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Wearable Florals for Weddings

January 16, 2017/in Blogroll, Weddings /by Engage24 Team

Wearable Florals for Weddings:

Wearable florals for women are becoming increasingly popular as an alternative or in addition to a bridal bouquet, or for the members of the bridal party. The current trends that are evolving include flower crowns, rings, necklaces, hair clips, earrings, belts and more. While it is still a trend that is emerging and hasn’t quite caught on yet in South Africa (people tend to still be quite conservative in this regard) it is definitely on the rise and provides a novel, creative and bold statement. Often seen incorporated in styled shoots, more and more brides are opting for floral alternatives to the typical bridal bouquet and boutonnières and corsages worn by their bridesmaids, groomsmen and family.

With the introduction of cold floral glue, floral artists have been given much more freedom when it comes to creating new and exciting wearable florals. The cold glue doesn’t damage the flowers in the way that hot glue does, is not as brittle and has more flexibility which lends it to being used for items that require movement. While it does take slightly longer to dry, once tacky it sticks well and once dried has incredible strength – a florist colleague mentioned she once used it to glue her daughter’s school shoe! Now, I’m talking on a topic that I have not yet ventured down the road of but I am so excited to try out putting together some of these new accessories. Have a look at some of these beautiful creations for inspiration…

*Image Credit Here

For more inspiration you can visit some of the sites featured above. We’ll certainly be experimenting soon with some of these delightful alternatives to traditional flower options and will keep you posted!

*Disclaimer: The pictures featured in this blog post are not exclusive to The Rose Cafe and have been collected from various sources. Please view the images and source links via our Pinterest board.

Wearable Florals for Weddings

Wedding Favours

January 13, 2017/in Blogroll, Weddings /by Engage24 Team

Our Top Ten Favourite Ideas for Wedding Favours:

When it comes to wedding favours, feelings about them are mixed and varied. I think the general feeling is that they not expected by your guests but if you’re going to give them something, make it worthwhile and do something your guests can use or enjoy after the wedding. Obviously the word ‘budget’ always pops up when considering favours as it is an additional, some feel unnecessary expense which when multiplied by your number of guests can get seemingly out of control. There are however clever ways of keeping costs down while also doing something really lovely but you need to plan ahead for this and leave time to DIY a few things.

Sourcing locally made produce from the area you are getting married is a perfect memoir of your special day and when bought in bulk can radically reduce the cost. You’ll need to do a recce when you visit your venue of what’s available in the area and leave yourself enough time to purchase the goodies and make the favours up.

Here are our top ten ideas for wedding favours:

Think of buying tubs of sweet farm honey and decanting into tiny glass jars with personalised labels as wedding favours for your guests. Visit here for some great bee-keeping initiatives in the city.

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Delicious herb infused olive oil, jam, lemonade or olives in condiment bottles are also usually easily sourced from local markets and manufacturers. Even though these are small they also add a lovely touch of colour and detail to the tables.

*Image Credit Here

If you’re wanting to do more gender specific wedding favours for men, what about a tiny bottle of home-made hot sauce with a spicy label.

*Image Credit Here

Locally produced Wedding Cake in a Jar is the best thing I have ever tasted and is a brilliant way of doubling up your dessert as wedding favours. Not many people eat dessert at a wedding but trust me they will want to when they taste this! Or they can take it home. Made in Hermanus by Azania and her team who are fabulous to deal with it’s a brilliant option. Contact them here.

*Image Credit Here

Tiny potted succulents or terrariums are so popular at the moment, they are low maintenance, super easy to assemble and are bound to please your guests. Opt for ceramic or terracotta pots for a more rustic feel or glass for a more contemporary or classic feel. The vases can be sourced from most glass wholesalers and if you propagate your own succulents you’re in for a cost-effective wedding favour. Round up your bridal party to assist in putting them together over a glass of bubbly and you have now also added a sweet, green accent to each table setting.

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A wedding soundtrack is such an awesome take home gift. With a compilation of all your favourite tunes from the playlist at your wedding it’s great way for everyone to remember the fun had at your celebration. Display at a collection point close to the entrance and don’t forget to remind your guests to grab one before they leave.

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One of my absolute favourites but possibly more for ladies than for gents is a candle in a jar. Scented, preferably in classic Vanilla for example to suit everyone’s taste. There are various candle factory shops around Cape Town that could assist you. Printables are easily available to download on Pinterest so make your own sticky labels and… voila, you have the perfect thank you touch.

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Next up is a scrumptious box or jar of homemade fudge. Who doesn’t love a piece of decadent fudge. Heart shaped is so sweet and with a personalised thank you it could double up as a place seating card.

*Image Credit Here

Another one of my favourites is a beautiful, personalised napkin. In linen, with your guests’ initials on, it can also be a fun and creative way of assisting them to find their seat once they’ve checked which table they’re at and something that can be used over again at home. Make sure to get one that is a practical size for day to day use though.

