Tag: proteas

Cape Town Chic Grand Café Wedding by Stephanie Veldman {Sally & Shaun}

by gaby

You know, if I think back to Std 5 discos, all I can remember is serious amounts of awkwardness. Sitting on opposite boy/girl sides of the room, wanting to rush out whenever a slow song came on, then dancing stiffly and super far apart (except if you REALLY liked the oke, and then it would be head on shoulder). Once I danced with a boy and mouthed along with the song (Did I think it was sexy, Dirty Dancing style? Probably. It wasn’t.) and he was all “Gabs, what are you doing?”. OMG, so much awkwardness. I definitely did not find lurve at the disco, but I’m delighted to find that someone did. Specifically, today’s gorgeous couple. SO ADORABLE. And that’s just the meet-cute. The stunning wedding itself was held in one of my favourite Cape Town venues, the gorgeous Grand, with its combination of incredible views, bold pink and industrial edge. The photographer was SBB fave, Stephanie Veldman, who captured every dreamy moment from ceremony to sunset.Read More

Vintage High Tea Bridal Shower by Megan van Zyl

by gaby

Hello lovelies! I thought today we would finish off with some bridal shower inspiration, courtesy of the lovely Megan van Zyl. This one has all your favourites – a touch of vintage, proteas, and shabby chic decor, as well as a table full of delicious-looking desserts! Megan was contacted by the maid of honour responsible for all this prettiness, Simoné, who was coming out from Australia (along with a suitcase full of decor and handmade floral crowns), for her bestie Eugenie’s kitchen tea at the Magoebaskloof Hotel just outside Haenertsburg. She was delighted to capture the happy day!Read More

Pink & Gold Nantes Estate Wedding by Daniela Zondagh {Suhaifa & Jacques}

by gaby

There may come a day friends, when I’ll get sick of the combination sparkly gold, soft pink and mint green, when my heart won’t thrill at the sight of a pair of sparkly shoes or gold chevron detailing on a cake or proteas teamed with peonies (sigh!) and roses. But that day is definitely not today. Today we’re celebrating all of these beautiful details and more, because they come as part of the sweetest multicultural wedding, with a bride not just in a floaty white gown but in a spectacular Indian lengha with jingling bracelets and delicately hennaed hands. An aisle made gorgeous with rose petals, little mirrored Indian trinket boxes for favours, a dashing groom. Whether you’re planning your own fusion wedding or one with vintage or modern glam elements, you’re going to ell-oh-vee-ee love this!Read More

African Glam by Fox&Co and Stephanie Veldman

by gaby

Good morning, SouthBound brides! I have such lovely inspiration to share with you today, which comes from the fab Fennec Deuchar from Fox&Co. (a Cape Town based event and decor specialist) and one of our fave photographers, Stephanie Veldman. You already know I’m a huge fan of proteas and fynbos, as well as some of the beautiful South African patterns and textures we have at our disposal, and I also know we have a shared love of glitter, right? Well, put the two together, and you have one of the loveliest tables I have seen in quite a while. Gorgeous muted jewel tones, big king protea blooms, porcupine quills, guinea fowl feathers and a beautiful touch of gold glam. I just love it! And that’s even before we get to the floral arch – wow. The perfect venue for this glamorous homegrown look is Pure at Hout Bay Manor (check out this amazing wedding we featured here a couple of years ago).Read More

Real Wedding at Delsma Farm {Elmarie & Sakkie}

by gaby

Today’s real wedding was a submission from the bride herself, the lovely Elmarie, who worked her pretty socks off to pull off the handmade vintagey country look for her big day. It’s all here: pastel painted faux milk glass vases, bunting, doilies, ribbons, flags and bunting. It’s like a Pinterest board come to life! I ADORE the bridesmaids’ dresses and even more so their bouquets – I just never get tired of these little wooden proteas as a truly South African floral alternative. But I think my favourite touch is the sheepies – the bride and groom come from farming backgrounds and they brought this in in such a cute way through both the boutonnieres and the table plan – such a simple but effective and memorable design! I have a feeling this one is going to have a  very high Pin count – enjoy!Read More

Real Wedding at Verkykerskop {Juane & Adriaan}

by gaby

Holy-moly-me-oh-my, do I ever have a wedding for you today! As you may have realised by now, I LOVE weddings that are not only beautiful and romantic, but truly South African, and in those terms Juane and Adriaan’s might be one of my favourites, ever. I hadn’t come across Verkykerskop before, but I ADORE their event space, not to mention the way that this couple decorated it perfectly. Old Wimpy booths as furniture, succulents in Lucky Star tins, Wilson’s toffees tied up with string as favours. Awesome, right? Not to mention big, bold proteas (LOVE the bride’s single bloom bouquet), printed burlap runners, retro flags, super cool groomsman styling and one of the coolest bar areas I’ve ever seen. It’s like stepping out of the car on a roadtrip and stumbling into the best ever roadside diner filled with retro South African chic. Of course, it’s no surprise that bride Juane has fantastic taste, as she’s the visual director at Leef, and I can’t not mention her incredible wedding dress! Photographer Wesley Vorster was there to capture every crisp detail and pop of cherry red to perfection.Read More

