The sweetheart table at a wedding is the table that is set up just for the bride and groom, however, it is sometimes set up to include the immediate families of the bride and groom as well. The table is set up so that the newly married couple sits to face their guests. The sweetheart table is a great way for the happy couple to see all their guests and for the guests to come up and wish the couple well.
Here are a few gorgeous ideas for the sweetheart table:
Because stationery is such an important part of a wedding, we wanted an expert opinion on everything that it entails. We spoke with Alexa from Directional Designs about how she creates stationery for the couple and where you can save some bucks.
Some of these general components are:
Save the date cards (optional)
Invitations and envelopes
RSVP cards
Ceremony booklet
Seating plan
Place cards
Table numbers
Menu
Q: What do you need to know in order to help the couple choose their stationery style?
A: Colour scheme and theme is key for us to know in order for us to design the stationery for our clients. We also need to know exactly what they would like, as the list of items for event stationery is endless. For example, does the couple want menus per person or just per table? Do they want a seating board or are guests able to sit anywhere? What kind of table numbers would they like – perspex, paper, wooden etc? Our speciality is customisation. We want the couple’s stationery to be unique and different, therefore the more we get to know our clients, the better for us to understand their likes and dislikes
TIP: Don’t be shy about sitting with your stationer to go over all the items that you need and the elements that you like and dislike. The stationer wants to create something unique and so they would rather have too much information than too little.
Q: What are some tips to save costs on wedding stationery?
A: There are various ways to save on wedding stationery. This can be in terms of paper choice as well as quantity of items. For example, if you have an invitation or any other stationery on paper, then this is where a lot of the cost comes in. There are so many different paper options available that we can source so it can fall within your budget. You also don’t need to have an order of ceremony booklet for each guest that is attending the ceremony as some guests don’t take a booklet. You could also choose paper tent table numbers over laser cut numbers, which look just as beautiful. We have loads of ways of making your stationery fit within your budget and still look unique and beautiful.
TIP: Talk about your stationery budget with your stationer before anything else. This will help to establish which items are essential and which items you can leave out of your stationery. It will also help to determine what materials are available to you.
Information supplied by Alexa at Directional Designs: https://directionaldesigns.co.za/
Trains were originally added to wedding dresses as a symbol of wealth due to the extra fabric needed. The style became popular as brides all over wanted to emulate the royal and wealthy style and you have to admit, they do make a huge impression.
Here are some of the latest wedding dresses featuring trains:
Fold the origami paper up and down, left and right.
Open the paper again and fold left and right into the centre. Keep it there.
Fold the top and bottom into the middle and fold the top down.
Fold the bottom up in the same way.
Fold the bottom part to the left and right according to the crease.
Similarly, fold the upper part to the left and right according to the crease.
Fold in the top and bottom corners
Fold the upper right and the lower left so that they widen.
Fold the top and bottom so that the front is a solid.
Push in the left and right corners and the centre of the 3D part
To complete the 3D heart, tuck in the folds at the bottom so that they fold over one another and stay in place.
Then glue the open sides of the heart. If you’d like to scatter the hearts around, then this is the last step.
If you’d like to arrange the hearts on a photo frame then take the empty frame with a backing and use double-sided tape to attach the hearts to the frame in an arrangement of your choice.
Generally speaking, when you think of wedding decor, you think of flowers. While flowers are gorgeous, they can be very expensive and often go to waste once the reception is over – which is why many couples are moving away from solely decorating with flowers and incorporating other decor elements into their wedding.
There are many ways to decorate beautifully without using flowers. Here are a few:
Fairy lights
Fairy lights definitely bring a fairytale feeling and you can put them anywhere and everywhere.
Balloon installations can be done in a number of ways and with a number of colours and sizes. Extra decor can also be added in-between the balloons if desired.
Table numbers are essential for weddings with assigned seating, so why not have some fun with them? These creative table number ideas will allow you to express your personality and add to the theme of your wedding.
