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In Advice

Setting a wedding budget and actually sticking to it

July 16, 2019 No Comments

Whether you are paying for the wedding yourselves or your parents are contributing, you will need to calculate how much money you have to spend. Once you have this figure, immediately set aside 5-10% of that for contingency.

Establishing and sticking to your budget is the best gift you can give yourself as a couple. In order to do this, you have to ensure that all your planning is documented. But before you start crunching numbers, think about the overall feeling you want your wedding to have as this will affect how you spend within your budget.

Do your research on vendors and get estimates on how much each thing will cost. This will include everything from venue to flowers to the dress and so on. Then get quotes from vendors and write it all down next to estimated costs.

Now that you know what kind of wedding you would like to have and how much money you have to spend, put together a rough guest list. The number of guests determines your venue, food and alcohol.

These are generally the largest expenses and a wise rule to follow is to allocate 40% of your budget to these three things.

It is time to discuss your non-negotiables with your partner (try to keep it down to three). These are things that you have always dreamed of having at your wedding and are willing to spend the money needed in order to achieve them. Research vendors and get quotes so that you can allocate it to the budget and then see how much is left to spend on the rest of the wedding. If you are already over budget based on your list, or close to the end of your budget, have a look at your priorities again and see what you can reduce.

Now that you’ve got all your quotes and guest list numbers, you can create the spreadsheet. You can get a template online or create your own but try to keep it as simple as possible. Put your overall sum in the top corner somewhere and then create these tabs: estimated, modified and actual.

Your estimated tab will be amounts that you have found based on research.

Modified will have real quotes from vendors.

Actual will be the final amount that you end up paying.

Time for a reality check – does your budget allow you to achieve what you want? If not, you may have to adjust your budget if that is an option or adjust your expectations.

Steps to take in order to ensure you stick to your budget:

Figure out how much you have to spend.
Research vendors and get quotes before settling on your budget.
Write a list including all researched costs and quotes from vendors.
Write down your proposed guest list
Create the spreadsheet and input all the relevant information.

Image: Unsplash

In Weddings

Wedding traditions from across the world

July 15, 2019 No Comments

There are all kinds of unique wedding traditions across the world, some of them rather strange. We compiled a list of the eight oddest we have come across.

Banging on the wedding night in France

This may not be the kind of banging you would expect on the wedding night. Family and friends gather outside the house of newlyweds to bang on pots and pans. The couple then also serves their guests drinks and snacks. This age-old French tradition is known as Charivari.

Fat arms in Mauritania

In Mauritania, brides work towards becoming chubbier in preparation for their weddings, as it is believed to be a good luck charm in their tradition.

The groom is beat with fish in Korea

South Koreans believe that in order to make the groom ready for the first night of the marriage, his feet should be beaten by dead fish and bamboo sticks.

Scotland’s “Blackening Ritual”

This age-old tradition involves family and friends showering the couple with all sorts of disgusting things and then tie them to a tree. This is done to help the bride and groom prepare them for anything life throws their way.

Crying for a month before the wedding

Chinese brides have to cry every day for an hour for the entire month leading up to their wedding. For the Tujia people in China, crying ushers in a good wedding or life event.

Stealing brides

In some small villages in Germany, grooms aren’t guaranteed that their brides will make it to the altar on time, or at all. Kidnapping the bride is an old custom, beloved by pranksters, and carried out by friends of the betrothed-to-be. The locals might provide clues for the groom as to where his bride is, provided they are invited to the wedding. If they do not receive an invite, however, custom demands that the brideless groom pick up the bar tab – for the entire pub.

Carrying coins in shoes

In Sweden, brides are decked out from head to toe in tradition. They often wear crowns made of myrtle flowers, which symbolise virginity, marital fidelity, and good luck on their heads. In their shoes, they tuck one coin each – a silver coin in the left shoe from their father, and gold one in the right from their mom. The coins symbolise hope for the couple’s marital prosperity.

Pin the cash on the bride

Weddings in Cuba are nonreligious civil ceremonies. Even so, they are often extravagant affairs, earmarked by interesting customs such as the “money dance”.

Meant to help fill the newlywed’s coffers, this tradition is also tons of fun for guests. After the formal ceremony’s pomp and circumstance is over, male wedding guests who wish to dance with the bride must first pin money to her dress.

Picture: Pixabay

In Celebs

A peek inside Caroline Wozniacki’s dreamy Tuscan wedding

July 11, 2019 No Comments

Tennis star Caroline Wozniacki stepped off the court and walked down the aisle in a ceremony worthy of high praise.