*Image Credit Here

And lastly but certainly not least, a sweetie table is a lovely addition to a wedding and very popular at the moment, but even better is providing your guests with gift bags, boxes or jars to fill with their favourite treats. A container that seals is ideal and you could print a thank you message on to each one or attach a thank you note. You really can go wild with your offering, from jellies and chocolates, to baked goodies like fudge, brownies, macaroons and nougat. Yum!

*Image Credit Here

We hope that you have found this helpful. To view all these ideas and more visit our Pinterest board here.

*Disclaimer: The pictures featured in this blog post are not exclusive to The Rose Cafe and have been collected from various sources. Please view the images and source links via our Pinterest board.

Our Top Ten Favourite Ideas for Wedding Favours

Wedding Flower Crowns

December 9, 2016/in Blogroll, Weddings /by Engage24 Team

Wedding Flower Crowns

One of the stunning additions to wedding flowers of the past few years has been the inclusion of wedding flower crowns for the bride, as well as for bridesmaids and flower girls. While newly in trend as wedding flower crowns, these fresh flower halos date back through the ages from numerous cultures, from Ancient Greece, Rome and China; Victorian Era; Ukraine; Polynesia and beyond. The styles of these beauties range so widely from petite and subtle wedding flower crowns to bold and elaborate ones. We’ve put together some of our favourite styles of wedding flower crowns for you.

Petite & Dainty Wedding Flower Crowns

Often made of Gypsophila (commonly known as Baby’s Breath) or other finer florals, these are a soft and romantic addition to the wedding look.

Boho Wedding Flower Crowns

For a hippie woodland feel, these crowns are usually more earthy in appearance with a wilder look, often including things like vines and berries to give it a ‘freshly picked from the garden’ feel. The also incorporate more textures and often more of a mix of colours than other styles.

Grouped Wedding Flower Crowns – To the Side, Low or High

These crowns usually cluster at one point and then taper gently towards the ends. They often have a focal group of larger blooms with smaller blooms and greenery arranged around this and thinning outwards. Depending on the hair style chosen they can either cluster on the one side of the head above the ear or and the back, tapering off around the sides of the head.

Foliage Wedding Flower Crowns

For a very simple and cost effective option, green crowns are a lovely alternative and can either have one single type of greenery used but often include more than one texture of greens.

Bold Statement Wedding Flower Crowns

Bolder flower crowns, very importantly, need to compliment the personality and style of the bride, because they are such a strong feature of her appearance on the day. This particular style of flower crown requires far more technical ability and thus you are likely to be quoted substantially more for a more elaborate crown. Because these crowns use far more flowers they can also be rather heavy to wear for an entire day and that should be taken into account.

Whimsical Wedding Flower Crowns

Whimsical flower crowns are of the daintier variety but are probably less symmetrical and looser in appearance, often using tapering blooms and tendrils to create a very soft, romantic look.

Summary

In closing, while flower crowns in appearance are mostly not heavy on the amount of flowers used, they require an enormous amount of technical skill to perfect and are fairly time consuming. SO… when your wedding florist quotes you an amount which seems ludicrous to you for the crown you have asked for, be forewarned. There is a LOT of work that goes into creating one of these beauties – to get the right shape and to make sure it can last… the whole day… out of water. You can find all of these gorgeous wedding flower crowns on our Pinterest board here.

Wedding Flower Crowns | By The Rose Cafe

For Him – Wedding Boutonnieres

September 5, 2016/in Blogroll, Weddings /by Engage24 Team

For Him – Wedding Boutonnieres:

What is a boutonniere?

A boutonniere, or more commonly a buttonhole, is a small spray of flowers worn in a buttonhole, usually worn for more formal occasions such as a dinner, black-tie ball or wedding. Now whhhhhyyyy a boutonniere you may ask… Wedding boutonnieres are a way of distinguishing the bridal party and immediate family apart from the guests at a wedding celebration and are also a way of honouring those important to you, for example your grandparents, step-parents or godparents to name a few. Buttonholes are most commonly worn at weddings and florists have become far more creative over the years when it comes to their designs and the materials used in wedding boutonnieres.

Where and how to wear a boutonniere:

Traditionally, a boutonniere was worn pushed through the lapel buttonhole and the stem was held in place with a loop at the back of the lapel. Nowadays, most suits don’t come with a hole or loop for a boutonniere. So in order to pin it in place you need to:

hold the boutonniere in position at the top of the front of the left lapel, above the heart.
flap the lapel forwards and, using two pearl headed pins, push the pins through the lapel and into the binding of the boutonniere at an upwards angle with the tip of the pin pointing towards the lapel.
the top pin should be closer to the top of the binding to support the weight of the main bloom, especially if it is a larger single bloom such as a rose boutonniere, and the second pin should be at the same angle of the first pin but lower down so that it catches the bottom of the binding and prevents the boutonniere from moving.
the stem of the boutonniere should point downwards at the same angle of the lapel and be centred on the lapel, equidistant from the sides and the top of the lapel.
be careful not to push the pins all the way through so that the sharp end sticks out on the other side – your bride, and guests, will get a nasty prick when you embrace.

