coloured wedding dresses

Elegant Cape Town Beach Wedding by Samantha Clifton

20 September, 2016 by gaby

I may have got a little carried away when choosing the pictures for today’s feature. But who can blame me, because after all, what’s more romantic than a beach wedding in beautiful Cape Town. You can almost smell the sea air in Samantha Clifton’s stunning pictures, and although Lise and Tiaan were married on Clifton Second, it’s like they were on a private island in the middle of nowhere, with white sands and tumbling waves as their witnesses. And as if that wasn’t lovely enough, after the ceremony they adjourned to the Royal Cape Yacht Club for an elegant reception with the lights of the harbour reflecting the warm glow of candlelight within. Let’s just take a moment to mention Lise’s gown, because I am absolutely loving this bride’s style, especially paired with a soft cathedral length veil and a gorgeous protea bouquet!

Bohemian Delft Wedding at Kalmoesfontein by Hearts in a Shutter {Natasha & Gavin}

15 October, 2015 by gaby

‘Boho’ is a term that gets applied to a lot of weddings these days, but I feel like today’s wedding really deserves it. It’s got that laid-back, mismatched, organic look down to a tee, with a touch of whimsy, from the maypole ceremony area to the wooden tables to the bride’s yellow-gold dress (and we do love a coloured wedding dress, don’t we!) I think my favourite touch, though, is the use of Delft-style vases and plates on the tables – mixed in with proteas, wildflowers, fruits and silver candelabras, it’s the perfect mix of casual and formal, not to mention oh so pretty! We don’t have a story to share with you today (for the best possible reason – Natasha & Gavin now have a little one demanding their attention!) but we’ll let Brenda Wardell of Hearts in a Shutter’s warm and wonderful pictures tell their own tale.Read More

20 Pastel Wedding Dresses

2 September, 2015 by gaby

Some days I really, really love my job, and today is one of them. Because who doesn’t want to spend an afternoon or two sifting through the most ridiculously dreamy dresses on the planet? I don’t know if it’s just that a touch of pastel adds a bit of whimsy to these beauties, but I seriously think they are beyond romantic, and I adore the way that, as well as blush (which we’ll always love!), there are amazing options in mint, powder blue, lemon, lilac and peach too. Have a look, and fall in love.Read More

Mociun White Bridal Collection 2015

3 July, 2015 by gaby

On any given day, I can think of about a hundred solid reasons why I’d love to just head for the airport and jump on a plane bound for New York, one of my favourite places on earth. Today I’ve found another one – an achingly cool new bridal salon in Williamsburg, Brooklyn: Mociun White. Sleek, airy spaces with vibrant pops of primary colour, peach ombre shelves laden with registry wannahaves – and that’s just the decor. The real highlight is the gowns themselves, a combination of jewellery designer Caitlin Mosiun’s simply elegant contemporary creations and a collection of embellished and printed dresses by Naeem Khan. And since you already know from yesterday how much I’m crushing on floral prints, you’ll see why I’m besotted with the floral elements in this collection, from bold botanical patterns to gorgeous detailing, and blocks of eye-catching colour (a canary yellow wedding dress? Yes, yes, yes!). There’s gowns galore here for every modern bride – a colourful and inspiring start to the weekend!Read More

Intimate Red & Grey Wedding by Maré Rootman {Dominique & Gerrie} PLUS Top 10 Tips for Planning an Intimate Wedding

30 April, 2015 by gaby

When weddings are what you do for a living, it can feel a little like you’ve seen it all, and a traditional Big Day is sometimes the last thing you want to plan for yourself. So it’s no surprise to find that what happens when two Johannesburg wedding photographers decide to get hitched is a fun-filled, intimate weekend wedding in Cape Town! Dominique (and her company Hello Love Photography) is already a member of the SBB Directory, so when I asked for intimate weddings for April, I thought it was awesome that she submitted her own! Not just because it’s fun and relaxed with lots of grey and red handmade details, beautifully captured by Maré Rootman, but because I could pick Dominique’s real bride brain, and ask her to give you her words of wisdom on planning an intimate celebration. So be sure to read ahead to the end of he feature, where you’ll find her Top 10 Tips! (Be sure also to check out the Hello Love profile in our directory to hear more from Dominique.)Read More

