Let’s face it, putting together a wedding can get pretty pricey! But not everything has to be a custom creation that breaks the bank. You can easily save on all your planning by incorporating some DIY ideas into your wedding decor. Don’t get us wrong, there are certain aspects of your big day you just simply can’t skimp on, but when it comes to these five, you can get everyone involved in making stunning DIY decor.
1. THE INVITATIONS
Avoid spending on expensive printers and stationery costs for your wedding invites, and make them yourself instead! You can get the family or your bridesmaids to help out and make a fun day of it. Plus, it will give your wedding stationery a personal touch.
Try it: Make your own printed stationery
2. THE SEATING CHART
With so many ideas available online, creating a beautiful and affordable seating chart is a breeze! This is where you can truly let your artistic flair shine through and bring your theme to life.
Try it: Make one of these creative seating charts
3. THE CENTREPIECES
It may seem tempting to dress your tables in extravagant centrepieces with a luxurious feel, but there is just as much elegance in simple and minimal decor styles. Design your own centrepieces for a beautiful and practical setting your guests will love.
Try it: DIY candle table runner
4. THE FAVOURS
Nothing says ‘I appreciate you’ more than a hand-made gift. Treat your guests to thoughtful favours they can take home and cherish from your big day.
Try it: Find 6 affordable favours here
5. THE TABLE SETTINGS
Apart from hired cutlery and crockery, you can personalise each guest’s table setting with DIY decor including greenery, ribbon or placemats to suit your theme.
Try it: Paper and painted placemats
Don’t forget about the little ones! You want them to look sophisticated and chic, but still age-appropriate. Outfits and accessories inspired by vintage style is the perfect way…
Since your bridesmaids will have been accompanying you on this wedding-planning journey, preparing to hold your train and have tissues at the ready, it makes sense to spoil your BFFs with unique gifts that are thoughtful and, most importantly, functional. Here are our picks:
1. CUSTOMISED WINE
If your bridesmaids are vino lovers, buy them each a bottle of their favourite varietal with a ‘Thank you for being my bridesmaid’ label. They’ll no doubt enjoy the wine, but it’ll also be a sweet gesture they’ll want to display on their mantelpiece for years to come.
2. MONOGRAMMED COMPACT
A make-up compact is incredibly useful, yet something women hardly ever buy for themselves. Add a personal touch by embossing it with the bridesmaid’s initials.
3. SCREEN-PRINTED TOTE BAG
Tote bags are relatively inexpensive, and you can customise them to your heart’s content.
4. LIPSTICK
Every girl needs a signature lippie, right? Spoil your girls with a trip to a make-up shop to help them find a go-to colour that best suits their complexion, which they can sport on the day of the wedding.
5. BRIDESMAID EMERGENCY KIT
Fill a jar or make-up bag with girly essentials such as lip gloss, mints and a perfume sample, along with other handy items such as safety pins, plasters and a sewing kit.
The 2019 trends are here, and we are so excited to see what the new year has in store! When it comes to bridesmaid dress styles, modern themes…
Letting your family help out with all the wedding planning can be fun, exciting, and a relief. But they can often become too involved and start taking over, causing unnecessary drama and stress before the big day. It’s important to set some boundaries while still letting your loved ones know that their help is appreciated, which is why we’ve come up with simple solutions to getting everyone involved without it turning into a family takeover,
1. KEEP IT SPECIFIC
Assign your family members certain tasks to complete, making sure they keep you informed with their progress. This can be anything from making invitations to table decorations, leaving you to sort out the bigger decisions.
2. COMMUNICATION
Keep in contact with your family about your decisions and the progress of the wedding planning. This will allow them to feel like they are a part of it all, and that you value their opinion. It’s also important to speak up when you are unhappy, but approach it in a calm and gentle way.
3. COMPROMISE
If your parents are footing some of the bill, they’ll want to have a say in some of the arrangements. Welcome their ideas, but also explain your and your fiancée’s vision for your wedding before you get started.
