Tag: homegrown style

Local Colour Styled Shoot from the NEW Wedding Inspirations Magazine

by gaby

We’re kicking off a new week with a punch of colour – and more than a touch of homegrown style, which as you all know, is our FAVE. As it’s Heritage month, our friends at Wedding Inspirations magazine have commissioned a seriously wonderful ‘Local is Lovely’ issue, celebrating everything beautiful and South African, from indigenous florals to beadwork-inspired cakes. There’s so much to inspire you here, so do be sure to go out and grab yourself a copy. Today, we’re delighted to share this seriously gorgeous shoot from the September issue, a modern twist on traditional local motifs (shwe shwe, yay!), against the modern blank canvas of White Light. With decor and styling by Ribbon Creative Studio and photography by SBB Directory members Jack and Jane, you know you’re going to see something completely fresh and lovely, so let’s dive on in! (And PS, you’ll find all the info on how to get the look for yourself in the magazine.)Read More

African Monochrome Styled Shoot by Maxeen Kim

by gaby

You know, if I hadn’t actually given blood the other day and seen it for myself, I would swear sometimes that glitter flowed through my veins. Show me something sparkly, and I am SOLD. And one of the things I love best is gold glitter against a stark monochrome background. But what do I like even better than all that? A touch of home, of course. Which is why I absolutely adore this styled shoot from the very lovely Maxeen Kim, a South African based in London who not only takes beautiful piccies, but is all about inspiring budget-conscious brides, which makes this shoot not just beautiful but achievable too. Maxeen channeled her love for all things South African into a bridal look and table that has a clean black and white base with a glamorous, blingy sheen – perfect for the modern South African bride. I love the stunning model’s guinea fowl headpiece, the foiled stationery, as well as the sparkly runner, the beaded cattle, and of course, the beautiful chevron cake. This is a look I would love to see in a real wedding one day soon!Read More

Styled Shoot Contest Winners

by gaby

So you guys, last week was amazing – I feel so proud and privileged to have been able to bring you five such gorgeous, fresh and truly South African wedding editorials from some of the most talented photographers, stylists, hair and makeup artists, cake creatives, caterers, dress designers, stationistas, etc. etc. etc. in the country. I am so in awe of the incredible work they did, and so very grateful that they chose to do it for the SBB contest. It’s always been my dream to bring you beautiful, original, local wedding style and that’s just what we were able to do. So a HUGE thank you to every one of the teams – you are all ROCKSTARS. To those of you who read and liked and commented and pinned and supported – thank you! It was so lovely to see such a great response. Finally, I owe another huge debt of gratitude to my wonderful judges, Sarah Burnett of Burnett’s Boards and Louise Beukes of b.loved – they are both such talented bloggers and stylists in their own rights, and I’m so grateful that they offered their time and taste and expertise to help me choose finalists and ultimately, a winner.

Speaking of which, I don’t mind telling you what a hard time we had deciding. Each of us had different favourites, which I think is a tribute to just how brilliant all of the finalists were. But in the end, we totted up our scores, and one team emerged victorious: Wesley Vorster & Leipzig’s Voortrekker Frontiers! I never imagined that voortrekkers would be used as wedding inspiration, but with a combination of designer fashion, drop-dead gorgeous florals, decor and food, and Wesley’s lush pictures, this shoot was our winner. CONGRATULATIONS!

To celebrate, I’m sharing some not-yet-seen images from the shoot – enjoy!Read More

Rose Quartz by Yolande Snyders & Yellow Papaya

by gaby

Our final shoot of the competition takes rose quartz as inspiration, a precious stone that is both locally mined and perfectly symbolic for a wedding (it’s called the ‘love stone’ and represents unconditional love in all its forms). Combining this idea with gem-shaped hexagons is bang on trend, and I also love the combination of rose with indigo in the form of shwe shwe (and you know we LOVE shwe shwe!) – including a shwe shwe cake (eek, amazing). The fabulous team headed by Yellow Papaya and photographer Yolande Snyders put together an alternative take on a seated reception with a mimosa bar and cocktail snacks that are all adorable little mini versions of South African favourites. It’s bright, crisp and colourful – the perfect way to end off an amazing week!Read More

West Coast Glamour by Memory Box Photography & Blank Canvas

by gaby

We’re heading to the seaside with today’s team of finalists in the SBB styled shoot competition. This entry was a collaboration between vendors in Gauteng and the Cape (how cool is that?) and was inspired by the gorgeous wild West Coast, with lashings of glitter and sparkle including a gold dress that I basically want to live in. I’m so inspired by the South-African-beach-rustic-turned-glam details styled by Blank Canvas, and the dreamy photography by Memory Box. It’s sheer editorial loveliness.Read More

Voortrekker Frontiers by Wesley Vorster & Leipzig

by gaby

We’re at the half-way mark of our week of homegrown inspiration and I am loving it – aren’t you? There are so many clever ideas and beautiful images in these shoots that I have literally found myself dreaming about them! Today’s finalist is something so original, so rooted in a (sometimes controversial) aspect of South African history, and yet is a somewhat playful (hanging paper bonnets I love), always stylish, exploration of themes that we all share, like new frontiers and exploration. It’s a showcase for some seriously amazing and innovative local design talent (including fashionista Mieke Vermeulen), and with Leipzig‘s flawless florals and attention to detail and Wesley Vorster‘s crisp images, the result is FIERCE.Read More

Protea Landscape by Michelle Wiese & Kadou

by gaby

Day Two of styled shoot inspiration begins! From the beach yesterday, today we’re off to the Karoo, where the arid landscape inspired our latest team of wedding pros to come up with a very special shoot that has so many elements to it. Led by photographer Michelle Wiese and Kadou, they created some dramatic bridal looks and two variations on a homegrown rustic tablescape that include (shut the front door, seriously) a paper protea table garland. I love how some of the starker elements, like concrete and wood textures, geometric elements and an earthy palette contrast with softer touches like a dreamy tulle peplum dress and watercolour washes. And you can’t get a more classic South African motif than our national flower- which turns up in all sorts of fresh ways. Love it!Read More

We All Have Roots in Africa by Cheryl McEwan & Creation Events

by gaby

Ready, steady, let’s GO! I’m so excited to share a week of proudly South African wedding inspiration here on SBB, starting with this delightful shoot from two long-time supporters of the blog (along with their talented team), stylist Theresa of Creation Events and photographer Cheryl McEwan. Instead of choosing a single South African twist, they were inspired by just how eclectic and diverse our cumulative culture is (one of the things I love most about SA) and created a look for both ceremony and reception that incorporated a mix of the gorgeous textures and colours of our nation. Including a beadwork cake, which I am absolutely DYING over, leather accented stationery (how. cool. is. that.) and lots of beautiful, beautiful proteas. Put simply, these are a few of our favourite things :)Read More