Tag: rustic

Rustic Lace Klipskuur Wedding by GingerAle Photography {Haloise & Jaco}

by gaby

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

Fairytale Bride #5: The Decor

by gaby

This has been by far the absolute BEST part of planning this wedding for me. Just thinking about it, my heart begins to beat that little bit faster and my eyes start twinkling. I think what I’m loving the most out of the experience of planning a wedding so far, (apart from the fact that this is the most beautiful ‘joint’ project Rob and I have been able to work on), is the fact that it allows me to be SO creative. It allows me to find joy in the detail and get excited about the smallest little things, which is what will ultimately make the day memorable and special! I cannot wait to share this creativity that has been stirred up inside of me in that final blog post so that it leaves other lovely ladies inspired, smiling and dreaming big.

Escort card inspiration:

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Puppy Love Engagement Shoot

by gaby

Afternoon, friends! Well, I promised you a double dose of this couple (and of course the fab Jacki Bruniquel too) today, and you won’t be disappointed with this super adorable e-shoot on the family farm. Jax so perfectly captures the mood of each couple shoot she does, and this one is so personal, what with all the memories the farm has for Chantel from growing up there. It’s also the place Brett proposed, making it even more special as a shoot location. And I love, love, loved that they included their three dogs in the pics. Anyone who knows me will know that I am a total dog person – in fact, my family has a standing joke that wherever we are, if there’s a dog in the room it will immediately come up to me (secretly, I love this). So not only am I cooing at how utterly cute these furbabies are, but I’m loving the laid-back happy atmosphere they add to the pictures, perfectly the happy vibes given off by this loved-up couple. They say never work with children or animals… but Chantel and Brett may beg to differ!Read More

Ten Tables: Rustic {Part 2}

by gaby

Welcome back to Part 2 of our rustic tables feature, lovelies! I had such a brilliant response to this new series last week from both readers and other bloggers, so we’ll definitely be continuing with it! Do you have any specific table styles to request? Let me know in the comments! Of course, rustic is a big favourite – it works in quite a few contexts and as you saw last week, can go from real down-home farm styling to elegant and a bit glam, depending on how you combine different elements. This time I’ve lined up the second half of my top ten favourite rustic tablescapes, and again broken them down into their elements to help you with your own wedding design. If you missed Part 1, you can catch it here.

Table #6: Sweet & Low Country

FLOWERS: Mixed white blooms

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Ten Tables: Rustic {Part 1}

by gaby

We’re doing something new this afternoon, and it is all about tablescapes. As much as I love designing the overall look and feel of a wedding via inspiration board, one of the key questions whenever I’ve helped a friend plan her wedding has been “okay, but what exactly do we put on the tables?” You can see fantastic details and ideas in styled shoots and real weddings, but one of the things that I know brides always want to see in the pictures is how it all looks together, how you combine things, what that combination looks like. This new series sets out to help – not just by inspiring you with some of the most beautiful tables I have found, but in breaking these tablescapes down into their elements so you can start getting an idea of what those elements are and how they work together. Take one of these designs as it is and treat the breakdown as a shopping list, mix and match different bits of a few tables, or adapt to make them your own. You’ll be surprised as you go how many inexpensive elements you can include, or DIYs that can be done (I’ve given advice on both wherever possible). We’re kicking things off with the first five of my ten favourite rustic tables for all you brides dreaming of a farm or a barn or a forest wedding.

UPDATE: You can find Part 2 here.

Table #1: Country Colourful

FLOWERS: Chrysanthemums, dahlias, delphiniums, roses

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Real Wedding at The Cowshed {Sam & Matt}

by gaby

Love in the hay. That’s how today’s bride and groom nicknamed their wedding, and it’s such an appropriate description. Everything about this wedding is relaxed and joyful and farm-style gorgeous. From the location (the always-fabulous Cowshed in Mpumalanga) to the fearless couple portraits near some Nguni cattle to the rustic-South-African-with-a-touch-of-Brit decor. I also can’t think of a more perfect photography team to have captured this delightful big day than Dylan and Emma-Jane of Lad & Lass, who have such a lovely, unique way of framing their subjects. They even managed to get some exquisite shots of the night sky, as guests danced the night away and the stars came out over Africa. It’s pure wedding happiness – enjoy!Read More

Inspiration Board: Huckleberry Blues

by gaby

Good morning my lovelies! Hope you had a brilliant weekend! Today’s board is all about a calm, serene, cool blue and a fizzy pop of vibrant red. I must say, I love this idea. Baby blue and bright red have been a popular combination for a while, but they’re usually associated with 50s diner style weddings, or Cath Kidston chintzes. I like the idea of it for a rustic farm or vineyard wedding, with beautiful blue tables and bushels of white flowers, and then every now and again, a powerful punch of red. After all, there’s something about red, isn’t there? A hint of red heels peeping out from under a lace dress, a bright red getaway car, or a scarlet bouquet in a bridesmaid’s arms. It’s sassy, and sassy is good. What do you think?