Perspex
If you’ve been to a wedding lately or seen any wedding photos, surely you would have noticed that perspex is trending in a big way. Get some calligraphy done on a small sheet of perspex and you’ve got a beautiful table number.
This one is pretty simple and similar to the perspex idea but it is very easy to DIY. Just take an empty photo frame and write the numbers on the glass.
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Wine bottle
A clever and multi-functional table number – print a sticker with the table number and place it on a wine bottle to direct guests to their table and give them a glass of wine.
Long-sleeved wedding dresses are no longer considered conservative but are a fashionable addition to any wedding dress. Brides are able to incorporate different fabrics and styles within the sleeves and will also be kept somewhat warm if they are having a winter wedding.
Here are some of the latest long-sleeved wedding dresses that are available locally:
Timeless Bridal Couture
A detailed lace bodice that extends to the sleeves.
If both you and your partner are art and history lovers, then a honeymoon destination filled with museums is perfect for you. Museums are actually quite romantic places and a great way for the newlywed couple to spend quality time together – you’ll end up learning a lot more about your partner through your discussions of the art that you see.
These are the best places to visit if you’d like to spend your days trawling through museums:
USA
Filled with museums all over the country, the most famous American museums being in New York City. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is currently voted as the world’s top museum and contains more than 2 million works of art and pieces by some renowned artists. The Museum of Modern Art has an incredibly influential collection of modern art as well as performance art, architecture and design. The Guggenheim is famous for its shape alone and also has impressionist, modern and contemporary art. The National Gallery of Art in Washington features artists such as Monet, Van Gogh and Picasso.
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Spain
Spain has one of the best collections of art in Europe. It is also the birthplace of famous artists such as Picasso, Dalí and Velázquez. The Museo Nacional del Prado (Prado museum) in Madrid is the most famous museum in Spain and contains works by El Greco, Goya, Velázquez, Van Dyck and Rembrandt. The Reina Sofía Museum in Madrid has Picasso’s Guernica and works by Dalí. The Picasso museum in Barcelona has a broad collection of work by the artist after whom it was named, Pablo Picasso, with over 4000 pieces. The museum itself is located within adjoining medieval palaces and the gothic architecture is also a sight to see.
Prado Museum
France
The beauty of France alone is a pull-factor but the quality of museums should be too. The French are known for their romance which is another reason France is a great honeymoon destination. The Louvre, that houses the famous Mona Lisa, is the most famous museum in France but there are many other noteworthy galleries to visit, as well as street art and famous landmarks. The Musée Marmottan-Claude Monet has the world’s largest collection of works by Monet. The Orangerie Museum boasts Monet’s Waterlillies. The Musée d’Orsay is filled with impressionist and post-impressionist art and holds pieces by Monet, Van Gogh and Munch. The Pompidou Centre houses paintings by Dalí, Munch, Picasso and Matisse.
The Louvre
England
The National Gallery has over 2000 paintings including works by Van Gogh, Michelangelo, Da Vinci and Monet. The Tate Modern has great contemporary art featuring Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Diptych as well as pieces by Lichtenstein, Dalí and Picasso. The British Museum has the largest collection of artefacts in the world and works by Michelangelo, Da Vinci and Van Gogh can be found here as well. The Natural History Museum consists of dinosaur skeletons and fossils as well as a mind-blowing skeleton of a blue whale.
Natural History Museum
Netherlands
The Netherlands has a wide range of museums making the country a world leader in terms of art and culture. The Van Gogh Museum is appropriately named due to the fact that it has the largest collection of works by Van Gogh. The Rijksmuseum has masterpieces by Vermeer and Rembrandt. The Anne Frank museum, located in the actual house where she and her family hid during the Nazi occupation, serves to educate visitors about her story.
Rijksmuseum
South Africa
South Africa is a beautiful country and popular honeymoon destination on its own but it made this list thanks to the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary African Art (MOCCA). The building itself was made from a converted grain silo and serves to celebrate the structure’s industrial heritage. The Zeitz is the biggest contemporary art museum in Africa and the largest museum of contemporary African art in the world.
