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How to create the perfect sanitising station for your big day

October 13, 2020 No Comments

Stop, drop and sanitise is the new motto of life in the time of coronavirus. While large events are discouraged, weddings are allowed to continue as long as everyone in attendance follows strict health and safety protocols.

Lathering up on hand sanitiser is not the most glamorous thing to do, but there are ways to make it a bit more fun and interesting for your guests. Instead of plonking some sanitiser on a table, consider setting up a dedicated sanitising station.

Sanitising stations are trending in the wedding world at the moment. Here are some tips to put your own together.

Placement:

Speak to your wedding venue to have your sanitizing stations set up at all entrances and exits. Remember to also consider spots your guests are likely to congregate at, like restrooms or the bar area. Assign someone the job of monitoring the stations and refilling them when the need arises.

Touchless sanitisers are best, to reduce the amount of contact your guests make with items. They are, however, the more expensive option. If you cannot afford that, simple pump bottles are perfect to get the job done. Make sure to have wipes on hand as well in this case, so guests can use them to wipe the pump bottle down before or after use.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CFj4dNAjFsl/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Punny:

Have a little fun with your station by creating a punny sign to stand alongside your sanitiser. Here are some ideas:

– Spread love, not germs

– Stop, drop and sanitise

– You can’t touch this (unless you’ve sanitised)

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCqmBu-HipB/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Dress it up:

You don’t want a boring table that looks like it belongs in a hospital. Give it life by placing it on a fancy drinks cart, and dress it up with some flowers that match your wedding colours and aesthetic.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CC7o3Ozqan_/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Picture: Pexels

In Advice

The perfect wedding theme based on your zodiac sign

October 8, 2020 No Comments

Wedding planning can be chaotic. With so many options to choose from, it can be tough to narrow down what you want. Many use their zodiac sign to determine the choices they make in life, so why not use it to plan your wedding too?

Those that follow astrology believe that it speaks to and shapes personality. Considering that a wedding is highly personal, it makes sense that you’d want to tailor it to yourself. Here are the best wedding themes that suit each zodiac sign.

Aries (March 21–April 19)

Aries individuals are trend-setters. Being the first sign in the zodiac, they love to lead the way and rarely go with the status quo. They are bold, dramatic and a little bit extra.

Go big and bold with a glamorous wedding. An art-deco inspired wedding might be the perfect fit. Think Great Gatsby, a world defined by excess, wealth and conspicuous consumption. Guests have the option of dressing up in theme, making for some memorable photos.

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Taurus (April 20–May 20)

Taureans are a classic Earth sign, displaying practicality with a dose of stubbornness. They are also ambitious and little bit materialistic, with a love of the finer things in life.

Feed into this with a rustic meets glam theme. Pick an outdoor venue with stunning natural scenery, and amplify with more luxe touches like a unique fairy light display, tons of candles and rose gold finishes.

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Gemini (May 21–June 20)

Represented by the twins, the Gemini bride is known for their two-in-one personality which can also make them indecisive in nature. They are intelligent, adaptable and outgoing, yet impulsive and unreliable.

The best is to mix two styles to cover your bases. A boho-glam aesthetic is the best of both worlds, merging the natural with the luxurious. Go for a mix of textures like silk, linens, lace and macramé, as well as natural tones likes greens, whites and tans.

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Cancer (June 21–July 22)

The ever-romantic Cancerians are sentimental and emotive creatures with a deep belief in true love. This water sign is guided by the heart.

A pastel wedding is soft and sweet, just like you. Blush pink is always trendy, and looks amazing paired with gold and white. Tall candles and chandeliers add extra whimsy and romance, making your fairytale dream come true.

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Leo (July 23–August 22)

Much like the king of the jungle, Leos are passionate and confident beings. They are bold personalities who like to make a statement. These trendsetters like to lead the way, and would opt for something unique and daring on their big day.

Pick an unusual venue like a library, museum, art gallery or even a treehouse for something unexpected.

