South Africa weddings Archives

In Wedding Cakes

Wedding Cakes in South Africa: Trends, Prices & DIY Tips

August 21, 2025 No Comments

Your wedding cake is more than just a dessert; it’s a centerpiece that reflects your style and sets the tone for your celebration. As we step into 2025, South African couples are embracing diverse cake trends, from sculptural designs to traditional flavors with a modern twist. Whether you’re looking to order a bespoke creation or embark on a DIY adventure, here’s your comprehensive guide to wedding cakes in South Africa this year.

Trending Wedding Cake Styles in 2025

1. Sculptural & Artistic Cakes
Sculptural cakes are making waves in 2025, transforming wedding desserts into edible art. These cakes feature intricate designs, such as floating tiers, marble-inspired textures, and metallic accents, often resembling museum-worthy sculptures. Techniques like acrylic risers and sugar florals are commonly used to achieve these artistic effects. Brides

2. Square & Geometric Designs
Square-tiered cakes are gaining popularity for their clean lines and modern aesthetic. Couples are opting for geometric patterns, vibrant colors, and unique shapes to make a bold statement. These cakes are often paired with flavors like lemon-raspberry or red velvet-dulce de leche. Bridebook

3. Sheet Cakes with Style
Sheet cakes are emerging as a practical yet stylish alternative to traditional tiered cakes. They’re easier to transport, withstand heat better, and are simpler to cut. Decorative elements like Lambeth piping, cherries, and personalized messages are used to enhance their appearance. Brides

4. Dome Cakes
Dome cakes offer a unique and visually striking option for couples seeking a non-traditional dessert. These cakes are often decorated artistically and serve as a showpiece at the wedding. While they may be less expensive than tiered cakes, their size and shape limit the number of servings and flavor options. cakematters.co.za

Wedding Cake Prices in South Africa

Understanding the cost of wedding cakes is crucial for budgeting. Here’s an overview of typical prices:

Single-Tier Cakes:
- 10cm (12–16 portions): From R520
- 15cm (16–24 portions): From R660
- 20cm (40–48 portions): From R865
- 25cm (48–76 portions): From R1,050
Two-Tier Cakes:
- 18cm & 12cm (18–26 portions): From R980
- 20cm & 15cm (28–36 portions): From R1,250
- 25cm & 20cm (44–62 portions): From R1,500 (cakemehappy.co.za)(cakematters.co.za)
Three-Tier Cakes:
- Prices range from R6,360 to R7,084, depending on design and customization. honeybeebaker.co.za
Picture Cakes:
- A5 size (20cm x 15cm): R390
- A4 size (30cm x 20cm): R680
3D and Shaped Cakes:
- Prices vary; it’s best to inquire directly with bakers for quotes.

Note: Prices can vary based on location, complexity, and customization. It’s advisable to request quotes from multiple vendors to compare.

DIY Wedding Cakes: A Personal Touch

If you’re considering making your own wedding cake, here are some tips:

Start Early: Begin planning and practicing well in advance to ensure you’re comfortable with the process.cakesforafrica.com
Choose Simple Designs: Opt for designs that are manageable and within your skill level.
Use Quality Ingredients: Ensure you use fresh, high-quality ingredients for the best taste and texture.
Consider a Trial Run: Bake a test cake to work out any issues before the big day.
Seek Help: Enlist friends or family to assist with decoration and setup.

DIY cakes can be a cost-effective and meaningful option, especially for smaller weddings.

Popular Cake Flavors in South Africa

While traditional flavors like vanilla and chocolate remain popular, couples are exploring unique options to delight their guests. Some trending flavors include:

Pink Champagne: A celebratory flavor with a hint of sweetness.
Lemon-Raspberry: A refreshing and tangy combination.
Grand Marnier: A citrus-flavored cake with a touch of sophistication.
Ginger Spice: A warm and aromatic choice, perfect for winter weddings.
Banana Foster: A rich and indulgent flavor with caramel notes.
Honey-Lavender: A floral and fragrant option for a unique twist.

