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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 costs skyrocket or you’re obsessing over every little detail to ensure that everything goes the way you’ve pictured it, feeling overwhelmed is guaranteed to happen if you’re not careful.

Thankfully, this isn’t something new and there are endless resources to help the modern bridal couple looking to keep costs and anxiety low.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when attempting to avoid wedding planning burnout:

Don’t rush 

This may not always be possible but last-minute wedding planning is not fun for anyone, especially the soon-to-be bride and groom. While there’s nothing wrong with wanting to hop, skip, and jump right into the part where you say “I do,” making sure that you have enough time to plan your dream wedding is always advised as this will give you a spacious timeline to ensure things are handled well and that the process is smooth.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help 

The number one reason for wedding planning burning is not asking for help. While it’s not always easy to ask for help, it is a necessary practice if you’re looking to keep your bridal party or the partner you’re set to marry, make sure you delegate tasks to ensure everything on your list is ticked off and that you’re not Atlas attempting to carry the world on your shoulders.

Be normal! 

It’s so easy to get wrapped up in planning that you may forget why you’re actually getting married – love. A great way to keep your mental health in tip-top shape is by making sure that you get out and spend some quality time with each other. Plan an epic date night with your partner with a strict “no wedding talk rule,” this will allow you to keep some sense of normality.

Have some fun

Can wedding planning be fun? Well, you’ll need to find out. A big reason for something being incredibly stressful is because it’s just not bringing you the joy you need, so why not endeavour to pull out the fun card? For example, if you’re deciding what you should serve at your wedding, why not turn it into an adventure by setting it up as a “culinary tour” that could also double as a date night?

Technology is your friend 

There are countless wedding apps that are ready to lend a helping hand as you attempt to navigate the minefield that is wedding planning. Whether you’re looking to make your life easier by setting up a wedding website and forgoing physical invitations or looking for a nifty app to help you sort out your budget, there’s something for everyone in need.

Feature Image: Olguin Photography

You’ve gathered all the necessary ingredients for the perfect proposal: a gorgeous engagement ring, a heart-tugging engagement speech, but oh, how to pop the question in a way that will make her heart flutter?

Going down on one knee and asking your soulmate to marry you is a stressful affair, and if all that stress has you feeling overwhelmed and confused about your perfect wedding proposal, try a few of these engagement ideas on for size. 

Make sure to add your own personal and creative twist: 

Loud and proud, for everyone to see: 

These are for those brave souls out there who don’t care a hoot about who is watching!

Have a caricaturist at your side

It’s the stuff rom-coms are made of! There are a number of caricaturists and artists in South Africa that will make the perfect accomplice to your wedding proposal. Hire them on the day and have them sketch the words: “Will you marry me?” And voila! 

A favourite landmark  

This doesn’t have to be everyone’s favourite landmark, but just you and your soon-to-be betrothed. It can be anything from a mountain, fountain, hotel to shopping mall, as long as it’s a place that’s special to both of you!

Picture: Ethica Diamonds

Keep it close to home 

Who needs to be amongst people? If you and your future bride are both homebodies, here are home wedding proposals. 

Re-create your first date

This can be both out and about or at home – you decide. However, nothing is more romantic than re-enacting your first date before creating a beautiful new memory by popping the question. 

A custom jigsaw puzzle

This is the perfect proposal idea if you both love board games or it’s a rainy day. Make sure to get a custom-made jigsaw puzzle with your picture and the words: “Will you marry me?” If you’ve completed the puzzle enough that you can clearly see your picture and the words, it’s time to go down on one knee. 

Picture: Pinterest

Embrace Mother Nature

If you love the great outdoors then check out a few of these ideas.

Hot Air Balloon 

There’s nothing like letting your love soar to new heights, and popping the question while doing just that is a fantastic idea! Well, as long as a fear of heights is not on the table. 

Message in a bottle 

If you’re looking for a unique beach proposal, then why not add a cute little message to a bottle? Write a heartwarming poem or letter on a piece of parchment and add it to the bottle with cork before burying it in a designated spot under the sand. Don’t forget them to find the bottle, but make sure you have the ring ready to go! 

Picture: Pinterest

Adorable proposal ideas

You’re looking for fun. You’re looking for excitement. You’re looking for unique, here are a few ideas:

Escape Room 

Escape rooms are all the rage right now, so why not add your own wedding proposal spin on things? Contact your favourite escape and try and work on a way that will allow you to incorporate your wedding proposal into the adventure of trying to escape the room!  

