After a hiatus from print, Wedding Etc is back with a beautiful 178-page issue designed to inspire every couple, no matter where they are in their wedding journey. From finding your dream venue and choosing your wedding-day fragrance to planning the perfect honeymoon, here’s a sneak peek at what you’ll find inside.
We all know how stressful planning a wedding can be, making wedding planning burnout a very real possibility. Whether you’re trying not to pull out your hair as…
Wedding budgets have a way of growing quietly. One upgraded menu. A few extra centrepieces. Another twenty guests because “we can’t leave them out.” Before long, couples find themselves spending thousands on details they barely notice on the day or remember afterwards.
The good news? Most wedding regrets follow familiar patterns.
Three experienced South African wedding planners shared the expenses couples most commonly wish they’d approached differently, along with the investments that consistently create a more memorable celebration.
1.Oversized guest lists
Almost every planner agrees: guest lists are where budgets disappear fastest. Louise from Runaway Romance says many couples later regret inviting distant relatives, acquaintances or colleagues simply because they felt obligated.
“Just because you went to their wedding doesn’t mean you have to return the favour.”
A smaller guest list doesn’t just reduce catering costs. It also lowers expenses across the board – from furniture hire and stationery to flowers, favours and beverages.
Current wedding trends continue to favour more intimate celebrations where couples can spend quality time with the people who matter most.
2. Wedding favours that guests leave behind
Personalised gifts can seem like a thoughtful finishing touch, but planners say they’re often one of the least memorable expenses.
Melissa from Pretty in Stains says elaborate favours frequently remain on reception tables at the end of the evening.
Instead of spending hundreds – or thousands – on keepsakes, that budget could be redirected towards something guests actually experience, whether that’s exceptional food, live entertainment or an unforgettable dance floor.
3.Decorative details over meaningful experiences
Pinterest-worthy styling certainly has its place, but it’s easy to prioritise aesthetics over atmosphere.
Melissa says thoughtful lighting, excellent food, quality entertainment and professional photography generally leave a far bigger impression than adding another decorative installation.
Modern weddings are becoming increasingly experience-driven, with couples focusing on how the celebration feels rather than simply how it photographs.
4. Imported flowers that only last a day
Luxurious floral installations remain a popular trend, but they’re also one of the easiest areas for costs to escalate.
Louise recommends thinking carefully before investing heavily in imported blooms that are discarded after a single day.
Seasonal, locally sourced flowers often achieve a similarly beautiful result while reducing costs – and many couples are now choosing arrangements that can be donated or taken home after the celebration.
5. Large bridal parties
More bridesmaids often mean more dresses, hair appointments, makeup, gifts and transport.
Louise says some couples later realise they would have preferred keeping their bridal party smaller and giving close friends different roles throughout the day instead.
A more intimate wedding party also tends to simplify logistics and reduce planning stress.
6. Chasing social media trends
Wedding inspiration is more accessible than ever, but planners warn that endless scrolling can quickly become expensive.
Louise says spending too much time on Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest often creates confusion as couples continuously change direction or try to recreate trends that don’t suit them.
Rebecca Glen, founder of The Wedding Fairy, believes many couples spend money on traditions simply because they feel they should.
“If something doesn’t reflect who you are or doesn’t add to the experience you want to create, it’s worth questioning whether it’s necessary at all.”
7. Designing before planning
Choosing flowers, colour palettes and décor before finalising the bigger decisions can lead to costly changes later.
Melissa recommends establishing a realistic budget before anything else, followed by securing your venue, date and key suppliers.
Rebecca agrees, noting that design naturally evolves throughout the planning process and is best tackled once the logistical foundations are firmly in place.
8. Choosing vendors based on price alone
Everyone loves a bargain – but your wedding isn’t always the place to chase the cheapest quote. All three planners stress the importance of looking beyond beautiful Instagram feeds.
Communication, professionalism, backup plans, reviews and reliability are often better indicators of the experience you’ll receive.
As Melissa points out, the way a supplier communicates from your very first enquiry often says more than their portfolio alone.
9. Skipping photography and videography
While decorative elements fade, your memories become more valuable over time.
Melissa recalls one groom who insisted a videographer was non-negotiable after losing his father at a young age.
His parents’ wedding film had become one of the few moving memories he still had of them together. Stories like these are why planners consistently recommend prioritising photography and videography over temporary décor upgrades.
10. Spending to impress instead of spending intentionally
Perhaps the biggest regret isn’t one particular purchase – it’s spending money to meet other people’s expectations. Guest pressure, family opinions and social media can easily distract couples from what actually matters.
