Tag: Real Weddings

Real Wedding at Die Opstal {Ilze & Louren}

by gaby

Good morning, SouthBound Brides, did you have a good long weekend? I took a couple of days off for the first time in AGES – although, by “took off” I just mean from the blog, not from work sadly. But sometimes it’s good to give yourself some time off, and I’m back refreshed and renewed for a week of sheer loveliness! Yay. Anyway, speaking of sheer loveliness, today’s wedding is just full of softness and sweetness and stealable details. For example, one of the first that caught my eye when photographer Nadine Aucamp sent over Ilze & Louren’s lovely wedding was the doilies placed delicately under every plate – such a simple way of bringing shabby chic styling to the table, but so effective! I also loved the collection of ceramic vases of all different shapes and sizes that Ilze put together – such a sweet twist on the milk glass and silverware collections we’ve seen a lot of recently. And I love the bird-on-a-wire table listings! As I said, sheer loveliness.Read More

Real Wedding at Providence {Jolene & Travis}

by gaby

Putting this wedding together has been such fun – first I found myself humming Dolly Parton due to the bride’s name (sorry, Jolene, you must get this all the time) which led to a Dolly Parton spotify fest (even though I typed it as Dolly Partyon, which is now totally going to be my stripper name if I ever become a stripper). None of this has anything to do with why it’s a lovely wedding, but it is. I love the misty magical forest of donkeys pics captured by photographer Stuart Dods (so Shrek, in a good way) and the coral details – there’s good reason why this is a colour that brides have fallen in love with over the last year, as it really does just pop against white in such a pretty way. The bride looks like a beautiful princess with her elegant coral ladies in waiting. Travis and Jolene continued the fresh colour combo through to their sweet stationery and reception decor, and it’s the perfect contemporary combo. So thanks for sharing, Jolene (and also for giving me an excuse to indulge in a bit of the Dolly!).Read More

Real Wedding at 401 Rozendal {Lisa & Michael}

by gaby

You guys, I am SO EXCITED about this wedding. The minute I saw it on our friend Carmen Visser‘s blog, I mailed asking if we could feature it – our first traditional Zulu wedding. Lisa and Michael are based in New York, but for their wedding, Lisa wanted to celebrate her Zulu heritage back in South Africa. I absolutely adore her traditional wedding style and protea bouquet and flower arrangements, as well as the way that venue 401 Rosendal was decorated in stylish African chic to suit the occasion. What a special day for Lisa and her family, and for all the guests who came over from the US for a truly memorable occasion. We’re so lucky to have such a rich and diverse cultural heritage in South Africa, and for me as a South African wedding blogger, it’s a pleasure to be able to showcase that in its variety. So here we go – get ready for colour and exuberance and meaning and so much fun.Read More

Real Wedding at De Uijlenes {Nadine & Alan}

by gaby

I have such a special wedding to share with you today! We hear a lot about ‘boho’ weddings, but today’s bride and groom really embody the bohemian life, and not just because the bride wore a flower crown on her big day. When they tired of the corporate world and wanted more freedom, they started their own business creating the most beautiful lasercut lights. Groom Alan is also a skateboarder, and spends the rest of his time skating or filming for skate videos and magazines. Nadine signs all her emails ‘love and light’, and that’s exactly the feeling I have when I look at their INCREDIBLE photos from Love Made Visible. Bex and Bruce have outdone themselves with their gentle documentary style that always captures the amazing emotion of a wedding day, and there’s so much love and joy throughout Nadine and Alan’s forest ceremony and eco chic reception. I love that they did things a little differently, with sack and egg & spoon races instead of throwing the garter and bouquet, and ended their night with their guests around the fire, singing and playing the guitar. Get ready for loveliness!Read More

Real Wedding at Rockhaven {Marené & Jaco}

by gaby

Who’d be a matchmaker, eh? For the most part, introducing two friends is a disaster. Sometimes it works but mostly it doesn’t, and there’s always the risk that your friend will feel that the person you choose for them shows how little you know them at all. It’s certainly never been my forté, but the hero of today’s wedding story is a guy who really did know a friend well enough to spot the woman of his dreams when he met her, and to introduce them. Impressive. And hey presto! Just a few years later, you have this beautiful wedding, complete with proteas and bicycles and general awesomeness. I love the chalkboard details (especially the place mats) and the printed words-as-decor runners, the soft pink bridesmaid dresses, and the bicycle boutonnieres. And I’m especially in love with Catherine Mac‘s beautiful pictures, which as always really capture the essence of the day and the couple in glorious colour!Read More