Real Wedding at Hidden Valley {Chris & Richard}

by gaby

I’m blogging this wedding with such a huge smile on my face. It’s not just because of the modern, innovative styling I’m about to show you, or the fact that it works perfectly in a classic Cape winelands setting (how I hope this inspires other couples!). It’s not even because so much of the wedding was DIY, or because the grooms planned it faultlessly from abroad according to their vision, or because the venue was a surprise (!) or because it had clever personal details that reflected their mixed Australian and South African heritages. It’s because every time I look at the smiles of these two boys, and the smiles of everyone at their wedding, it makes me happy. So much love. And when love comes in a gorgeous package… well, that’s just fabulous. Wesley Vorster was there to capture every chic masculine detail, from the large exposed lightbulbs (obsessed) to the fab typographic stationery on kraft paper, to the abundant proteas in vintage glass bottles, to the sleek suits worthy of the best Italian tailor. I’ve been dying to share this one with you, and I hope you love every bit of it as much as I do!Read More

Real Wedding at Nicolson’s Country Café {Louise & Sven}

by gaby

Gather round children, and let me tell you one of my favourite love stories. Once upon a time, I had a friend called Sven, who was one of the loveliest chaps I knew. Clever and kind, best man and godfather many times over, he was one of those people whose friends are always all ‘how is he still single?’. But he was. And he didn’t want to be. He thought it was past due that he met the love of his life, but Destiny was taking her sweet time. One day, when I was home in Durban on holiday, I went out on a Midlands Meander with him, and Sven told me as we drove how he’d just about given up on finding love. He wasn’t unhappy – he has a great business, and he’d got into rowing in a big way – but he’d decided the the marriage thing just wasn’t going to happen. He was throwing in the towel. That very afternoon, we headed back to Durban to watch the Oxford/Cambridge boat race at Sven’s rowing club. And there, in the row in front of us (although neither of us knew it yet), was the girl he would marry, the equally lovely Louise. Which just goes to show. Timing is everything ;) The end of that story (and the start of a new one) was a beautiful brunch wedding at Nicolson’s in the Midlands, which I happened to be at, so I can tell you first hand that it was fabulous. Faye of Poetry Weddings did an awesome job pulling together all the gorgeous country-style decor, and CC Rossler took these breathtaking pictures. (I didn’t do anything, just sipped rosé and sighed over how much I loved the protea arrangements). Having a brunch wedding was such a lovely alternative – it felt very civilised, the food was amazing, and while the wedding party had their photos taken we all enjoyed a perfect Midlands afternoon. There was even a rainbow – now there’s a fairytale ending if ever I saw one!Read More

New Ways with Proteas {Centrepieces}

by gaby

Source: Adam Barnes/Petal via Wedding Chicks

A few weeks ago, we looked at some of the gorgeousness and variety that has been floating around the web in the form of protea bouquets, from pincushions to kings to Blushing Brides. Today I’m showcasing ten gorgeous centrepieces, also containing proteas, from weddings around the world. I love every one of them, and although proteas work beautifully on their own, I’m amazed how striking they can be with other flowers and interesting containers. So much lovely inspiration for South African brides! And remember, you can always find the latest protea looks on the SBB ♥ Proteas Pinterest board.Read More

Real Wedding at The Cowshed {Chrisinda & Wouter}

by gaby

Holy moly me oh my. Get ready for a handmade farm wedding that is going to blow your socks off! I’m a big fan of Mpumalanga venue, The Cowshed, and have been looking forward to featuring a wedding there for ages, so when I saw Chrisinda and Wouter’s ice cream pastel paletted, bunting and origami bird festooned, colourful Consol jar decorated, protea filled Cowshed wedding, I thought all my rustic wedding Christmases had come at once. It’s just so gosh darn lovely, and even as I have been editing the photo selection, there have been tons of little details I didn’t see the first time round. A woman after my own heart, Chrisinda, clearly. (Although I shouldn’t be surprised, since she is the owner of Hello Dolly, an awesome invitation and design company.) This is classic South African styling, beautifully done, and the fab Yolande Marx has captured everything wonderfully. In fact, it was hard to narrow down the selection, so enjoy a bit of a photo bonanza!Read More