Some inspiration for wedding boutonnieres for grooms:

Here is a collection of pics of dainty and pretty styled buttonholes we found that are perfect for matching a pastel themed wedding, without being too feminine for the average groomsmen. It is important to remember to match the size of the boutonniere being applied to the size of the gentleman wearing it so that it is in proportion. Smaller is always safer as you will also avoid the risk of it being too heavy on the lapel and causing the suit to sag. The bound stems of the blooms used should taper neatly into a point and should be cleanly finished off, either with a covering of satin ribbon or twine.

Wedding Boutonnieres Inspiration & Ideas | The Rose Cafe | Grooms Buttonholes | Pastel Wedding Boutonnieres

If you’re looking for something alternative and modern, these floral pocket squares are great and have a more contemporary edge on the more old-fashioned style. They can either be clipped on to the lapel or pocket or attached to a sleeve that slides into the top pocket of the jacket but you’d need to check the style of the jackets used first as they can vary widely from some having no top pocket to some having a faux pocket that can’t have anything inserted into it.

Natural, with soft textured touches of grey and green is always a winner for a simple option and possibly for a more rustic themed wedding. I prefer to bind right to the bottom of the stems for a neater finish.

If none of those take your fancy, you could always go for a more alternative design that ties on with your overall theme such as a wine cork for a wine farm wedding, a tiny wreath for a Christmas wedding or a seashell for a seaside celebration.

For a fragrant and organic feel, herb wedding boutonnieres are lovely and will release the beautiful scents of the herbs with each embrace.

For more lovely inspiration for wedding boutonnieres, head over to our Pinterest board where we have more exciting options for grooms-to-be. Grooms today have far more of an opinion about what the they want to wear or not and being educated on what’s available can assist you to find the perfect wedding boutonniere for your special day so you don’t feel overlooked on all the details.

Image Credit: All images of wedding boutonnieres can be found on our Pinterest Board here.

Top 5 Wedding Trends For 2016 To 2017

June 10, 2016/in Blogroll, Weddings /by Engage24 Team

Our Top 5 Wedding Trends For 2016 to 2017:

We love weddings, and love the creativity and direction that wedding trends for 2016 to 2017 are taking. We have listed the top five wedding trends that we see growing and likely to be big this coming season. Below is a selection of our favourite pins from suppliers around the world. For credits for these pins please view our Pinterest board via the link at the bottom.

1. LOTS OF GREENERY

We’re not sure if it’s because people being far more budget conscious with the world economy the way it is (this would be a deception of sorts as this option can be more pricey) or if they’re just opting to go more green and be more environmentally aware, but there has been a huge increase in greenery being used in weddings. Tables swags and installations of layered textured greens, simple specimen vases with sculptural ferns and delicate trailing vines, kokedama’s, soft and abundant greens cascading from floral chandeliers to name but a few of the trends. But don’t be fooled… Often the amount of work and technical requirements that go into putting together these elaborate focals far outweighs the cost of simpler, flower-abundant creations. Our advice, consult with your florist to get a better idea of budget before you set your heart on a green wall.

2. HANGING CENTREPIECES

Whether just over the main table, hung from chandeliers over the dance floor, or throughout the ceremony, we’re definitely seeing an increase in these statement pieces. Suspended flower centrepieces relieve the tables, already groaning under the abundance of glassware and place setting details, of additional vases and flowers which can often obstruct and encroach on guests personal space a little too much for comfort, unless it is a balanced combination of the two. They also provide a canopy of loveliness, diminish an often enormous overhead space which creates a more intimate ambience and those with trailing detail draw the eye down to the table scape where, more of than not, smaller accent arrangements are placed, the intention of which is to draw out the hanging florals splendour and add a touch of softness in between the cutlery, favours, cruet sets and candle sticks. Hanging centrepieces do require substantial setup time so they can seem heavy on the budget in that respect but, in my humble opinion, it is money well spent and there are other clever ways of maximising the effect without maxing out the credit card.

3. MORE COLOUR

Brides are getting brave when it comes to colour and far more are opting for bold colour combinations in their flowers and décor. So while some are going totally green others are going down a somewhat unfamiliar path for many past brides of including brights and more dominant colours such as marsala. I’d suggest these bolder pantones need to be paired down with softer pastels of the same tonal variations and usually one complimentary colour to add pop. Now ‘complimentary’ may sounds deceiving as it sounds like the two colours would sit next to each other on the colour wheel and be best friends but a complimentary colour is actually one that sits opposite and offers the most amount of contrast to any given colour. Does opposites attract sound familiar? To give you an example I think part of the reason why the recent love of coral was so popular has to do with the fact that more often than not it was paired with blue greys or tones of lilac and cornflower blue, which even in the smallest proportion would serve to create a high level of contrast and cause the coral to pop out against it. I think that colour theory for weddings has to be quite carefully thought through so that is has the desired effect, otherwise is can become too much and overwhelm the eye.