Rebecca says there is no perfect wedding budget formula.
“The key is to prioritise what genuinely matters to you as a couple and give yourself permission to skip anything that doesn’t. Nothing is truly compulsory.”
As South African weddings continue shifting towards smaller celebrations, boutique venues, destination weekends and experience-led planning, intentional spending is becoming one of the biggest luxury trends of all.
What today’s couples are choosing instead
Across the industry, planners are noticing a clear change in priorities. Couples are increasingly investing in immersive guest experiences rather than oversized celebrations. Smaller guest lists, boutique venues, destination weekends, signature cocktails, meaningful food experiences and longer celebrations are replacing the pressure to create a wedding that simply looks expensive online.
Many are also choosing intimate legal ceremonies followed by larger celebrations later, while others are embracing elopements that allow them to redirect their budget towards travel or a dream honeymoon.
The common thread isn’t spending less – it’s spending with purpose.
More than a budget
Every wedding will have expenses that matter deeply to one couple and not at all to another. The secret isn’t following someone else’s checklist – it’s knowing what will still feel meaningful years after the flowers have wilted and the trends have faded. When every decision reflects your priorities rather than outside expectations, your budget naturally starts working harder for the memories that truly last.
ALSO SEE: The wedding planning apps every modern couple should know about
The wedding planning apps every modern couple should know about
Featured image: Zeynep / Pexels
At QWABI Private Game Reserve, a wedding begins long before the ceremony itself. It starts in the quiet of the Waterberg – in the shift of pace, the…
The excitement of getting engaged often comes with one unavoidable question: Where do we even begin?
Between Pinterest boards, TikTok trends and endless Instagram inspiration, it’s easy to jump straight into choosing colour palettes or saving floral installations before you’ve even decided on a venue. But according to experienced wedding planners, the most successful weddings rarely start with aesthetics – they start with a plan.
Whether you’re dreaming of an intimate celebration or a lavish weekend affair, getting the order right from the beginning can save you money, reduce unnecessary stress and make every decision that follows feel far more intentional. Here’s how the experts recommend approaching wedding planning.
Take a moment to enjoy being engaged
It may sound counterproductive, but one of the first pieces of advice from planners is to simply – pause.
Rebecca Glen, founder and lead planner at The Wedding Fairy, encourages couples to enjoy this chapter before diving headfirst into logistics.
“The first step is actually to pause and enjoy being engaged. That season is short, and it’s worth taking it in before jumping straight into logistics.”
Wedding planning can easily become a months-long project filled with deadlines and decisions. Giving yourselves space to celebrate this milestone before opening spreadsheets and comparing venues can make the journey feel far more enjoyable.
Start with your budget – not your Pinterest board
Every planner interviewed agreed on one thing: the budget should come first. Before browsing venues or saving inspiration online, sit down together and decide what you’re realistically comfortable spending, how many guests you’d like to invite and which parts of the day matter most to you.
Melissa from Pretty in Stains says this conversation creates the foundation for every decision that follows.
“Before looking at venues or Pinterest boards, couples should establish what they’re comfortable spending, who they genuinely want to celebrate with, and what matters most to them as a couple.”
Social media has made luxury weddings more accessible than ever – but not necessarily more attainable. Without a realistic budget, it’s easy to fall in love with ideas that simply don’t fit your finances.
If you’re hiring a planner, book them early
If a wedding planner is part of your vision, don’t leave them until later. Both Louise from Runaway Romance and Rebecca Glen recommend making this one of your very first bookings.
A planner doesn’t simply organise suppliers – they help shape the entire planning process. From setting realistic budgets and timelines to recommending trusted vendors and managing expectations, involving them early can prevent costly mistakes later.
Secure your venue before anything else
Once your budget and guest count are established, it’s time to find your venue.
Your venue determines far more than just where you’ll celebrate – it influences your wedding date, guest capacity, style, catering options and even which suppliers are available. Booking the venue first also gives you a confirmed date, allowing the rest of your planning to fall into place.
Lock in your priority suppliers
Some suppliers can only take on one wedding a day – and they’re often booked months, if not years, in advance. Photography and videography consistently top planners’ priority lists, but they’re not the only professionals couples should secure early.
Louise from Runaway Romance says one supplier is surprisingly overlooked.
“People often leave the marriage officer too late – they’re the most important vendor because without them you’re not legally married.”