4. GET YOUR WEDDING PLANNER INVOLVED
If you’re feeling overwhelmed with pressure from all sides, get your wedding planner to step in and act as a buffer between you and your family. This will also give them the opportunity to update everyone on the wedding progress and what plans are in place to achieve your vision.
5. OFF LIMITS
Keep certain aspects of the wedding planning decisions off limits. This doesn’t mean you can’t involve your family or keep them in the loop, but be strictly clear that it is for you to decide. This can be about your guest list, the dress, or wedding cake. To counter any protests, give your family something they are passionate about, such as the catering or wedding stationery.
Image: Unsplash
Step into the jungle for a style transformation of eye-catching colours, feathers, exaggerated skirts and fringes, and deluxe detailing, perfect for a tropical wedding. Dress, Elbeth Gillis; earrings and…
Romantic, symbolic and a key part of any wedding, take your time when you are choosing wedding flowers and consider these 4 important factors.
1. THE FLORAL FORECAST
The time of year you choose to wed will play a role in your flower selection, but keeping an eye on the trends is equally important. According to Tangerine Moolman from Pink Energy Floral Design in Joburg, brides are taking their cue from nature, opting for more foliage. ‘A big trend on the rise is the use of lush greenery and plants, combined with either neutral colours or bright pops of colour.’
Josie van Aswegen from Fabulous Flowers in Cape Town agrees. ‘Brides are now opting for more ethereal arrangements in soft colours that create a botanical look, which is particularly beautiful for summer weddings,’ she says.
And don’t be afraid to buck tradition. While pastels and brighter colours have always been go-tos, there is a refreshing move towards cooler colours, with shades of blue making an impact – a great choice for seaside celebrations.
2. ARRANGED!
Once you have decided on your flowers for the day, pay attention to the design. Centrepieces are no longer the primary focus, with brides opting for more low-key table arrangements in favour of lavish bouquets.
Speaking of bouquets: Don’t think that yours needs to match the rest of the flowers on the day. In fact, bouquets are very personal and should reflect the spirit of the bride, says Josie. ‘The bride should carry the bouquet that she wants to carry on the day – without having to worry too much about the theme, as this can be worked into the bridesmaids’ bouquets.’
Tangerine agrees that the bride’s bouquet should be special, but cautions against making it too different. ‘While the bridal bouquet needs to stand out, it shouldn’t look like it belongs to another wedding,’ she says. An easy way to differentiate your bouquet from the rest of the flowers is in design, not necessarily colour.
If you want to make a statement with your bouquet, keep the floral arrangements and centrepieces at the ceremony and reception simpler. For those whose flowers are a big part of the decor, opt for understated, smaller bouquets or single stems.
3. BLOOMS ON A BUDGET
Choosing flowers that are in season is always a cost-saving solution. ‘Flowers that come in a great variety of colours and are available year-round include chrysanthemums, carnations, gerbera daisies, spray roses (usually smaller than a standard rose) and standard roses (not speciality roses),’ says Tangerine.
If you have your heart set on more exotic (and therefore more expensive) blooms, you can still stick to your budget with smart design choices. For instance, opt for bigger flowers such as orchids as opposed to peonies – it will take fewer of them to fill your space.
With greenery being a popular trend, consider incorporating more of it into your centrepieces and even bridal bouquet.
As a pocket-friendly centrepiece idea, Josie suggests using fewer stems in glass bottles interspersed with an abundance of greenery.
4. WASTE NOT, WANT NOT
As with most things wedding-related, it’s best to order more flowers so that you don’t come up short on the day. You may find yourself with an abundance of blooms left over, but they needn’t go to waste. ‘A nice idea is to put stickers underneath certain guests’ seats, and anyone with a sticker gets to take home a bunch of flowers,’ suggests Josie.
And bridesmaids’ bouquets are often forgotten about and left at the venue, so Tangerine recommends having a few vases placed near the head table where the bridesmaids can leave their bouquets, and hopefully remember to take them at the end of the evening. Find a way to make sure the flowers will be enjoyed the next day.