Gift Delivery 

You were looking for cute? Why not get a box that’s tall enough for you (a refrigerator box is a great start) and add a little note for your soon-to-be fiance that may allude to what’s really inside the box.

Feature Image: Adventure for Love 

They say that money can’t buy everything (and certainly not love), but often when wedding plan talks are in the works, it’s easy to get caught up in the tale that “expensive is better.”

But is it, actually?

Recently, Reddit users decided to weigh in on the topic.

u/11sam111 kicked off the conversation with the concept that expanding one’s budget to focus money beyond the big day (ie: on honeymoons!) is a better way to go than cashing it all in for a day where “you miss everything because it’s so busy.”

Other Reddit users were quick to share their responses and shed light on what actually makes the day memorable that more often than not, doesn’t come with a price tag.

Here’s what people’s thoughts were: 

Stick to what you can afford

“We had a $300 wedding and spent the $20k that would have gone to a bit wedding on a house down payment and medical bills for having our kid. On the other hand my friend had a $35k wedding that was two full days of having a blast with all of her loved ones and that’s okay too! No shame either way as long you stick to what you can afford and don’t hurt anyone.” – ThrowRA_SILspilled

There might be better uses for the budget

“I’ve talked with several people that did a similar thing, they all regret nothing. One took all the wedding money he was gonna spend and used it on a down payment for a house, and another used it to take a month off with his husband to travel.” – Jan_Itor_Md_

If you spend it, don’t regret it

“I have no regrets about spending money for an event that was meaningful to the people I love.” – the_lemon_lobster

Don’t let your wedding put you in debt

“One of my friends spent 30k on his wedding. Then was upset because he and his new wife couldn’t afford to get [an] apartment together because they were in debt for 25k cus they took a loan to pay for it. Just insanity” – keyboardstatic

It’s your money

“I mean honestly, it’s your money and people waste the majority of their money on frivolous stuff anyway so if that’s what you chose to spend your money on and it made you happy, then kudos to you. I’m not really knocking the people who do per se, I just don’t understand it. But I totally don’t need to.” –SonOfSet1

A little first-class travel couldn’t hurt

“I eloped with my now husband in feb of 2020 (pre lockdown) we used the money we save to fly to Thailand first class and spent two weeks travelling for only 8grand total! Waaaay better use of our time.” – MidnaMarbles

What are your thoughts? Are you team “as expensive as possible” or team “save it for something else meaningful”?

Picture: Netflix

If you’re planning to propose to your partner in Cape Town, you are in luck thanks to the beautiful scenery that Cape Town is blessed with. If you want to propose out in nature there is no shortage of beautiful locations for you to do so. Whether you take a drive out to the winelands or stay within the city, you will be spoiled for choice.

Have a look at these 5 proposal spots that make use of nature to set the scene:

Cape Point

Take a drive out to Cape Point National Park to see where the Atlantic and Indian oceans meet, and become one with your partner.

 

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Lion’s Head

Hike up lion’s head and take in the magical views from the top. You will certainly feel like you are on cloud 9 up there.

 

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Kirstenbosch Gardens

Plan a picnic in these lush gardens and take a walk on the Boomslang tree canopy walkway for panoramic views of the gardens and mountains.

 

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Boulders Beach

While there are plenty of beautiful beaches in Cape Town, Boulders beach, with its colony of African penguins, offers something a little extra to make the proposal that much more special.

 

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Vineyards

The abundance of beautiful vineyards and accompanying restaurants makes it easy to choose just one to propose. Enjoy the delicious local wines and views of the vineyards.

 

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Feature image: Unsplash

Also read: Things to do in Cape Town

We’re living in the Digital Age. While relying on robust binders dedicated to vendors, bridesmaids, and various wedding planning activities can be useful, sometimes it can get a bit confusing.

More than 5 billion smartphones are currently in use around the world, so why not lean on the convenient pleasures that come with technology by infusing it into your wedding planning.

Whether you’re just starting out or well on your way to wrapping things up, here are a few digital wedding planning tools you can use to your advantage:

Joy – Wedding App & Website

Are you looking for an app that will save you time, money, and efficiently get things done? Joy wedding app and website is your one-stop-shop for a personalised wedding planning experience. You can manage guest lists and create a checklist of all the things that need to be done before your big day. In addition to the impressive features this app offers, you also have the option to create a wedding website directly from the app.