Ordering vs. DIY: Which Is Right for You?

Aspect	Ordering a Cake	DIY Cake
Customization	High; professional decorators available	Limited to your skills and resources
Cost	Higher; varies based on design and size	Lower; cost of ingredients and tools
Time Commitment	Minimal; cake is ready for pickup/delivery	Significant; requires planning and effort
Stress Level	Lower; professionals handle the details	Higher; responsibility on you
Personal Touch	Moderate; some customization possible	High; reflects your personal style

Consider your budget, time, and the level of personalization you desire when making your decision.

Your wedding cake is a reflection of your personality and style. Whether you choose a traditional tiered cake, a modern sculptural design, or a homemade creation, ensure it aligns with your vision for the day. Remember to consider factors like guest count, flavor preferences, and budget when making your choice. With the right cake, you’ll add a sweet touch to your special day.

Featured Image: Canva

In Budget & Financial Planning

Planning Your Own Wedding vs. Hiring a Wedding Planner

August 15, 2025 No Comments

Planning a wedding is an exciting journey, but it can also be overwhelming. One of the first decisions you’ll face is whether to plan your wedding yourself or hire a professional wedding planner. Each approach has its advantages and challenges. This guide will help you weigh the pros and cons, provide insights into effective wedding planning, and offer a basic budget plan to get you started.

Pros and Cons: DIY Wedding Planning vs. Hiring a Wedding Planner

DIY Wedding Planning

Pros:

Cost Savings: Planning your own wedding can save you money, as you won’t need to pay for a wedding planner’s services.
Creative Control: You have the freedom to personalize every detail, from the theme to the decor, ensuring the wedding reflects your unique style.
Hands-On Experience: Managing the planning process allows you to learn and grow as a couple, strengthening your teamwork skills.

Cons:

Time-Consuming: Wedding planning requires a significant time investment, which can be challenging if you have a busy schedule.
Stress and Pressure: Handling all the details can be stressful, especially as the wedding day approaches.
Limited Expertise: Without professional experience, you might overlook important details or face challenges in vendor negotiations.

Hiring a Wedding Planner

Pros:

Expert Guidance: Wedding planners bring professional experience, helping you navigate the complexities of wedding planning.
Vendor Connections: Planners often have established relationships with vendors, potentially securing better deals and reliable services.
Stress Reduction: With a planner handling logistics, you can focus on enjoying your engagement and the lead-up to your big day.

Cons:

Additional Cost: Hiring a planner is an added expense, which might strain your budget.
Less Personal Control: You may have to compromise on certain aspects to align with the planner’s suggestions or availability.

Wedding Planning Insights and Tips

Start Early: Begin planning at least 12 months in advance to ensure ample time for decision-making and coordination.
Set a Realistic Budget: Determine how much you’re willing to spend and allocate funds to different categories accordingly.
Choose an Off-Peak Date: Selecting a wedding date during off-peak seasons or weekdays can lead to cost savings. (The Budget Savvy Bride)
Limit the Guest List: Reducing the number of guests can significantly decrease costs for catering, seating, and favors.
DIY Decor: Consider creating your own decorations or opting for minimalistic designs to save money.

Basic Wedding Budget Breakdown

Here’s a general guide to how you might allocate your wedding budget:

Category	Percentage of Total Budget
Venue	40%
Catering	20%
Attire (Bride & Groom)	10%
Photography/Videography	10%
Entertainment	5%
Flowers & Decor	5%
Stationery	3%
Miscellaneous	7%

Note: These percentages are approximate and can be adjusted based on your priorities and preferences.

Deciding between planning your own wedding and hiring a wedding planner depends on your budget, time, and desire for control. If you have the time and enjoy organizing, a DIY approach can be rewarding. However, if you prefer to reduce stress and benefit from professional expertise, hiring a planner might be the best choice.

