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Dirk and Jen’s Wedding

January 20, 2016/in Blogroll, Weddings /by Engage24 Team

Dirk and Jen’s Wedding:

On a beautiful May day last autumn, we had the joy of planning and co-ordinating the wedding of a very special couple, Dirk and Jen – we just loved every bit of this wedding!

Dirk and Jen had seen our ‘Citrus and Slate’ styled shoot featured on The Pretty Blog a few months earlier and loved the combination of the neutrals, yellows and greys. They were also keen on using some local flowers in the mix for their big day, hence the incorporation of some white proteas and soft, grey fynbos. While the feel I got from them at our first meeting was that they had a preference of classic over modern, I also wanted to provide them with a contemporary feel, suited to the young couple they are – they were game. We put together a mix of both soft flowers – the roses, lisianthus, delphiniums and fynbos – and structured flowers – the proteas, tulips, and casablanca lilies – and opted for grouped arrangements for the larger focals, while adding a fun touch to the more classic table arrangements, with quirky craspedia balls and tulips dotted throughout.

Jen was wonderful to work with – gentle and gracious, uncomplicated while also knowing her likes and dislikes, trusting, and overall, such a lady – a real compliment to her adoring Dirk. I really wanted her bouquet to reflect her softness, stearing away from the bold yellow used throughout the rest of the wedding and opting for a romantic posie in neutrals, with a touch of silver brunia for depth and texture. Jen was breathtaking in her customised Stella York gown supplied by Olivelli Cape Town.

The bridesmaids bouquets on the other hand incorporated punches of fun yellow in the craspedia balls and tulips, while still maintaining a classic and elegant feel. The bridesmaids were graceful in beautiful, rouched buttercup gowns, also from Olivelli, which were the perfect gentle statement to accompany Jen in her soft, scalloped lace creation.

Dirk is a gentleman in every sense of the word. His love and admiration of his beautiful bride was evident from the first time we met and we were so priviledged to be a part of the journey of seeing this lovely couple give their lives to each other. He and his groomsmen were dapper in navy suits and bow ties. I loved how old-school so many of the details of this wedding were, somewhat reminiscent of ‘Downton Abbey’ splendour and what a fitting venue for such an occasion – the resplendent Lanzerac Estate, steeped in history and old-world charm. The cut-glass tumblers, the library, the chivalry – this wedding was a joy to behold.

Dirk and Jen really wanted their ceremony to be outdoors, surrounded by the beauty that is the surrounding valley. They loved the idea of the focal arch with ‘floating’ flowers and hanging glass vases. The striking setup provided the perfect platform for our floral additions of simple floral posies, grouped focals and silver urns full of yellow and white petals.

I just love this pic of Dirk and Jen, shortly after saying their ‘I do’s’, with a halo of golden light and the joy of their guests surrounding them. This was such a special moment as they were presented for the first time as husband and wife to their loved ones.

More than anything I loved being a part of all the details of this special day – assisting Dirk and Jen with the aesthetic decisions that needed to be made from the flowers and decor to layout and lighting, guiding them through the how’s, when’s and where’s, the on-the-day coordination, contingency plans for rain (and just look at the weather!), managing the suppliers, keeping everything running smoothly and according to the time schedule and generally ensuring that they had the most memorable day of their lives! It helped that they were such a pleasure to work with and had great style.

We decided on a banquet look and feel, opting for 6 long tables with Dirk and Jen seated in the centre, surrounded by their friends and family. They opted for the lovely wide plinth tables and ghost chivaris chairs from Urban Tonic, giving us lots of space for the table decor and spacious settings for the guests . The block table runners in a bold chevron yellow were right on trend, fresh on the latest catalogue, and added a fun element to the elegant reception decor. Jen loved the idea of having garlands of tulips hanging in between the fairy light curtains and the effect was stunning. We made use of Lanzerac’s dance floor and set up a chic satelite bar to the one side for the dancers to stay hydrated, ensuring the party went on into the wee hours. A service bar in the foyer of the venue, and champagne coolers positioned strategically between the tables, ensured that guests remained in the venue making for a lovely, vibrant atmosphere which Dirk and Jen were very specific about.

We have been incredibly blessed with easy going brides who choose us mostly for their love of our style and allow us the freedom to create something beautiful for them on the day. Dirk and Jen were incredibly generous with their trust of us and our ability to look after their dreams and make this into a day they will cherish for the rest of their lives. This made their wedding a really special one for us as we were allowed to own the design concepts and use our creative flair to piece together a carefully coordinated union.

We were very fortunate to have worked with some incredibly talented people on this wedding. Lanzerac Estate, who we have since done a feature blog post on, was the perfect setting for this fine day and our experience with Denise and the rest of the Lanzerac staff was proffesional, thorough and friendly. Dirk and Jen chose Peter Gilder for their rings and jewellery, Olivelli Cape Town for their gowns and Khaliques Sandton for their suits. Their stationery was perfection by Lezanne from Lezanne’s Designs and their 3 tiered, triple flavoured, masterpiece of a wedding cake was made by none other than Lulubelle’s Bakes.

To say that this wedding stands out as one of my favourites would be an understatement. I loved every moment working on this wedding and can only thank the very humble bride and groom for allowing us the opportunity to put together their special day. Dirk and Jen – wishing you many, many years of wedded bliss… you’ve had the perfect start xx

Some of the wonderful suppliers we worked with:

Venue: The Lanzerac Hotel and Spa, www.lanzerac.co.za

Bridal Gowns: Olivelli Cape Town, www.olivellicapetown.co.za

Stationery: Lezanne’s Designs, www.lezannesdesigns.co.za

Suits: Khaliques Sandton, www.khaliques.co.za

Jewellery & Rings: Peter Gilder, www.petergilder.co.za

Wedding Cake: Lulubelle’s Bakes, www.lulubellesbakes.com

Fudge Favours: Sweet Dreams, www.facebook.com/fudgemakers/

Cape Town Wedding Co-ordination: The Rose Cafe, www.therosecafe.florist

Flowers & Decor: The Rose Cafe, www.therosecafe.florist

To see more of this gorgeous venue, have a look here for our blog post on Lanzerac as a wedding venue.