4. METALLICS

Shimmering metallics uncluding gold, rose gold and copper are included in flowers, vases, candle holders, light fittings, table cloths, monograms, and more. The effect adds an incredible wow factor, whether matt or shiny, sparkly or glittery. The warmth of most metallic tones means it can work with a myriad of colours and more especially the warmer colours we’ve been seeing emerging more in wedding flowers of late but it also looks amazing with neutrals and soft pastels and plenty of brides are opting for this combo. Gold definitely has the effect of adding grandeur… and who doesn’t want their wedding to be remembered as grand?!

5. FLOWER ARCHES OR BACKDROPS WITH A DIFFERENCE

Some very creative ideas are emerging and developing from the use of a traditional arch into more conceptual arches or rather backdrops, something to stand in front of instead of under. With the laws no longer dictating that one needs to be standing ‘under’ a covering and only requires that the legal part of the ceremony happens indoors, this has freed people up to spread their wings in the ceremony focal department. Have a look at a few of these for some great ideas. Just take note though, that while some of these don’t appear particularly flower heavy, anything that requires climbing up a ladder for an extended period of time to hang floor length garlands of blooms is bound to rack up the setup bill. My suggestion, keep it simple. You can still have a trendy wedding on a budget, it just might not be the one you saw on Pinterest, dripping with orchids and peonies. And if budget’s not an issue, go wild!

A few more trends to feast your eyes on:

For some eye-candy on a few other wedding trends for 2016 to 2017, head over to our Pinterest board! See the sneak preview below.

Image Credit: Tasha Seccombe

Our Top 5 Wedding Trends For 2016 to 2017

Elisha and Iulian – Casa Labia

June 10, 2016/in Blogroll, Event Decor, Event Flowers, Weddings /by Engage24 Team

Elisha and Iulian’s Wedding:

We created this intimate wedding in Cape Town, at Casa Labia in Muizenberg for the lovely Elisha and Iulian. This exquisite venue was the perfect setting for a bespoke occasion.

Elisha & Iulian's intimate wedding in Cape Town, at Casa Labia in Muizenberg | Flowers by The Rose Cafe | Cape Town Wedding Flowers | www.therosecafe.florist

We asked the bride a few questions after her big day, as she reflected on the magnificence of this special day. Here are her thoughts and comments:

How did you meet? Tell us your story:

We always tell people we met at the Leuven Belgian Beer Cafe which was where we had our first date. But, we met on an internet dating set. We chatted for a few months before we met in person and by the time we met we felt like we’d known each other our entire lives.

Iulian always says he fell in love with me before he even met me. How cute is that?

(I couldn’t get enough of her – Iulian)

Elisha & Iulian's intimate wedding in Cape Town, at Casa Labia in Muizenberg | Flowers by The Rose Cafe | Cape Town Wedding Flowers | www.therosecafe.florist

The venue, the dream, the big picture for your day – what was important to you and what did you want your experience to be?

We wanted to get married in Cape Town. Iulian just loved the city, the atmosphere, and the people. When he saw Casa Labia it reminded him of home and the Italian architecture was setting it apart. The surroundings the ocean in the front and the mountain behind … it was like the dream location! This was the perfect venue for us. Now we had to find everything else to match. And we didn’t compromise on quality.

Tell us the details on why you chose what you chose and who your lovely vendors were:

We bought all our attire in NZ. My dress was made especially for me by Shona Rubbery designs in NZ ( www.shonaruberydesigns.co.nz ) and she was absolutely amazing.

Elisha & Iulian's intimate wedding in Cape Town, at Casa Labia in Muizenberg | Flowers by The Rose Cafe | Cape Town Wedding Flowers | www.therosecafe.florist

Shoes are Italian. My hair was by Monroe Classique in Muizenberg ( monroeclassiquehairstudio.devhub.com ).

The dresses for the matron of honour and junior bridesmaid were designed and made by my dear friend Braemore Lundall Sauls ( www.facebook.com/BraemoreDesign ).

Elisha & Iulian's intimate wedding in Cape Town, at Casa Labia in Muizenberg | Flowers by The Rose Cafe | Cape Town Wedding Flowers | www.therosecafe.florist

One disappointing experience was our makeup artist not turning up on the wedding day. But Braemore – fashion designer extraordinaire, stepped in and did my make up.

My dear husband Iulian and his best man Claudiu, worn Gibson suits made by Cambridge, New Zealand ( cambridgeclothing.com) from NZ wool threaded in Italy. The suits shirts and silk teal cravats were purchased from Bachari Menswear. Leather Italian handmade shoes by Brando ( www.theiconic.co.nz/brando ).

The best man lives in Australia so… coordinating the clothing sizes and purchases between New Zealand, South Africa and Australia, was all worth while.

