A wax seal stamp is a great way to upgrade your wedding stationery with very little effort. Simply add a wax seal stamp to the envelope of your invitation and your stationery will instantly look more professional and appealing. Here’s how:
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Supplies (find most at your nearest craft shop):
- wedding envelope R87.50/100
- small dried flowers (pick from a garden)
- sealing wax (with wick) R27-30
- brass seal R130-150 (or you can get a custom-made seal)
Steps:
- Put your invitation into the envelope of your choice and turn it over so that the side to seal is facing upwards.
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Place your dried flower at the base of the seal on the envelope.
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Light the wick of the sealing wax and rotate the stick, you will see that it will start to drip quite quickly. Keep the stick tilted towards the dried flower on your envelope. Rotate the wax and let it drip (try to move the stick around so that it drips into a circle).
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Once you have the wax circle on your envelope that is of a similar size to your seal, take the seal stamp and press it into the pool of wax. Once cooled, peel off and you will have your stamp!
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Don’t worry if the stamps don’t all look the same, it is a personal touch and your guests will love it.
TIP: Do a practice round on scrap paper before starting on your envelopes.
Disclaimer: Seal wax beads are used in the video but if you use the beads, you also need to have a melting spoon. To limit the number of supplies needed, the steps have been done using sealing wax with a wick. This way you can drip the wax directly onto your point of seal.
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Wedding games are slowly growing in popularity, and understandably so. Gone are the days of stiff, formal weddings. Weddings should be fun, and there is no better way to get the giggles going than with some simple games that will bring out the child in everyone. The key is to offer quick-round games that will have many involved and captivated at once. Here are some fun games your wedding guests can play.
Outdoor games:
Croquet:
Get active with a gentle game of croquet.
Giant Jenga:
Jenga requires lots of concentration and garners high emotions from participants. Instead of the table-top version, life-size the Jenga blocks to up the stakes.
Ring Toss:
Ring toss is the perfect way to get your guests feeling competitive.
Giant Connect Four:
Get your guests competing against each other in a giant game of Connect Four.
Wedding Speech Bingo:
For a laugh, write out “wedding speech bingo”. Every time a speech giver’s words match one of the squares, people get a point. Besides giving a good giggle, this game will encourage people to actually listen to the speeches.
Indoor games:
Dress-up photo booth:
Photos are a great way to preserve memories. Add some props and you get a whole lot of fun. Guests can go crazy with props available and take group photos to their heart’s content.
Wedding wheel:
For a fun, interactive game, consider having a wedding wheel. Each notch has an order that the spinner has to complete. Have a healthy mix of mild, medium and wild dares to up the ante.
Wedding ad-libs:
Get a little tongue-in-cheek with some wedding ad-libs. Each guest can fill in a form with their best advice. Of course, depending on the guest, you’ll get some interesting advice!
Limbo:
Get low, low, low with limbo! People love showing off their flexibility with a game of limbo. If they’re bad at it, even better!
Table trivia:
Test how well your guests actually know you with a game of trivia. Set up a questionnaire for guests to fill out. The guests with the most points win a prize!
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Being a groomsman is a big honour. But with great honour comes great responsibility. As a groomsman, you’ll be expected to fulfil a number of duties to aid the groom in his wedding journey. Here is a rundown of the groomsmen’s duties:
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Pre-wedding prep:
Get fitted for wedding attire:
As a group, the groomsmen will be fitted with wedding attire to match the wedding’s theme. If a suit is being made, you might have to send your measurements through so make sure to have those on hand. Depending on the couple, you may be expected to purchase or rent the attire yourself. Make sure to set aside money for this.
Attend pre-wedding events:
Wedding festivities do not start and end with the big day. There are a host of pre-wedding events you will be expected to attend, including the engagement party, bachelor party, rehearsal dinner and of course, the wedding.
