Category: Real Weddings

Real Winelands Wedding {Lizaan & Michael}

by gaby

Home is where the heart is, they say, and as a South African who’s been living abroad for many years I can tell you that’s certainly true. So I always love seeing South Africans who have chosen to make their lives elsewhere coming home for their wedding (as most of us do) – not just because our world class wedding industry makes it possible to have an amazing wedding for less than where they live usually, but because it reaffirms that bond with home, and brings visitors who fall in love with our beautiful country for the first time. Bride Lizaan is one of our most talented exports – the daughter of a Springbok rugby player and South African hurdle champion who represented SA as a pro tennis player. Groom Michael is also a talented sportsman, a PE boy who played rugby for the Italian national Sevens team. Together, they have made their lives in Australia, but came home for their wedding. And you guys, what a wedding it was. I am just going to Mosby it upfront and declare that I LOVE IT. The lovely rustic winelands setting (Ernie Else winery, which isn’t normally available for weddings), the slightly boho bridal party, the outdoor tables under the trees in the sunshine… Not to mention Maree Louw of Natural Light‘s magical photos, which capture all the golden ambience of a Cape summer afternoon. As I say, LOVE IT.Read More

Real Garden Wedding {Lindsay & Gareth}

by gaby

Hello my lovelies! Today’s wedding is a breath of fresh air, or more like a summer breeze on a perfect afternoon (Gaby looks out of the window at a winter London garden and despairs). Lindsay and Gareth wanted an unpretentious wedding focused on their nearest and dearest, so they set aside the usual hunt for a venue and married in an uncle’s garden with a woodfire oven churning out fresh pizza and a live blues band and jukebox. Sounds like heaven, no? If ever a wedding captured the lazy, hazy spirit of summer (as well as the theme of ‘eat, drink and be married’), then this is it, and although we’re usually all about the details, I couldn’t help but delight in Kelland Photography‘s captures of this spirit among the guests as well. Which is just one more SouthBound wedding that goes to prove that doing your wedding your way – whatever that means to you – is also the best way.Read More

Real Wedding at Hillhouse {Leigh & Andrew}

by gaby

Hello friends! It’s our first real wedding of the week, and this one is chock-full of handmade goodness! You know, people who have met me always assume (because I’m not much of a child person) that I’d be the first person to say that I prefer weddings kid-free. In fact, the opposite is true. I love kids at weddings (unless they’re screaming through the vows – take them outside, folks). They’re always so giddy and excited and awed by the whole thing, and they’re the most fun on the dancefloor. But more than anything, they remind me that a wedding is a community celebrating an event that isn’t just happening to someone else, but is part of who they all are and the fabric of their lives and friendships – having children there (another part of that fabric) just seems right to me. Anyway, this isn’t a lecture on why you should have kids at your wedding (do, don’t, up to you) but rather a thought that came out of today’s lovely wedding which also happens to have been particularly child-friendly. And the thing is, that with all the colour and beauty and detail (how much do we LOVE that altar backdrop, for example?), it seems very much a colourful tapestry of celebration in the way I’ve described. Samantha Maber was there to take these beautiful photos, and I’m thrilled to share them with you today!Read More

Real Wedding at Cabrières {Tana & Arlo}

by gaby

Round these here parts, we love a bit of a French influence, and never more so than when it results in a pretty country wedding. Which is exactly what we have for you today – I’ve been dying to share this one with you ever since I was sent a link to Lauren Kriedemann‘s gorgeous photos. Tana and Arlo have an awesome story of how they met, and they chose to marry at the gorgeous Cabrières in Montagu, stringing bunting by the yard and filling their tables with proteas and blushing brides. I love their use of paper details, including flowers for the ladies, strings of birds and hearts, and even a wall of paper butterflies. It’s all so whimsical and delicious, and there’s even a beyond awesome getaway car! Enjoy…Read More

Real Wedding at Eureka {Mark & Claudette}

by gaby

Many many years ago, I happened to watch an old film on TV about two teenagers who fall in love and decide that to stay together, they have to follow the tradition of kissing under the Bridge of Sighs in Venice. I think I’ve loved the city ever since, even though both times I’ve been there with a boyfriend have been less than successful. Meh. Third time lucky, eh? I must be the only one though, because Venice is always filled with lovers, and something about a place built entirely on water seems to make the air thick with romance and possibility. Which is probably why today’s groom decided to do the grand proposal gesture on the Grand Canal, getting down on one knee on the famous Rialto Bridge. What followed was a Venetian-themed wedding, with the gilt and colour of the Carnevale but none of the cheese. I think it’s the perfect example of how you can pull off a theme on a budget, by using good design basics like a lovely colour palette and a cohesive stationery suite, and I love how personal this particular theme is to the couple (I bet there’ll be some anniversaries spent in Venice too!) SBB friends Art Photo were there to capture all the loveliness on the day.Read More

