Hello lovelies! It has been far too long! Did you miss me? Of course you didn’t. You probably didn’t even notice I was gone, with all the posts I managed to line up in my absence (quite proud of that, I must say!). In the last six weeks I’ve packed up my house in London, spent three weeks on a vineyard in Tuscany, two glorious days in Rome, said goodbye (for now) to London friends, had a week in Abu Dhabi and finally come to rest for a while in Durbs, with my family. Whew! I’ll tell you all more about my travels at a later stage, but for now, let’s just say I’m glad to be back on the blog and ready to tackle three awesome new projects I have lined up for my time here. Can’t wait! And there is so much loveliness coming your way. Just sayin’. Anyway, for now, I have braved the crapness of South African internet and brought you my favourite finds from the week that was.
Real Wedding at Lynton Hall {Sasha & Ben}
Morning friends! Today’s real wedding is unusual in that it’s the story of a dress as much as it is the story of the bride who wears it, and the love she shares with her groom. I get most weddings submitted by photographers and brides, but this one came straight from talented designer Casey Jeanne, and as soon as I looked at the pics (by DS Murrell Photography) I understood why. Sasha’s dress is SPECTACULAR. Perfectly fitted, lace illusion back, and deep red. I am completely, utterly, head-over-heels in love with it. And then I read the sweet, truly South African story of how beautiful Sasha and her handsome groom came to fall in love and plan a unique, cross-cultural wedding, and I knew this was something I had to share with you all. We don’t have reception details today, but who needs ’em, when you’re focused on this dress… and on this love.Read More
Real Wedding at Florence Farm {Ester & Tobias}
Morning, lovelies! I have such a pretty wedding for you this fine day. All full of natural colours and boho styling and the most adorable ceremony venue that looks a little like a magical wood. Ester looked like a princess bride in her floaty lace gown, vintage necklace and floral crown, and as she smiled at her handsome groom, the birds of the forest burst into song. I kid you not. There was even a rainbow at the end of the day. It’s like something from a Disney movie, except that instead of a cheesy primary palette, the couple worked with delicious natural colours and textures that really complemented their gorgeous venue. The fab Leani Holmes was there to capture every fairytale detail, and some special moments shared between the couple and their family and friends. Sheer loveliness!Read More
25 Unique Boutonnieres
Here on SBB we focus a lot on the bride and bridesmaids (sorry boys!) but of course our grooms are just as important to us, and we want them to be every bit as stylish as the ladies. And apart from a sharp suit, one great way to do this is through a fun boutonniere. Of course, I still LOVE floral bouts, but let’s be honest, not all guys are keen on them. And not just that, they can become an easy way to inject some comedy and personality into your groomsmen’s outfits, or continue a theme or motif. A couple of years ago, when bout alternatives became a thing, I did a roundup here on SBB which has been one of our most popular, and I thought it was high time that I did a little bit of a follow up. So here, for your viewing pleasure, are 25 fun and unique buttonhole ideas!Read More
Real Wedding at Hidden Valley {Chris & Richard}
I’m blogging this wedding with such a huge smile on my face. It’s not just because of the modern, innovative styling I’m about to show you, or the fact that it works perfectly in a classic Cape winelands setting (how I hope this inspires other couples!). It’s not even because so much of the wedding was DIY, or because the grooms planned it faultlessly from abroad according to their vision, or because the venue was a surprise (!) or because it had clever personal details that reflected their mixed Australian and South African heritages. It’s because every time I look at the smiles of these two boys, and the smiles of everyone at their wedding, it makes me happy. So much love. And when love comes in a gorgeous package… well, that’s just fabulous. Wesley Vorster was there to capture every chic masculine detail, from the large exposed lightbulbs (obsessed) to the fab typographic stationery on kraft paper, to the abundant proteas in vintage glass bottles, to the sleek suits worthy of the best Italian tailor. I’ve been dying to share this one with you, and I hope you love every bit of it as much as I do!Read More
Are You Our Next Real Life Bride?
Attention: SouthBound Brides! It’s that time of year when we recruit a couple of special ladies to share their wedding journey with the world – could it be you?
You’ll need to:
- be planning a wedding to take place in South Africa (although you can be from or based anywhere, of course!)
- have a wedding date between January-May 2014
- be committed to writing ten blog posts to an agreed schedule over the next few months
- have agreed with your photographer that your engagement and wedding will be featured FIRST on SouthBound Bride ahead of any other blogs or magazinesRead More
Inspiration Board: Poppy & Violet
Hello lovelies! Another week, another dose of inspiration here on SBB. This week I’m working out of Abu Dhabi while I visit one of my besties, which is so lovely, and on to South Africa on Thurs! Awesomesauce. Anyway, today we’re bringing together two strong colours that together have a lovely warmth. Poppy red is just brilliant – so bright and cheerful – but a red and white wedding can look a bit dated, depending on how you do it. But add in a punch of Pantone’s African Violet and you have the perfect contemporary combo. I love playing these colours out against a romantic rustic backdrop, as they are here – ideal for an autumn wedding, although they could also work in a modern graphic city wedding. What do you think?
Colours: Poppy red & African violet
Top row (l-r): Lilac dress {Elizabeth Messina/Joy Adaeze}; lilacs; red cocktails {Vanilla Bean Blog}; bridesmaids {Elizabeth Messina}
Row 2: Bouquet {Halberg Photographers/Kelly Oshiro Design}; door with heart lock; chocolates; table setting; calligraphy menu {Becca Borge/Sugar(ed) Event Design and Planning}
Row 3: Bride in field of poppies {Easy Dreamer Photography/Romancing the Stone Styling}; lilac and red stationery; poppy bouquet.
Best Man’s Emergency Kit
Image: Anneli Marinovich on SouthBound Bride
A few weeks back, we heard from planner extraordinaire Theresa of Creation Events with her top tips & duties for groomsmen, following the popular feature we did for bridemaids. So useful to have everything summed up in one place for the boys! So today I thought that I would follow it up with some more groomsman goodness – a best man’s emergency kit (download our bridesmaid’s one here). So here we go – let’s hear it for the boys! *Links in bold denote affiliate links – SBB may receive a commission on any sales made.
Three Looks for Travel-themed Weddings
Hello lovelies! Hope you’re having a fab afternoon. As you read this, I’ll almost be at the end of my month off, and heading to SA – can’t wait, as always! So, since travel is the order of the day for me, I thought it was time to touch on travel-themed weddings again. The great thing about this theme is that it really doesn’t have to be a single look or style – it can really be incorporated into any wedding style or venue. To prove my point, I’ve put together three lovely palettes using three of my favourite travel-themed invitation suites. The looks are very different, from vintage to contemporary elegance to bright, fun pops of colour. Which is your favourite?
Real Wedding at Tanglewood {Emma & Bruce}
You can say what you will about the stress and strain of planning a wedding, but the truth is that for many brides, it’s such a happy time where they’re not just planning a marriage, but getting the opportunity to do something creative and make something beautiful from scratch. So it’s no wonder that so many fall in love with the wedding industry and go on to get involved professionally. Today’s bride (and her mum) came down with wedding fever that lasted long after the vows. What to do? Well, start a planning business, of course! I think this is so lovely, and wish them every success – you can find them online now at Whispers of May. That is, after you’ve spent some happy minutes looking through Veronique Photography‘s gorgeous captures of the big day, in soft pastels that make my heart sing. And the bride’s SHOES? Oh Badgley, I die.Read More