Archive for the ‘Just for fun’ Category

I was hoping to blog alot more in the weeks leading up to our wedding but a whirlwind of things have happened and sometimes I feel there are hidden cameras around and we’re on a reality show!  After my unexpected operation last Wednesday I suffered internal bleeding and had to be rushed back to theatre Thursday morning.  Luckily all was ok after that and I left hospital the same evening.  I’m recovering well but need a couple more days of rest so the swelling goes down.  My mom also took a turn for the worst in hospital after breaking her hip in a fall last Monday and ended up in ICU yesterday with blood clots on her lungs.  She is alot better today and all she is worried about is getting walking so she can get into her shoes that she hunted down for ages for the wedding!

I’m now left with alot of loose ends to tie up before the big day. Read the rest of this entry »

I am absolutely not a fan of the bouquet and garter throwing traditions so I have been searching high and low for alternatives and have come across some very cute ideas.  My favourite is the longest married bouquet toss, but if you want to give your bouquet to your mom then you can award a stunning bottle of wine to the longest married.  Here are the ideas found on http://ezinearticles.com/?Six-Alternative-Bridal-Bouquet-Toss-Ideas&id=122526:

Here are some great and cute ideas, although there are thousands, for some simple but modern invitations.  Why stick to the old fashioned ones if you have no restrictions or limitations to what you can do to match your personality to the decor and stationery!  Ideas found on www.moderngirlinvitations.com

I thought I would look up some disaster stories, although quite funny to read, which might come in handy to help avoid the same thing happening or just to put a smile on your face.  I came across this first story at http://weddings.lovetoknow.com.

“The evening of June 17, 2005 was the perfect time to get married. The ceremony was so beautiful with the sun setting on the mountains and lakes in the background. However, along came a dress disaster, or shall I say five dress disasters. I had my four sisters and my best friend as bridesmaids. To try and save a little money, my mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law to be volunteered to make the bridesmaids dresses. I picked the perfect design and got the measurements for all my girls. However, something went wrong during the process of actually making the dresses. First of all, the dresses were not completed until the day of the wedding. Talk about anxiety! Then when we were all getting dressed for the wedding, we realized my in-laws had taken the identification papers off the dresses. Therefore, no one knew exactly which dress was whose!

Read the rest of this entry »

It somehow still seems to be every girl’s favourite colour (and nowdays alot of guys are loving it!) and creeps into wedding colour schemes even when you’re not planning on it!  Whether you go for pink or not,  this colour remains one of the softest, most elegant colours to add to any event.  Hot, darker shades of pink mixed with red is funky, chic and absolutely glam!  Found on www.stylemepretty.com.

Congratulations to Mrs February, Tanya Dettman, who was selected by our judges in the Facebook SA Bride of the Year competition.  This competition is just for fun and open to all South African Brides

1st - Tanya Dettman
Read the rest of this entry »

Planning a wedding is, in itself, a stressful event in any woman’s life. Helping to plan a friend’s wedding is, I believe, much more stressful. There are many reasons for this – but the most important centers on whether or not you do a good job and the bride has her fairytale wedding; or if everything buggers up completely and you are left not only with a terrible wedding day; but friendless as well.

I, having been married and been through my share of stress over the minor details that the 100-odd guests barely noticed, am now honored to be Matron of Honor for one of my closest friends. We have the same style; the same taste; and the same thoughts about things most of the time. But what if I manage to convince her to do something along the way that she will hate me for in twenty years? Just picture it: we are sitting around my kitchen table and the same conversation comes up for the three-hundredth time; “I can’t believe that you made me choose that centerpiece… it ruined my wedding!”. Or something similar. That would be the positive version of “I wonder what happened to Michelle – I haven’t seen or heard from her since the string quartet I chose got drunk on the fruit punch and kidnapped her mother”.

It is with this in the back of my mind that I venture into the world of tulle and flowers; praying that we make it out the other side alive and still firm friends. Wish us luck!