Elisha & Iulian's intimate wedding in Cape Town, at Casa Labia in Muizenberg | Flowers by The Rose Cafe | Cape Town Wedding Flowers | www.therosecafe.florist

We brought the jewellery from Cape Diamonds, simple yet stylish design, just the way we like it – diamonds set in platinum with mounting shaped like a protea flower.

My husband Iulian and Joel from Cape Diamonds sketched the wedding band on a piece of scrap paper and the design was done in minutes. Amazing skill and art from Joel ( www.capediamonds.co.za ).

What went through your head when you saw Iulian for the first time?

Man I’m lucky! He is so handsome and the smile on his face and the faint tears in his eyes were so endearing. He says he keeps falling in love with me over and over again.

Elisha & Iulian's intimate wedding in Cape Town, at Casa Labia in Muizenberg | Flowers by The Rose Cafe | Cape Town Wedding Flowers | www.therosecafe.florist

Tell us the key details that stood out for you from your reception:

It was all perfect. Tanya Mills and the staff at Casa Labia were awesome ( www.casalabia.co.za ). We enjoyed our wedding day without having to worry about anything.

Elisha & Iulian's intimate wedding in Cape Town, at Casa Labia in Muizenberg | Flowers by The Rose Cafe | Cape Town Wedding Flowers | www.therosecafe.florist

The flower arrangements supplied by The Rose Cafe ( www.therosecafe.florist/weddings-and-events ) were outstanding, and what a match for the venue!

Elisha & Iulian's intimate wedding in Cape Town, at Casa Labia in Muizenberg | Flowers by The Rose Cafe | Cape Town Wedding Flowers | www.therosecafe.florist

The gorgeous cake with the dainty damask detailing was by Kanya Hunt, ( www.kanyahunt.co.za ).

The photographer Shireen Louw ( www.shireenlouw.com ) was fantastic, personable, fun and easy going.

And the music … ‘The Hungarian Trio’ was an exquisite treat. Gabor serenading with his old Amati violin, Donat and Nerina playing everything from classic to modern ( www.hungariantrio.com ).

Elisha & Iulian's intimate wedding in Cape Town, at Casa Labia in Muizenberg | Flowers by The Rose Cafe | Cape Town Wedding Flowers | www.therosecafe.florist

Advice from the couple:

Do whatever makes you happy. After all, it is YOUR wedding day!

Allow for mishaps. Imperfection is beautiful in its innocence.

Elisha & Iulian's intimate wedding in Cape Town, at Casa Labia in Muizenberg | Flowers by The Rose Cafe | Cape Town Wedding Flowers | www.therosecafe.florist

An intimate wedding in Cape Town, at Casa Labia in Muizenberg

Christine and Bekircan’s Wedding

June 10, 2016/in Blogroll, Weddings /by Engage24 Team

Christine and Bekircan’s Wedding at Tintswalo Atlantic:

The relationship between Christine and The Rose Cafe goes right back to our little store in Newlands village in 2008. Christine used to supply me with gift cards and that’s how our story with her begins. A few years ago we did the flowers for her sister Nicole and Eric’s wedding and now it was Christine’s turn to wed the man of her dreams. So it felt like a family affair to us and very special to be a part of her beautiful wedding at Tintswalo Atlantic.

We asked Christine and Bekircan a few questions on their beautiful wedding at Tinswalo Atlantic. Here are their thoughts:

How did you meet Bekircan? Tell us your story:

In 2008, I had recently moved to London and happened to be applying for my tax number on the same day as Bekircan. We had exchanged a couple of words of complaint towards the long wait and then carried on our separate ways. Him suited and booted and looking super stressed as he was late for a business meeting and me really relaxed in my slip slops and backpack (a real South African in the city look). A few weeks later when I was at a club a gentleman came up to talk to me and insisted he recognised me from somewhere. I thought this was a very weak chat up line and brushed him off until he mentioned the day at the tax office. Suddenly I clicked and we ended up chatting for the rest of the night, mostly about our home (Bekircan is from Turkey) and our families, which we were missing dearly. We kept in contact and met up a few times until I had to leave London for a job in the country. We continued to see each other and I returned to London a few months later where we carried on a relationship until 27^th June 2013 when he proposed, totally out of the blue might I add. We weren’t in a hurry to get married, but realised that as soon as we found our venue, we had to book it which made everything real and the year and a half of planning began.

The venue, the dream, the big picture for your day – what was important to you and what did you want your experience to be?

I was trawling through the internet from my desk in London and found a five star lodge in South Africa which looked absolutely perfect and I was surprised that I had never heard about such a gem.

We had agreed that a summer wedding was a must and I insisted that I wanted to get married in the most beautiful country, my home. We didn’t want a large wedding and knew that a lot of people may struggle to get across the world for our big day, but as long as our families were there as our guests we were happy.

I made a trip to South Africa and my Dad chauffeured me around to just about every wedding venue option possible (and some that were definitely not options). I was most excited about the little lodge that I had seen online in the UK and so arranged a meeting when my Mom and sister could join as I knew a few more opinions would help. Well let’s just say I needed more than a few opinions… and it was to try and put me off this beautiful lodge as it was way over our budget. Every other place I had seen and was to still see could not compare and the fact that my heart jumped into my chest and I felt that I was actually in love… with a venue, made the decision easy for Bekircan – he wanted the day to be perfect and that meant letting me have all my dreams come true.

