Abigail Betz Bridal Couture 2015 Collection

As you all know, we love sharing local design talent here on SBB, so I’m delighted to be debuting the latest collection from Abigail Betz, which celebrates the ‘brave, free-spirited new bride’. Abigail’s haute couture dresses are always so unique and so beautifully crafted, with tailored accessories that really make her brides’ big day looks one-of-a-kind. With this new collection, she has retained her label’s signature sense of romance, but introduced colour, texture and a hint of sexiness that accentuates the female form. Abigail says: “In a bridal market with so much over embellishment and lack of variety, I wanted to set the modern bride free to look as enchanting and have as much fun as possible on her special day without being weighed down by excessive, restrictive petticoats and overstated trimmings. It is her unique spirit that should be on display in the most magnificent way. That is what we strive to achieve with our pieces.” These Rossetti-esque lookbook images give a peek into the collection’s four themes, with refinement as a common thread across them all.Read More

Elbeth Gillis Opulence Collection

As much as I love featuring international wedding dress trends and designers, it’s always a happy day for me when I get to showcase some homegrown talent, especially when it’s a designer like Elbeth Gillis, who inspires complete devotion in her brides. If I had money for every time one of them told me what an amazing experience they had working with her! In the years since I started SBB I’ve featured many of Elbeth’s brides and worked with her in person, and at the same time I’ve watched as Elbeth’s star rises internationally. She’s especially making a big name for herself in the UK at the moment, and with dresses as absolutely drop-dead-gorgeous as the new Opulent collection, it’s no wonder. The gowns are a mix of sophisticated and whimsical, romantic and modern, with luxurious fabrics and dreamy details galore. Whether the silhouette you’re craving is slinky or fairytale, you’ll find something to adore here – in fact, I especially love that some of the dresses have a completely different look with the addition of a frothy overlay. Picking my favourite images was hard, you guys, so ENJOY.Read More

Elizabeth Stuart Spring 2015 Collection

“The most delicate of French laces, sumptuous silks and opulent embellishment… gowns inspired by and named after the many heartfelt emotions felt by a bride on her most magical of days… all the feelings of love, endearment and joy that are experienced when a bride and groom come together as one…” When that’s how a new bridal collection is introduced, you can’t blame me for falling in love a little bit myself, especially since British designer Elizabeth Stuart‘s beautiful gowns are showcased in a series of dreamy lookbook images that I get to share with you today. Everything about this collection is lovely, from the classic-but-modern silhouettes to the fine fabrics (Chantilly lace, soft tulle, gold crepe silks – sigh). But then, why take my word for it? See for yourself…Read More

Floral Wedding Dresses

Floral Wedding Dresses

If there’s one trend that has just EXPLODED all over the runways and new collections this year, it’s flowers and floral prints. But these are not your typical floral print dress, oh no. Combine gorgeous colours, pretty prints and watercolour effects with bridal shapes and dreamy fabrics, and you get something truly spectacular – real little works of botanical art. I’m stoked that a couple of our real brides over the years have been ahead of this curve in wearing floral wedding dresses, but I’ve seen so many more pretty examples on the wedding web of late that I couldn’t wait to share my favourites with you in a roundup!

*Links in bold denote affiliate links. The cost to you remains the same, but SBB may receive a commission for any sales made.

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How to Find a Maternity Wedding Dress

Nude White Sequin Maternity Wedding Dress by Agneshka Maternity

*UPDATED FOR 2021* 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 dresses, 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 maternity wedding 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! Read on as we answer all your questions on finding the gown of your dreams when you’re dressing for two.

*Links in bold denote affiliate links. The cost to you remains the same, but SBB may receive a commission for any sales made.

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Persy Bridal Spring 2016

One of my happiest memories as a little girl is going to watch the ballet – I was just swept away by all those beautiful costumes, and the perfect fluidity of bodies in motion. I still love ballet – I just wish I went to see it more often. So when I saw designer Yaniv Persy‘s latest collection had a touch of the ballet about it, it immediately had my attention, and that was even before I fell in love with the ethereal draping, the magically intricate bodices, and the clever little details. Earlier this year we introduced you to the first collection from Persy Bridal, and I’m super excited to share the Spring 2016 collection from this hot couture label – every dress of which will have a bride feeling like the prima ballerina.Read More

Anna Campbell Spirit Collection

Oh it’s been a funny old week… I won’t get into it here, but let’s just say that I’d like to end it off with something pretty. The good news is that that’s exactly what I have for you today, in the form of Anna Campbell‘s hot of the press newest collection. I’m a huge fan of this Australian designer – the slinky feminine silhouettes, the floaty skirts, the spectacular embellishments – and can’t wait to see them come to South Africa. For now, let’s pour ourselves a cup of something hot, sit back and fall into a pretty reverie…Read More

Hello Darling by Heidi Elnora, Spring 2016 Collection

We know brides come with all kinds of style preferences, and that’s why we adore designers who have a little something for everyone. Alongside her gorgeous signature and build-a-bride collections, Alabama-based designer Heidi Elnora last year launched her Hello Darling collection, which has a beautifully relaxed feel that’s perfect for boho, beach and destination brides. Recently she launched the latest installment of the collection for Spring 2016. What I really like about these gowns is that even though they’re ethereal, there’s the same attention to detail you’d find on more formal gowns – after all, just because you’re a free-spirited bohemian bride shouldn’t mean you don’t get all the prettiness! There are peeks of delicate Venetian lace, plunging neck and backlines, embroidered ribbon details… And a lovely 1960s vibe that feels contemporary as well as having a bit of vintage sass. Let’s have a look, shall we?Read More

20 Long Sleeve Wedding Dresses

long sleeve wedding dresses from Etsy

Bohemian Wedding Dress by Angellure Bridal

*UPDATED FOR 2021* I swear, every time I spend a few minutes (okay, a couple of hours, but who can help it?) browsing on Etsy, I swear the wedding dresses get more gorgeous. I think it’s extremely cool that brides these days not only have the option of dresses from established designers, but up-and-coming indies from around the world. Which really opens up your choices when it comes to style. Recently, I’ve been absolutely LOVING wedding dresses with sleeves (especially lace ones), so I just had to round up my fave long sleeve wedding dresses from Etsy. And wow, but they are all kinds of winter wonderful and autumn awesome!

*Links in bold denote affiliate links. The cost to you remains the same, but SBB may receive a commission for any sales made.

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Lakum Spring/Summer 2016 Collection

Okay seriously, geniuses of the world, when are you going to go ahead and invent teleportation already? Because far too often an invite lands in my inbox and all I want to do is beam myself over to wherever it is. Especially when that place is New York, New York, a city so nice they named it twice, and one of my favourite places on earth. Which is what happened when I got a mail from exciting new Brooklyn-based bridal label Lakum, to preview their S/S 2016 collection (spoiler alert: it’s GORGEOUS). So boo, I couldn’t go, but lucky for me and for you, Lakum have sent over some spectacular lookbook images that will not only make you fall in love with their spectacular gowns, but with New York all over again as well. So let’s take a stroll through the city, while admiring the beautiful Lakum silhouettes. It’s not teleportation, but today it feels like a pretty close second ;)Read More