There’s not much hotter in wedding accessories now than the wedding parasol.  SA brides are discovering that the parasol comes in all sizes, fabrics and designs and they are a fabulous way of enhancing the look of your wedding party without the cost sky-rocketing!

The 3 hottest designs right now are:

* The natural-look parasol in a natural cotton fabric or a natural fibre paper which enhances the organic feel of a beach, outdoors, green or chocolate-themed wedding. We have woven wattle and seashells into the natural fabric parasols before, but you could equally have an artistic friend paint some beautiful natural-environment designs on the paper to create a truly unique look.

* The Vintage-inspired European white Lace parasol.  Intricate and full of old-world charm, these parasols enhance a vintage or garden wedding.

* An Oriental Parasol looks equally at home at an Asian-inspired wedding, a beach wedding and a garden wedding. Use these gorgeous, colourful designs to complement the colours in your attendant’s dresses. As they are usually cost-effective, you might even like to provide these for each guest. What a stunning all-guest photo it makes to have everyone holding a parasol in a colour which matches your theme!

visit www.idoinvitations.co.za for ideas and orders

A wedding invitation is the first clue guests will get about your wedding style and theme. It helps get them excited for the big event, and even gives guests clues about what to wear! Don’t skimp on these as this will give the impression that guests are going to a cheap wedding before they have even got there.For those of you tying the knot in 2008-2009, here’s information you won’t want to miss about invitations. First and foremost, the biggest trend is:Customization Being unique is chic. Regardless of what current fashion might be, your invitation design ultimately rests on what is meaningful and special to you and your fiancé. So if you select colors or a style that isn’t “in” but has significance to both of you; go with it – it’s your wedding.Winter Weddings This winter, onyx black is back as the color of chic sophistication, and when used with silver and snow white, it speaks volumes. Forest green and plum are also gorgeous in winter, perhaps paired with a jeweled brad or silky tassel for added glamour. Spring Weddings For a spring wedding in 2008, an invitation’s color scheme can echo the colors of the blooming gardens with sky blue, leaf green and magnolia pink. Summer Weddings Summer brings hotter weather and high-voltage tints will be everywhere -especially apple green, aqua blue, bright yellow and sunset orange.

Fall Weddings

As autumn arrives the palette will mellow to saturated shades of rusted orange, deep scarlet and chocolate brown. Softer shades reflect the tones of the harvest season. Embellish your invitations with a translucent sash and tuck in a skeleton leaf for a distinctive look.

Trendsetting Stripes

Pinstripes are a hot look now, whether they’re vertical, horizontal, multicolored, or in shades of your signature hue.

Bejeweled

Embellishing your invitation with small rhinestones, tiny pearl-toned beads, or miniature Swarovski crystals makes a low-key invitation style fashionable. A refined invitation sporting clean type and subtle colors that gets glam with a rhinestone buckle.

Going Bold

Though the use of color has been a wedding trend for years, white is making a comeback in an unexpected way. We’re seeing bright color card stock with sleek white type.

Vintage Patterns

Move over motifs…allover patterns are gaining popularity. Your
invitation designer could create a pattern based on your gown, for instance — a ring of rosettes, a square of lace appliqué, or a beaded vine.  There are so many divine vintage and damask patterns available.

Modern Monograms

A monogram is basically a pair of initials usually written in a fancy script/font style. The monogram can be placed on the outside of the inner envelopes, on the invitations themselves, and on other parts of the wedding stationery. Monograms are a good choice because they provide personalization to the invitations and add a touch of elegance.

Designer Envelopes

Saving the suspense is so over: Why not introduce your wedding motif on your invitation envelopes? Have your address personalized by your stationer this is so better received than ugly hand writing J And makes the invitation so professional.  You may not know it, but your invitations do more than just invite your guests. They also herald your event’s style and/or theme. The invitations lay the foundation for your wedding’s theme whether it be informal, traditional, seasonal, or a destination. Your invitations excite your guests about your affair so choose carefully!Ultimately, whatever design you choose for your invitations, it should reflect the mood, style, or theme of your wedding. Most importantly, you and your fiancé should love it!