Posts tagged ‘vintage’

May 1

Real Wedding at Die Klipskuur {Natalia & Darryl}

Good morning, brideys! How has your week been so far? Mine is not ideal, as I am nursing the flu (again? seriously?) but the cure for everything is a pretty wedding, and I have a lovely one for you today. As you all know by now, I am a huge sucker for couples who infuse their personal style, taste, likes, etc. into their wedding design, and Natalia and Darryl really did that. Although it’s a rustic vintage wedding, and that’s a popular style right now, every detail was thought out and included with love, including many heirloom pieces and special touches. The couple, being landscapers, have a huge love for nature, and I also love that they tried to complement the beautiful surroundings of their venue, instead of making it over. Their flowers and decor reflect the soft tones of the veld, as captured so strikingly by photographer Melanie Wessels. And you guys, how much are we loving Natalia’s juliet cap veil? So, so pretty! Read more

Mar 11

3 Comments

Inspiration Board: Antique Teal & Rose

Good morning, lovelies! I have two gorgeous inspiration boards to share with you today, both requests from you, our SBB readers. The first is all about the soft vintage palette of dusty pink and teal, and is just for Janel, who is planning a summer wedding at a wine farm. She told me she loves girly things, like lace, flowers and ribbon, and wanted to incorporate these. I can’t think of a prettier, girlier motif than a bit of lace, hanging from the trees in embroidery hoops, draped along the table as a runner. Use vintage objects to create an antique shop feel (just like this couple did so successfully), and the softest pink flowers (in LOVE with this bouquet!), bridesmaids’ dresses and shoes for the bride. I also love the romantic teal touches – paper pom poms, glass jars, and gorgeous painted chairs (if only Anthro did hiring!). Hope you like your board, Janel!

Colours: Soft dusky pink, teal & white

Top row (l-r): Bride {Paul Johnson}; bouquet; lace embroidery hoops {White Rabbit Studio}; lace table runner {Sean Money + Elizabeth Fay/Tiger Lily Weddings}
Row 2: Pink shoes {Marie Labbancz}; wrought iron chair {Anthropologie}; paper pom poms; antique shoe stretch {Maryke Harper Photography}
Row 3: Suitcase & books; pink champagne cocktails {Jose Villa Photography}; pink bridesmaids dresses {Alexis Diack}; vintage teal and rose table setup {Events by Heather Ham/Picotte Weddings}.

Feb 14

2 Comments

Vintage Style Boudoir

Hello friends! To continue our Valentine’s Day content, I have such a cute little boudoir session to share with you. While you’ll be seeing lots of red and white and heart-themed couple shoots and weddings all over the blogosphere today, I thought that it might be fun to share something that might inspire you to give as a Valentine’s gift – either to your fiance or, better yet, to yourself. Most of us ladies feel so self-conscious in pics (I know I do!) and feel we’re never thin enough or toned enough or tanned enough or whatever enough to indulge in a photo session that’s all about us. And what’s more, that celebrates our sensuality. That’s where I think booking one of these sessions is a real gift to yourself, and all the ladies I know who have done it have told me how it gave them such a confidence boost to go for it. A good boudoir should be about celebrating YOU, with all your ‘flaws’ (after all, it’s our imperfections that make us beautiful). And while some choose to go revealing in a boudoir, I really love sessions that only hint at what’s underneath and keep things classy rather than FHM. That’s why I loved this session from Expressions Photography, which plays on a range of vintage looks from the ’40s and ’70s to make model-for-the-day Danni look (and no doubt feel) absolutely gorgeous! I have to mention Lisa Hair and Make-up, who did such an awesome job on hair and makeup – I especially love Danni’s pinup girl look! Head over to Expressions’ blog if you’d like to see more of the shoot (or book your own). Read more

