Mikhail & Charlene

Beautiful Charlene chose a ball gown wedding dress, detailed with lace and ... purple.  The stark white of her dress worked soo beautifully with the shade of purple she chose.  

I think Charlene made a wonderful choice in allowing her bridesmaids to choose their own dress style, while using the same fabric/colours.  Her bridesmaids could feel comfortable on the wedding day and still have a dress they would wear after the event.

While Charlene looked like an absolute princess on her wedding day, her fun side showed when she donned her purple gumboots to have some 'rough 'n ready' shots taken.

Photographer: Warren Nelson

I particularly love the contrast of the shots in the hollow old tree ... lace and tulle vs gnarly old bark.  Which is your favourite photo?

Love,

Sam *

Gerhard & Mariaan

Oh my goodness, Mariaan's beaded lace was beautiful!  The perfect amount of sparkle without being to glitzy and fairly weighty (owing to the numerous beads) which  provided a gorgeous drape.  Mariaan chose a warm, deep champagne satin to line the lace and the final result was quite simply stunning.

Photographer: Lindie Kuhn

Mariaan's sister was the photographer at the wedding ... very special!  Lindie also took some beautiful 'dress' shots, which I appreciate.  Thank you Lindie!

Mariaan's dress was made for her to hire so I have it back in stock and it is available for purchase or hire.

Now, a bit of wedding-dress-colour isn't for everyone.  I love the contrast of the sash and the satin-covered buttons at the back of the dress.  I also think the choice of colour shows the detail of the lace beautifully.  Would you/did you include some colour in your wedding dress?

Love,
Sam *

Ryan & Diane

Ooooh, I loved working with Diane, a happy-go-lucky, down-to-earth, surfer-chick.  However, Diane wanted a 'poofy' dress made from chiffon and lace.  The bodice was draped with chiffon and the chiffon layered skirt had a beaded lace trim at each hem.  The skirt train hooked up so that Diane could have a more dramatic look for the ceremony but could still be totally comfortable for the reception.

 Photographer: Brenda Grobler

The reception was held at the Suikerbossie Restaurant in Hout Bay.  Unfortunately, Diane couldn't have any pictures taken at the beach because of the weather but she still got some amazing shots.  

Don't you love the last two fun-shots?  I don't think Diane's mom could believe her ears when her daughter told her that she was going to be wearing flops as her wedding shoes!  Heehee, love it.

Love,
Sam *

Gerhard & Angela

Angela and I went shopping for the lace for her dress together.  It didn't take long before Angela fell in love with a beaded lace.  (Another perk of my job ... watching fabric 'speak' to people!)  

Angela also enjoyed a 'destination' wedding ... in George at the Far Hills Hotel.

I love the gray satin under-bust trim and the delicate detailing of the lace scallops around the neckline.  What do you think?

Love,
Sam *

Roniet

Roniet was another bride that had the difficult task of planning her wedding from a distance (the UK).  Thank goodness for willing family members to make the process a bit easier!

Roniet had tried on some wedding dresses in London so she had a pretty clear idea of what she wanted.  A very relaxed bride that was fun to work with.

Photographer: Ian Mitchinson

Roniet's dress had a small train and she opted for a cathedral length veil.  I love a dress that has detail at the back and the additional length created that extra 'Wow' for the ceremony.

Lots of happiness!  And, don't you think that there's a distinctly Mediterranean feel, despite the celebrations being held in sunny South Africa?

Love,
Sam *

Featured Supplier : Anella Wedding Shoes

"Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world." Marilyn Monroe.  Hanel from Anella Wedding Shoes is certainly on her way to doing just that.  Well, in South Africa anyway. 

Hanel has put together the perfect collection of bridal shoes to suite both the bride and the whole wedding entourage (mother of the bride, bridesmaids and flowergirls).  Offering a range of styles and heel heights, Anella shoes are both comfortable and stylish.  Add to this the fact that you can dye them in an array of colours, either for your wedding day or for additional use afterwards, and you've got a sure winner.

'My' brides that purchased from this range of shoes couldn't believe how comfortable they were and there are many testimonials on the Anella website to back this up.  

Below are a few of my favourites from the range ...

Anella Wedding Shoes

In addition, Anella offers ballet pumps in satin or leather in any colour for children and adults.

It is no surprise that this year Anella Wedding Shoes won the Bridal Shoes category in the ABIA awards. Congratulations!! A well deserved award.

Sadly, after months (sometimes even years!) of preparation your wedding day shoots past faster than one cares to imagine.  Considering the comfort of your shoes for this important day is vital.  You want to be able to remember all the little details of your wedding ... not all the little details of how pained your feet are!  Is it worth sacrificing good looks for comfort, though?  I think that Anella has been able to marry looks with comfort in a very stylish way.  What do you think?

Love,

Sam *

Love is Enough

Ok, so the innitial attraction to this picture was, yes, the sparkle.  There's always room for more! 

However, the caption is very succinct.  I have long been a fan of an old group that sings a song "All you need is love" because no matter what you are experiencing in life, no matter what hardships you're going through and no matter how bad you may feel about yourself ... if you have the love and support of someone special, you're going to be ok.

The other side of the story is that when times are going well, when you're full of ideas that need to be shared and when you're experiencing something new and special ... yep that's right, it's all even better when you can share this with someone who loves you.

Being loved and loving in return gives you the energy and motivation to keep going or get going.  Love makes you happy.  Love is enough.

Do you agree with this caption?

Love,

Sam *