Happy Friday friends! I’m away spending some super girly time with one of my besties today (YAY), but there’s plenty of prettiness going on here on SBB while I’m gone. And we’re starting with a gorgeous spring styled shoot (with a horse!) from photographer Dillon Kin, who comes SBB-recommended as a member of our directory. I just love the bright berry colour scheme of this shoot – so on-trend – as well as the boho feel of the styling and all the blossoms, wow. It’s the perfect inspiration for rustic SouthBound brides!Read More
And now, as the Monty Python boys would say, for something completely different. Halloween’s never been my favourite holiday (I am a WOES with scary movies, can’t cope at all), but when I saw today’s spooky, kooky, totally gorgeous styled shoot by the fab Pickle Photography and a brilliant team including Carolyn McNeil of Adore Weddings & Events and Sarah Reynolds of Urban Lace, I knew we’d be celebrating it in style on the blog today. It’s a tale of two little ghouls in love – complete with Day of the Dead-style makeup – along with a series of spine-chillingly lovely details. THAT CAKE. So okay, you’re probably not going to go ahead and have a wedding that looks like this one, but there are still some lovely antique woodland-style details to inspire. Happy Hallows, folks!Read More
A while back, my lovely friends (and regular collaborators) photographer Anneli Marinovich and stylist Louise Beukes headed off to a picturesque little corner of the French countryside for the weekend, to create an enchanted woodland-inspired styled shoot, which sounded like the best idea ever to me. And then I saw the results over on Rock My Wedding and I fell in love with its fairytale enchanted forest wedding style, even more than I’d imagined I would. Gold forest creatures, a cake dripping with caramel (and tiny fondant mushrooms), heart shaped macarons, lush roses, moss, a floral chandelier. Each detail is more heart-racingly beautiful and inspiring than the last. So I’m super excited that these talented wedding pros are sharing their shoot on SouthBound Bride today. If you’re planning a woodland wedding (and I know many of you are, especially with the great forest venues SA has to offer), then consider adding a little touch of whimsy and fantasy to your decor as Louise has done here so well – it’s gorgeous, and takes the look from rustic prettiness to all-out enchanting.Read More
Happy Friday, brideys! Hope you have a fun weekend planned, but first, we have lots of lovely coming your way, starting with this vintage French style bridal inspiration shoot from Jana Marnewick Photography. Jana based the shoot around ‘millésimé’, a French term meaning ‘vintage’ and she has created some absolutely stunning looks for a variety of brides. I am just loving the romance of light on lace, and I can’t quite decide between the soft pastel palette of the first table and the statement autumn palette of the second. Whichever is your favourite, you’ll find lots of inspiration here.Read More
You know, if I hadn’t actually given blood the other day and seen it for myself, I would swear sometimes that glitter flowed through my veins. Show me something sparkly, and I am SOLD. And one of the things I love best is gold glitter against a stark monochrome background. But what do I like even better than all that? A touch of home, of course. Which is why I absolutely adore this styled shoot from the very lovely Maxeen Kim, a South African based in London who not only takes beautiful piccies, but is all about inspiring budget-conscious brides, which makes this shoot not just beautiful but achievable too. Maxeen channeled her love for all things South African into a bridal look and table that has a clean black and white base with a glamorous, blingy sheen – perfect for the modern South African bride. I love the stunning model’s guinea fowl headpiece, the foiled stationery, as well as the sparkly runner, the beaded cattle, and of course, the beautiful chevron cake. This is a look I would love to see in a real wedding one day soon!Read More
Happy Friday, lovelies! We’re escaping the city for beautiful Portugal today, with an absolutely gorgeous styled shoot from our dear friends at Piteira Photography. Luis and Kerry live in this sun-kissed country for most of the year (the rest spent in South Africa, when they grace us with their talented presence for the summer wedding season) and so together with some fantastic local suppliers, put together a dreamy alfresco-style shoot complete with the most gorgeous rustic details. Portugal is a wedding destination that’s largely untapped, and it’s also a source of style inspiration that’s still very fresh and unique among Mediterranean countries. For example, if you love French country or Italian style, but want something just a little bit different, then adding a little bit of Portugal-inspired detail to your big day is a great idea. This shoot, with its pretty mismatched crockery, flowers in glass bottles, café lights hanging over cobbled streets, and perfect rustic dessert table has me dreaming of a trip across the ocean and of outdoor weddings full of sunshine and smiles.Read More
Good morning lovely friends! Today’s inspiration is just DREAMY. Seriously, I was all jaw on the floor for at least ten minutes after I saw these pics for the first time. Beautiful bridal styling, AMAZING dresses, and a backdrop that is rustic chic perfection. And in fact, the backdrop is what initially brought photographers Claire Harries, Claire Thomson & Angelique Smith together, since they wanted to showcase a gorgeous new venue near Durbanville, the Dairy Shed. With help from in-house co-ordinators Two Birds and SBB faves, the Green Goddess floral geniuses, they produced some absolutely breathtaking bridal images, as well as a table that is elegant rustic perfection. Get ready to be wowed.Read More
Brrr! We’re starting off our Monday with some frosty wintery inspiration – a decor scheme that has every bit of the magic of winter, Narnia-style, but with a minimalist contemporary twist. Which makes it pretty much perfect for a modern winter bride. With a palette of bright white and neutrals, clean florals (tulips and lilies) mixed with the texture of a ‘snow covered’ tree centrepiece, and a mix of Tiffany chairs and soft fluffy faux furs draped over others, it’s the kind of look that’s easy to carry off but will make a great impression on your guests.Read More
A lot of the inspiration we share here is countrified or beachy – and after all, there’s a huge chunk of South Africa and beautiful South African venues that are situated beyond city limits or even in pockets of countryside within them. But I think city weddings are on the up – especially with some gorgeous city venues especially in Joburg. And while this style isn’t for everyone, I personally adore urban style – there’s something so elegant and sophisticated about it, and I adore the contrast between industrial textures like steel, glass and brick with soft tulle or verdant blooms. So I’m thrilled to be bringing you today’s styled shoot by a fab team including the dynamic Vizion Photo and Celeste Styled Events. You may have seen it in the previous issue of our fave magazine, Wedding Inspirations, but here is an extended look at all the lovely details, including two swish tablescapes, two variations on the bridal look (LOVE the denim jacket, and that floral neckpiece – wow!), and even a pie ‘cake’, all set against a slick, modern backdrop. Be inspired!Read More
Yay, you guys! I am super amped to be announcing the finalists for our styled shoot competition today.
Before I do, though, I wanted to say a HUGE thank you to all the talented people who spent time coming up with ideas and putting their entries together. There’s always a little part of you, when you launch something like this, that worries OMG what if nobody even enters? But as the due date arrived, a steady stream of emails landed in my inbox, most from South Africa, but some from the UK and US too. It was soooo exciting. I loved seeing the competition brief through your eyes.
But then came the really hard part. Because the standard of entries was so high, and the ideas were all so awesome, choosing five finalists was almost impossible. I swear, there were times when I almost just said “okay, you’re ALL finalists”. Thank goodness I had two judges to help me (massive thanks to Louise and Sara for this!). Somehow we managed to narrow it down, but saying no to the other entrants was so, so hard. I just want to thank you all again and let you know how in awe I am of your talents!
And speaking of talent, I’d like to introduce you to the five finalists. Each of them came up with a unique spin on South African wedding style, and I absolutely cannot wait to see the end result! I’ve listed them in alphabetical order according to the team member who submitted their entry. Here we go!Read More