Help plan the bachelor party:
As one of the groom’s last nights as an unmarried man, the bachelor party is an important event in the pre-wedding schedule. While it is traditionally the best man’s responsibility to plan the event, groomsmen often provide a helping hand. Assist the best man in whatever he needs to pull off an epic bachelor party. You might also be expected to assist financially, so keep that in mind.
The Big Day:
Support the groom:
The Big Day is bound to be stressful for the groom. As a groomsman, you’ll be tasked with keeping him calm throughout the day. Ease his nerves, give him pep talks when needed and make sure his look is complete before he steps out. If need be, take the lead and make sure all arrangements are organised, such as transport and liaising with photographers and caterers. This way, the groom has less to stress him out, allowing him to enjoy his Big Day.
Give a great speech:
While it is typically the best man’s job to give a speech, groomsmen can also be asked to say a few winged words. Give yourself enough time ahead of the wedding to write out a strong speech that highlights what makes the newly betrothed couple special.
Give a great gift:
By virtue of being in the wedding party, you should be close to the couple. As such, your gift should be personal to them. If you’re out of ideas, have a look at their wedding registry for inspiration.
Have fun!
Now that all the big things are done, you can enjoy yourself at the reception. It’s important that guests have a good time, because that’s part of what makes weddings memorable. Dance with everybody, get people talking and play games as you celebrate love.
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There are many pre-wedding events that fall part of your wedding festivities. However, it can get complicated when determining your guest lists for all these parties.
Of course, anyone invited to any of your pre-wedding events should also be invited to your big day. But who scores an invite for what event? Here is the rundown on who to invite to which wedding event:
The engagement party:
For the first festivity in your wedding journey, the engagement party is for everyone important to you. Typically, the engagement party guest list acts as a precursor to the wedding list. As such, only invite people you plan on inviting to your wedding.
In determining this guest list, think of who is most important to you. You don’t have to invite distant family members or old friends you no longer speak to if they do not contribute to your life. Think of who is and has been an active part of your life.
If you are not sure how big your wedding will be, keep your engagement party list small. You’ll always have time to add to your wedding list following the engagement party.
The bridal shower:
The bridal shower is typically intimate in nature. Other than your bridal party, you should also invite close friends and family.
While bridal showers are typically women-only, you can also throw a co-ed shower and extend the guest list to include all the special men in your life.
Avoid inviting people you do not intend on inviting to your wedding, as it can be read as disrespectful.
The bachelor/bachelorette party:
This party is your chance to let loose and celebrate your last few days as an unmarried person. As with the other events, you should invite your entire bridal party first as they are the people typically closest to you. Friends and family not in the bridal party but still important to you should also make the guest list.
Depending on the plan of events, maybe don’t invite certain family members. You might not want your grandmother with you when you’re planning a wild night out on the town.
The Rehearsal dinner:
The rehearsal dinner typically involves those closest to you and is usually small and intimate. As such, you should invite those that will be at your ceremony rehearsal. This includes your wedding party, parents of the betrothed, siblings and the officiant.
You should also invite immediate family and close extended family, as the dinner acts as a perfect way to bring the families together. Use your own discretion on whether you want to include plus-ones at this event.
The Wedding:
This is the time to go big. Your wedding guest list will be the largest of all the events. This is when you invite everyone special to you and your relationship. Everyone that you have invited to pre-wedding festivities thus far should be at your wedding. Of course, remember to stick to your budget and venue space when determining this list.
Start with your closest family and friends and work your way down. Family can be tough because it can look bad if you are selective and only invite some. The general rule of thumb is not to invite one without the rest. For example, if you invite one cousin, you will be expected to invite all your cousins. Of course, this is dependent on your specific family dynamic and you are within your right to not invite certain people you feel are not important to you and your relationship.
Many modern weddings are going kid-free. You must make the decision on whether you want to include children in your wedding guest list. Make sure to let guests know if their kids are not invited!
You will also have to decide on the plus-one protocol. You are not required to allow every guest a plus-one, but you should typically allow those in serious relationships to bring their partner.
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