Gypsy Boho from Jacoba Clothing

It’s Fri-yay, and yay indeed, because I am super excited to share this lookbook feature with you! As you know, I am always on the hunt for pretty, on-trend bridesmaid fashion, and I’m a huge fan of local brand, Jacoba (who by the way, are not just for bridesmaids, because they are awesome for MoBs, guest outfits, formalwear, and even brides themselves!). Why? Because Jacoba dresses are not only great to look at, they are super comfy to wear, and they’re made in a range of styles that genuinely suit ladies of all shapes and sizes and ages and skin tones. There’s nothing worse than seeing a pretty dress on a model and going to try it on yourself and then… well. We all know what changing room despair feels like. But Jacoba uses gorgeous models in realistic shapes to show off their clothes, so you can see what it would actually look like on your girls, and there’s something super flattering for everyone. And here’s the best part – they come in ALL THE COLOURS. 40 of them in fact. So you just pick what you like, choose your size and colour, click click and order, and you’re done! They deliver worldwide, and also have a shop in Tyger Waterfront, where you and your bridal party can try on dresses in person. So that’s why I love the brand, and today we’re showcasing their latest lookbook, which takes an on-trend dark and moody spin on the boho trend, and shows you how you can make your girls look like gypsy goddesses on your big day! I’m loving the way that accessories comepletely transform each look, and how little lace and sheer details make each dress special in their own right! There’s even a deliciously dark tablescape. Let’s take a look, shall we?

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Introducing Bride&co’s New 2018 Collection

Bride&co 2018 Collection on SouthBound Bride

If you’re looking for a wow-worthy dress this season, then pull up a chair and get comfortable, because I’m about to sweep you off your feet! Bride&co, South Africa’s most beloved wedding and eveningwear store, have just celebrated their ten year anniversary by launching their 2018 Collection and I have a feeling you are going to love it! It’s not just wedding dresses either, but breathtaking occasionwear for the ladies (matric dance dress, ball, whatever you need), and suits for the boys too. And the wedding gowns… oh my. I’ve long been a fan of the Oleg Cassini and Viola Chan brands, and to see them available in SA (alongside the Bride&co in-house label) is amazing – I can’t wait to feature brides walking down the aisle in these beauties! Last month I was treated to a showcase of all this gorgeousness in Johannesburg and I couldn’t stop snapping away on my phone – each piece in the full 2018 Collection is more spectacular than the last! Whatever your bridal style or body shape, there’s something here for you, from dreamy princess ballgowns to sophisticated, slinky numbers. And as I mentioned, I LOVE that Bride&co is not just for brides anymore (er, someone invite me to a red carpet event now please!) With ten stores nationwide and a wide variety of suits, suit separates and dresses on offer, the Bride&co and Eurosuit team are able to help customers style their perfect look, whatever the occasion. Let’s take a look, shall we? Expect to be wowed.

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Reiss Spring Wedding Collection for Stylish Guests, Modern Mothers of the Bride and Best-dressed Bridesmaids

Reiss Spring Wedding Collection 2018

Weddings are the best, obviously, but we all know that finding that perfect occasionwear can be a challenge, especially if you’re going to be front and centre as the mother of the bride (or groom!) or a bridesmaid. After all, there’s a fine line between bold and on trend and… 27 Dresses. So what’s a stylish gal to do? Answer: head to Reiss, one of my favourite fashion retailers, who have just released their gorgeous Spring wedding edit. Taking inspiration from far-flung destinations, the collection includes both polished, city-ready looks and carefree dresses that invoke a sense of wanderlust. From pantsuits to wrap dresses, there’s great choices for both modern mamas who want to avoid the frump, and bridesmaids looking for fresh looks with beautiful fabrics and tailoring – and of course, there’s lots of lovely choices for wedding guest outfits too. I’m super excited to be partnering with this fashion-forward brand to bring you their new collection, shot on location in Morocco, as well as some ideas for how to style some of my favourite pieces. *Links in bold denote affiliate links.

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Top 5 Questions to Ask When Choosing a Videographer with Barefeet Videography

In all the years I’ve been running SBB, there’s two words I often hear brides and grooms say in tones of regret: wedding video. Why? Well, it turns out some people don’t think they want one – at least, until they don’t have one. And then, once the flowers have died and the honeymoon tan has faded, and they’re trying to remember what it was the best man said that had everyone in tears, or a guest mentions this hilarious thing that happened while they were across the room and wouldn’t it be awesome if they had that on video, there’s that feeling of woulda shoulda coulda. But that’s not you, right? No! You’ve already planned to have the most awesome South African wedding video of all time, made by the most awesome South African wedding videographers ever, right? The only problem is, who are they? And how do you figure that out? Fortunately help is here, in the form of the very lovely Barefeet Videography team (who as you may have guessed, really are awesome). They’re sharing the five questions you must ask when choosing a wedding videographer, as well as their top wedding video tips along the way.