The blushing bride shared the first look at the behind the scenes bits and pieces that went into making her big day possible – from dress details to pictures at her wedding venue.

Most impressive was how she custom-created the event to include her sporty personality.

Wozniacki and her now husband, former professional basketball player David Lee, were even named sports’ most romantic couple by Vogue this year – it’s so easy to see why.

She wore an Oscar del la Renta dress that perfectly matched the dreamy setting of the castle ruins at the idyllic Castiglion del Bosco in Tuscany. The details of her dress were handsown and it fit her like a glove. The ethereal gown was embellished with cascading floral details and her train was perfectly designed to fit down the 262-foot long aisle.

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Thank you for making my dream dress!! @oscardelarenta ・・・ An ethereal gown embellished with cascading florals is the most remarkable way to float down a 262-foot long aisle. Take a glimpse inside @CaroWozniacki’s fitting for a closer look at her breathtaking wedding dress.

A post shared by Caroline Wozniacki (@carowozniacki) on Jun 18, 2019 at 10:05am PDT

The bid day was managed by event planner extraordinaire Alex Fitzgibbons of Fait Accompli, the very same company that managed Duke and Duchess of Cambridges’ and the Duke and Duchess of Sussexs’ phenomenal ceremonies.

The aisle was an extravagant show of drama lined with white roses and purple snapdragons, featuring two large urns overflowing with flowers. Fitzgibbons ensured the most dramatic entrance for the bride as the stone pathway that runs along the property was her entry point.

Caroline was escorted down the aisle by her father at exactly 6pm wearing a classic cathedral length tulle veil and diamond earrings and a bracelet by Ruchi New York.

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David and I are so excited to share some of our wedding details with @voguemagazine @vogueweddings #linkinbio (? @paulwhitephoto )

A post shared by Caroline Wozniacki (@carowozniacki) on Jun 17, 2019 at 4:55pm PDT

The groom looked dashing in his Tom Ford suit and the pair said their vows in front of 120 close family and friends, including bridesmaids Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian.

As the fiery Tuscan sun started to dip, the couple were pronounced husband and wife.

After the ceremony guests made their way to an unforgettable cocktail bar set up and dinner commenced at 8pm. A sleek long table framed by a canopy of greenery intertwined with lights and candles welcomed guests.

A three-course Italian dinner was served during speeches.

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So thankful to have these incredible women in my life! They have been with me thru life and I am so excited to see where the next adventures takes us! ❤️ #bridesmaids ? @paulwhitephoto

A post shared by Caroline Wozniacki (@carowozniacki) on Jun 20, 2019 at 5:28am PDT

The bridesmaids wore mint green ensembles with designs to suit each one’s personal style.

Wozniacki and Lee took to the floor for the first time as husband and wife to the classic some “Love Someone” and an evening of unforgettable happiness and love ensued.

Pictures: Instagram/Castiglion del Bosco

In Celebs

About Sophie Turner’s custom Louis Vuitton gown

July 9, 2019 No Comments

The long-awaited wedding of Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner and musician Joe Jonas finally took place in June and we couldn’t help swoon over the stunning Louis Vuitton by Nicolas Ghesquière wedding dress she wore.

Rumour has it the intricately detailed work of art took over 10 embroiders working for 1 050 hours on 14 metres of fabric to finally complete the immaculate creation.

Each panel of the dress was decorated with 5 400 crystal beads complimented by 50 400 white beads with a veil to match – which also took 48 hours to hand embroider.

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Absolute beauty @sophiet

A post shared by ? (@nicolasghesquiere) on Jul 3, 2019 at 6:55pm PDT

The dress has a classic design with long sheer fitted sleeves, a thick waistband and plunging V-neckline to accentuate Sophie’s figure.

The beautiful bride paired her dress with a cascading white bouquet and a natural make up look with loose hair.

Ghesquière designed the custom wedding dress for Sophie, complete with flower-embroidered tulle and silk gazar.

A cut out back was included in the one-of-a-kind design as well as a lace-trimmed veil with minute decorative ornamental needlework.

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Mr and Mrs Jonas Photo by @corbingurkin

A post shared by Sophie Turner (@sophiet) on Jul 3, 2019 at 8:34pm PDT

The gorgeous couple were wed in a French chateau and a general theme of French flair was certainly present throughout the affair.

It goes without saying that Sophie’s stylish assumable was the envy of brides-to-be everywhere as she happily made her way down the isle. We can’t all afford Louis Vuitton wedding gowns but we can most certainly dream, drool and pin it on our Pinterest boards.

Pictures: Instagram

In Advice

Do couples need counselling before marriage?

July 8, 2019 No Comments

Counselling is an imperative part of getting married. Couples can get swept away in the planning of a wedding, losing sight of the reasons why they are getting married. Speaking to a counsellor is essential for a couple as it will assist in mediating and fine-tuning the individual needs of each person’s expectations of marriage.

Helen Searra, Cape Town-based life coach, says it is imperative to start off such a huge commitment on a positive note.

“By getting a professional involved, it will allow both parties to be heard, without interruption, so that clear communication can be made. It offers a safe environment for couples to access their emotions and concerns thereby addressing issues that may otherwise lay dormant for years,” said Searra.

Her other advice is: Marriage is about being real and counseling allows you to get real with each other, without losing your identity while you are in the “contracting” stage of your relationship.

“When we meet our life partner we not only bring 2 people into the contract, we bring our families, friends, childhoods, different belief systems, cultures and life experiences. Investing in emotional support in building the best foundations for your relationship from the beginning is vitally important.”

With the help of a counsellor, there is no worry to small or obstacle too big for a couple to overcome before getting married.

Helen Searra is a Cape Town-based life coach. She has been practicing for 10 years in her field. She offers individual counseling sessions and couples counseling both in person or remotely over Skype. She offers package deals of either 4, 6 or 8 sessions. To enquire for a rates card, contact Helen on [email protected]

Image: Pexels

In Advice

Crossword puzzle proposals

July 1, 2019 No Comments

Corey Newman often watched his girlfriend, Marlowe Epstein, do the Washington Post crossword puzzle, so he worked with the Post’s crossword creator to write a puzzle with answers related to Epstein. The clue for 51 across was “Words with a certain ring to them,” and the answer was “Will You Marry Me.” The puzzle was published in the paper, and an unsuspecting Epstein completed it with the help of Newman. Slide 3: Coffee Cup Canadian coffee chain Tim Hortons asks customers to “roll up the rims” of the cups to see if they won a prize. So Jeff Chapman snuck a tiny note that read “Will you marry me?” under the rim of his cup and gave it to girlfriend Jaimie Baisley to unroll.

In Advice

3 tips to insure your ring

July 1, 2019 No Comments

Choosing the diamond, making the purchase, popping the question. Three tasks that require a sufficient amount of consideration but once they’ve been accomplished, and before you make the big announcement, there’s something else you should think about: insurance. Not particularly romantic but extremely important nonetheless. This piece of jewellery is far too valuable, in numerous respects, for you to lose or have stolen. Wedding Album gets some pointers on protecting this valuable asset from Mutual & Federal‘s Head of Product Solutions Fourie Grobler.

1 Choose the right insurance policy

All risk insurance is perhaps the most effective insurance coverage for a specified item such as an engagement or wedding ring. The policy ensures that, while you’re away from home, your ring that you wear daily will be covered if lost.

2 Keep all documentation

Hang on to documents such as the jeweller’s valuation certificate, a photo of the ring, and, of course, the receipt. These are crucial in speeding up – and smoothing out – the process of making an insurance claim.

3 Value your ring regularly

‘It’s very important to update the value of your jewellery on a regular basis to make sure that your sum insured is adequate,’ says Fourie. So ensure you have your ring is valued every year so that the insured value is up to date with the replacement value. A jeweller will either offer you a free annual valuation or charge a flat rate for one. The latter option includes an updated valuation certificate.

Photography pixabay.com

In Advice

9 guidelines for father of the groom

June 24, 2019 No Comments

The mother of the bride role comes with clear and concise instructions. So do the roles of father of the bride and maid of honour – but one of the most important, yet often overlooked roles, is that of the father of the groom.

As times change, the duties allocated to the groom’s father have too, so if you’re unsure what to expect here are some unspoken guidelines.

1. Suit up
Possibly one of the most important duties of the groom’s father is that of suit selection. A son will often rely on his father to help pick out the perfect attire for his big day, give him a few tips and even make sure the tailor fit is just right.

If the groom and groomsmen have an appointment for suit fittings the groom’s father should naturally attend as well and might be able to cash in on a discount along with the group.

It is also important that you look the part for the big day so make sure you take your own fitting seriously.

2. Offer to pay for wedding costs
It’s no secret that weddings cost a pretty penny – one of the most important ways to be involved and supportive of your son’s commitment is to be financially supportive.

Offer up whatever you can to go towards the big day and ask where budget is needed.

3. Attend or host the rehearsal dinner
It some traditions the groom’s parents host the rehearsal dinner. This is the perfect opportunity for the groom’s father to step up and take centre stage to coordinate the night. Keep in mind what your son’s interests are, make sure the rehearsal is something that reflects his personality.

4. Help where you can
When it comes to weddings, there are so many aspects to consider and things to be done. As a supportive and proactive father of the groom, it is your duty to help where you can. Ensure you don’t limit your helpfulness to any specific duties and try your best to be available if needed. If you have a particular expertise that might come in handy, don’t be shy to offer.

5. Hang out with the boys
When the morning of the wedding arrives, it’s the father of the groom’s duty to hang with the boys and provide extra emotional support before the big event.

It’s important to supportive, positive and maybe even share a few funny stories about the groom’s childhood with his good friends to calm the nerves.

Compliment your son on his wedding-day look and make him feel confident and ready to take to the alter. This is a special moment to give him some marital advice.

6. Dance with the bride
It may seem like a small feat but those father’s out there with two left feet may see this one as a challenge.

The groom’s father is somewhat expected to prepare themselves for taking to the floor, especially when it comes to dancing with the bride.

Join in on the celebrations and make sure you’re comfortable with a little slow dancing.

7. Greet Guests
It goes without saying the the father of the groom should be prepared to greet guests, especially in the receiving line.

Don’t be shy and put on your best, most welcoming smile while tending to each person who has come to share the special day with the lucky couple.

8. Enjoy
You can’t attend such an important day without enjoying it. Make sure you spend your time at the wedding well and smile, dance, eat and be merry.

9. Say a little something
Last but certainly not least, prepare a speech to. It can often be a daunting task to put your thoughts on paper and especially to read them out to a room full of people, but this is your chance to rise above the nerves.

Your speech does not have to be lengthly, in fact short and sweet is better.

Make sure you put your heart into whatever you have to say, its not everyday that you get to share the first day of the rest of your child’s life with them and send them off with words that they will surely remember for years and years to come.

Picture: Pixabay

In Advice

Diamonds: Understanding the 4 C’s

June 24, 2019 No Comments

You’ve heard about the 4 C’s in diamonds, especially when choosing an engagement ring, but what do they actually mean?

The 4 C’s – cut, colour, clarity and carat – refer to the standards by which the quality of diamonds are assessed and allows one to compare diamonds.

Cut

The cut is important for the diamond’s overall beauty, as it determines how well the diamond unleashes light. This is not to be confused with the shape of the diamond. Cut refers to the diamond’s light performance (in layman’s terms, how much it sparkles). The cut will determine how the stone refracts and reflects light. A perfect stone (balanced and symmetrical) will be cut in such a way that the light that enters it will only reflect out the top of the stone, therefore making it very sparkly. A diamond that is cut too shallow or too deep will cause the light to leak out of the sides or bottom of the stone which causes a loss of shine. The sparkle of a well cut diamond can make it appear larger and you can therefore opt for a smaller carat weight. Who knew, right?!

Colour

Strangely enough, this actually refers to the lack of colour found in a diamond. The less colour, the more rate it is. Diamonds are graded on a scale of D-Z; with D (or white diamonds) being completely colourless. D-F are considered colourless and are therefore the most expensive. G-I are near colourless and slightly less expensive while J-Z have noticeable colour in the stone. Only diamond experts can actually tell the difference in anything higher than a G grading, so if budget is a consideration but you still want a white-looking diamond, a G or H grade diamond will be perfectly fine.

Clarity

Measures the imperfections found in the diamond in terms of number, size and position on a scale that ranges from imperfect to flawless. Internal imperfections are referred to as inclusions and external as blemishes. Clarity is often considered the least important of the 4 C’s due to the fact that the imperfections are often microscopic and depending on the location of the inclusions found in the stone, they can be hidden with the right ring setting.

Carat

Refers to the weight of the diamond, not the size. Two different shaped diamonds can have the same carat weight but appear slightly different in size. With a larger carat weight, the colour becomes more visible and therefore needs to be taken into consideration.

Once you understand the 4 C’s, you will need to think about which one is the most important to you when choosing your ring.

In Advice

Deciding on the shape of your engagement ring

June 24, 2019 No Comments

There are many popular diamond shapes to choose from when it comes to engagement rings. The top ten are: round, princess, oval, marquise, pear, cushion, emerald, asscher, radiant and heart.

The shape of the diamond refers the basic outline when viewed face up. The cut of a diamond refers to how the diamond’s facets are arranged and its ability to reflect light. The most common cutting style is brilliant (cut with 57 or 58 facets to maximise sparkle) and then there is also the step cut which is generally used when cutting square and rectangular shapes (used for cutting emerald and asscher shapes).

