Weddings may be about romance, love and celebration, but a big part of that is food! Often times the catering can be expensive, and it’s easier to pick a 3-course meal where guests only need to select chicken or beef, but where’s the fun in that?
You can save on your budget while still treating your guests to a magnificent feast with fun food themes catered to your big day. Here are a few of our favourite ideas.
1. ITALIAN PARTY
Everyone loves pizza and pasta, plus they’re no-fuss meals with so many delicious variations to choose from. With Italian-themed cuisine you can offer your guests everything from meaty to vegetarian and gluten-free.
2. CARNIVAL FRENZY
Think dessert tables, a cotton candy machine, popcorn stand and slushies to add to the festive magic of your wedding day. And don’t forget about your hot foods with cheesy burgers, fries in a cone, hotdogs, pizza slices and all your carnival favourites that will make your guests feel like they’re kids again.
3. A TRADITIONAL TAKE
You can never go wrong with food celebrating you and your family’s traditional heritage. In South Africa, curries, bobotie, fish and chips, samp and beans and potjies are all firm favourites that show the cultural diversity we have. Treat your guests to some close-to-home meals to celebrate the coming together of families and tradition.
4. COMFORT DELIGHTS
Celebrating a rustic wedding in autumn or winter means you’ll want all the comfort foods on the table. Think homemade soups, cottage pie, lasagne, chicken enchiladas, mac ‘n cheese and malva pudding to give your guests a warm and homey experience that will leave them drooling.
5. SUMMER PICNIC
If you’re planning a summer day, take advantage of the season’s produce with fresh fruit, juice, snacks and picnic-style treats like finger sandwiches, fresh croissants, cheeses, jams and spreads. Set up blankets and pillows with baskets and bottles of bubbly for your wedding reception to let your guests indulge in the summertime magic of your day.
Feature image: Unsplash
Face masks have become a required item amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but that doesn’t mean they have to be boring! If you plan to have a socially distanced…
Actress Tiffini Thiessen surprised her husband Brady Smith with an at-home recreation of their 2005 wedding day to celebrate their 15 year anniversary.
“Last night I surprised my husband with a special 15 year anniversary gift. I recreated a “at home” version of our wedding. From the table, to the flowers, to the decor and even the menu beautifully re-created by my dear friend @maili_halme who did our wedding. It was a memorable night to say the least…and I think I blew my husband’s socks off. (Brownie Points!??) ,” wrote the Saved by the Bell actress on Instagram.
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Earlier that day the actress wrote a loving message to her husband, saying, “Today @bradysmithhere and I celebrated 15 years of marriage. What an accomplishment that is. I could not feel more blessed or fortunate to be experiencing life next to you babe. Thru thick and thin… we are a team. You are my biggest cheerleader and I love you more than words can ever say. So I hope tonight my surprise showed you at least a fraction of how much I absolutely adore you. Happy 15 years baby. Here’s to 115 more! ”
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The actors married in 2005 at a private estate in Montecito, California. Thiessen wore a tulle gown by Vera Wang. Flash forward 15 years and the couple now share two children together: 10-year-old Harper and 5-year-old Holt.
Feature image: Instagram / Tiffani Thiessen
When it comes to choosing rings, most focus their attention solely on the stone. However, there are other components to consider too! One element is the ring metal.…
On your wedding day, you want to look your best. If you choose to wear makeup then you’ll definitely want it to last. This task is tough enough on a normal wedding day. With COVID-19 regulations face masks have become required accessories, which can affect your makeup look.
Here’s how to make sure your face stays on throughout the day, even under a face mask.
Tip 1: Use a sticky primer
Pass up your moisturising and glowy primers in favour of a sticker consistency. A strong-hold primer will help grip onto the foundation and make it last longer.
Tip 2: Use a brush to apply foundation
A brush deposits a lot more product than a beauty sponge, which will soak up most of the product and result in a thinner coverage. Remember, you want as much coverage so that it will last longer. A thin layer is more likely to wipe onto your mask. After using a brush, you can go in with a dry sponge to even out the finish and remove brush strokes. This also helps to press the product into your skin and make it last longer.
Tip 3: set your face with a translucent powder
Setting your foundation with a translucent powder will help firm it up and remove some of the moisture that makes it easy for it to wipe off. It essentially acts as a barrier locking that moisture in. A translucent powder won’t affect the colour of your foundation and also helps to mattify your skin.
Here are some helpful tutorials to give you a step-by-step guide:
Feature image: Pexels
Jewellery can help add flair and personality to your bridal look. If you want something unique, it’s best to skip the traditional stores in the mall and go…
Cape Town, South Africa is filled with different cultures and creeds. For weddings, this means that many you attend will be different from the traditional “white wedding” introduced by the West.
One demographic with a variety of wedding traditions that differ from the “norm” is the Cape Malay culture. There are several parts, including pre-wedding ceremonies, events on the wedding day, and more.
Given the large community of Cape Malay people in the city, it’s likely that you will eventually be invited to a wedding which requires you to know a bit about the traditions. Instead of showing up to the wedding and feeling confused about some of the customs being practiced, it’s best to get clued up prior to the ceremony. The more you know the better!
Here are some Cape Malay wedding traditions to get you started:
Marriage Intentions:
After a couple decided they are ready for marriage, the parents of the man approach the parents of the women to ask for their daughter’s hand. This takes place across two separate meetings of the families. The second meeting is where the man’s family receives consent from the woman’s family so that the couple can marry. At this meeting, together they decide on a date for both the engagement ceremony and the Nikkah (marriage).
‘Bruidskamer’:
Once the wedding planning begins, the groom-to-be has the task of setting up the ‘Bruidskamer’ (bridal chamber i.e. the house they will live in together after they marry, since in this culture people do not move out of their family homes until they get married).
Families are filled with excitement during this time in the lead up to the wedding. Everyone including aunts, uncles, and cousins are involved in the organizing of the new home and other wedding preparations.
Getting Packed in:
The bride is not allowed to see the ‘bruidskamer’ until after the wedding, therefore her family spends a few nights prior to the wedding packing her personal belongings in to the new home.
Nikkah:
The formal wedding ceremony is called the Nikkah, and it usually happens at a mosque on the morning of the wedding prior to the reception.
The Nikkah is essentially a ceremony in which the groom accepts a proposal from the bride’s father to marry her. There are certain words that have to be uttered by the groom and the bride’s father in order to make things official. Specifically, the groom has to accept the dowry amount that he has to pay.
The Imam (or leader of prayer) at the mosque will then recite a sermon, after which he will have the groom recite a few words in Arabic. He will say: “Qabil-tu nikah haha linafsi biethaalik”, which translates to “I have accepted her marriage to myself for that dowry”. The marriage is then formalized.
Thereafter, the groom makes his way to the bride who awaits nearby. He will remove her veil and place the wedding ring on her finger.
The reception:
After the Nikkah, the couple will have a reception where guests are treated to a variety of foods and favorites. At the end of the reception, the bride is collected by women from the groom’s family called the “Hadjies”. They will speak to the bride’s parents, and then escort her to the ‘bruidskamer’.
In a heartwarming moment as she leaves the wedding venue with her groom’s aunts, the bride hugs all of her family members as wedding guests recite the “Salawaat,” which is melodious praise for the Prophet.
The groom leaves the venue before, in order to be waiting for his wife when she arrives at their new home.
Image: Unsplash