Posts from the ‘Weddings by Type’ Category

May 15

Real Wedding at Forest 44 {Monique & Christo}

Purple, you guys. It’s the new pink. For weddings, anyway. Especially here in the UK, it has really been a breakout colour this summer, but I’m seeing more and more brides pick it in South Africa as well. As versatile, warm and pretty as pink, but with an extra dash of spice and intrigue, it’s no wonder. And today we have another bride and groom who chose it for their big day, in various shades from light to dark. So pretty! But that’s not all I love about Christo and Monique’s wedding, oh no. There are so many fun ideas. The post-ceremony champagne tasting for guests (LOVE this idea). The cohesive stationery ‘brand’. The couple’s shoot at a flying club. And of course, the lacy cake (although when I heard the flavour, I think that the inside might have been even better than the outside!). Photographer Jilda G. was there to capture every moment of these primary school teachers’ (and high school sweethearts’) big day. Read more

May 14

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Real Wedding at Olive Rock {Mari & Morné}

Hello lovelies, are you ready for your daily portion of wedding gorgeousness? Well, we’re serving it up hot, with awesome on the side. Today’s wedding is a mixture between fun and elegant, with a cheeky nod to the bride and groom’s M&M initials with M&M favours and cute monogram details throughout. Lush white flowers, cute cartoon stationery, soft stripes, grey bridesmaids dresses with billowy baby’s breath bouquets and adorable personalised cake toppers continue to walk the line between classic and light hearted. It’s a combination that really appeals, especially since the gorgeous wedding pics were taken by none other than SBB fave Nastassja Harvey. Tash’s clean, bright style is just perfect for this wedding – enjoy! Read more

May 2

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Real Wedding at Pecan Manor {Andrea & Ian}

One of the things I love most about wedding planning is that inspiration can strike at any time. Some brides have everything planned down to the last napkin fold, with Pinterest folders and a DIY schedule, and no surprises to deal with. For many, final decisions can be made even days leading up to the wedding. My favourite was my friend Abbie who didn’t want a garter, so after we joked in the car on our pre-wedding errands that her surfer husband-to-be would probably prefer a surf leash, that’s what we ended up buying! We put it on under her dress at the last minute and Phil had no idea – it was so fun. And I’ve never seen so many men try to catch a ‘garter’! So I wasn’t completely surprised when reading today’s story from Ian and Andrea, how the idea of a ribbon ceremony backdrop was a last minute decision. Well, I’m sure you’ll agree, it was an awesome one! I really love a focal point to an outdoor ceremony, and hanging ribbons are just SO pretty (and easy)! Plus, I love how photographer Wesley Poon went ahead and used the ribbons for the couple shoot as well, resulting in some spectacular pictures! The decor for this wedding is awesome – shabby chic with pops of jewel tones. I love love love the blue glass, the hanging bottles, the birds. And of course that ribbon, reflected again in the pretty long ties for the bridesmaids’ bouquets (nice twist on the ice cream pastels trend, no?). So much loveliness, and the moral of the story is, don’t be afraid to indulge one of your last minute whims – it may land up being your best idea! Read more

May 1

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Real Wedding at Die Klipskuur {Natalia & Darryl}

Good morning, brideys! How has your week been so far? Mine is not ideal, as I am nursing the flu (again? seriously?) but the cure for everything is a pretty wedding, and I have a lovely one for you today. As you all know by now, I am a huge sucker for couples who infuse their personal style, taste, likes, etc. into their wedding design, and Natalia and Darryl really did that. Although it’s a rustic vintage wedding, and that’s a popular style right now, every detail was thought out and included with love, including many heirloom pieces and special touches. The couple, being landscapers, have a huge love for nature, and I also love that they tried to complement the beautiful surroundings of their venue, instead of making it over. Their flowers and decor reflect the soft tones of the veld, as captured so strikingly by photographer Melanie Wessels. And you guys, how much are we loving Natalia’s juliet cap veil? So, so pretty! Read more

Apr 30

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Real Wedding at Rawdons Country Hotel {Candice & Justin}

Well, it’s always a very special day when I get to share one of our real life bride’s weddings with you all. Because I don’t know about you, but I feel like these ladies become friends, and by the time I have read all about their inspirations and ideas and shared their excitement, I can’t WAIT to see how it all turned out and feel like I was there to raise a glass to their happiness. So it’s with great pleasure that I’m sharing the first of our 2013 RLBs’ weddings with you today – our lovely Marie Antoinette bride, Candice. I’ve loved reading her lyrical descriptions of the wedding she dreamed up, inspired by Versailles and Downton Abbey and even a little by The Hobbit. I sighed over her gorgeous themed rehearsal dinner and engagement shoot. And now I can finally show you Candice and Justin’s elegant, heartfelt wedding, photographed by an incredible team of US photographer Alicia Swedenborg with our very own Catherine Mac second shooting. Wow. It is AMAZING. And be sure to read Candice’s beautiful description of the big day, because if that doesn’t make you sigh, you don’t have a romantic bone in your body. So without further ado, here’s Candice… Read more

Apr 26

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Real Wedding at Nooitgedacht {Bridget & Quinton}