SouthBound’s Best 2013: Bridal Style

18 December, 2013 by gaby

Hello lovelies! We’re continuing our countdown of my favourites from 2013 – but I think this might have been the most difficult to choose of them all! The truth is that I think every bride I feature is stunningly beautiful – not just because of the dress (although we LOVE the dresses) or the accessories or the makeup or the hair, or even because each bride shows off her own unique style and beauty on the day, but because of that special glow that just makes brides look amazing. Call it the look of love. That said, there are some brides whose sense of fashion and style just goes beyond – here are the ten looks that really blew me (and you) away this year. Each has something different and inspiring to offer – and they’re proof if ever there was one that some of the best wedding day looks come from those who aren’t afraid to bend or break the rules. It’s YOUR day. Dress YOUR way.

Real Wedding at Lynton Hall {Sasha & Ben}

5 September, 2013 by gaby

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

Affordable Coloured Wedding Dresses {Adrianna Papell & Elliot Claire}

8 March, 2013 by gaby

Afternoon friends! A few weeks back, we took a look at coloured wedding dresses as a big trend for 2013, and I have to say, I fell in love. Not just with the colour trend, but with the concept of using a special occasion dress that wasn’t necessarily designed with a bride in mind. Every time I see a bold bride doing this I fall more in love with the idea – they look spectacular. But where, I wondered, would you go looking for a dress like this? Well, there are two accessible designers that come up again and again for me – both are popular for bridesmaid dresses, but I reckon you could happily wear one of their creations as a bride (although if you’re going for a traditional dress, hopefully this will inspire you for your girls). And the best part? Not one costs more than £300 including post and packaging. Seriously. Now that’s something to make you sit up and take note, right? Because the wedding dresses that usually go for this price can be a little plain, and not everyone can afford high end designer, let’s be honest. The labels I’m thinking of are Adrianna Papell and Elliot Claire, and just for fun I thought I would round up some gorgeous inspiration on Pinterest combined with a budget friendly version from one of these designers. Which is your favourite?

Real Wedding at the Santé Winelands Hotel {Annemarie & Rhys}

7 March, 2013 by gaby

Afternoon, lovelies! What a busy week it has been, but there’s still time to share this wonderful wedding that I’ve been so looking forward to bringing to SBB’s pages. Annemarie might be one of my favourite brides – she has been such a star in getting me her story and favourite pics from her wedding. But not just that – I adore her taste. For one thing, she wore one of the most spectacular (pink) dresses I’ve yet seen (with a gorgeous lace top for the ceremony) and accessorised it with an exquisite statement necklace that, get this, she designed and made herself. What makes this detail extra special is that this was the beginning of a new journey for Rhys and Annemarie, who now own their own jewellery shop in Franschhoek. Talk about a personal detail! I also just love her floral design, and the inclusion of white candy Easter eggs on the tables to celebrate the season in a subtle and incredibly pretty way. It’s an absolute treat, not least because of the amazing pictures by SBB fave Vivid Blue Photography. Sigh. I do love weddings.Read More

6 February, 2013 by gaby

Image: Michèle M. Waite via Elizabeth Anne Designs

A few weeks back, I gave my predictions for wedding trends in 2013, and today I’m exploring one of my favourite. Coloured wedding dresses have become a huge style crush for me, and it seems like just about every designer feels the same way. And why not? White dresses weren’t even a part of wedding tradition until Queen Victoria married in one in 1840, and they weren’t the norm until after the Second World War. Many brides simply wore their best dress, whatever the colour. So you shouldn’t feel obliged to wear a white gown, any more than you’re obliged to wear a veil. And as wedding dresses themselves move toward evening gown shapes and embellishments (and sometimes even actual evening gowns worn as wedding dresses), the field is wide open for you to wear something that really makes your heart sing. I think what I like most is that, unlike the coloured wedding dresses of the ’90s (which were mostly red and black and wrong all over), most of these combine soft whispers of colour with elegant flowing fabrics, resulting in all the romance of a white ballgown, but with a bit of extra zip. But it’s all very well to read this, and to see the dresses on the catwalk. What do coloured dresses really look like on real brides? Here’s a rainbow of loveliness to show you!Read More