Today's bride is really, truly a SouthBound Bride, in so many senses of the word. Anita may not be from SA, but she has a deep bond with our country, and when she and her South African-bord husband tied the knot, they went above and beyond to include dozens of gorgeous South African elements in the mix, including loads of beautiful shweshwe. As a regular reader, Anita found all of her suppliers via SouthBound Bride, and having been in touch with her during the planning process, I loved her enthusiasm for every little detail. It's worth reading her story and advice below to get a sense of just how much thought went into each aspect - right up to a stargazing lounge so guests could see the Southern Cross, sigh. The day was beautifully captured by the wonderful welovepictures.

We never had a doubt in our minds that we wanted to get married in South Africa versus New York or Switzerland. South Africa has a special place in our heart because it's where we met and fell in love. We share a deep love for the country and wanted to show our extended family and friends this amazing place. Living in New York gave me many options for a wedding gown. I was looking for a vintage looking dress - lace, flowy, soft and romantic, with a natural waist but not too much poof. I tried on a lot of dresses, oftentimes alone because that way I was more focused and I learnt what was flattering for my body. When two of my best friends and bridesmaids came to visit from Switzerland we went to try on a dress that I had pinned for a while but that was only available in one store: a Lazaro (style 3004). The quality of lace and silk was exquisite and I felt so comfortable. And that was the one! Memorable Moments
If I have to pick one, I was surprised how much I loved walking down the aisle. The excitement was overwhelming while we all proceeded, perfectly timed to 'Hoppipolla' by Sigur Rós, seeing my almost-husband at the end of the aisle, standing there in the middle of the vines. I grinned so much all day it hurt! And I really loved the end of the night at about 3:30, when the DJ played our last song ('Home' by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros). We were dancing under the stars, the wind blowing in our hair and our friends spontaneously formed a circle and another circle around us and we all sang along and cheered and laughed so hard. The party obviously wasn't over then and we continued drinking & chatting.
My shoes were a lucky find only three weeks before our wedding. I was in Bloomingdale's buying undergarments for my dress when I walked past this amazing pair of Kate Spade heels, perfectly topped with guinea fowl feathers - it was meant to be! The venue itself was our most important and also our hardest decision. Planning a wedding from 12 500km away was definitely not easy, especially because I didn't know anybody local I could ask for help. The internet was my best friend and I did a LOT of research. Luckily I found SouthBound Bride very early in our planning process and I looked through every single venue that was listed on the website and made spreadsheets of pros and cons. If a venue fitted our requirements, I would look through the real weddings pages and browse through the websites of photographers and wedding planners as well to get a feeling for the venue. Eventually, we made a short list of six venues and planned a trip to South Africa to take a look at them in person. We loved the idea of a winelands wedding (we're both big wine drinkers), we wanted the ceremony and reception to take place at the same location and we needed enough rooms on the premises for our immediate family and our wedding party. There was one venue that stood out for us, but we could only get married there if we worked with a specific wedding planner, and when we decided not to hire them, we had to start again. This time we found two new venues that we hadn't considered before. One was just perfect for us: Mountain Shadows in Paarl. It's a family-run guesthouse, located on a small vineyard (but they allowed us to bring in our own wine, which was a big plus) with absolutely stunning views of the Drakenstein Mountains. There was an olive grove, a dam and the most beautiful surroundings. But most importantly the Truter/de Beer family are the loveliest people and they were so happy to accommodate all our crazy ideas. The daughter was our coordinator, her husband our DJ, and their Finnish daughter-in-law the most amazing chef. It was a very intimate and individual venue and planning experience and exactly what we were hoping for.

SERVICE PROVIDERS
Venue: Mountain Shadows | Catering: Laura Truter | Photographer: welovepictures | Co-ordinator: Misty de Beer | Videographer: Marius van Rensburg | Flowers & décor: Mint and Magnolia | Stationery: Seven Swans (I love Anelle and Ella so much!) | Bride's dress: Lazaro LZ3004 | Bride's accessories: Kate Spade 'Rigsy' pump | Hair & makeup: Daleen Stewart of Sixlove | Bridesmaids' dresses: Amsale G654C & G728C in hydrangea & J.Crew Arabelle in Casablanca Blue | Groom's attire: J.Crew Ludlow | Hiring: Nomadik Tents (tent); 4EveryEvent (chairs); Dance Floor | Entertainment: Jeremy Loops | DJ: Piet de Beer