Riley & Grey – Wedding websites

Speaking of creating a wedding website, Riley & Grey is the perfect place to whip up something fabulous for you guests to feast their eyes on. There is a range of wedding templates to pick and choose from that offer a user-friendly experience for those browsing your wedding site.

Trello – To-do list 

Trello does more than just offer you the chance to create a work/life balance for yourself, but can help you get organised when it comes to your wedding party. Utilise the site’s virtual pinboard and add a “card” in a column for each category that you would like to create, drop a task and create various colour codes to ensure that everything well-maintained.

Google Drive – Photo organisation 

Looking to grab all the incredible photos your guests managed to capture on your big day? As long as you have a Gmail account, Google Drive is an excellent way for guests to add all the beautiful moments and ensures that everything has a place.

Allseated – Venue layout

Its sometimes difficult to picture just how your venue will accommodate your seating vision, but with Allseated, things are made easier. Send them a photo of the venue and they will create a 3D rendering of the space so that you can digitally organise tables, chairs, bars and all the wedding decor of your dreams.

GoodBudget – Budget Planner

Without a proper budgeting plan, your big day might leave you in a financial pickle. Goodbudget is a user-friendly app that allows you to allocate expenses for everything that you need. Once you have a budget set in place you can shift expenses around to ensure that you are not overspending in certain areas and neglecting others, maintaining a balance is key to success.

Picture: Pinterest

Inspiration is not hard to come by; you just need to know where to look. Social media plays a huge role in wedding planning these days, and while many brides-to-be turn to Pinterest for that much-needed inspiration, Instagram is a great resource too.

Here are a few of our favourite Instagram accounts that are serving looks and some serious inspo.

A forest filled with inspiration

https://www.instagram.com/p/CTuJ700qtOB/

Beautifully organic wedding and lifestyle inspiration we can’t get enough of 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BszGUydFszp/

Inspiration straight from an event planner

https://www.instagram.com/p/CSBO9dvgRyV/

A global collaboration of wedding inspiration 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CIloRbpg2RN/

A splash of colour 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CMkRz21lN_s/

Inspiration and resources that are sure to celebrate love 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CUC-gzGhQ29/

Pretty Pictures:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CUFjPtmKxYh/

Your floral inspiration 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CJ_UzDZnZtn/

A little venue decor inspiration 

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3hmTw_hf7a/

Wedding wear for every bride

https://www.instagram.com/p/CUFn_x3tscZ/

Picture: June Bug Weddings Instagram

Just said ‘Yes’? Congratulations! What is typically an exciting moment is somewhat dampened by the global pandemic, as we cannot celebrate with one another as we used to.

If you still want to honour your big news, fear not. There are still ways to celebrate with your closest friends and family without putting them at risk amid the pandemic.

Here are a few ideas:

Hold a (virtual) celebration:

Just because you can’t be together physically does not mean you cannot celebrate! Host your festivities via online platforms like Facetime, Skype or Zoom.

You can still make it fun by decorating your home and having your ‘guests’ dress up. Planning a themed event makes it extra special and gives your friends and family something to dress up for. For an extra sweet touch, have small thank you gifts delivered to your guests’ homes after the celebration.

Drive-by party:

Your loved ones can attend your event from the safety of their cars, ensuring that all safety precautions are met while still giving you the feeling of their presence.

When choosing the location of the drive-by, ensure that it is a wide-open, public space. This will mean that everyone driving by will be able to clearly see you. You could even do it in your front yard if you have space and don’t have walls.

Set up a spot to show yourselves off, for example, you can decorate fancy chairs as thrones for you to sit on as your parade drives by. Assign a close relative or friend the role of head driver. This ensures that there is somebody leading the cars to your location, and allows for some sort of order for the drive-by.

Take engagement photos:

You’ll want to remember this moment for the rest of your life, so it makes sense to document your engagement. Photographers were hit hard by the pandemic, and hiring one is a great way to give back to small business.

Keep COVID-19 protocols in mind by having your photographer work from a safe distance with a mask on and have sanitiser on hand.

After you receive your pictures, have them printed and framed or emailed to your friends and family so that they can feel like they are a part of your special moment.

