Not one for wedding cake? There are so many unique alternatives that will please your sweet tooth. Among them is the macaron tower, a luxurious treat that stands proud.
The beauty of macarons, like cake, is that it comes in so many delicious flavours. Match your tower to your wedding colours for synchronicity. While macaron towers are perfect on their own, but those wanting an extra special touch can add florals to elevate it.
Macarons don’t come cheap, neither do wedding cakes. This may be a more affordable alternative for those lacking a big budget,
Here are some terrific towers to inspire your own.
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
Natural light is great, but it’s not always necessary. However, if you and your partner have opted for an indoor wedding, this adds another challenge for your photographer…
Robben Island’s annual mass Valentine’s Day wedding will not go ahead as planned in 2021 and has officially been cancelled. This comes after the Department of Home Affairs temporarily suspended the issuing of marriage certificates under Level 3 lockdown in South Africa.
“Following the recent announcement by the Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, on the temporary suspension of applications for IDs, passports and marriage services due to the increasing numbers of Department of Home Affairs (DHA) staff testing positive for COVID-19, the annual historic Robben Island Valentine’s Day weddings are unfortunately cancelled for 2021,” reads a statement from the Museum.
“This year would have marked 21 years of celebrating love on the island. Last year, 19 couples tied the knot with a historic milestone of Mr Frankford Williams and Cindi Mullins, who are visually impaired, officially being the first couple in South African to receive their marriage certificate in braille.”
To date, 327 couples have tied the knot on Robben Island. The first marriage ceremony was held on December 31, 2000 as part of the Millennium Celebrations, and was moved to Valentine’s Day in 2001.
Both the museum and the DHA will continue to engage on the possibility of hosting the weddings at a later stage, should conditions allow with the easing of COVID-19 regulations.
Picture: Facebook / Robben Island Museum
Symbolic of nature, green is often considered to represent tranquility and health. Of course, we cannot forget that it’s also a lucky colour. Incorporating this hue into your…
One year down, forever to go. That’s the motto for former professional footballer Tim Tebow and former Miss Universe Demi-Leigh Tebow, née Nel-Peters. The pair recently celebrated their one-year wedding anniversary and wrote sweet messages of dedication to one another in honour of the occasion.
Taking to Instagram, Tim shared a sweet video from their special day.
“A year ago today, this is the moment my life changed forever. After years of prayer, God gave me you @DemiTebow. I’m so grateful you’re in my life, that you chose me, and that we get this lifetime alongside eachother. I love you so much Demi, and as I did the day we got married, I promise I’ll do my best to uphold 1 Corinthians 13:7– “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” Happy anniversary baby,” he wrote on Instagram.
View this post on Instagram
Demi-Leigh followed up with her own special video, capturing moments from their first year of marriage.
“@timtebow I can’t give you anything better than what we have. I wish we could relive our wedding day over and over again because it was the best day of my life. Here’s my best shot at putting the last 366 (leap year) days into 3min and going back in time to reliving how this union started,” she captioned the video.
View this post on Instagram
The pair met through an event Tebow was hosting for his non-profit, the Tim Tebow Foundation.
“Her sister has special needs, so we invited them to Night to Shine in South Africa,” Tebow said during an interview with Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb. “We kind of met and started talking through that and haven’t stopped.”
Their relationship moved pretty quickly, and they confirmed their relationship in July 2018.
In January 2019 after less than a year of dating, Tim popped the question with an elaborate and sentimental proposal. Tebow had flown family members from across America and South Africa to Jacksonville, Florida to be part of the proposal. Demi-Leigh was told they were attending a late Tebow family Christmas dinner at their family farm and was surprised when it ended in a proposal.
Tebow also flew Demi-Leigh’s favourite South African performer Matthew Mole to Florida to serenade them post-proposal.
They came to Demi-Leigh’s home country, South Africa, to tie the knot in late January. Their pre-wedding festivities kicked off with a ‘Welcome to Africa’ cocktail dinner in the Cape winelands to introduce Tebow to South African culture. The bride wore a stunning white dress by Gert Johan-Coetzee featuring a criss-cross neckline and cut-out detail, while Tebow wore a blush-toned suit.
The following day, the couple held a stunning rehearsal dinner. They went for a sophisticated colour scheme, opting for rich purples, reds and black. Demi-Leigh stunned in a strapless wine-coloured dress with beading by Anel Botha. The couple’s weekend events are all planned by celebrity planner Zavion Khotze.