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Virgo (August 23–September 22)

Virgos are practical perfectionists. Logical and dependable, this Earth sign is known for taking a systematic approach to life. Their style tends to be modest, simple, and polished, just like they are.

Go clean and simple with a minimalist wedding theme. Think neutral colours, natural fabrics, organic elements, accent metals and lots of glass pieces. Clean lines and key pieces create a sophisticated look perfect for weddings.

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Libra (September 23–October 22)

Libras are all about balance, much like their symbolic zodiac sign, the scale. They love symmetry and harmony. Like Taureans, Libras are also ruled by Venus, the planet that governs love, beauty, and money, and are thus big fans of luxury and beauty.

A peaceful venue like a vineyard is perfect for the harmony-loving Libra. Pair rustic elements with lush greenery and natural tones to elevate your decor.

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Scorpio (October 23–November 21)

The most passionate sign of the zodiac, Scorpios are masters of seduction and pleasure. These mysterious creatures enjoy a darker side of life, and lean toward hedonism.

With some Scorpios being born in October, it makes sense to give in to the spooky season. Opt for a Halloween theme, complete with dark tones and rich gold finishes for an antique look. Use tulle, velvet, dried flowers and candles for a spooky yet elegant atmosphere.

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Sagittarius (November 22–December 21)

Sagittarius individuals are typically fun-loving and free-spirited. They love to roam free and explore the various facets of the world and life.

With all that wanderlust, it seems perfect to opt for a travel-themed wedding. If you can’t have a destination wedding, bring the world to you with some creative touches. Use ‘boarding passes’ as escort cards, a globe as a guest book and paper airplanes as decor.

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Capricorn (December 22–January 19)

Capricorns are the classy sign. They are typically very grounded and thoughtful, preferring the simpler things in life.

A timeless wedding is best for this sign. Go simple yet elegant with a black-tie affair, with tasteful decor. A banquet hall is the ideal setting, and can easily be dressed up with stunning floral centrepieces.

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Aquarius (January 20–February 18)

Aquarians are represented by the water bearer, the mystical healer who bestows water, or life upon the land. They are easy-going and fun yet graceful and bold.

Being a water sign, a beach wedding is perfect for Aquarius’. Dress it up with elegant lighting, tons of greenery and an unusual print to showcase your eccentric nature.

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Pisces (February 19–March 20)

Pisces individuals are dreamers, often at odds with fantasy and reality. They tend to be empathetic, compassionate and sensitive.

Give in to your inner child and host an informal and fun picnic themed wedding. Use tons of pillows to keep your guests comfortable, and include games to keep them laughing all night long.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDMXfQfJM58/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Picture: Unsplash

In Advice

How to involve your kids in your wedding day

October 7, 2020 No Comments

These days there are so many kinds of families that it is not often those getting married are childless. Whether you have children from previous partnerships or have had a child together before getting married, they are a very important part of your life.

If you are looking to make the wedding a family affair, there are some great ways you can include your children in the wedding day. Here are a few cute ideas.

Flower Girls, Ring Bearers, Bridesmaids and Groomsmen

This one is a bit obvious but giving the children a specific role in the wedding like a flower girl, ring bearer or even part of your wedding party is a simple and effective way to immediately include them on the big day.

Include them in the (non-alcoholic) cocktails

Weddings are filled with special moments and if you’ve opted for something fun like a gin bar or a signature cocktail, why no let your kids in on the fun with their own fancy drink to sip with the adults or a fun drink-making table, all child-appropriate of course.

Incorporate them in the decor

If you’re having photos of you and your partner at the venue or on the wedding website, why not include your children as well? It is the perfect way to show how this day is about connecting the family and allows you to indicate to your guests the tone that your wedding is taking.

Write them into your vows

If you’re not going with traditional vows but rather writing your own, it is the perfect opportunity to speak to your child about this big moment in your shared lives. You can even have your children participate in the vows, talking about their role in this union as well.

Put them on the cake

Cake toppers are not as in fashion as they once were but if you’re going to go this route why not put little figures for your children onto the cake as well.

The first (family) dance

The first dance is a romantic moment with your partner, so its understandable that you would do your own couples dance first. However, before inviting others to join you, first bring out your little ones to join in on the special moment.

Adorable MC’s

Wedding speeches need some organisation, so if you have an old enough child who is keen to speak in front of all of your guests, include them by making them the Master of Ceremonies for the evening. Especially confident children will love it and it will make the evening quite special.

Picture: Unsplash

Link: Things to do in Cape Town with kids

In Advice

Wedding gifts that are perfect for alcohol aficionados

October 6, 2020 No Comments

If you’re attending the wedding of a couple of alcohol-lovers, why not treat them to their favourite thing? It’s easy to buy the bride’s favourite wine, but that’s also boring. Instead, opt for something that will last and actually benefit their lives in some way.

From wine to whiskey, gin to beer, there are a host of accessories designed to improve your drinking experience. Give your newlyweds the gift of a good drink with one of these items:

Eetrite Wine Chiller & Pouring Rod – R249 from Yuppiechef

Leather Wine Carrier Case with 3 Piece Wine Accessory Set – R429 from Takealot

Champagne flutes (set of four) – R260 from Woolworths

Cocktail shaker – R229 from Takealot

Bohemia Crystal Quadro Whiskey Decanter 850ml – R999 from Lavish’d

White terrazo coaster (set of four) – R249 from Superbalist

Vinturi Red Wine Aerator – R749 from Yuppichef

DIY Homemade Gin Kit Gift Box – R519 from Yuppiechef

Drinking tower game – R299 from Typo

Picture: Pexels

In Advice

Top restaurant wedding venues in SA

October 5, 2020 No Comments

Choosing your wedding venues can be a tough task, especially in a country like South Africa that boasts a myriad of beautiful locations, from city to sea.

If you’re wanting to make things a little bit easier, why not pick a restaurant venue? This way, you know the food you’ll be feasting on come wedding day will be at a high standard.

Here are a few of our favourite restaurants in the country with wedding packages of note.

Babylonstoren in Franschhoek, Western Cape

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Babylonstoren is an authentic, versatile venue with one of the country’s best preserved Cape Dutch farmyards, offering a historic yet contemporary farm stay. Couples can pick from an outdoor wedding under the majestic oaks alongside a stream, or at the bottom of the garden in the House of Shadows.

All three of their rustic, chic and stylish venues are available for the reception, and comfortably seats 100 people. In the Old Cellar you can enjoy a family-style feast, with a surprise dessert station in the White Studio. The Wheat Barn is just the place to dance the night away. For smaller weddings, the Studio package is the ideal choice for intimate family-style feasts.

Read more about their wedding package HERE.

Hazendal in Stellenbosch, Western Cape

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Hazendal in the Stellenbosch winelands offers breathtaking settings, catering for both intimate ceremonies and large celebrations. Take your vows in Hazendal’s architecturally designed Pavilion that floats above water, framed by the magnificent views of the Bottelary Hills and Simonsberg.

With the one of the best culinary teams in the Stellenbosch Winelands, your wedding guests will be able to relish in gourmet-style food and award-winning estate wines. Host your wedding for a glamorous and luxurious celebration in fine-dining Avant-Garde or the Grand Hall at the Conference Centre. For couples wanting a more informal outdoor style, Hazendal’s heritage Kraal will be the perfect fit.

Read more about their wedding packages HERE.

Canelands Beach Club in Salt Rock, Durban

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With direct access to the beach for that perfect beach wedding, Canelands on the northern coast of Kwa-Zulu Natal is the ideal venue for a formal or informal style wedding.

The Restaurant can seat up to 50 guests for a private brunch, lunch or dinner and up to 100 guests on the pool deck and grass verge, together with the restaurant for a cocktail style wedding overlooking the beautiful Indian Ocean. The adjacent lounge area makes an ideal venue for your ceremony or cocktails on arrival.

Read more about their wedding packages HERE.

Ferguson’s 5th Floor in Sandton, Johannesburg

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Celebrate your nuptials up above on this rooftop restaurant in the heart of Sandton. Your ceremony and reception can be held in the same space, which comfortably fits 150 people seated and 200 guests cocktail style.

Menu’s are tailored to each guest, and couples can pick between three-course set menus, cocktails and floating dinner options, as well as harvest table buffets.

Read their wedding packages HERE.

The Living Room in Maboneng, Johannesburg

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBLz5qhj3yl/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Situated in the vibrant precinct of Maboneng, the Living Room is a unique blend of the natural and the urban. It offers panoramic city views, making the perfect backdrop for your dream rooftop event.

View their wedding package HERE.

Picture: Instagram / Babylonstoren

In Advice

Classic South African desserts to include in a wedding menu

October 5, 2020 No Comments

South Africans love our sweet treats, and luckily we’ve got a host of locally-loved favourites that always feature at functions.

Modern couples are opting for a dessert table laden with a variety of dishes to tuck into instead of the singular wedding cake. This way, your guest have options that tailor to different tastes.

Those wanting a classic South African day should incorporate the iconic desserts our country has become known for. Another bonus is that all of them can be customised to be individual serving sizes, making dishing these treats up even easier.

All of these dishes have been featured in menus at top restaurants like Jonkershuis, Spek en Bone and The Blue Crane. If it’s good enough for our top chefs, it’s good enough for us!

It’s not a South African event without these treats on the dessert table:

Malva Pudding

This dessert screams nostalgia for many South Africans. This sweet pudding had a spongy texture, and is covered in a hot, creamy sauce and served with ice-cream or custard.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5fZqKdlufW/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Milktart/Melktert

This milk-based custard treat is one of the most iconic South African desserts. This traditional Afrikaans treat consists of a sweet pastry crust that holds a custard filling made of milk, flour, sugar and eggs. It can be baked or left to set in the fridge, then dusted with cinnamon to finish it off.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2bRIq_hblP/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Peppermint Crisp Tart

For a truly indulgent dish, opt for a peppermint crisp tart. This quick and easy dessert is made by layering tennis biscuits, a mixture of whipped cream and caramel and then crumbled peppermint crisp chocolate bars. Warning, it’s dangerously delicious and sweet, so its best served with coffee to cut through the sweetness.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-y9RuBnGgF/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Koesisters / Koeksusters

There are two types of koeksisters with completely different tastes and histories, so it’s important to know which one you’re serving up.

The koesister is a Cape Malay invention, featuring a light and fluffy dough delicately spiced with cardamom, cinnamon and dried ginger. The dough is fried in a ball shape then dunked in syrup and dusted with desiccated coconut.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCxmdYNJ5rm/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

A Koeksuster is the Dutch version, made by frying plaited dough and then dunking it in a sweet syrup.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BzIVTmdJNQ9/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Picture: Pexels

In Advice

3 mistakes to avoid when choosing your bouquet

September 30, 2020 No Comments

Planning your wedding day is a mammoth task, and all the little things can add up to eventually leave you feeling stressed and overwhelmed.

Luckily, choosing the bouquet does not have to be. We say keep it simple. Yes, it’s important and yes, you need to put some thought into it. However, you can save yourself a lot of time and tears by avoiding these fatal errors.

1. Choosing flowers from a region far away

Don’t make things harder than they need to be. Ordering flowers from Cape Town when you’re getting married in Joburg will just turn into yet another headache. Sourcing local flowers from your region will ensure your flowers are fresher, cheaper and more environmentally friendly as you cut out the transport costs. Talk to your florist about what’s in season in your area.