What’s the expression – ‘we plan and God laughs’? Well, that was certainly true for me this week, when I had a full week of goodness planned for you that got halted by some dodgy code that crept into my beloved little site and shut things down for a bit while I sorted it all out (that’s me: owner, editor, office manager and tech support! ;) ). Anyway, I’m trying to be philosophical about it all, and so we’ll just have to wait until next week for me to share our lovely real life bride’s wedding with you, and I’m sure it’ll be all the more awesome for the wait. For this morning though, we have a gorgeous wedding from Abigail K. It was just a couple of weeks ago that I rounded up ice cream pastel bridesmaid dresses, and now here the look is in all its lovely glory – really, I think this might be one of my absolute favourite wedding styles. It’s so soft and pretty, and works beautifully with country vintage touches like proteas, lace and antique books. But I think what really makes Bridget and Quinton’s wedding stand out for me is the way that they used the space available to them at Nooitgedacht, employing the beautiful drive as a ceremony area, with colourful bunting and lamps strung high across the trees, lending everything a celebratory, festival vibe. So pretty! I also love the bridesmaids’ single king protea blooms, tied with pretty ribbon and looking so lovely against their dresses. It all wraps up to be incredibly pretty and colourful in quite a classic way. Enjoy. (Oh, and psst, be sure to stop by this afternoon for some great advice on planning a beach wedding!) Read more

Apr 23

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Real Wedding at Tanglewood {Maria & Gerrit}

Serendipity. It’s the loveliest of words, isn’t it? Happy accidents. And with some couples, it really seems to fit, so it was no surprise to me that when I read Maria’s story of her beautiful wedding it was a word that she used herself. See, Gerrit and Maria have a serendipitous beginning – both religious, they decided to ready themselves for a lasting relationship with a marriage course at their church, and it was there that they found each other. They share a surname – another happy accident – and you can see from the love and happiness surrounding them on their wedding day that that’s just one of many things that they share. And goodness me, how much am I in love with Maria’s incredible grey silk dress and floor-length mantilla combo? Wow. Not to mention the really fresh styling of their decor, in bold green, navy and pink with an adorable cartoon stationery touch. My favourite part is the ficus trees they’ve used as centrepieces – such a unique touch, but one that is part of their story, as all the best wedding day details are. This is really a wedding to pore over and fall properly in love with, and that’s in no small part down to the stunning images from Cari Photography – love, love, love! Read more

Apr 18

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Real Wedding at Molenvliet {Christelli & Heinrich}

Another day, another BEAUTIFUL wedding! And while I’m always a fan of unique colour combos or fun themes, sometimes it’s good to remind ourselves that a classic white wedding will never go out of fashion. Today’s gorgeous nuptials, photographed to perfection (as always!) by Catherine Mac, are the ideal example. This wedding is elegant, it’s romantic – it’s the blank canvas on which a grand love story is written. Christelli and Heinrich make a stunning couple, and everything from her diamond solitaire engagement ring and ribbon tied bouquet to her sweeping lace gown whispers classic beauty. But there are also fun touches – the tables named after wines (so appropriate at Molenvliet, one of our premier vineyard venues) or the ice cream dessert, for example. So for all you classic brides (and lovers of romance everywhere), this one’s for you. Read more

Apr 16

FEATURE L&G-boho-picnic-wedding-charlene-schreuder

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Real Wedding at Little Stream {Lynsay & Graham}

As a blogger, there have been a few times unfortunately where I’ve had to face the question of whether to blog in the face of unhappy events, whether home or abroad. This isn’t a news blog, but it can seem trivial to talk about weddings when there’s a major earthquake, or when my American readers are dealing with a national tragedy like what happened yesterday in Boston. I’m a runner, and my heart goes out to everyone who was injured or was there, and their friends and families. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned as a runner, it’s to carry on, even when things feel bad, when your legs are pounding and a part of your brain is telling you you’d be crazy not to stop. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned as someone who has also experienced loss of my own and through others, it’s that one of the very reasons that we have to hold tight to those shining moments of joy like the celebration of two people falling in love and promising a lifetime to one another, is because life isn’t always cupcakes and toile. So I’m blogging today. And frankly, there couldn’t be a wedding that is more full of life and love and promise and light than this one. Lynsay and Graham opted for a picnic wedding at the picturesque Little Stream in Constantia, and everything from the luminous bride and her boho bridesmaids to the high tea-style tables laden with food, the hanging teacups and acres of bunting, to the ice cream cart bringing smiles of delight to adults and kids alike is a gentle celebration of family and friends, nature and romance. Charlene Schreuder is a genius at capturing this sort of wedding, and she’s done so in her usual gorgeous style. Read more

Apr 11

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Real Wedding at Kelvin Grove {Deborah & Michael}

Take one dietician plus one software developer, add equal portions of family and friends and place in a pretty church and then a reception venue filled with handmade, personal decor. What reaction, as my Science teacher might have said, will you get? Well, a sweet, pretty wedding day of course! As you all will know by now, my favourite themes are those that say something about the couple, so when bride Deborah wrote to tell me about the scientific touches she and husband Michael added to their big day to reflect their love of science, I was intrigued. I especially loved the way they collected beakers and test tubes and used them for flowers and favours (the best use, if you ask me, but that’s only because I totally failed chemistry) and the cute equations they concocted for table numbers (Cute equations? Now there’s a phrase I never thought I’d write). Add in some protea and a mint/blush combo, and some pretty pics from Illuminate Photography, and it adds up to loveliness, squared. ;) Read more