Feb 7

4 Comments

Real Wedding at Cabrières {Tana & Arlo}

Round these here parts, we love a bit of a French influence, and never more so than when it results in a pretty country wedding. Which is exactly what we have for you today – I’ve been dying to share this one with you ever since I was sent a link to Lauren Kriedemann‘s gorgeous photos. Tana and Arlo have an awesome story of how they met, and they chose to marry at the gorgeous Cabrières in Montagu, stringing bunting by the yard and filling their tables with proteas and blushing brides. I love their use of paper details, including flowers for the ladies, strings of birds and hearts, and even a wall of paper butterflies. It’s all so whimsical and delicious, and there’s even a beyond awesome getaway car! Enjoy… Read more

Jan 30

1 Comment

Real Namibian Wedding {Karolina & Arno}

Hello lovelies! Today we’re heading just a little bit north of the border, for the first SBB wedding from Namibia. I don’t know about you, but I’ve always been fascinated by the Namib desert, and would love to visit one day! So I couldn’t resist this lovely wedding of a Swedish bride and Namibian groom, with its sweet rustic detailing in the middle of a desert setting. It reminds me of the pictures we have of my great grandfather having picnics with his tennis club in the bush – they’d trek out with blankets and chairs and a gramophone, and it was all very civilised! With so much natural beauty in our country and those of our neighbours, I’m a particular fan of weddings that take advantage of these incredible views, and you don’t need to compromise on the classically pretty wedding you’ve always dreamed of to do it. Photographer Drikus Le Roux was there with Karolina and Arno to capture the beauty both inside and out of the marquee. Oh, and PS, don’t skip the text – this is the cutest ‘how we met’ story! Read more

Jan 16

2 Comments

Lace Wedding Cakes

Hello lovelies! We have a cute little wedding coming up soon, but first, here’s our weekly roundup. Actually, this post was going to be about a whole other cake trend, but when I asked myself what sort of cake I could see South African brides really going for in the next year, one answer immediately sprang to mind: lace. I mean, we love lace, right? Especially all you Cape Country Vintage brides. It’s a beautiful texture to add to a cake without having to go too bold – in fact it’s the perfect way to amp up a classic white cake. Not that you can’t do something more colourful, as you’ll see below – the base cake or the lace itself can be any number of colours. I think my absolute favourite look is the blush/nude cake with a white lace overlay, since it reminds me of the illusion/portrait back trend we’re seeing in dresses so much at the moment – so gorgeous! I’ve gathered up my Top 20 lace cakes – which is your favourite? Read more

Dec 11

Supplier Spotlight: Natural Nostalgia

Ah, vintage. If there’s one word that’s been on every bride’s lips at one time or another in the last few years, that would be it. And I think that in South Africa, we’ve worked vintage into our own signature style (what I think of as South African country vintage – more on that soon). What makes it special is not just the found objects and the pretty standards like bunting or suitcases, but the quirky touches that each bride seems to find – after all, we Saffas don’t like cookie cutter style, do we? So that’s why I’m excited to introduce you to today’s spotlight – Natural Nostalgia. Based in KZN, the company offers four different options to help the busy bride, from full scale bespoke planning to decor hire and sale. Owner Kimberley Lomas is passionate about bringing her clients something timeless and beautiful, but still with that elusive, quirky wow-factor. Read more

Nov 28

6 Comments

Real Wedding at the Market Restaurant {Debra & Mike}

I ♥ Durban. I’m just saying. I’m not from there, but I’ve always felt like I kiiinda am, and not just because I say hull-ton and not hill-ton. When I was little, my grandparents lived in Umdloti, and so from then right up until university I spent large chunks of my summer holidays there. Oh, and then my parents moved there, so it’s where I fly home to. Anyway, what it adds up to is a huge soft spot for the Durbs. And what all you Cape Town and Joburg people may not have cottoned onto yet, is that the cool quotient of Durban has been on the rise. Not just a surf town, my friends. I am seriously seeing some of the most gorgeous weddings and suppliers coming out of KZN, and I am especially loving the sort of handmade hipster take on South African style showcased by dapper brides and grooms like Debra and Mike, today’s happy couple. Think: fresh proteas mixed with carved ones, bunting in the church, fairy lights in a restaurant courtyard, balloons and photos in MINI TOWN. In case the caps didn’t alert you, I am especially excited about that last part. Mini towns are the best thing, ever. (Can you get married in one? If you can, I might have to.) Anyway, I can’t imagine a better couple to capture this amount of awesome better than Dylan and Emma-Jane of Lad and Lass Photography (formerly Hello Harbour), whose work I have been dying to feature for a while. I just love their fun style, and I know you will too. Enjoy! Read more

