When people ask me how I choose weddings for the blog, I often talk about the ‘ooh factor’ – those little inspiring details that make me go ‘ooh’ (yep, I make the noise and everything). But when I saw today’s gorgeous bride in her Johanna Johnson dress, it was more like a WOW than an ‘ooh’. And everything just got more gorgeous from there – crisp modern whites on the tables, stylish chalkboard details, and an unexpected (but oh so lovely) pop of red on the elegant bridesmaids. I just love everything about Georgie & Brad’s big day, especially that in amongst all of that style, the priority was on a day that was relaxed, happy and romantic, and the talented Lauren Kriedemann was there to capture every bit of it, as only she can!Read More
I say it all the time – a wedding should be a reflection of who you are as a couple. Just that. Whatever it is. And today’s celebration is such a perfect example, with a bride and groom who are as comfortable in black tie as they are on the farm. As soon as I saw the pics of Lianie hanging with her bridesmaids reading Vogue on the morning of her wedding, I knew she was my kind of gal. Especially when I found out that, even though she was a very chic bride and styled her girls straight out of a Paris soiree with their elegant black dresses, that under the ruffles she was a barefoot bride. Lianie and Nicol’s style is such a unique mix – part laid-back casual, part up-town ritz – and they translated it perfectly to their wedding. It’s a rustic venue on a wintry day, a forest ceremony, a potjie dinner. And it’s also candlelight and pearls, and lacy doilies and calligraphy. The best of both worlds, captured beautifully by Maryke Harper.Read More
It’s always fun when I get to share the wedding of a bride whose journey SouthBound Bride has been a part of in some way, and today’s was the source of one of my favourite (and most popular) inspiration boards, Mint & Peach. Of course, that’s just a starting point, but with such a gorgeous colour scheme, with a venue as charming and rustic as Rockhaven, with incredible florals (peonies, yum!) and with breathtaking photos by the always awesome Tasha Seccombe, Tam & Jim’s wedding was always going to be beautiful. And I absolutely love that they wove a single quote through their decor: “Once in lifetime you meet someone who changes everything”. It reminds me of a longer quote from Bob Marley, one of my favourites (which by the way, is awesome for a wedding reading). Inspiration boards are fun, but come to life and filled with fun, laughter and love, this one was so much better than I could have imagined.Read More
Happy Valentine’s Day, my lovelies! I hope that whatever you get up to, whether it’s the grand gesture or something as simple as sharing cards and smiles, you have a wonderful day! Of course, for engaged couples, V-Day is often extra special (any excuse for lovey-dovey, right?), and we’ve been celebrating everything romantic on the blog all week (although in some ways, every week is Valentine’s week on a wedding blog!). Today of course we have some extra special posts planned. First of all, it just had to be a classic cherry red wedding. In fact, I knew Ilke & Willem’s wedding would be perfect for V-Day when I found it on the lovely Simone Franzel‘s blog – not just because of the colour scheme, but because this adorable couple used hearts as their motif. This isn’t like most red weddings though – I absolutely ADORE the clever and creative ways that Ilke brought her theme colour into her decor, from the natural reds of apples and cherries on the tables, red glasses at each place setting, and the gorgeous red lily bridal bouquet, to the bright print napkins that popped against the blue-grey tables. It just shows – there’s no such thing as a predictable colour scheme. So yay for Valentine red, and yay for this fabulous wedding!Read More
After the rainy day weddings we’ve had so far this week, today we’re going to the other end of the spectrum for a wedding in the mountains of Namibia (hey, neighbours!). Talk about rustic chic – Manuela and Graham picked a luxury tented camp for their venue, and complemented the incredible surroundings with vintage farm-style decor. Jules Morgan always takes the most beautiful pictures, but with a majestic backdrop like this one, her pics are absolutely breathtaking. I love how gorgeous natural desert textures were mixed with pretty feminine ones like doilies and lace, and modern touches like Manuela’s pouf blusher veil. And how much do we LOVE her bouquet? So unique, and so perfect for the setting.Read More
Yesterday we brought you one of the many weddings that had to deal with a very stormy Cape last November, and today, we have another. Just like yesterday’s couple, Carol and Marko were proof that it’s all about attitude, laughing off the weather and enjoying every moment of their gorgeous wedding. And gorgeous it definitely was! I am more than a little in love with their very stylish combination of white and grey with a touch of duck egg blue, wood texturing and just a dash of sparkle (rose gold bridesmaid dresses and wooden proteas for the win!). With a cheese and wine spread second to none, lush white flowers accented by Banksia proteas (love!) and moss table numbers and monograms, this celebration was all kinds of pretty – sun or no sun. With the chic blank space backdrop of Landtscap and the clean, crisp images by fab Jani B., this is one wedding sure to inspire.Read More
Oh my word, I am SO excited to share today’s wedding, as it features none other than my very beautiful cousin, Caitlin. I remember when I was younger and we would visit Caty (then just a little girl) and her awesome family on their farm in Elgin – I thought that it was the most gorgeous place in the world. (I admit, there was a part of me at Stellenbosch that was half on the lookout for an apple farmer husband, just so I could move there myself one day!) Fast forward a few years, and Caty was all grown up and set to marry her beau, Mike. Caitlin’s mom, Carol, has absolutely exquisite taste, so I knew it would be lovely, especially after Caty shared some of her own ideas with me (you can see the inspiration board I made for her here). The plan was a super romantic springtime wedding among the new blossoms and abundant roses on the family wine farm. Well… sometimes, life has other plans. Turned out that the weekend the couple picked for their big day was the one in which the Cape was beset by floods. Now, I’m sure there were some brides that weekend who let the weather get them down, but not this one, and not her groom or their families. The night before, the Facebook updates were full of laughter as everyone pulled together to raise dancefloors, move ceremony areas, and build extra marquees. I have so much admiration for their attitude, and it made all the difference (along with a team of awesome suppliers). The result was not only stylish, but unique and memorable and filled with smiles as much as it was filled with showers – as Caitlin summed it up herself: ‘rain, dancing and love’! And if the way these two look at one another is any indication, this is one love story that deserved a legendary celebration. The awesome Tasha Seccombe was there to capture every moment in what was essentially a photographer’s worst nightmare from a technical perspective. She hit it for a six, and I’m so happy to share the results with you today! (Caty and Mike, congrats again and big love to you both, and to the rest of the family who read this too! xxx) Read More
Where do I start with this wedding? Honestly, I don’t know. Is it the whirlwind love story that brought these two lovebirds together? Or maybe the fact that they planned their wedding in just TWO months (not that you could tell – the rustic farm-style details are so beautifully put together!) How about the novelty of a Sunday morning wedding in winter, with all the relaxed warmth of a family luncheon? Or how about Haloise’s incredible lace dress? Or maybe the fact that so much of this wedding was eco-friendly, right down to the gifts. Or the gorgeous atmospheric photographs from GingerAle Photography? It’s impossible to choose, so I’m just going to start at the beginning. Which is after all, to quote Sound of Music (hopefully for the only time ever), a very good place to start. :)Read More
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
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