Colours: Baby blue, white and red

Top row (l-r): Barn setting {Andi Mans Photography & Design/Blush by Brandee Gaar}; bridesmaid with red bouquet {Elizabeth Messina/Elizabeth Messina}; blue and white meringues {Jennifer Hejna Photography}; wedding dress {Jose Villa}
Row 2: Raspberries; cutlery {Alea Lovely}; bouquet {Ashley Slater Photography/Spring Sweet}; red shoes {Elizabeth Messina}; blue flowers
Row 3: Bride & groom {Laura Murray Photography/Love This Day Events}; red getaway car {Jon Duenas Photography}; place setting {Millie Holloman Photography/Salt Harbor Designs}; blue invitation {Jose Villa /Linea Carta}

 

Real Wedding at Grand Dedale {Christina & Marc}

by gaby

Real wedding time! And boy, am I excited to share this one. It’s so beautiful, with a perfect blend of elegance and rustic goodness, it’s like one of my favourite inspiration boards come to life. And come to life it did, with smiles and infectious laughter, gorgeous flowers and a bevvy of mini bridesmaids. This is the kind of wedding that really shows off what our winelands are about, and why they’re such a sought-after wedding destination, year after year. Plus, the bride (whose nickname is Bubbles – you can’t NOT like someone with such a cute name) is a total rockstar – for her hen night she dressed up as a SuperWife and paraglided off Lion’s Head! Kind of appropriate though, since she was marrying a stuntman. But back to the wedding, in all its loveliness. Desmond and Toni of dna photographers were there to capture every special moment, every drop of sunshine, and a spectacular ‘first kiss’!Read More

Inspiration Board: Blanc de Blanc

by gaby

Happy Monday SouthBound Brides! And happy first day of the month. Eeks, how did it get to be the second half of the year already? Anyway, for today’s inspiration colour scheme we have… no colour scheme. I’ve gone back to basics, because as much as punches of colour are fabulous, I still love a white on white wedding. Especially when you add some soft, country touches with just a whisper of rustic-ey vintage. Lush garden blooms, a beautiful open-sided marquee, and textured detailing like a ruffly cake and lace-iced biscuits. My favourite idea? Why not hang distressed white-painted mirrors in a row with table assignments written on them?

Colours: White

Top row (l-r): Single bloom bouquet {Jose Villa}; flowers and letter; table setting {Beth Helmstetter Events/Steve Steinhardt}; half up hairstyle; white books
Row 2: White bridesmaids dresses {Jemma Keech Photography}; table number {Kristen Wood/Denise Addesso}; iced biscuits {Kiss Me Kate/Studio 76 Artist Group}; white shoes {Jose Villa}; hanging mirrors
Row 3: White wedding car {Jose Villa/Rosemary Special Events}; cake with ruffles; dessert table; white flowers; open-sided marquee {Jose Villa/Rosemary Special Events}.

 

Inspiration Board: Blossom & Berry

by gaby

Happy Monday, folks – here’s to a super-productive week! Today we have a pretty, rustic red and white board, that would be just perfect for an autumn wedding. There’s a little touch of French bistro, and textures of wood, kraft, burlap and berry. So pretty! Red and white is a combo that I often see in real weddings, but it’s often used either in a more modern way or as a stark accent against a classic white wedding. But here it’s a gorgeous alternative to the pretty pastels or muted neutrals that you usually see for a rustic wedding. Lovely, isn’t it? Don’t be afraid to play with your ideas on colour a bit when planning your wedding – just because you have chosen a specific style doesn’t mean that you have to use the same palette as many others before you. Often just this little twist can make a look really fresh and interesting. My favourite touches here are the mannequin escort cards, the tin dessert menu, the gorgeous burlap runner with table number and the bridesmaids’ mismatched shoes. Which do you like best?

Colours: Red, white, green and mocha

Top row (l-r): Bride in blossoms {Tec Petaja/Joy Thigpen}; berry desserts {Danielle Capito}; wooden gate {Tec Petaja/Joy Thigpen}; table with burlap runner {Nikki Meyer Photography/Kraak}; bicycles
Row 2: Bridesmaids with red shoes {Emily Johnston Anderson}; mannequin escort cards {m three studio}; strawberry cocktail; outdoor ceremony {Caroline Tran Photographer/Kelly Oshiro Design}
Row 3: Table with red flower arrangement {Flowerwild/Jose Villa}; groom in braces {Zara Zoo Photography}; farm inspiration suite; bouquet with strawberry {Nikki Meyer Photography/Kraak}; book ring shot.