Nov 2

2 Comments

Inspiration Board: Homegrown

Time for our second inspiration board of the week, and it’s another in your new favourite colour combo of pink and green. Who can blame you ladies for loving it though – it’s the perfect combination of pretty and calming. For this board, bride-to-be Lana asked for inspiration for her game farm wedding – she wanted it country, romantic, vintage and South African. This is such a classic look, and I’ve tried to add some chic homegrown touches to the basic country vintage palette. For example, pretty tin cups with a sophisticated silhouette, a hand-drawn invitation, Skinny La Minx fabric napkins, and of course proteas. For the vintage touch, I love these crocheted cap sleeves and lace chair covers, soft pink bridesmaids dresses and roses. Add in some mismatched containers with pink and green flowers and succulents on the tables to add a country green touch, and you have the prettiest of South African weddings! Hope you like your board Lana – and thanks for your patience!

Colours: Soft pink, green, cream and ivory

Top row (l-r): Lace capped sleeves {Kate MacPherson/Flowers Manuela}; succulent{Bright Girl Photography/Nostalgia Events}; floral centrepiece {Gavin Casey}; tin mugs with silhouette; protea bouquet {Bright Girl Photography}
Row 2: Invitation {The Sometimes Zoo}; protea {Kari Herer}; Skinny La Minx napkin; bride and bridesmaids {Catherine Mac}
Row 3: Jeep with protea decoration {Cari Photography/Franschhoek Flowers}; three proteas; lace chair backs {Stephanie Fay Photography/Victoria Canada Weddings and Events}; game farm couple {Jacki Bruniquel}.

Oct 26

3 Comments

Inspiration Board: Skipping Stones

Sjoe. I have been getting more reader requests for inspiration boards than I can keep up with, but I absolutely love hearing from you and will get to as many as I can, so please do be patient! Our second board for the week is for Kelsey, who is planning a summer wedding at the college she and her fiance attended. I’ve seen quite a few college weddings on US blogs, and I think it’s a lovely place for a wedding – something I sort of wish we did in SA. Mind you, I don’t think you could pay me enough money to get married at the ugly shoebox that was the Stellenbosch arts building! Anyway, I digress. Kelsey dreams of a wedding that’s delicate, simple and romantic, and wanted to include both lace (because of the pretty vintage factor) and stones, because her fiance proposed while they were skipping rocks on the Boise River. How adorable is that? I love this sort of personal touch, and luckily I have come up with some really cute ideas. Kelsey’s palette is absolutely dreamy, and incredibly contemporary – light blue and light grey are such an of-the-moment colour combo. LOVE. I’m envisioning a classic wedding with some pretty but not too fussy touches. I adore the idea of a blue or grey wedding dress, but bridesmaids in these shades are just as wonderful, and I’d recommend bringing in quite a bit of sheer fabric if possible (also a big trend for 2013). The lace motif comes in through a lacy wrap for the bride, pretty lacy stationery (I wouldn’t use too much actual lace on the tables, to keep it unfussy), a lace decoration on the cake and even a lace backdrop for the photobooth. Flowers are mostly white, as is the rest of the table decor I’m picturing. (If Kelsey would like to keep it simpler, she could scale down that table decor.) For a vintage touch, I’d include simple details like ‘something blue’ embroidery, piles of ‘love letters’ tied together with ribbon (a new take on the book table decor trend), and how adorable are these crochet covered stones? The stone motif was the most fun to include – I absolutely heart the runner, because it reminds me a little of a riverbed (so appropriate here) but other ways to bring them in are though giving your guests wishing stones to hold during the ceremony, or stones to write on as a guest book alternative, stones inside hurricane jars with candles on the table, or even stones covered in clay with names stamped in as place cards (although not all at once please!). The end result is so pretty and romantic, don’t you think? Hope you agree Kelsey – good luck with the rest of your planning!

Colours: Powder blue & grey