Cape Town Wedding Co-ordination by The Rose Cafe

5 Tips To Keep Your Cut Flowers Fresh

January 11, 2016/in Blogroll /by Engage24 Team

5 Tips To Keep Your Cut Flowers Fresh:

One: No foliage or leaves submerged in the water

Be sure to strip off any leaves from your stems that will fall below the water level in your vase. Foliage in the water will create bacteria, and decrease the vase life of your flowers.

Two: Cut stems

Stems that have been out of water for even a short time get blocked by little air bubbles, which inhibit optimal water absorption. Make sure to cut your stems directly before placing them in your vase of water. Cut them at a 45° angle for an increased area of absorption.

Three: Clean water

Water needs to be changed every two to three days depending on how fast your flowers are drinking, and the type of flowers. Certain flowers make the water turn murky sooner. Always make sure the water is clear and that your vase is filled high enough to cover the base of all the stems.

Four: Flower food

Flowers grown in mass production for retail need a little bit of extra help, and flower food is specifically designed to assit these blooms, by helping create the right environment for your flowers to flourish.

Have a look here for our DIY Flower Food Recipe.

Five: Environment

Place your vase in a spot where it will not receive any direct sunshine; is not in a draught; and is in a cool room.

For more flower care tips, have a look at our post on Cut Rose Care.

The How to Guide for Fresh Cut Roses

July 22, 2015/in Flower Care, HowTo /by Engage24 Team

Your Step by Step Cut Rose Care Guide:

Having just bought or received some gorgeous rose blooms, you now want to make sure that you get to enjoy them for as long as possible! We are here to help you make sure your roses get to bloom for their optimal life span, by showing you our cut rose care guide process.

First Things First!

Preparing Your Vase:

– Have your vase ready and waiting. Fill it up to ¾ full with clean cool water.

Hint: Make sure it’s squeaky clean, so that no bacteria is introduced to your fresh roses.

– Add flower food to the water.

Hint: You can make your own flower food, see recipe* further down.
Hint: Only add the flower food after you have poured the water into the vase – otherwise it creates soapy bubbles in the water.

Next Up:

Preparing Your Roses:

Lay them out:

Find some counter space to work on, and lay out your roses on the counter. We find the most comfortable position to work in is to have the roses perpendicular to us – the buds on the left, with the stems to the right.

Before you begin, you should know…

– All foliage that will fall below the water line will need to be stripped off. Having any leaves in the water will accelerate bacteria formation, and shorten the flowers life span.

– Using metal strippers can be harmful to the rose. They often tear off parts of the waxy exterior of the surface, causing wounds where bacteria can enter.

– Don’t be tempted to snap off the big thorns with your nails – bacteria susceptible wounds will be created on the stems, as well as allowing air bubbles to form at those parts of the stem.

– If there are any thick growths coming off the stem, like a new bud shoot, these can be gently nipped off with secateurs (secateurs are a type of plant scissors or pruning shears) just above the point where it joins the stem – don’t pull them off!

Strip them:

– Once you know the height of the vase, measure the rose against it, and work out where on the stem the vase will stop, and use this as a guide for how high to strip off the foliage. As a general rule, anything that will be below the top of the vase should be cleaned of foliage.

– Doing one rose at a time, hold it gently three quarters of the way up the stem in your left hand, between your thumb and index finger.

– Use either rubber flower strippers, or an old cloth, and run it down the sides of the stem. Do this gently, not bending or bruising the stem where you are holding it with your left hand. You may need to do it once or twice depending on how thorny or leafy the stems are. This will take off just the tips of the thorns, removing the harmful sharp edges, while not removing the whole thorn. Remember we don’t want to create wounds on the stem.

– Roses sometimes get brown outer petals that form from water or condensation exposure. Remove these gently, pulling off the petal from the base, to stop it from spreading.

Cut them:

– Once you have them all cleaned and ready to go, you can start cutting them and placing them in their final destination.

– Rose stems should be cut with sharp secateurs at a 45° angle to increase water absorption. Do this directly before placing the stem in water. Air bubbles will form in the stem if it is left out of water for any length of time, and this will inhibit water absorption.

– Never cut the stem on or directly below a nodule (a little bump in the stem, where a new shoot would have formed). The rose will battle to draw water up through this complex part of the stem if it is cut on it.

And Lastly:

Help them Last:

– Change the water and flower food every two to three days. Do so more frequently if the water becomes murky.

– Roses can be revived if their heads droop by re-cutting the stems at an angle and placing them in 2-3cm of hot water for a maximum of two minutes. Then remove them and place in deep fresh water. If the stems are very long, cutting them short before following this process can also prolong their life.

– Your roses should never be placed in direct sunlight, in a draught, or near a heat source. A cool location is ideal.

The Magic Recipe*:

*DIY Flower Food:

For approximately 1 Litre of water, add the following, and stir to mix and dissolve:

– 1 tsp. Household Bleach

– 1 tsp. White Wine Vinegar

– 1 tsp. sugar

Why do we add flower food?

Flower food helps create the right environment for the roses to flourish.

– The bleach helps keep harmful bacteria from forming.

– The vinegar allows for the ph. balance to be aligned with the roses needs.

– The sugar helps the rose to bloom and open.

Roses are finicky things, but we just love them! We hope this helps you keep your roses lasting as long as possible, and looking wonderful!