Featured Image: Pixels

In Bachelorette Party

South Africa’s Fresh Take on Bridal Showers and Bachelorette Parties

August 15, 2025 No Comments

Evolving Traditions with Local Flair

In 2025, South African pre-wedding celebrations are more creative, personalized, and meaningful than ever. Brides and their entourages are embracing global trends like immersive experiences and sustainability, while adding uniquely South African touches, from vineyard backdrops to handcrafted décor. Whether you’re planning a laid-back garden gathering or a glam retro bash, these ideas will help make your celebration feel both trend-forward and rooted in local culture.

Bridal Shower Trends for 2025

Trending Themes Worth a Try

Farmers Market Elegance (“She’s Off the Market”)
Think fresh produce stalls, artisanal cheeses, gingham linens, and sustainable décor, perfect for lovers of local, eco-conscious styling.
Cottagecore Romance
Cozy aesthetics with lace runners, pastel blooms, vintage crockery, and fairy lights evoke that cozy, Nancy Meyers film vibe.
Disco & Diamonds Retro
Dare to sparkle with disco-ball centerpieces, metallic accents, and glam ’70s shimmer—a fun, nostalgic twist.
Garden Party Chic (“Sow in Love”)
Ideal for outdoor celebrations with dainty tablescapes, parasols, hanging greenery, and wildflower details.
Personalized Bright Hues
Bold color palettes, think citrus summer or ’90s hues set by the guest of honor’s personality and style.

Interactive Décor & Activities

Activity Stations Are a Must: From fragrance bars and flower crowns to DIY boba and honey jar favors, these stations create fun, tactile experiences.
Intimate & Inclusive Vibes: Personal touches like custom thank-you cards, ribbon details, and games that include all attendees even both partners add warmth and thoughtfulness.

Food, Drink & Sustainability

Bars That Spark Joy: Prosecco walls, mimosa stations, and boba or fragrance bars elevate the celebration while enabling guests to customize their experience.
Eco-Conscious Favors: Local honey jars, seed-paper favors, and reused décor tools feel both thoughtful and earth-friendly.
Local Sourcing Wins: Emphasize produce and décor from local markets and artisans, supports small businesses while offering a touch of South African flair.

Bachelorette Party Trends for 2025

Sober-Curious & Experience-Driven

Mocktail Nights & Tastings: Wine-adjacent but alcohol-free celebrations, think kombucha or NA wine pairings, complete with creative glassware and playlists.

Wellness Activities: Yoga, pottery classes, arcade lounges, or sunset hikes create memorable, group-bonding experiences.

Sentimental Keepsakes

Jewelry Workshops: Create charm bracelets or matching welded anklets, gifts that double as mementos of the day.

Nostalgia & Festival Energy

Y2K and Festival Vibes: Matching tracksuits, glitter, disposable cameras, “Bridechella” setups, and customized playlists bring back early-2000s charm.

Spiritual & Creative Funs

Presentations & Astrology Nights: From fun slideshows (“Why the Bride is the Main Character”) to tarot readings and zodiac dress codes, these ideas add dimension and humor.

Outdoors & Local Adventures

Garden Picnics & Glamping: A visually stunning alternative to clubbing, combining comfort, nature, and easy decor.

Local Road Trips: Explore scenic routes like the Garden Route or Waterberg stop at quaint stays, capture the journey, and pair it with group bonding.
Western & Camp Themes: “Cowgirl,” “Coastal Cowgirl,” and “Last Rodeo” themes combining western flair with retro or festival elements, think cowboy hats, bonfires, line dancing, and horseback options.

Retro Revival

Decade-Inspired Throwbacks: Choose a decade (’60s elegance, ‘70s disco, ’80s glam) and bring it to life with prop decor, themed cocktails, and era-specific playlists.

