Valentine Red Zuikerkop Lodge Wedding by Simone Franzel {Ilke & Willem}

Happy Valentine’s Day, my lovelies! I hope that whatever you get up to, whether it’s the grand gesture or something as simple as sharing cards and smiles, you have a wonderful day! Of course, for engaged couples, V-Day is often extra special (any excuse for lovey-dovey, right?), and we’ve been celebrating everything romantic on the blog all week (although in some ways, every week is Valentine’s week on a wedding blog!). Today of course we have some extra special posts planned. First of all, it just had to be a classic cherry red wedding. In fact, I knew Ilke & Willem’s wedding would be perfect for V-Day when I found it on the lovely Simone Franzel‘s blog – not just because of the colour scheme, but because this adorable couple used hearts as their motif. This isn’t like most red weddings though – I absolutely ADORE the clever and creative ways that Ilke brought her theme colour into her decor, from the natural reds of apples and cherries on the tables, red glasses at each place setting, and the gorgeous red lily bridal bouquet, to the bright print napkins that popped against the blue-grey tables. It just shows – there’s no such thing as a predictable colour scheme. So yay for Valentine red, and yay for this fabulous wedding!Read More

Farmer’s Market Engagement Shoot

Afternoon, SouthBound Brides! Time for a couple shoot, and I’m very excited about today’s, from our friend Simone Franzel. I love when a couple choose to do something a bit different for their e-shoot, especially if it shows off something that they love as a couple, and a day at the boeremark (farmer’s market) certainly fits the bill! I can almost smell and hear the market through Simone’s fantastic pics, which also capture those special glances a couple in love share when they’re enjoying spending time together. Loveliness! I also love all the truly South African boeremark products – it’s definitely made me a bit homesick for vetkoek!Read More

Real Wedding at Bushfellows {Maxine & Frans}

You people bring me such joy, you know, with your clever weddings! Over here in the UK, or when I’m speaking to American friends, people are always saying “South Africans have seriously beautiful weddings, and you’re not afraid to take risks and do something different”. They’re right, and I absolutely love that. It’s what made me start this blog in the first place. I love that I get to feature everything from incredibly luxurious, elegant affairs with the finest of everything through to relaxed celebrations on the beach, or in someone’s back yard. They all bring something new to the table. Take, for example, today’s wedding at Bushfellows in Limpopo. Maxine and Frans are a couple of free spirits, who wanted to have an amazing party with their friends and capture that perpetually laid-back African beach bar vibe, but in the bush. Just the concept of that is so cool – I mean, how much fun would that wedding be, right? And then of course, there’s the execution: bridesmaids in flower crowns and sundresses with individual bouquets (yay!), a beautiful bride in the most fun dress ever (lovingly made by her mother), mismatched florals, colourful tables under flower awnings, and a pinata instead of a wedding cake. No seriously, a pinata. That is the awesomest. And they gave new meaning to the term ‘barefoot wedding’ when they took all their guests’ shoes as an ‘entrance fee’ (to give to charity) – with socks as favours in case of cold feet! I absolutely love these pictures from friend of the blog Simone Franzel – she’s done an amazing job of capturing such a special day and it was so hard to narrow them down. This is really going to get your Wednesday off to a blazing start, so buckle up, and enjoy the ride!Read More