Once your venue is confirmed, prioritise booking your:
- Marriage officer or officiant
- Photographer
- Videographer
- Hair and makeup artists
- Wedding planner (if you haven’t already)
Everything else can usually follow afterwards.
Leave the décor decisions until later
One of the biggest planning mistakes? Choosing flowers, décor and styling too early. As exciting as mood boards can be, planners say design naturally evolves throughout the planning process. Your tastes may change, seasonal flower availability can shift and trends come and go.
Rebecca Glen explains that design is far easier to tackle once the major logistical decisions have already been finalised.
Similarly, Louise advises against locking in floral choices too early, noting that seasonal availability and pricing often change.
Think about experiences – not just aesthetics
While beautiful décor photographs well, it’s rarely what couples remember most after the wedding. Instead, planners are seeing a noticeable shift towards experience-driven celebrations, where guest connection takes priority over extravagant styling.
Melissa from Pretty in Stains says today’s couples are increasingly choosing smaller guest lists and creating meaningful experiences rather than simply focusing on how the wedding looks. That also changes where your budget has the greatest impact.
Instead of spending thousands on elaborate wedding favours that guests often leave behind, planners recommend investing in exceptional food, entertainment, photography, videography and thoughtful touches that create lasting memories.
Melissa recalls one groom who refused to compromise on hiring a videographer because one of the few moving memories he had of his late father was his parents’ wedding film.
“Some investments become more valuable with time.”
Keep your guest list intentional
If there’s one expense planners repeatedly hear couples question afterwards, it’s an unnecessarily large guest list. Many people feel obligated to invite distant relatives, old acquaintances or colleagues simply because they attended someone else’s wedding.
Louise says many former clients later wished they’d kept their celebrations smaller and more personal, redirecting that money towards experiences like an unforgettable honeymoon, meaningful food and drink moments or personalised guest experiences.
Smaller guest lists also allow couples to spend more intentionally on the people who matter most.
Don’t plan a wedding for social media
Across all three planners, one theme emerged repeatedly: don’t let trends dictate your wedding. Whether it’s the latest TikTok aesthetic, viral reception trend or Pinterest-perfect tablescape, today’s trends can quickly become tomorrow’s dated photos.
Instead, planners encourage couples to focus on authenticity. Rebecca believes every decision should support the experience you genuinely want to create – not what you think your wedding should look like online.
Melissa echoes this sentiment, “Keep your marriage as your north star.”
Whenever a decision feels overwhelming, ask yourselves one simple question: Does this reflect who we are as a couple?
If the answer is yes, you’re probably making the right choice.
Choose your suppliers carefully
Instagram portfolios only tell part of the story. Every planner emphasised the importance of reading reviews, meeting suppliers beforehand and paying attention to how they communicate from the very first enquiry.
Good suppliers don’t simply send a quote – they ask questions, understand your priorities and offer guidance throughout the process.
If possible, arrange engagement shoots, hair and makeup trials, food tastings or floral mock-ups before making final commitments. Sometimes, how someone works is just as important as the work itself.
The bottom line
Wedding planning doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. Starting with the right foundations – your budget, priorities, guest list and trusted suppliers – makes every decision afterwards far easier.
The biggest takeaway from the experts isn’t about following a perfect checklist or chasing every trend. It’s about creating a celebration that reflects your relationship, feels authentic to the two of you and leaves space to actually enjoy the journey.
Long after the flowers have wilted and the décor has been packed away, the moments you’ll treasure most are the ones that felt unmistakably yours.
ALSO SEE: The wedding planning decisions that cause the most tension (and how to handle them)
The wedding planning decisions that cause the most tension (and how to handle them)
Featured image: Pinterest
Every bride dreams of luminous skin, flawless makeup and hair that looks effortlessly healthy from the first photograph to the last dance. Yet in the months leading up…
Every wedding journey is filled with details — the dress, the flowers, the venue, the photographer, the makeup artist. But there is one detail many women leave too late: their skin.
Whether you are the bride, the mother of the bride, a bridesmaid, or a special guest, glowing skin does not happen on the morning of the wedding. It begins weeks and months before, with the right routine, the right guidance, and consistency.
Pharma PH Skin was created for real skin concerns — pigmentation, acne, sensitivity, dryness, dullness, and signs of ageing. Founded by skincare formulator Tanya Groenewald, the range was born in the treatment room after years of working with real clients and seeing how deeply skin affects confidence.
Because when your skin feels healthy, calm and radiant, makeup looks better. But more importantly, you feel better.