Bridging Global Trends with South African Flair

Eco-Chic Sensibility: Prioritize local sourcing, zero-waste décor, and upcycled elements, especially popular in bridal showers where artisanal touches go a long way.
Cultural Infusions: African prints, shweshwe fabrics, and local floral arrangements make décor unique and place-specific.
Venue Considerations: South Africa boasts stunning landscapes, from Cape vineyards and Winelands estates to countryside airbnbs and game lodges. Tailor the setting to your bridal vibe.
Beauty & Décor Synergy: Soft glam, floral hairpieces, and well-curated nail-art or self-care stations tie the look together.

Crafting the Perfect Celebration

Whether you’re leaning into sustainable sophistication or vibrant nostalgia, your bridal shower or bachelorette party should feel authentic. Balance global inspiration like festival themes or mocktail bars with local cultural elements, South African art, landscapes, and flavors to create a celebration that’s fresh, meaningful, and memorable.

Featured Image: Pixels

In Planning

Seasonal Wedding Planning: Why Autumn 2026 Bookings Are Heating Up

August 13, 2025 No Comments

Photo by Redd Francisco on Unsplash

Wedding planning is exciting and South African couples are finding themselves enchanted by autumn. And for good reason. Between March and May, the country transforms into a painter’s palette of golden leaves, gentle breezes and soft, romantic light. For brides and grooms-to-be, it’s a season that offers charm without the sweltering heat of summer or the chill of winter.

But here’s the catch — word is out. With everyone hoping to take advantage of cooler temperatures, lower prices and shoulder season, Venues and photographers are already reporting a spike in 2026 autumn wedding bookings, with some prime dates disappearing faster than you can say “I do”.

With bookings filling up fast, you might feel a slightly overwhelmed planning your autumn wedding. Fear not though. We’ll guide you through every you need to know to sucessfully plan your whimsical autumn wedding.

The Romance of Autumn

Photo by Matthew Buchanan on Unsplash

Ask any couple who tied the knot in autumn and they’ll tell you — there’s something almost cinematic about it. The air is cooler but not cold, the sunlight takes on a dreamy golden hue, and the colours of the landscape seem made for wedding photos.

This is the kind of atmosphere that has made March to May the “it” season for South African weddings. From Stellenbosch wine farms to Mpumalanga’s highland lodges, autumn offers settings that feel straight out of a fairytale.

Why 2026 Autumn Dates are Going Fast

Traditionally, summer has been South Africa’s most popular wedding season. But in recent years, autumn has surged in popularity. The reasons are clear:

Perfect Weather Balance:

Let’s face it, no one wants to be sweating like mad in summer or freezing to death in winter on your wedding day. Autumn offers strikes the perfect balance between the two. Milder than summer, but warmer than winter, you can’t really go wrong.

Golden Hour Photography:

Photo by Ezra Jeffrey-Comeau on Unsplash

Everyone knows that golden hour is the best time to take photos. But what many people don’t know is that there’s a big difference between golden hour during summer and autumn.

Golden hour during summers brings about bright, warm rays that give you an instant glow and can take any picture from average to drop dead gorgeous. The downside is that there’s a limited time period to get those perfect golden hour photos.

Autumn’s golden hour on the other hand brings about unique opportunities. Autumn sunsets have a special softness, ideal for capturing portraits and landscapes. Lower shadows and rich colours create deeper contrasting back drops that are bound to leave anyone breathless once they see you’re wedding album.

Seasonal Menus:

Photo by Jennifer Schmidt on Unsplash

Having your wedding in Autumn presents you with a unique opportunity to play around with a seasonal menu. With slightly cooler temperatures creeping in, you can’t go wrong with some hearty comfort food.

Think rich butternut soup, roasted seasonal veg, and hearty main dishes. And for dessert, who doesn’t love a good malva or sticky toffee pudding?

Unique Seasonal Decorations:

Photo by Nicole Geri on Unsplash

One of the best things about having an Autumn wedding is the opportunity incorporate some of the seasons natural beauty into your wedding decor. A mix of red, oranges, yellows, and browns can create an extraordinary visual experience for you and your guests.