The pair got married at the La Paris Estate in Franschhoek on January 20, 2020. South African celebrity wedding planner Zavion Khotze organised the day. The former Miss Universe wore an off-the-shoulder cowl-neck dress by Davids Bridal and Tim wore a tuxedo by Antar Levar.
View this post on Instagram
Picture: Instagram / Demi Tebow
Times have changed drastically. In the past, getting a wedding gift was so much more than honouring the wedding couple. It was providing them with the essentials to…
When you think ‘engagement ring’, your mind automatically turns to diamonds. But the truth is, diamonds aren’t every girl’s best friend, despite what TV ads may have taught you.
If you and your partner are shopping for your engagement ring together or they’ve asked you what you like, consider one of these stones instead – from the colour to the texture, you’ll find one that captures your personality to a tee.
Tanzanite is a variety of the mineral zoisite and varies in hues from blue, to violet, or purple. These incredible blue stones are one thousand times more valuable than diamonds. Why, you ask? Discovered in Tanzania, it’s estimated that there’s only a 30-year supply left in the world.
View this post on Instagram
Morganite is a semi-precious stone in the beryl family, making it related to emerald and aquamarine. While it is typically light peach in colour, it can range in shades from orange to pink. Besides being unique, morganite is also way more affordable than diamond, making it a great choice for an engagement ring.
View this post on Instagram
Nothing beats the classic look of pearls and in an engagement ring, it becomes a timeless memento of your love. The only problem? Pearls are quite soft and easily become scratched or tarnished. This can be countered somewhat by using smaller pearls in your setting surrounded by harder stones to protect it.
View this post on Instagram
Another classic stone, opals come in black, white and crystal. Their most striking feature is the ability to reflect the rainbow depending on how they are held up in the light. This, coupled with the fact that each opal is unique, makes for a very special ring.
View this post on Instagram
Dubbed the “Stone of Successful Love,” emeralds are particularly symbolic for romance. The stone is said to open and nurture the heart and embody unity, compassion and unconditional love. The distinct deep green colour gives it a sense of timeless luxury while an ornate setting can give it a vintage feel to stand out in a sea of modern designs.
View this post on Instagram
Ruby
Not only are rubies gorgeous, but they’re sturdy too. As one of the four precious stones (the others are diamonds, emeralds and sapphires), it comes with quite a price tag. Some of the finest rubies will cost more than a diamond.
View this post on Instagram
Garnet
Garnets are often a rich pink-red colour similar to that of rubies. However, you can also find these gems in different hues. They are softer and less expensive than rubies, and also work well when paired with other stones. In Greek mythology, the pomegranate was a gift given as a symbol of love and eternity. Hades gifted his love Persephone with a pomegranate before she left to ensure she returned home fast and safe.
View this post on Instagram
Amethyst
Amethyst is an ancient semi-precious gemstone and a purple variety of quartz. The stone ranges in purple-tinged shades, from deep violet to lavender. Amethyst is slightly softer than diamonds but they’re still very durable so you know your ring will last a lifetime.
View this post on Instagram
Onyx is a semi-precious gemstone, a sub-variety of the microcrystalline quartz called chalcedony. This gemstone is typically black with white lines, although can sometimes also be green or reddish-brown. The stone is perfect for fans of the art deco or Victorian style as that’s when it was most popular.
View this post on Instagram
We all know that sapphires are blue but did you know you can get them in peach, pink, yellow, green and white too? That means if sapphires are your birthstone but you’re not a fan of blue, you can find a colour that matches your personality.
View this post on Instagram
If the diamond look and feel is what you want, but you’re wary of using actual diamonds (conflict diamonds are still an issue) then moissanite is the stone for you. They are not as expensive as diamonds and are almost as hard.
View this post on Instagram
Lapis lazuli
This semi-precious stone is simply gorgeous! A deep matte-blue stone with gold flecks, they make for striking jewellery. It’s best set in gold and may need replacing every few years.
View this post on Instagram
Topaz is one of the stones where imperfections are welcome. While pure Topaz has no colour, you can find this stone in hues of blue, orange, red, green and pink. The imperfections on each stone also create beautiful settings.
View this post on Instagram
Moon- and sunstones
Moonstone is a white cloudy gemstone that looks as if it is emitting light. This incredible optical phenomenon makes the stone quite popular and will make for a mesmerising ring. Its counterpart is the lesser-known sunstone, which is more peachy in colour and makes for wonderful cluster combinations.
View this post on Instagram
Rose quartz
As the name suggests, this stone is available in different shades of pink, ranging from pale to deep rose. It can be transparent or opaque, so all you have to do is choose the colour and clarity that works for you.
View this post on Instagram
Picture: Unsplash