Boho Desert Wedding Inspiration

We’re so lucky here in South Africa to have such a range of natural landscapes, from the lush tropical Natal greens I’m surrounded by every day myself, to the shimmering desert textures of the Karoo, and the wild expanses of the bushveld. Today’s shoot celebrates some of that natural beauty, with a palette of matte greens and oranges and yellows with pops of deep red, a backdrop of gorgeous aloes, and rustic, desert-inspired table details and stationery. This makes for such a fabulous wedding inspiration for you brides-to-be to draw from – like a homegrown version of boho chic… especially when you add in the dresses from the Spellekussing Bohemian Bridal range showcased here! I’m a sucker for this kind of wild beauty, photographed here by the talented Natalie Loots!

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Botswana Boho Garden Wedding by Maryke Albertyn

I really am such an old softie, you guys. Over the years I must have read thousands of real love stories and you’d think by now I’d be immune, but then I come across a gorgeous couple like Lena and Filip, who are clearly besotted and meant for each other, and read their story and see them full of emotion as they exchange vows and I’m gone again. Ain’t love grand? Although to be fair, grand isn’t a word I’d use to describe this wedding, which is earthy and natural and laid-back and fun in all the best ways possible. It took place in Lena’s father’s garden in Botswana, with the river as a backdrop, and the beautiful African wilderness surrounding them (those sunsets!). Lena rocked the most stunning bridal two-piece ensemble and a boho floral crown, while Filip was super handsome in his suit, and the two of them said their ‘I do’s under a beautiful floral and greenery arch, before a jazzy cocktail hour and an outdoor reception that went on all through the night, surrounded by family and friends from literally around the world. Sigh. And as if all of that wasn’t romantic enough on its own, Maryke Albertyn absolutely killed it with the photography, capturing all the joy and loveliness forever.

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Mozambique DIY Beach Wedding by Maryke Albertyn

Where do I even start with this wedding? A beachy ceremony on the white sand shores of Mozambique, a bride who arrived on horseback, bridesmaids carrying actual pineapples as bouquets, paper plane confetti, a DIY rustic chic reception, and a super romantic day-after couple shoot. I mean, seriously. How. cool. is. that! It’s basically tropical wedding perfection right here in beautiful southern Africa. Soné and Barry are the sweetest couple you can imagine, and their celebration is filled with so much happiness and love, as well as all those delicious details. The crowning glory is Maryke Albertyn‘s wonderful pictures, which I loved so much I included approximately a million of them. Ok, not a million, but enough to dive in and lose yourself in – so let’s do just that, shall we? ;)

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Natural Elements Boho Luxe Wedding Inspiration

Happy Monday, lovelies! I have such a beautiful shoot in this month’s series of marble & minerals features to share with you today, which comes all the way from California, USA. I’ve never actually been to the US West Coast, but when I do, Big Sur is high on my list of must-sees, and this shoot really shows why. It’s absolutely breathtaking scenery, in the most humbling and heartfelt sense, which is part of why photographer Carlie Statsky, floral designer Christine Cater, and their team chose it as a location; as Christine says, “to complement this incredible landscape in a meaningful way”. With the backdrop forming such a powerful part of the shoot, they complemented it with on-trend boho luxe style, and elements of geode, marble and crystal. With a stunning ceremony set-up, and inspirational tablescape, and two gorgeous gowns, the look is complete.

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Bohemian Baroque Wedding Inspiration

You all know how much I love it when wedding pros find a current trend and add their own twist? Well, boho brides get ready, because today’s inspiration shoot adds a super cool spin to the bohemian trend that’s so popular right now. Taking its cue from old world elegance, including dark colours and heavy fabrics, this shoot from Natalie Loots PhotographyEvoque Events and their team is all about ‘more is more’ – more patterns, more textures, more detail. “We had the idea to show that the bohemian trend can be taken up a notch by adding crystals, candles and a sense of opulence,” Natalie says. The team used black with hints of silver, and indigenous flowers (proteas, yayness!) as splashes of colour to complement the gorgeous, statement gowns. And while not all brides will be bold enough to rock a pantsuit or floor length, rose-embellished dress (although what a showstopper you will be if you do!), this shoot should act as an inspiration for every bride to ‘take things up a notch’ as Natalie puts it, and not be afraid to add that little something extra. Who knows? The results may surprise you!