So a wedding at TINTSWALO ATLANTIC it was and I still smile thinking about how heavenly it all was. Intimate, on the ocean, rustic/chic decor, a delicious menu, service to perfection and dancing under the stars into the early hours in my mermaid dress surrounded by all those I adore….

The day after our beautiful wedding at Tintswalo Atlantic we smelt smoke whilst driving home, but thought nothing of it as we had heard about a fire on the mountains nearby. Waking up the following morning to find out that my most favourite place on earth, the venue I was so in love with and had just had the most perfect day of my life at had burnt to the ground was a real shock. I could not believe it and I was totally devastated. Today the lodge has been totally rebuilt and still looks absolutely exquisite, but my heart belongs to the original and I feel privileged to be, as the wonderful Melissa du Rand introduced me at their relaunch; The Last Bride of Tintswalo Atlantic 🙂

The details! Tell us about the vendors you used…

My dress had to be lace and I knew I wanted it to have straps and a low back. A friend of mine referred me to her friend’s boutique in Wimbledon, Teokath of London ( www.teokath.co.uk ), where I found exactly what I had in mind in the Pronovia’s Marte gown ( www.pronovias.com ).

Rose gold for my shoes, as with my engagement and wedding rings, was a must so when I found a simple pair of strappy rose gold sandals from Reiss, it was too good to be true ( www.reiss.com/eu ) and Helga Strydom and her team did a perfect job with the hair and make-up for my bridal party and I ( www.facebook.com/Helga.Bridal ).

My earrings, bracelet and necklace were from my favourite jewellery designer, Monica Vinader ( www.monicavinader.com ). This was my wedding gift from Bekircan and I was totally spoilt (I bought Bekircan and I leather jackets from All Saints in London – slightly less romantic a gift).

Our rings are from Istanbul, Turkey. Bekircan arranged these. My band is rose gold to match my engagement ring and has diamonds all the way round, while Bekircan wanted a simple white gold band for himself.

I struggled with the bridesmaids dresses as I was in the UK and my two sisters were both in South Africa, one of them being very pregnant. Eventually I found perfect, full-length, flowy gowns at Bridal Allure ( www.bridalallure.co.za ).

The men’s suits were from Ted Baker ( www.tedbaker.com ), and their cravats from Cravat Club ( www.cravat-club.com ). With my brother in France and Bekircans brother in Turkey, we sent them the colour and style we were going for and asked them to go shopping on us to make things easier and be sure that their suits fitted properly. We think they looked dashing!

The wonderful Reverend Daniel Brits married us ( www.tacotsa.com ) and for our ceremony and pre-drinks on the pool deck we were serenaded by Jazz Between Friends ( www.jazzbetweenfriends.com ).

Capricorn Music were absolutely amazing and we danced the night away to their tunes. ( www.capricornmusic.co.za ). I’m a real sweet freak so I had to have a delicious wedding cake. I wanted the style to be really simple and Beate from The Birdcage in Stellenbosch nailed this – the best cake I have ever had. Complete with gold succulents by The Rose Cafe of course 🙂 ( www.birdcageteabar.com )

I am no model and Bekircan and I were really not keen on having the overly posed looking wedding shots. We wanted a natural, warm romantic feel to our images and that is exactly the look that the amazing Tania Timkova’s images reflect. I love her work and her sweet personality really helps makes you feel at ease. She travels worldwide to capture peoples love stories, from Italy, Netherlands and the USA to South Africa, so we were really lucky to have her in the country to capture ours ( www.neverendingmagic.com ).

Ismael from Filmish did an amazing job for us with our video and I always get tears in my eyes when watching it ( www.facebook.com/filmishsa ).

As mentioned before, we had our wedding at Tintswalo Atlantic. Melissa Du Rand was my main contact there and an absolute dream to deal with throughout ( www.tintswalo.com/atlantic ).

For my flowers I wanted a natural arrangement with a Protea in it to match the Proteas that were all around the venue and also because I am very proud of our national flower, especially since I have been living abroad. I also wanted to incorporate the gold echevarias somehow. Bekircan’s family still go on about the beautiful Proteas and always ask me to try and sneak some back in my bag whenever I come to South Africa. My bouquet is now dried and in my room at my home in Cape Town; I’ll keep it forever.

What went through your head when you saw Bekircan / Christine for the first time?

CHRISTINE:

So I was extremely nervous and excited. My poor Dad was really emotional too, but he managed to calm us both down and walked me along the boardwalk to my love. I saw Bekircan through my veil and tried to make out his reaction. The closer I got I could see he was really happy and emotional too. My Dad giving me away in front of everyone was really special and I felt really lucky to be standing next to this handsome man for whom all I could think was.. I’m marrying this man, I’m marrying this man!! And I couldn’t stop smiling into the sunshine 🙂

BEKIRCAN:

The only thing I was able to feel was my heart pounding and trying to break out my chest. All of a sudden I forgot how to breathe… And in that tiny moment I had my past and my future flowing before my eyes.