Real Namibian Wedding {Karolina & Arno}

by gaby

Hello lovelies! Today we’re heading just a little bit north of the border, for the first SBB wedding from Namibia. I don’t know about you, but I’ve always been fascinated by the Namib desert, and would love to visit one day! So I couldn’t resist this lovely wedding of a Swedish bride and Namibian groom, with its sweet rustic detailing in the middle of a desert setting. It reminds me of the pictures we have of my great grandfather having picnics with his tennis club in the bush – they’d trek out with blankets and chairs and a gramophone, and it was all very civilised! With so much natural beauty in our country and those of our neighbours, I’m a particular fan of weddings that take advantage of these incredible views, and you don’t need to compromise on the classically pretty wedding you’ve always dreamed of to do it. Photographer Drikus Le Roux was there with Karolina and Arno to capture the beauty both inside and out of the marquee. Oh, and PS, don’t skip the text – this is the cutest ‘how we met’ story!Read More

Real Mpumalanga Wedding {Carike & Jacques}

by gaby

Well, you know it’s going to be a good day when you get to start it off with a wedding by South African photographer Rensche Mari. Just a couple of weeks ago I was swooning over her feature in Magnolia Rouge, and today I’m bringing you an absolute gem of a wedding filled with fresh country details, beautiful light and big smiles. Jacques and Carike were married in Mpumalanga, where I myself was a guest at a wedding last year, and it reminded me how beautiful it is up there. The couple made use of the natural setting to include rustic touches (including classic South African proteas) but some clean modern touches lifted the decor and made it contemporary. I love everything about it, but I think my favourite touch is the hanging mason jars filled with fairy lights strung above the outdoor dancefloor… just magical!Read More

Real Wedding at Roodezand {Cara & Pieter}

by gaby

Hello lovelies, from sunny Abu Dhabi! My plan not to have any interruption in service went a bit wrong yesterday when this wedding missed its schedule, but hey ho, here it is now, and come back this afternoon for another of our trend roundups (don’t worry, I’ll be checking in electronically to make sure my server hasn’t gone wrong). I’ve been having a fabulous time here so far, spending time with my friends and their baby, and checking out the UAE. It’s so new here, it feels slightly weird, but the lifestyle is awesome and I am so loving getting a bit of sun! Last night I even got a bit of exercise, with a run around the Formula 1 circuit! ANYWAY, back to the wedding in hand, which comes from Cape photographer Maryke Harper. I just love the fresh winter style of this wedding – it has a lovely curated feel, like a sweet little shop that you might stumble across one afternoon and lose yourself in for a couple of hours. (And even better, Cara and her mom have made use of everything they bought in their homes – such a great budget tip!) There’s exuberant use of herbs, which must have smelled amazing, and just the right amount of a nod to vintage without going overboard. So pretty! I also love the handmade/craft details, like stitched table numbers and even a bit of string art! A soft palette of green, grey and taupe sits just right. I know you’re going to love this one, so here we go!Read More

Real Wedding at Webersburg {Leandrie & Raubie}

by gaby

Hello dear friends – sorry you missed out on your real wedding fix yesterday! I have a little holiday planned for next week, so I’m on double duty making sure everything’s ready to keep things pretty around here. Anyway, today’s wedding from Cheryl McEwan – as full of little details as it is – is definitely one to keep you entertained. Leandrie and Raubie were married at the magnificent Webersburg, with pops of green against a neutral palette, and lots of fun touches. My favourite is definitely the milkshakes with stripy green straws – adorableness! I also really love that Cheryl’s made sure not just to photograph these details as they stood on the day, but to get the bridal party interacting with them – it’s a nice editorial way of bringing those little touches to the forefront and making sure your pictures tell the story not only of your day, but of all the effort you put into the details, which I know is important to a lot of you! So here we go… enjoy!Read More

Real Wedding at Rockhaven {Nicola & Andre}

by gaby

Well, here’s a wedding unlike any I’ve seen before! From the moment Andre and Selma of Expressions Photography sent over a pic of Nicola and her bridesmaids, I was hooked. Nicola and Andre – varsity sweethearts – got engaged in India. So even though neither has Indian heritage, they decided to have an Indian-themed wedding. In the Cape winelands. With a rabbi (even though neither is Jewish either). It’s slightly barmy, but you know what, I love it. It’s so full of colour and light and fun. You look at their friends – dressed in saris or playing croquet or dancing Bollywood style – and it’s clear everyone’s having the best time and that this is one wedding that’s gone down in the record books. And you look at Nicola and Andre’s faces as they promise to spend their lives together, and it’s obvious that they are meant for each other. And that, my friends, is what a wedding’s all about.Read More