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Woodlands Elopement Inspiration

Woodlands Elopement Inspiration | Credit: Lad & Lass Photography

Can you think of anything more romantic than an elopement in the woods? Nope, neither can I. Which is why I can’t wait to share this absolutely gorgeous styled shoot from Lad & Lass Photography, Bouwer Flowers & Hey Pioneer, and their team. And if you loved the boho forest goodness in our real wedding this morning, then you are going to luuuurve what we have in store. Macrame ceremony arch. Stylishly rustic tablescape. A boho lace dress,  a groom in bold Marsala, fresh from the forest florals, a to-die-for chocolate naked cake… I could go on and on. But I think my absolute favourite is the bell tent set up (complete with whimsical floral entrance) for the bride and groom, to give their first night as Mr and Mrs that woodsy glamping feel. So… how much do we all want to have a forest elopement right now?

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Free Spirited Forest Wedding at Harmonie Proteas by Vicky Bergallo

Free Spirited Forest Wedding | Credit: Vicky Bergallo

One of the things I love about editing SouthBound Bride is that I get to hear the most amazing love stories from couples, many of whom come from completely different places, and it’s like the world conspires to somehow, through a series of events, have them meet and fall in love (what tells you I’m a huge romantic, eh?). Jaydene and David are one of these couples, whose unlikely meeting happened thanks to David’s Mormon mission to South Africa, and progressed in the old fashioned way through heartfelt correspondence while Jaydene was on her mission. Together at last, they celebrated the second day of their wedding weekend with family and friends in the proudly South African surroundings of Harmonie Proteas, where Jaydene and her mother built a boho fantasy forest setting for their vows and reception, using some of the bride’s favourite things. And goodness, but Jaydene made a gorgeous bride in her custom lace sleeve gown, wow! With bridesmaids also in lace and flower crowns, the perfect rustic setting, and these pretty pics by Vicky Bergallo, it was a day to remember!

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Colourful Boho Wedding by Piteira Photography

Hello friends! I’m melting here in Durban today, and with the month feeling ever more festive, I thought today was the perfect time to share this colourful, summer, boho wedding. Because we do love summer, don’t we? Tara and Antony had a cross-continental celebration, with one wedding in France and another in Cape Town (how awesome is that). Their style is boho in the most free-spirited, joyful sense of the term, and they brought that vibe to both weddings with a choice of rustic venue, colourful blooms, and laid back atmosphere. Basically, the kind of wedding that’s the most fun to attend ever. Even for photographers – especially when those photographers are also dear friends of the bride and groom, as the team from Piteira Photography are. Kerry and Luis were on the scene to capture these gorgeous images, which we’re letting tell the story all on their own today.

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Inspiration Board: Rise & Fall

It may be spring here in South Africa, but it’s been autumn all over the blogs of my fellow wedding bloggers in the US and it weirdly has me almost longing for the chillier season again (don’t worry, I’ll get over it). So in honour of that, I’ve put together this ‘fall’-themed board, a seasonal take on this month’s boho/wild beauty theme. Using traditional copper and red earth tones and adding in soft mocha and ivory, it still looks like a classic autumn palette, but the details enjoy that natural, organic, unbound look that we’re loving so much at the moment. I’m especially loving the ceremony area, including a glorious branch ‘tipi’, as well as the shiny pops of copper against the florals.

Top row (l-r): Bride with curls (Michael Radford Photography/Jen Plus Colour) | Copper table number frame (Dawn Charles/Seven Stems Design and Events/Mary Me Bridal) | Copper bottle candle holders (OctaviaplusKlaus/factsandfeelings/Goldregen florales Design)
Row 2: Autumn bouquet (Archetype/Rebecca Rose Events) | Plum & thyme prosecco smash cocktail (My Diary of Us) | Semi-naked cake (Petra Veikkola Photography)
Row 3: Place setting (With Lov3- Emme Wynn Photography) | Boho ceremony area (Lauren Fair Photography/Oleander) | Invitation (Christine Gosch/Camel & Birdie)

20 Wedding Dresses for a Boho Bride

Boho Wedding Dresses

Hello lovely friends! Sorry we’ve been a bit quiet on SBB – been having a bit of a tech upgrade! Which is a good thing, obvs, but interrupted normal workflows. So I’ve actually decided to extend this month’s ‘Wild Beauty’ theme on through October – after all, I have so much more natural/boho wedding goodness to share with you! Starting with some fashion fabulousness, because oh my word, but Etsy is just a treasure trove for a bohemian bride. I rounded up some gorgeous boho wedding dresses a while back, and today I’ve found 20 more – just wait till you see them! *Links in bold denote affiliate links. The cost to you remains the same, but SBB may receive a commission for any sales made.

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