Tell us the key details that stood out for you from your reception:

Finally you can breathe and you look around at everything that you have been planning ever since you can remember and smile at how it actually did all come together on the day, as they all say it will.
I feel like I was on a high the whole time and I wish I could’ve stopped the clock as it all goes by so fast in a dreamy haze.

A couple of key details would be when my 97 year old Bonne Maman (Grandmother in French) called from Belgium to speak to us and wish us the best for our future together. She passed away a couple of months later and having a photograph of us on the phone to her on the day is a reminder that she was also with us on our special day. I also printed out photographs of mine and Bekircans parents and grandparents and had them framed and decorating the shelves so we had everyone there with us.

Another more jolly moment was definitely the dancing in the Jacuzzi in my wedding dress with as many girls and guys in there with me as it could fit. Care free fun that everyone remembers and still laughs about.

Tips from the couple:

I would suggest to any engaged couple, take your time and try to enjoy the planning process. Whether you’re doing it together as a couple or one of you is taking the lead. I was lucky I suppose as Bekircan left the decisions up to me so I pretty much had free reign.

Also, speak to people as word of mouth is a great way to get advice and contacts that will suit you.
Do what you feel comfortable with and not what is expected of you. It’s your day as a couple – we were in a few tricky situations when it came to things like language barriers – a lot of Bekircan’s family could not speak English – so we had an MC who spoke in English and Turkish to make everyone feel like they were part of it all. He was brilliant and is a very close friend so it worked out perfectly for us in the end, even though it was a bit of an added stress.

Make lists and a large spreadsheet to keep on top of it all.

Nothing is worth fighting over so make it work.

Planning a wedding from across the world is hard, but definitely possible and we were very lucky as all our service providers were amazing… especially The Rose Cafe 🙂

Christine and Bekircan’s Wedding at Tintswalo Atlantic

Justin & Juliette’s Wedding

June 10, 2016/in Blogroll, Weddings /by Engage24 Team

Juliette & Justin’s Wedding:

Being close family friends, the wedding of Justin and Juliette meant a lot to me and to my extended family who were invited to join in the celebrations, and, as with every wedding I do, I wanted it to be perfect… naturally! We loved creating another luxury wedding in Cape Town for this special family.

In 2010 I had the privilege of doing my first Collins family wedding for Juliette’s sister Jessica, and her hubby Andrew. I was called upon by Juliette and Justin to do their flowers and decor and to assist them with their wedding coordination, both in the build up to and on the day of their wedding. Bridget, Juliette’s mum, and I worked closely together, planning their special day from beginning to end. We’d had the practice doing it together 5 years earlier and it was such fun working together again, meeting over many coffees, doing site visits, suppliers visits and mock ups and working through the intricacies of the wedding planning details.

Juliette on how she and Justin met….”We both decided independently of each other after University (Stellenbosch and Ole Miss) to do a single “ski season” in Aspen. Justin arrived a year before me and met a couple of my friends. When I arrived a year later our close friend Sarah introduced us. I didn’t remember meeting him the first time but he says it was love at first sight for him 😉 We started hanging out more and more over the next couple months and now the rest is history. We both ended up staying in Aspen for a couple of years before returning to South Africa. We got engaged in March 2015 whilst on a run in Camps Bay. Being engaged was such fun but marriage has been better 🙂 ”

The Rose Cafe’s role in this wedding and it’s proceedings began in March of 2015. Together with Bridget and Juliette we discussed the ins and outs of the approaching wedding day, Juliette and Justin’s preferences, likes and dislikes and what they wanted the overall feel of the day to be. Words that came up were, sophisticated, elegant, smart, fun, relaxed – all words synonymous with The Rose Cafe. We needed to run a very slick operation, to make this day a seamless one, transitioning perfectly from one ‘formality’ to the next, creating a garden wedding reception at which the guests could celebrate this very special union in style, in a breathtakingly romantic summer setting, with the towering mountains beyond.

Juliette was so lovely to work with. Unfussy, trusting… what more could a florist and planner ask for in a bride?! Her mum and I discussed the details regarding all the hiring items, quantities and quotes and we were all on the same page right from the start in terms of the aesthetics of the design and overall concept. Juliette wanted a neutral colour scheme with grey-green runners of greenery down the centre of the tables with a mix of all neutral flowers. Fresh and classic.

When asked what their dream for their day was Justin said “We wanted it to be like a fairy tale, well Jules did, and I just wanted all my friends and family in one place celebrating us and life. We got married in the Henderson’s garden in Bishopscourt. Jules was adamant to decorate a venue with completely our ideas (Well Angie, Bridget and Jules) and not something that had been recreated over and over again. I was happy for anything as long as the music was great and my family made it. It exceeded my expectations.”

