Wood & Rose Gold Wedding at Old Mac Daddy by Claire Thomson {Mia & Johan}

Sometimes, when I’m selecting a wedding for publication, there are details I notice but don’t really understand, and then when I read the bride’s story, everything makes sense. Those are kind of my favourites, because it means that they’re personal in a way that something just taken off Pinterest never can be. That was the case with the poem inscribed on the floor-to-ceiling windows of Old Mac Daddy in today’s wedding, and it turned out to be just one of the lovely tributes from the bride and groom, in memory of their much-missed parents. Such a special touch, and those tributes fitted seamlessly into the clean lines of this beautifully designed, minimalist, organic wedding day. From the stationery ‘branding’ (repeated in the cake toppers and boxes, adorable) to the signs telling the couple’s story down the aisle (even more adorable!), to the rose gold (rose gold! we love!) and wood detailing, to the chevron sparkle bridesmaid dresses and the bride’s convertible princess gown (not to mention immaculate hair and makeup by Corlé Barnard), everything about it is a breath of fresh air and an expression of Mia and Johan. The wonderful Claire Thomson captured these fantastic pics.Read More

Playful Protea Wedding at Old Mac Daddy by Michelle van Heerden {Lynne and Kyle}

Hello lovelies! As I mentioned last week, I got to be on the other side of the wedding fence this weekend when I was a guest at two of my dear friends’ wedding in the Midlands. And as much as I love the prettiness here (and there was plenty of prettiness there too), it was also good to remind myself of all the emotion that goes into the day – I literally couldn’t stop the tears at one point, but they were definitely tears of joy! And joy is a huge hallmark of the wedding I’m sharing with you today – just like bride Lynne says her dress doesn’t take herself too seriously, I get the impression that neither do the bride and groom, and everything about their big day is a little bit playful. From gold spray-painted animals at each setting to a scuba themed cake, chilli boutonnieres and a hangover station (best favour idea ever!), it was a day full of fun. And with smiles so wide and weather so sunny, photographer Michelle van Heerden captured every moment beautifully.Read More

Sunny Paper Flower Wedding at Old Mac Daddy by Dear Heart Photos {Cornelia & Paul}

There’s just something so fairytale-surreal-lovely about oversize paper flowers, and this wedding is full of ’em. Cornelia and Paul’s Old Mac Daddy celebration was a labour of love, quite literally – together with friends and family they created their gorgeous decor from scratch, every petal and every origami fox (yep, foxes – this couple loves them, and they made an absolutely adorable motif woven through the wedding in unexpected places!). With bright pops of yellow, blue and orange – including a peekaboo yellow train on Cornelia’s dress – as well as the sunny Elgin weather, this was a wedding that was full of cheer, and as fun and laid-back as it was original. Lindsay of Dear Heart Photos took these amazing pics!Read More

Travel Themed Old Mac Daddy Wedding by Yolandé Marx {Marli & Pieter}

You all know how I feel about travel themed weddings (love ’em!). Which might have something to do with my own love of travel, but I also love how it can be a metaphor for life and relationships. Because life really is a journey, isn’t it? I’m the first to admit I don’t always look at the scenery along the way, preferring to focus on the destination, but in hindsight it’s always the journey that gets you somewhere that teaches you or inspires you or provides you with the lasting lessons or memories. Today’s couple, inspired by their awesome airstream trailer park venue (oh, we love Old Mac Daddy’s don’t we!), based their wedding around the idea of going on a trip together – kind of a perfect metaphor for starting out on the adventure of marriage. They incorporated this theme in sweet, subtle ways – through an airstream logo, and travel-themed stationery, and (my fave) little old school cartoon-hobo-style knapsacks on a stick to house the favours. Adorable! The vibe was light hearted and lovely, made even more so by the drop dead gorgeous pics by Yolandé Marx. I’m a huge fan of Yolandé’s work (in fact, check our her gorgeous new category images in our Supplier Directory – swoonage!), and her dreamy shots of Marli and Peter in their lakeside location are some of my favourites!Read More

Books & Bicycles Old Mac Daddy Wedding by Captured Moments Photography {Irene & Du Toit}

I always feel a bit nostalgic when we get to the end of our Real Life Bride season, as it also signals the end of another South African summer wedding season (and summer, boo – although of course, there’s all those cosy winter weddings to look forward to!). But at the same time, it’s such a true pleasure to see the coming together of all the planning and dreaming and excitement that we’ve been a part of. Today, I’m honoured to share the handmade pastel wedding of Irene and Du Toit, whose wedding decor was a labour of love, incorporating both bicycles (for Du Toit’s favourite hobby) and books (representing translator Irene’s passion for books). From the gorgeous ribbon bedecked ceremony arch (we all remember that one from Irene’s posts!) to the pastel bridesmaids, to the swoony dress (how beautiful did the bride look?), to the spectacular view, it’s everything our RLB dreamed of, and I have to give a very special shout out to Captured Moments Photography for the spectacular pics! Thanks so much for taking us on your journey Irene, and here’s wishing you a life of love.

For Irene & Du Toit’s ‘how we met’ story and all her planning posts, check out the Bicycle Bride archive.Read More

Real Wedding at Old Mac Daddy {Amé & Karel}

Holy moley me oh my – now if this isn’t an amazing wedding, I’ll eat my fascinator. Ever since the team behind the Grand Daddy Hotel (which I am still dying to stay at) opened a country version of their rooftop airstream trailer park in Elgin called Old Mac Daddy, I have been dying to feature a wedding there. (For those who don’t know, each of the trailers – already pretty rad on their own – is custom decorated to a theme by a local artist).  I knew if I held out, the perfect wedding to show off this rustic, funky, informal venue would come along, and boy has it ever. I am so in love with Amé and Karel’s style – from their very cool stationery (how cute is the game-style invitation, not to mention their classy on-the-day farm look and adorable table names!) and quirky ideas, to their green and white flowers and laid back farm chic decor. And those bridesmaids’ dresses! Everything about this wedding is in synch – it’s so beautifully put together and well-thought-out. And, of course, I am also thrilled to be showcasing the work of the awesome Love Made Visible – their ability to see and capture the behind-the-scenes moments that really make up a day so much more than the decor or colour scheme ever could, always astounds me. Sit back, bliss out and enjoy.Read More