Cost Savings (Sometimes):

Shoulder seasons, usually mean fewer tourist crowds. This could mean better rates for venues and vendors. But, with shoulder season tourism beginning to take off, it’s best to not leave things too late so be sure to book your venue and everything else well in advance.

The Ups and Downs of Planning an Autumn Wedding

While we might have convinced you thus far to move your wedding date to Autumn, it’s worth remembering that the season comes with its own set of quirks:

Weather Can be Unpredictable:

Bad weather on your wedding day is pretty much everyone’s worst fear. In places like Cape Town where you can experience all four seasons in one day, having a back up plan in case the weather acts up – is crucial. So try and select an indoor venue, or a venue with a covered area.

Shorter Days:

As the sun starts setting earlier, this could potentially be a game changer during the planning stages of your wedding. Shorter day means that you’ll need to be strategic about ceremony times and

Public Holidays:

While you and your guests might not need to put in leave for your wedding day, public holidays can pose a problem. Easter, Freedom Day and other long weekends can affect guest and venue availability and travel costs. So, if you are planning on having your wedding on a public holiday, be sure to keep this in mind and book early.

An Autumn Wedding – Is it Worth it?

Autumn is a special time of the year. While the weather and other factors might play a big role in your decision to have your wedding in autumn or not, don’t write Autumn off completely.

With careful planning and contingency plans in place, Autumn might just be the season for your dream wedding. Many couples say the trade-off is worth it for the romantic atmosphere alone.

In Planning

Say ‘YES’ to The Wedding Expo 2022!

March 17, 2022 No Comments

The ultimate showcase of South Africa’s best in the wedding industry is back as a live event.

The Wedding Expo will be taking place from 6&& August 2022 at the Heartfelt Arena in Centurion, the perfect setting to welcome back the thousands of brides and grooms who want to connect in-person with leading wedding industry professionals.

Amanda Cunningham, founder of The Wedding Expo, is proud to announce that Specialised Exhibitions – a division of world-renowned Montgomery Group, will head up this event which promises an exciting and innovative two days.

Specialised Exhibitions is a company with over 50 years’ experience and a reputation synonymous with innovation, integrity and professionalism.

“We engaged, we proposed and we said ‘Yes’ to The Wedding Expo,” says a smiling Charlene Hefer, portfolio director at Specialised Exhibitions. “It’s an exciting opportunity for all of us. With our diverse, dynamic and experienced team, our forward-thinking approach and the integration of latest technologies, we will bring a vibrant energy to the expo in full support of the well-known and successful brand.”

“We are really excited about the changes and innovations that will be in place for the expo,” says Hefer. “There will be lots of new features, competitions and promotions in addition to the many informative talks and workshops. An experience shared with loved ones, it will be a super fun two days of fashion, buying and bubbly.”

“Globally we are seeing the exhibition and events industry successfully re-open after almost two years of restrictions,” Hefer continues. “Face-to-face interactions have been greatly missed, as they facilitate the building of relationships and trust, enable the engagement of all five senses – to see, hear, taste, touch and smell the products, and also satisfy the gregarious and social nature of people.

For the many brides, grooms, families and friends who want to meet a host of suppliers to help plan the big day, the wedding expo is the place to be.”

Cunningham agrees, “Exhibitors are only too pleased to assist with wedding planning such as giving great advice on venues, catering requirements, flowers and decor, dresses, invitations, honeymoons, legal requirements, and much more! I am constantly astounded at the incredible talent showcased in the South African Bridal Industry.

This is an entrepreneur driven industry and the service providers are right up there with the best of the best on the international platform. I have loved working with and promoting these incredibly talented individuals and businesses.”

Whether you are an entrepreneur in the wedding industry looking for brand exposure, sales leads and the opportunity to network and collaborate with other wedding professionals, or if you are a bride or groom ready to plan your special day, then save the date for The Wedding Expo, 6 & 7 August 2022.

Pictures: Supplied / Abbi Cooley Photography