Wedding ETC, Author at Wedding ETC

In Diy

6 DIY thank-you gifts that won’t break the bank

January 6, 2017 No Comments

Getting the perfect thank-you gift for your wedding guest can be tricky. You want something that shows your appreciation but gifting a lot of people can end up being very costly. The best solution? Personalised DIY gifts that you can prepare months in advance!

1 Infused oil

Infuse cooking oil (olive oil is a favourite) with chillies or your favourite herbs for a yummy, flavourful salad dressing or base.

2 Spice mix

Mix various spices and place it in a jar to create your own flavoured rub or spice mixture that goes with your wedding’s theme.

3 Plant a tree

Give your guests the gift of nature with your favourite tree or plant seeds. This is a great way of helping the environment while showering your guests with a gift they can cherish.

4 Personalised fortune cookies

Buy ready-made fortune cookies from your closest Chinese wholesaler and fill it with personalised messages for your guests.

5 Sugar scrub

Add colouring and scented oils like peppermint to sugar. Allow it to soak and dry, then place it in a jar for an amazing sugar body scrub that tastes delicious too.

6 Jam jar

Preserve your favourite fruits to create a tasty jam – your guests will remember you with every bite.

Text Sharne Cupido
Photography Pinterest, Olia Gozha/Unsplashed, Kristina Balic/Unsplashed

In Cake

Sweet Cakes wedding cakes

July 7, 2014 No Comments

Wilna van der Westhuizen, owner of well known and much loved Sweet Cakes is a qualified chef and baker creating intricate, one-of-a-kind wedding cakes. With clients such as Oprah Winfrey, Charlize Theron, the Presidency of South Africa and foreign dignitaries under her belt, you know you’re in good hands.

Sweet Cakes creates wedding day masterpieces that reflect your style and taste. ‘I’m passionate about everything I do, focussing on tiny details – like a pretty broach or lace from a bride’s dress that she wants to incorporate,’ she says when WA chatted to her. ‘When I meet my clients for the first time and we discuss their wedding cake, it’s as if I’m designing a masterpiece of true form, the ideas just keep flowing.’

Based in the Western Cape, Wilna willingly travels to meet with clients and to deliver wedding cakes at various venues. Having been in the industry for 10 years, she remains inspired and passionate, gaining inspiration from anything from a pretty piece of fabric to a bracelet or ribbon (while Pinterest remains a great bearer of ideas).

For a Sweet Cakes masterpiece, contact Wilna on [email protected]. Visit the website at sweetcakes.co.za.

Photographs: Courtesy Wilna van der Westhuizen

In Our DIY

Fresh as a daisy

June 27, 2014 No Comments

How to make a chair posy.

What you’ll need

• Fresh flowers and foliage

• Floral tape

• Floral wire

• Ribbon

• Pins

Directions

1. In this case, we used wild olive tree leaves (Olea africana), a rose (Rosaceae), rosemary (Rosemaryinus officinalis) and trailing amaranth (Amaranthus). If you wish to use more flowers, just make sure you use odd numbers, such as one, three or five flowers, in your posy.

2. Gather your flowers and wrap them together with floral tape.

3. Add your greens (olive leaves, rosemary and amaranth) or whatever filler you have chosen. These can be placed between the flowers or underneath the flowers.

4. Wrap it all together with floral tape and trim the stems if needed. Wrap the ribbon and secure the whole posy with a pin.

TIP: Use the floral wire to support the flower heads if they are drooping

Chair posy made by Floral Affairs. Contact them on [email protected] or visit floralaffairs.co.za.