Real Wedding at the Santé Winelands Hotel {Annemarie & Rhys}

by gaby

Afternoon, lovelies! What a busy week it has been, but there’s still time to share this wonderful wedding that I’ve been so looking forward to bringing to SBB’s pages. Annemarie might be one of my favourite brides – she has been such a star in getting me her story and favourite pics from her wedding. But not just that – I adore her taste. For one thing, she wore one of the most spectacular (pink) dresses I’ve yet seen (with a gorgeous lace top for the ceremony) and accessorised it with an exquisite statement necklace that, get this, she designed and made herself. What makes this detail extra special is that this was the beginning of a new journey for Rhys and Annemarie, who now own their own jewellery shop in Franschhoek. Talk about a personal detail! I also just love her floral design, and the inclusion of white candy Easter eggs on the tables to celebrate the season in a subtle and incredibly pretty way. It’s an absolute treat, not least because of the amazing pictures by SBB fave Vivid Blue Photography. Sigh. I do love weddings.Read More

Real Wedding at Bushfellows {Carol & Joggie}

by gaby

Hello lovelies! I have an exciting announcement coming up this afternoon, but first, here’s a sweet little game lodge wedding from Gauteng photographer Alexander Smith. Carol and Joggie were married at Bushfellows, a private lodge in Limpopo. They chose to enjoy the simple beauty of their natural surroundings, with long tables, Italian food, and classic white wedding details including menus printed on their napkins and lanterns swaying gently in the breeze. We don’t have our usual questionnaire today, but make sure you check out the video at the end (also from Alexander), which is a super fun roundup from Carol and Joggie’s photobooth – this is my absolute favourite way for photobooth pics to be ‘displayed’!Read More

Real Wedding at De Hoop Nature Reserve {El-Ray & Tinus}

by gaby

Time for another real wedding, folks! This one comes from SBB friend and sponsor Dreampix Photography. If there are two things I’m a great big fan of it’s the colour navy and an outdoor wedding. Even more so when that outdoor wedding has an ‘indoor outdoor’ feel – a transfer of elegant indoor (ballroom) decor like chandeliers and checked dancefloor to an outdoor space under the trees. There’s something so romantic about that, like a table for two set up on a beach, or sleeping under the stars, don’t you think? Tinus and El-Ray had both of these elements in their De Hoop Nature Reserve wedding, and they came together beautifully. I also love that they had games for guests in a scenic drinks reception after the ceremony – so fun! Thanks to Kobus of Dreampix for sending this one over. Oh, and PS, it’s clearly fun nailpolish day here on SBB – loving the navy on the bridesmaids!Read More

Real Wedding at The Cowshed {MoniQue & Nico}

by gaby

Good morning, friends! How’s the week treating you all? Well, either way, it’s about to get a little better with a beautiful farm wedding at a venue I have been dying to feature, The Cowshed – talk about rustic goodness! Bride MoniQue was actually first in touch a few months back when I put out a call for new Real Life Brides. Her wedding was too soon to include in the programme, but I was intrigued when she told me all about her custom, soft grey dress and vintage farm theme. Well, both dress and wedding turned out beyond beautiful, so I just had to share them with you here today! This is South African country vintage done right, with lots of heirloom pieces woven into the decor, pretty proteas (I LOVE how each bouquet was a little different), and a romantic ceremony under a tree. Just lovely. Photographer Kim Jansen van Rensburg was there to capture every special moment.Read More

Real Wedding at Isiphiwo {Mankoana & Nzuzo}

by gaby

I do love me a good theme wedding, and as South African wedding themes go, today’s might be the coolest. For our overseas readers who don’t know, Sophiatown was an area of Johannesburg that was ultimately destroyed under apartheid, but that in the 1940s and 1950s was a cultural hub for musicians, writers and artists, full of of jazz and blues and politics and colour. Something like 1920s Harlem. Mankoana and Nzuzo wanted to bring that same colour and energy to their wedding (while still maintaining an elegant, sophisticated overall look), so they included punches of bright pinks and purples as well as music and dancing. It must have been SO FUN! As with all my best weddings, it’s all about a couple who finds a way to express who they are and have a great time with their guests. Love it. Andrea Carlyle was there to capture every lovely moment (and an extremely gorgeous bride and groom) with her camera.Read More