“I actually hit the nail on the head on my first visit to Robyn Roberts. I had other options planned but cancelled them as soon as I left her rooms. She is excellent, professional and calm . I tried on LOTS of different styles and basically we narrowed down what I liked about a few of them. We moulded the dress, making tweaks every few weeks until it was finally complete. She lets you decide what you would like but has the most incredible way of giving you fantastic suggestions without you feeling like she’s making decisions for you or changing your mind. She has been doing this for MANY years. All my dress fittings were attended by my mother and her close friend Margs which I am so grateful for. Their advice and overall excitement for me made the whole experience that much better. Margs was also the one that found my shoes. She knows I am not a shopper so gave me a heads up. I raced over to Cavendish, danced around in the shoes, fell in love with them and bought them all within 15 minutes. I can make decisions fairly quickly when it comes to clothes.”

Justin always wanted everyone to wear blue suits. “I love everything blue. My mother bought the ties in America which I loved. She also bought funky socks for all my groomsman. I hired the suits from Eurosuit in Canal Walk.”

For her bridesmaids Juliette opted for nude gowns and wanted to pair these with very simple neutral rose bouquets, complimented by soft white babies breath and dainty flower crowns.

Juliette had her beautiful golden hair flowing down her shoulders in loose curls and wanted a few sprigs of flowers for the gather in her hair which we made up from baby roses, lisianthus buds and babies breath. Her bridesmaids wore dainty babies breath crowns, complimenting this beautiful bride in her elegant, beaded lace Robyn Roberts creation.

“My hair was done by Michelle who owns the Lotus Hair Salon in the Cape Quarter. Since Carin and I were 16 years old she has been doing our hair. She is an incredibly calm collected woman who never stresses so she turned out to be the perfect person to have on the day. Everyone was incredibly chuffed with her work and her timing was impeccable. I wouldn’t have chosen any other person to do it. Our make up was done by Tremayne West who is incredibly talented. She was recommended by a friend after doing the make up for her wedding. She made everyone look like princesses even though our make up was all quite natural. I would recommend both Michelle and Tremayne to anyone, without hesitation. They are the people you want on the day of your wedding!”

For the men we did simple rose and babies breath buttonholes bound in satin with pearl pins. The groom’s had slightly more details, incorporating some lisianthus buds and tendrils so set his apart. The family portraits were also taken in the garden of family friends.

Juliette is very petite and the style of her gown complimented her lovely figure. Because she is so dainty she didn’t want her bouquet to overpower her or her flowing, graceful dress, but she loved the idea of having a slightly trailing, romantic bouquet. We created the body of Juliette’s bouquet using white and cream roses and cream dahlias with an open Casablanca lily. This was interspersed with lisianthus blooms and the trailing buds flowing into a gentle, babies breath cascade. We bound her bouquet with cream satin and pearl headed pins

We created dazzling table scapes with scatterings of mercury tealights, varying heights of glass stemmed candle holders adding height and light and gorgeous, centred white metal lanterns poised on wooden disks on each table. The effect was excellently suited to a garden celebration with the touches of wood combined with the clarity of the glass, the candle light and the oyster-white silk cloths.

The reception was to be held in Bishopscourt on the rolling lawns at the Hendersons’ Residence. We wanted the best of everything, from the gorgeous lazer-cut table lanterns and twinkly tealights to the gold rimmed feature glasses, personal rosemary wreaths at each setting and the beautifully handwritten place names. It was very important that we enlisted the help of the very best in weddings. My right hand man was Bjorn Salsone, a personal friend of mine and an incredibly talented event coordinator who ran with the on-the-day proceedings. Annalize of Escoffier did the most exquisite food, presented flawlessly, from the gorgeous canapes served upon arrival to the most delectable buffet for the main course, followed by a dessert table to swoon for. I loved working with Annalize. Her bubbly, lighthearted personality makes you want to giggle along with her and it’s clear that catering is such a joy for her, every step of the way. One of the most important things at a wedding is ensuring that your guests are well fed and well hydrated and it makes for a happy day.

The utterly gorgeous cake, made and styled by the incredibly talented Tanya Heathcote was almost too pretty to eat, but if you have any idea how delicious her cakes are you’d know exactly why they chose her.

Wine was supplied by Iona, the Grabouw based Wine Estate that Juliette and the hostess Jacqui work for, all served from a DIY bar, expertly constructed by the host Rob, where much Sophie te’Blanche was imbibed under the eves, surrounded by naked bulbs and dancing lanterns strung from the low-hanging branches of a nearby tree. The white bedouin tent, raised dancefloor and finely strung fairly lights, provided by Touareg tents, were the perfect canvas for us to work out our creativity. Graham from Touareg was incredibly helpful and his experience went a long way to assisting us with the tricky spacing and table layout on a not-so-even downward slope. The dance floor they expertly constructed allowed guests to dance the night away under the stars.

And finally some advice from the happy couple for those of you in the planning process…

– