A unique place card is yet another chance to impress your guests. No matter your wedding theme, there is a fun place card that will be much more memorable than the standard folded cardboard.
Place cards don’t have to be costly. From pinecones to seashells, there is a wealth of materials at your disposal to truly make a small statement to add to your wedding table decor.
Historically, women were required by law to take their husband’s surname. This is because women had no independent legal identity – they needed to be linked to a man. At birth they would be given their fathers surname and when they were married, their surname would change to that of their spouse automatically.
As time passed and women contested the laws regarding their rights, the rules changed. Now, changing your name is completely optional. The number of women who prefer to retain their maiden name is fast-growing world-wide.
There is, however, a certain feeling of romance and permanence that comes with changing your name as you get married. And of course, there is nothing wrong with wanting to change it!
The decision can be difficult to make. It is a very personal decision; one that only you can make for yourself. But to assist you in making the decision, here is a list of pros and cons of changing your name.
Pros
– You will have the same surname as your kids
If you decide to have children, they will most likely be given their father’s surname as lineage is typically tracked through male family members. If you opt to keep your maiden name, you’ll be the only one in your family with a different surname. This may cause you to feel a bit isolated. There may also come a time where you have to prove that you are your child’s mother – this is less likely if you have the same surname.
– It feels like a formal beginning of a new chapter
As you start this new chapter of your life, a change may feel necessary. While there are certainly many changes that come with marriage such as your living space and your daily routine, the change of a name is the only one that is bound by law. Changing your name can feel like you’re solidifying the new chapter of your life.
– You will spend less time explaining yourself
If you don’t change your name, you’ll be inundated with questions from your older family members who expect you to change your name and follow tradition. Other people might assume you’re not married, and when they realise you’ll likely be asked to explain why you have a different surname to your partner. Your kids in their younger years might also struggle to understand why their parents have different surnames.
While it is easy to answer all of the questions above and while you don’t owe anybody an explanation for your decisions, changing your name allows you to avoid all the fuss.
– You will feel more connected to your partner
There is a sense of unity that comes with sharing a surname with your partner. It also makes it easier to do things on behalf of your partner, especially if the law is involved.
Cons
– Paperwork and admin
The effort you have to put in to legally change your name is enough to put anyone off. The documents are complex and lengthy. You have to remember, you’re not just changing your ID. You’re also changing your passport, drivers licence, insurance, bank cards, and your store accounts or memberships.
The government issued documents are sure to take a while to process. As we know, a trip to Home Affairs is a full-day standing-in-line experience.
– May affect your career
If you’re at a point in your life where you have built a solid professional identity, you may be giving that up by changing your name. Your professional acquaintances may have trouble finding you. People may not vouch for you and your outstanding work when asked about you as they may not know your name has changed and thus won’t know who they are being asked about.
– Separation from your family
You will no longer share a surname with your parents and siblings. This may cause you to feel distanced from them and from your roots. Your individual identity may also be affected as a result.
– You will struggle to access old legal documents
If you need to access legal documents or financial documents from years gone by, it will be much more difficult with a new surname.
– Could feel like you’re opposing your personal politics
If you’re anti-patriarchy and pro-feminism, you may consider the history of the name change off-putting. If you change your name, it could feel as though you’re giving in to the system.
Of course, there are other options than changing or keeping your name. You could hyphenate your old and new surname or even get creative by combining a part of your surname with your partners to create a new one that you can share.
If you’re struggling to make the decision, why not flip a coin? That’s exactly what this couple did.
Regardless of your choice, it is one you have to make for yourself. Any decision is the right decision if it feels true to you.
Weddings can be taxing on the environment. Yes, flower walls are beautiful and balloon decor is whimsical, but they’re also wasteful and harmful for the environment. As the wedding industry shifts towards more sustainable practices, one plant rises above.
Spekboom has long been lauded for its magical powers. Also known as Pork Bush or Elephant’s Food, this water-wise tree of wonder can absorb higher amounts of carbon dioxide than any other plant in existence. A healthy thicket of this South African treasure trove is said to be ten times more effective at removing carbon dioxide from the air than the Amazon Forest.
South Africans are encouraged to plant spekboom wherever they may to play their part in combatting climate change. Those lacking a green thumb need not worry. The plant is easy to grow and water-wise, meaning it is low maintenance.
There are so many ways to incorporate this hard-working plant into your wedding. Here are some ideas.
Bridal bouquet:
Spekboom is a perfectly rustic addition to your bridal bouquet. If you’re not into the leaves, spekboom in full bloom is typically covered in tiny pink flowers that will add a beautiful pop of colour to your floral arrangement.
Credit: Instagram / suneoosthuizen7
Food:
Packed with vitamin C and other nutrients, spekboom leaves are juicy and full of moisture. They leave an acidic taste of lemon on the tongue, making spekboom an excellent addition to fresh salads or even in the wedding cake itself. Spekboom also helps to fight dehydration, making this magical plant perfect for hot summer weddings.
Credit: Stork.co.za
Decor:
Tiny clippings of spekboom are amazingly fresh additions to wedding decor. Use them as table decor on plates or in planters, in floral centrepieces and in hanging floral arrangements.
Credit: nikimphotography.com
Wedding favours:
Give your guests the gift of spekboom for a memorable wedding favour that will bloom for decades. One small clipping can grow into a magnificent spekboom bush when planted. The plant can live up to 200 years, meaning this gift is truly one for the ages.
Here’s the thing. Plus size is not a category. It is all the different body type categories in a bigger size. As such, there is no one-size-fits-all. Essentially, the secret to looking stunning is actually dressing for your figure in the right size. The biggest mistake many ladies make is to buy a dress that is too large, or necessarily loose fitting. That will only make you look bigger than you actually are. They key to success is to ask someone you trust- maybe a friend or even professional stylist- what styles flatter you the most, and then make sure you get it in the right size for you. Not a size too small (rookie mistake) and definitely not too big (there’s no need to).
If you can identify your best attributes, accentuate them and cover the less great parts (we all have them) you will be the best version of yourself and beam with confidence. Here is some inspiration to get you going:
Castles are not only for royalty. Complete your fairytale wedding by getting married in a real life castle! Across the world, there are many unique and stunning castles that make the perfect backdrop for your ‘I dos’. Here are a few of our favourites:
The Lichtenstein Castle – Cape Town
Situated on the hills of Karbonkelberg Mountain overlooking Hout Bay, the Lichtenstein Castle is a gothic dream come to life. Built to replicate the Gothic Schloss Lichtenstein Castle in southern Germany, this magnificent castle comes complete with statues of dragons and gargoyles, as well as a magnificent waterfall.
Inside, there is a ballroom with black and white checkered flooring, hand-blown glass chandeliers, and stable doors opening out to rolling green lawns. There are also 4 bedrooms and a honeymoon suite that you can use as your own private villa for the evening. The venue fits 150 guests seated or 250 cocktail.
Neuschwanstein Castle – southwest Bavaria, Germany
Neuschwanstein Castle, located on the Bavarian Alps, is one of the most visited castles in the world, and it’s clear to see why. Built on a rugged hill above the village of Hohenschwangau, this magnificent castle is inspired by Romanesque Revival. The castle was commissioned by King Ludwig II of Bavaria in 1869, and upon his death was opened to the public in 1886. Cinderella’s castle was modelled after Neuschwanstein, making this venue quite literally from a fairytale.
While you cannot get married inside the castle, couples are permitted to hold their ceremony on the grassy area in front of it, or in the chapel of Hohenschwangau Castle that has a view of Neuschwanstein.
One of the most coveted wedding venues in the world, Oheka Castle is a luxurious French-inspired location that has been hosting weddings since 1919. Once the home of investment financier and philanthropist Otto Hermann Kahn and his family, Oheka was built between 1914 and 1919 and is the second largest private home in the United States. The castle is made up of 127 rooms and over 109,000 square feet (10,100 m2).
Oheka Castle has inspired more than brides. F.Scott Fitzgerald was partially inspired by the mansion when describing Jay Gatsby’s stately home in The Great Gatsby. The castle also featured in Taylor Swift’s Blank Space music video.
New Zealand’s Larnach Castle is situated on the picturesque Otago Peninsula and was built in 1871 by merchant baron and politician William Larnach for his first wife Eliza. It was purchased by the Barkey family in 1967, who still privately own it today, and was restored to feature original New Zealand period furniture and antiques.
Your nuptials can take place at a number of places on the Castle grounds, including the Rock Garden on the Ballroom Lawn, the Reflecting Pond with Dunedin City framed in the background, the Alice lawn or under the beautiful 1930s Cupola. For your reception, step inside the ballroom that features period architecture, glorious furnishings, magnificent chandeliers, baronial open fires and a polished sprung dance floor. The ballroom can accommodate up to 180 people.
Nestled in the Cotswold Hills, Sudeley Castle’s buildings, ruins and award-winning gardens cover a sprawling 1,200 acres of grounds. This Tudor-style castle was once home to Queen Katherine Parr, the last and surviving wife of King Henry VIII, who also died here is buried on the grounds.
The venue’s 15th century church is the perfect ceremony location for traditional couples, but you can also choose from the Castle Library and their various outdoor spaces including the Secret garden, Queens’ garden, and Mulberry lawn to tie the knot. A bespoke marquee on the private Castle Lawn, which boasts grand views of the Castle and overlooks water lilies on the carp pond, is a stunning place to hold your ceremony.
Built in 1854 by the La Rochefoucauld family, one of the most eminent families of France, Château de Challain-la-Potherie is a magnificent mansion honouring net-gothic romanticism. It stretches 7,600 square meters, has 4 towers, 12 turrets and 26 spiral staircases that complete the fairytale feel.
Chateau Challain offers a full-service chateau wedding packages for 120+ guests that includes attentive staff and exclusive use of 23 decadently decorated suites, as well as their 72 acres of gardens, forest, and lake. You can say ‘I do’ in the spacious 18th century church opposite the chateau, under the gazebo by the lake, outside the beautiful Memorial Tower or even in their small on-site chapel.
Castell De Santa Florentina, or St. Florentina’s Castle, is a cultural heritage site that has been existence since the 11th century. The castle features a stunningly serene courtyard and interiors Game of Thrones fans might recognise as Horn Hill, the estate of House Tarly in the popular shows sixth season.
Wedding ceremonies can be held on the patio, pictured below, before guests move on to the magnificent Throne Hall that was designed to receive the King of Spain Alfonso XIII with his court, and can host a banquet of 200 people. You’ll definitely feel like royalty at this castle.
Hluboká Castle is considered one of the most beautiful castles in the Czech Republic and was once home to Prince Jan Adolf II. Schwarzenberg. The castle was first built in the 13th century in the Gothic style, but has since been renovated many times, revealing a Baroque style during the 18th century and then being reconstructed to emulate the romantic style of England’s Windsor Castle.
Wedding ceremonies can be held on the hill in front of the castle, in the Ceremonial hall in the former orangery, by the pond in the park or in the interior of large dining room.
Food can truly make or break a wedding. After an emotional ceremony and posing for pictures, all your guests want to do is fuel up on some good food before partying the night away.
There are many ways you can serve up your food on your wedding day, and it’s important to pick the right style for you. Whether its a buffet, a plated meal or family-style, each serving style comes with its own pros and cons. Let’s dive into the family-style wedding menu.
A family-style wedding menu has all the foods placed in the centre of each reception table. Generally, there are two or three entrees and a variety of sides. Guests then take it in turn to dish up for themselves from the platters. This serving style combines the best of buffet and plated meals.
Pros:
Everyone gets their food together:
With buffet meals, guests have to line up in their table groupings to get their food. With a family-style meal, the food is placed on every table so the need to line up and wait is eliminated. You also don’t require waitstaff to be constantly up and down balancing multiple plates to serve food in a timely matter, thus also reducing the risk of accidents.
Wider variety of options:
With a plated service, guests would have to pre-select their entree. With a family-style meal, however, all options are available and your guests can pick whatever they want. This saves having to keep track of who wants what and eliminates the risk of someone receiving the wrong meal.
It’s a conversation starter:
Seating guests that don’t know each other around a table can lead to awkward moments. With a family-style meal, there is something to talk about, even if it is just, “Could you please pass the potatoes?”. Beyond this, a family-style meal creates a more casual atmosphere than a formal plated meal, enabling your guests to feel more relaxed and open to chatting.
Your guests might take more than one entree or dish up even more than they would have at a buffet where servers control portion sizes. As such, you might have to over-cater to must make sure there is enough food on each table. You will also need more serving platters and utensils to serve up the food on each table.
Takes up space:
Having all the dishes on the table can take up a considerable amount of space, and can leave it looking cluttered. You might also have to compromise on decor items like a large centrepiece to have enough room for the food, which can take away from your wedding look.
Gone are the days of the matchy-matchy bridesmaids. Modern brides are often turning towards unique gowns tailored to fit their individual bridesmaids.
Just like how you need to find your dream wedding dress, your bridesmaids need to find their perfect dress. What suits one might not suit the other, and it’s important to consider how your bridesmaids look and feel on the big day. Going with mismatched bridesmaids dresses shows you care about your bridesmaids and want them to feel as confident as possible.
However, mismatched bridesmaid dresses present a new challenge as you run the risk of your bridal party appearing disjointed if not done right. Here are some tips to pull this trend off.
Same fabric and colour, different styles
One option is to go with dresses in the same fabric and colour but different styles. This way, your bridesmaids still look like your bridesmaids but they get to dress to complement their best assets. Maybe one bridesmaid has beautiful shoulders and wants to show them off but another feels a little insecure about her arms. Playing to each bridesmaid’s strength is the best way to keep everyone happy while still staying on theme.
Importantly, you will have to make sure the fabric and colour is flattering on all your bridesmaids. Take your time to go through fabric swatches and have your bridesmaids on hand to compare the colour with their skintone. We love how the richness of these chocolate brown dresses work so well against the bridesmaids skin.
Another tip is to not have too many different features. These bridesmaids all have different necklines but each dress has a straight cut design.
If you have a specific vision in mind, another option is to have your bridesmaids wear the same dress but in different colours. The colours you choose will then fit in with the wedding colour scheme. This gives you enough point of difference but still looks cohesive.
You should ideally have no more than three colour variations to avoid the final look being too busy. Make sure that the colours you choose work well with each other, and discuss with your bridesmaids who will wear what colour to make sure that everyone is happy.
Pro tip: swatches can look very different in a full dress. Don’t rely on swatches, compare the colours using full-size sample gowns to make sure there are no surprises come your first fitting.
Finally, you could just go all out and have completely different bridesmaids dresses altogether. Each bridesmaid can then decide the cut, colour and length they prefer. This option gives your bridesmaids the most freedom in choosing their look, which can be a good thing and a bad thing.
You should guide your bridesmaids in the direction you want to avoid them going too far out of your vision. A great idea is to create a mood board for your bridesmaids to really understand the look and feel you’re striving for. This way, it makes it easier for your bridesmaids to stay on theme.
To avoid looking disjointed, the dresses should all have a similar style which will generally go with the wedding theme. In the example below, these bridesmaids all have their own unique look but each dress has a distinctly boho style to it. With flowing cuts and lace/embroidery detail on every dress, there is still uniformity in their differences.
If the wedding invitation asks for formal attire, know that this will be an elegant affair and you should dress accordingly. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to wear a tuxedo or something to that effect, however, you do have that option to if you would like.
Men
A suit is mandatory with formal attire. Stick to a dark suit with a white shirt and tie. Pair this with dressy leather shoes and you are good to go. A tuxedo would not be inappropriate if you would like to wear one.
If you are planning on wearing a dress, it should be floor length. An evening pant suit or smart separates is also appropriate. Stick to neutral or dark tones. Heels would be the best shoe choice with this type of attire.
Square cakes have become a bold and modern choice at weddings in recent years as couples seek to be different on their big day. Instead of the traditional round shape, newlyweds are opting for angles and crisp lines, and we’re loving it.
The simplicity of a square cake works well when paired with more ornate decor like marble detail or art deco-inspired shapes. You can also keep the design clean with smaller elements like watercolouring or abstract brushstrokes. Whatever you decide to do, this cake is sure to be a crowdpleaser.
Why do brides get to have all the fun? There are so many ways for grooms to bring their personality out on their big day that won’t eclipse the proceedings. Once such way is with their boutonnière. Yes, florals are classic, but they’re also expected.
Let your personality shine through with a unique boutonnière that speaks to you and what you love most. Love Star Wars? Have a lightsaber-wielding Darth Vader hold up your florals. Dungeons and Dragons fans can use their dice as a fashion statement. You could also pay tribute to a loved one that has passed away by pinning their image to your lapel.
St. Florentina’s Castle – Barcelona, Spain