Picture: Pexels

Just like wedding trends come and go, proposal trends are also always changing. Proposals have become more premeditated over the years, with couples deciding beforehand that they want to get engaged. This allows them to plan and co-ordinate, while still keeping some of the surprise.

You don’t have to go super big and elaborate to make a splash, however. Here are some unique and sentimental ideas that your partner will remember forever.

Secret photographer

 

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Plan a sweet photoshoot for your partner, but don’t let them know it’s actually an engagement shoot. This way, you can make sure you’re both looking camera-ready and your photographer can make up an excuse to have your partner looking away as you go down on one knee. We promise the candid photos will be priceless!

Spell it out

 

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Go big and have the phrase ‘Will you marry me’ lit up in marquee lights. Whether you place them on a beach or a backyard, they make the perfect backdrop for a ring selfie!

A pizza my heart

 

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Who doesn’t love pizza? Combine your favourite Italian meal with a sweet proposal by having the toppings spell out ‘Will you marry me’. Have the pizza made in a heart shape for an extra cheesy touch.

A pawsome proposal

Got a four-legged friend who is basically the third wheel of your relationship? Make sure to include your pet by having them pose with the ring and a sign that reads, ‘Will you marry me’.

Picture: Unsplash

Parenthood doesn’t require DNA and some people already have children, either from a previous relationship or before marriage. When they decide to marry other people and bring their families together, they create a blended family.

Bringing your families together and including them in your big day is a sweet way to honour them. Here are some ways to do it, and make sure no one feels neglected or left out.

Have a unity Ceremony

Unity ceremonies are meaningful rituals performed during your wedding to represent becoming a union and the joining of lives, families and communities. Being highly symbolic, there are multiple ways you can do this, which can be personalised to your new family. One idea is to write meaningful letters to each other and read them out during the ceremony, then put them in a jar to keep as a family symbol.

Give them roles

Another way you can include your blended family is by assigning them roles. From a ring bearer to a flower girl, the possibilities are endless. This is guaranteed to make them feel included in the ceremony and when you are all looking at the wedding album, they will be delighted to see themselves featured and having participated.

Give them gift

Gifting is one of the five universal love languages, it shows the next person that you have thought of them and value them enough to gift them. Give them the same or similar gifts to your biological kids, or get them something they have always wanted.

Presenting something special to your new child/children is a wonderful gesture to symbolise that they are an important part of this new family.

Include them in the planning 

Kids love doing exciting things, to them everything is playtime and by including them in the planning process, you get the chance to bond with them. Let them participate in everything from cake tasting to licking invitation envelopes.

Encourage them to invite a few of their best friends and their family members to the wedding so that they have familiar faces apart from you.

Have a family dance 

After the first dance, invite the kids to come out and join you on the dance floor to their favourite tune. It would be extra fun and special if you practiced a dance prior to the wedding. You can even give them the task of coming up with the steps to our dance routine as the kids of the family.

Picture: Unsplash

The honeymoon is one of the things that newlyweds look forward to after the wedding, where they will relax and escape from everyone.

Finding the perfect place for your honeymoon can be stressful, but luckily Pinterest has made this process easier. Most couples use this App for planning, and create boards for the places they like and want to visit in the future.

Researchers analysed Pinterest trends to find the most loved destinations when it comes to post-wedding getaways. They looked up honeymoon boards on Pinterest as part of their research, then calculated the most loved and pinned boards by tracking their pins.

Their research showed that exotic places with beaches are the most popular destinations. Bali tops the list, followed by Italy and Hawaii. Europe is the most popular continent, with six destinations to appear in the top 20. Alongside Italy, the research findings revealed that Ireland, Greece, France, Iceland, and Spain are also most loved.

Here is a compilation of top honeymoon destinations in their order, according to Pinterest.

– Bali – 998 boards

-Italy – 997 boards

-Hawaii – 992 boards

-The Maldives – 981 boards

-Ireland – 980 boards

-Thailand – 980 boards

-Mexico – 949 boards

-Greece – 757 boards

-India – 734 boards

-Costa Rica – 729 boards

-Japan – 717 boards

-Jamaica – 699 boards

-New Zealand – 601 boards

-France – 500 boards

-Iceland – 499 boards

-St Lucia – 477 boards

-Aruba – 442 boards

-Bahamas – 417 boards

-Spain – 415 boards

-Fiji – 408 boards

Picture: Unsplash