At The Neon Salon in Centurion, Tanya and her team use advanced AI skin scan technology to help clients understand what their skin truly needs before a big event. For those outside Centurion, the online BuyBeauty.co.za skin quiz offers a simple way to find the right Pharma PH Skin routine from home.
Pharma PH Skin is not about overnight miracles or quick fixes. It is about preparing the skin properly. Restoring the barrier, supporting hydration, improving radiance, and helping skin function at its best over time.
For brides wanting a smoother, brighter complexion before the big day, or mothers who want to feel confident in photos, Pharma PH Skin offers targeted routines designed around individual skin concerns.
From glow-enhancing serums and gentle exfoliators to barrier-supporting creams and SPF protection, each product is formulated with one principle in mind: healthy skin first.
Through ALIGN Image Consulting & Coaching, Tanya and her team also helps women understand that confidence is not only about beautiful skin, but about how you show up in every season of life. From personal style and image consulting to coaching and self-development, ALIGN supports women in feeling confident, polished and authentically themselves, whether they are preparing for a wedding, a special event, or simply stepping into a new chapter with renewed confidence.
Because wedding beauty is not only about how you look on the day.
It is about walking into that moment feeling calm, confident, radiant, and beautifully yourself.
Start your wedding skin journey with Pharma PH Skin at BuyBeauty.co.za.
Weddings are filled with moments that deserve to be remembered, not just how they looked, but how they felt. The quiet anticipation before the ceremony, the laughter shared…
Introducing ‘I Want Choo Le Parfum’ – an intense and vibrant perfume ready to ignite confidence.
‘I Want Choo Le Parfum’ joins the exclusive ‘I Want Choo’ fragrance line embodying the daring, glamorous and exceptional craftsmanship synonymous with Jimmy Choo. The latest instalment has been expertly crafted to align with the first two creations, delivering a complimentary third fragrance for the collection. I Want Choo Le Parfum brings a sumptuous and playful amber floral woody perfume to the sought-after line up, offering a scent personality fit for any occasion with one unified desire; to capture the powerful and celebratory spirit at the heart of Jimmy Choo’s DNA.
An exemplary creation by perfumers Marie Salamagne and Amandine Clerc-Marie, ‘I Want Choo Le Parfum’ combines the finest ingredients of white flowers and woody notes, the sparkling statement blend is a feminine and sophisticated fragrance, the perfect accessory to an unforgettable evening.
The scent journey begins with vibrant, lifting top notes of pear, golden gardenia and blackberry followed with a creamy, warm heart with notes of jasmine, patchouli and ambrette, and is rounded off with base notes of moss amber, sandalwood and praline accord for an evocative blend of fragrance excellence.
The captivating ‘I Want Choo Le Parfum’ fragrance is suitably housed in a statement, sculptural bottle designed to align with the desirability of the scent within. Elevated further with a translucent metallic golden glass and elegantly decorated with the brand’s signature JC monogram. The attention to detail of the bottle design is completed with a spray cap infused with Jimmy Choo’s signature gold and finished with a hammered effect accent ring. Presented in an exquisite shimmering gold box, the packaging is the perfect pairing for the perfume.
The city of London after-dark becomes the playground for the ‘I Want Choo Le Parfum’ campaign, scenting the city’s landscape with its alluring and addictive fragrance. Lining London’s street with gold, one of the house’s signature shades, the beautifully-crafted golden bottle featuresalongside model muses, Rebecca Longendyke and Sacha Quenby, against the backdrop of the intoxicating energy and joy of the city at night. ‘I Want Choo Le Parfum’ is inspired by the daring essence of the Jimmy Choo woman, ready to take on the London party scene with confidence.
‘I Want Choo Le Parfum’ is a playful, vibrant ode to empowering female friendships, evoking glamorous andmemorable nights.
ABOUT JIMMY CHOO:
Established in 1996, Jimmy Choo is a global luxury brand with an empowered sense of glamour and a playfully daring spirit. Celebrated for its confident style and exceptional craftsmanship, Jimmy Choo is synonymous with the art of celebrity dressing and red-carpet style. The house’s innovative spirit meets time-honoured techniques in the form of exceptional collections spanning footwear, handbags, fragrance, a range of accessories and a growing men’s offering. Together, CEO Hannah Colman and Creative Director Sandra Choi have built a global powerhouse defined by glamour, optimism and joy. Jimmy Choo is part of Capri Holdings Limited’s global fashion luxury group publicly listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker CPRI.