2. Choosing flowers that other people like

Remember, just as with everything else on your big day, it’s still your day. Everyone who is helping you plan, be it your mother, best friend or mother-in-law, will have their own opinions. It might be well-meant, but ultimately, the flowers need to make you happy. Plants are a gift of nature that add beauty and inspire joy, and this is your chance to choose what makes you happy.

3. Having unrealistic expectations

When looking for inspiration online, you’ll get a tsunami of perfect bouquets, not a petal out of place. Most of them are styled to make you want to buy from a certain vendor. We suggest rather being open to embracing nature, which by its very essence is unique, like humans. No two lilies will look exactly the same, and some roses might bloom later than others. While choosing the plants you adore, allow for the fact that having it natural is more beautiful.

Images: Unsplash

In Advice

Simple yet elegant dresses guaranteed to wow a crowd

September 28, 2020 No Comments

Many believe a wedding dress is the most important outfit one can ever wear. It’s the attire you choose to make an eternal promise to your love, so you’ll want to look your best.

With such weight and importance attached to an outfit, it’s easy to see why people opt to go big and bold for their special day. While lace, beading and applique detail are popular finishes to make a splash, it’s not necessary and can often times be quite costly. Sometimes, the most simple design is the most effective.

For those not into dramatic detail or for the budget conscious, there are many ways to still stun in a simple gown. The focus should be on the cut and fabric of the dress to make it appear more luxurious. An off-the-shoulder gown oozes sophistication, while small stylistic choices like adding a cape or twist detailing on your waist easily elevates a look.

If you’re in need of some inspiration, you’re in luck. Here are a few of our gowns sans-lace that are anything but boring:

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Feature image: Pexels

In Advice

Adorable ‘Just Married’ signs to announce your marriage

September 25, 2020 No Comments

It’s a time-honoured tradition to display your new relationship status on the getaway car on your big day. Passersby rejoice at the familiar sight of the ‘Just married’ sign trailing tin cans or colourful ribbons in its wake as your car heads from the ceremony to the reception.

Why limit yourself to just your car? You can announce your marriage on pretty much anything you’d like. Go as big, or as small, as you’d like, it’s your day!

Modern couples have taken to creating custom pieces they can keep forever to let the world know they’ve tied the knot. From custom leather jackets, parasols or even a neon sign to light up the night, anything goes. We love that these alternative items can be preserved for decades and act as a special tangible memory to look back on as the years go by.

Here are some traditional and trendy ideas to be inspired by:

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In Advice

Planning a destination wedding in lockdown?

September 25, 2020 No Comments

International travel is back on the cards! Now that South Africa has shifted to lockdown Level 1, our borders will reopen to visitors from October 1.

With this, couples now have the option to once again host a destination wedding in another country. Of course, this comes with its own difficulties as other countries also have lockdown measures in place. Here is what to keep in mind:

Travel restrictions:

Only three airports are open for international travel in the country: OR Tambo, King Shaka and Cape Town International Airport. There are 18 land borders open to the public, and the other 35 will remain closed. Every flight, bus, cruise and train ride carries with them a risk of further transmission. Thus, there will be strict protocols implemented to limit the risk.

While the borders are open, not every country is accessible. All travellers from the African continent and from countries outside the African continent with a low rate of infections and transmission may travel to and from South Africa, subject to them having a health clearance certificate and the directions by the relevant ministers.

In the event of the traveler’s failure to submit a certificate as proof of a negative test, the traveler will be required to quarantine at his or her own costs.

To temporarily control entry into the Republic from countries outside the African Continent, the relevant Cabinet members shall, after consultation with the Cabinet member responsible for health, determine in directions

– criteria for controlling entry into the Republic, from such countries with a high COVID -19 infection and transmission rate;

– the list of such countries with a high COVID -19 infection and transmission rate, which may, from time to time, be amended.

Countries with high infection rates will not be allowed to enter until their infections come under control.

Visa applications will reopen and long-term visas will be re-established from October 1.

Feature image: Pexels