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3 Gorgeous Summer Bridal Looks from the Catwalk with Sketch & M

Wedding season is upon us again, and while almost all of you summer brides will have your dresses, décor and details down, one thing you may still be undecided on is your hair and makeup aka “your LOOK”. And we get it: you want to look fresh and fabulous and on-trend, but also timeless and classic and most importantly, still like yourself. It’s enough to give a bride sleepless nights (bags under the eyes? NOT cute). So we’ve asked one of our favourite local hair and makeup geniuses to pop by today and share her expertise – super excited to introduce the very lovely Marisa of Sketch & M! Marisa loves creating natural bridal makeup looks – flawless, glowing complexion, earthy eyeshadow shades, bold lashes and neutral lips – but she also appreciates brides that are a little more experimental. Today she’s showing how some of those high fashion catwalk looks can be beautifully interpreted for modern brides, and sharing some images of her at work, captured by Leanne Love Photography. Take it away, Marisa!

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How to Choose a Safari Wedding Venue with Absolute Perfection

Anyone who knows me will tell you with no hesitation that the South African bushveld is my happy place, the one where I feel most alive. That sense of bushveld magic is something I share with many of you. Maybe that’s why safari weddings have always had such a place in my heart – there really is no more romantic place I can imagine promising your lives to one another! And just because you’re out in the middle of nature, doesn’t mean an ‘Out of Africa’ style wedding has to be low on style – oh no. In fact, it’s just the opposite! Just ask Candace Allan of Absolute Perfection. This high end, fine art wedding consultancy based in Johannesburg specialises in event styling, coordination and floral design, with a special focus on luxury South African safari destination weddings, and has created some absolutely stunning celebrations in the most beautiful locations. In fact, there’s just one problem with safari weddings, and that’s trying to figure out which heartstoppingly lovely venue to choose! We’re spoilt for choice, but with this being such an important choice, you definitely want to find the right one. Luckily for us, Candace is here to share her sage advice, along with dreamy images by Julia Winkler Photography)!

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How To Pick the Perfect First Dance Song

Pop question: what’s ‘your song’? I’ll give you a minute, but chances are that you either know the answer to that one without thinking about it (nailed it!) or you have no idea and you read the title of this post thinking “yes, how DO we pick our first dance song?” If you’re one of the second group (or if you’re one of the first, but ‘your song’ is something wildly inappropriate for a first dance, it happens!) then worry not, because there is a perfect song out there for you, even if the closest you come to Fred and Ginger is standing and swaying. And today we’re teaming up with Ryan Engelbrecht of specialised DJ service Silkmusic to show you how!

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Caribbean Dream

You know those days when everything is so completely perfect and surreal that you just have to pinch yourself and say “how is this my life?” Well, I had one (or rather, several) of those pinch-me moments earlier this year, when I found myself on a beach in the Caribbean alongside some of my favourite wedding bloggers from around the world, as guests at the fabulous Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort. Long flights be damned, it was one hundred percent worth every minute of travel from the moment I touched down in Nassau and (after a personal escort through the airport that made me feel like royalty!) got my first whiff of the warm sea air. It was everything I’d ever imagined this sun-drenched corner of the world would be – if I didn’t have these gorgeous images from our trip taken by Alexis June Weddings to prove it, I might believe it was really just a beautiful dream!

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How to Find a Maternity Wedding Dress with GF Bridal Couture

We talk wedding dresses a lot here on SBB, but there’s one type that we’ve never really covered before, and that’s maternity wedding gowns, aka gowns for pregnant brides. Now I think a bride never looks more beautiful than when she has that gorgeous mama-t0-be glow, but at the same time, I imagine it’s a bit of a challenge to find the perfect dress when you’re not a hundred percent sure what your body is going to be doing between that first try-on, and the big day. You’re dealing with a whole new body shape, basically, and it’s hard enough for us to flatter the one we normally have, right? It’s your wedding day, and you want to look amazing, not like you’ve been swaddled in a big white mumu, or squeezed into something that shows every lump and bump either.  Choosing a maternity wedding dress is definitely a unique challenge, but fortunately help is at hand. We’ve teamed up with our friends at GF Bridal Couture in Johannesburg (whose impressive bridal range includes a specialised section of beautiful maternity dresses) to answer all your questions on finding the gown of your dreams when you’re dressing for two.Read More

How to Wear Statement Bridal Jewellery

Source: Oak & the Owl/Em the Gem

This morning, lovelies, we’re talking about one of my all-time favourite things. Jewellery! Oh yes indeed, because who doesn’t love looking at (and wearing) pretty jewels? I’m a huge fan of sticking to classic fashion and using interesting accessories to make it pop, so it’s no wonder really that I’m so in love with the current trend for wearing statement jewellery on your wedding day. After all, if it’s not your personal style in day-to-day life, why suddenly revert to a demure string of pearls on your wedding day? The big question for a number of brides I talk to, though, is how exactly to rock this look without going overboard – after all, nobody wants to look like a bride who (as someone once said about Joss Stone) was covered with glue and rolled through Claire’s Accessories. So today, courtesy of the good folks at Fragments Jewelry, we’re bringing you all the tips and inspiration from real brides that you need. And, just because I can’t resist it, I’m sharing some of my favourite pieces from the Fragments collection. If you’re not already familiar with the brand, then do head over to their online store – but you might want to get someone to hide your credit card first, because I warn you, what you’ll find there is seriously gorgeous!Read More