greenery lining the aisle, red ribbon on the eucalyptus bouquets, shotgun shell boutonnieres… And combined with the fantastic backdrop of The Cowshed (including a herd of Nguni cattle), this is just about as picturesquely South African as a wedding can be.Read More
You probably don’t need me to tell you by now that proteas are my weakness – forget red roses, any man who really wants to impress me just needs to bring me a single fynbos bloom. The thing is, just when I think I’ve seen every variety I’m going to love, I come across another, and my current crush is the elegant Niobe protea, with its downy black-tipped petals. So when I saw Inghe & Christiaan’s relaxed rustic wedding style (photographed by the fab Tertius Gous), which was inspired by natural colours and textures, and the Niobes that are plentiful throughout, I couldn’t wait to share it with you all. Everything about this wedding is soft and unfussy, from a bride in boots to the hangover kit favours. So kick up your own heels, get your protea-loving Pinning fingers at the ready, and let’s go!Read More
When someone in the wedding and events industry gets married, it can feel like a lot of pressure – I often say that if it was me, I’d probably just elope. But at its best, wedding insiders’ weddings get to be a celebration of the talent and friendship that they have built up over the years, a coming together of creativity and ideas where the sum of the whole is greater than its parts. And in the case of today’s wedding – that of The Table Cloth Hiring Company’s Rebecca and her hubby Craig, that sum is pretty great indeed. In fact, I kind of felt like this wedding had fallen straight down from heaven into my lap when Rebecca sent it over, since it’s not only game-changer gorgeous, but also couldn’t fit in more perfectly with our ‘Greenhouse’ theme for July. I ADORE Rebecca and Craig’s take on botanical – the hanging greenery, the Easter egg nests, the gorgeous and unusual flower choices, the wood and moss and copper elements, and of course the printed tablecloths! The setting was a family olive farm, and I loved the way that even the bridesmaids’ robes fitted into the look and feel, and yet despite coming together perfectly, the whole day is unfussy and natural. It was SO hard to narrow down decor pics so I went to town a bit – enjoy. After all, it’s always a pleasure to look at a few more of Justin Davis’ lovely photos!Read More
I can’t think of a more proudly South African theme for your wedding than fynbos, and that’s exactly what today’s bride and groom chose, basing their entire wedding design on their love for Cape fynbos, right down to protea seed favours. Here’s the twist though – the wedding didn’t take place in the Cape, but rather in the North West, creating a gorgeous fusion of the best of two of our prettiest provinces. This is rustic handmade wedding design at its best, in creamy neutral colours, along with shades of soft pink and a touch of gold. 5 Talents Photography took these golden images, to commemorate Jean-Marie & Jacques special day!Read More
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
Today we’re heading out to the beautiful Garden Route to see a wedding created by the considerably talented Marius Barnard of Weddings by Marius. Julianne and Gene’s big day was a colourful affair, inspired by the hues of evening light on the South African fynbos… wow. (Don’t you just love that?) With spectacular flowers (including a floral chandelier above the couple’s weddimg ceremony), nude wood tables with mixed vases and vessels, and hanging cafe lights in a huge white marquee, this is my idea of rustic wedding perfection. What a way to start the day!Read More