Considering the 4 C’s and your budget when deciding on a shape is important but what it really comes down to is personal preference and each shape has its own charm.

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Which shape do you like the most? ? • • • #happydiamonds #engagementring #diamondshapes #diamond #diamondring #ring #ringselfie #engagement #proposal #shesaidyes #wedding #love #sparkle #girl #girls #thecaratclub #theknotrings #jewelry #dailyjewelry #instajewelry #fashionjewelry #jewelryoftheday #jewelrygram #jewelryblogger #jewelrylover #jewelryaddict #jewelrydesign #jewelryfashion #luxuryjewelry #finejewelry

A post shared by Happy Diamonds (@happydiamonds1) on Mar 4, 2019 at 8:04am PST

Round

A round shaped diamond is the most popular choice for an engagement ring as it looks good on most hands and in most settings. Almost all round diamonds are cut brilliant which maximises the potential brightness. However, due to the high demand of this shape, the cost per carat is higher than other shapes.

Princess

This shape is also very popular due to the fact that it has a unique shape and has a slightly lower price per carat than the round shape. It also works in most ring setting styles, although it should be set with 4 prongs to protect all four corners. A brilliant cut princess diamond rivals the brilliant round because it offers that sparkle at a lower price. Its square shape also easily disguises imperfections meaning that you can choose pretty much any carat size.

Oval

This shape is becoming more popular and it is an adaptation of the brilliant cut round shape so it is perfect for those who like the sparkle of the round but want something a bit more unique. The elongated shape creates the illusion of a larger size and makes the finger appear longer and slimmer. It is also flexible in terms of setting styles and hides small imperfections.

Marquise

This long and narrow shape has one of the largest surface areas in the upper part of the diamond of all the shapes. It makes the size appear larger than it is and makes the finger seem longer and slimmer, like the oval. Symmetry is important when cutting this shape as the two end points should align and the right and left sides should form a mirror image. It should be set with 2 prongs to protect the two points.

Pear

This shape is a combination of the round and marquise shapes with a tapered point on the one end. It also has the lengthening and slimming effect on the finger due to its asymmetry. It is feminine, unique and elegant. This shape also needs to be symmetrical and set with a prong at the point for protection. You can decide which direction you would like the point to face but positioning the point to face the fingernails is more flattering on the hand.

Cushion

Cushion cut is a square shape with rounded corners. This style shows clarity (imperfections) well which is something to take into consideration when deciding which of the 4 c’s is most important to you – high clarity in this case. This shape works well in vintage settings.

Emerald

This shape was originally for cutting emeralds, hence the name. Due to the way it’s cut, it produces a hall of mirrors effect rather than the sparkle that comes with brilliant cuts. It also emphasises the symmetry that comes with this shape. It is flattering on the hand and the long lines and flashes of light that come with this shape bring a sense of elegance. It is not such a common choice for an engagement ring meaning that you can find more affordable options in higher quality than other shapes. However, this shape does not hide imperfections as well as shapes that are cut brilliant.

Asscher

This shape has an antique feel to it and is similar to the square emerald but with larger facets. The more facets, the more sparkle. But like the emerald and because of the open and square cut corners, it does not hide imperfections well and so a high clarity is necessary.

Radiant

This shape is the first square shape to be cut brilliant, the second being princess. A square radiant shape is similar to princess but with cropped corners. It will often look the same as princess if it is set with four prongs covering each corner. A rectangular radiant shape is perfect for those who like the look of the emerald shape but want the shine that comes with the brilliant cut. Clarity is less of a concern with this shape as the many facets hide imperfections.

Heart

This shape is a classic symbol of love but carat weight is important as the shape is difficult to achieve in diamonds smaller than 0.50 carats. Symmetry is also important in this shape. The irregular shape of a heart cut means it will need to be set with more prongs to protect the stone. The many facets that come with the cutting of this shape will ensure a lot of sparkle.

Now that you know what each shape has to offer, you need to decide what is most important within your budget – size or quality?

If size is important to you but you are on a budget, you should consider a shape that appears larger than the carat weight indicates, such as the emerald and marquise.

If having a very sparkly ring is important, you should choose a shape that is cut brilliant rather than step.

If clarity is important to you but you are on a budget, choose a shape that has many facets (like round and princess) because the facets help to hide imperfections.

It is recommended to narrow your choice down to two shape options and then try on the rings that are available to you within your budget to see what you love most.

Image: Unsplash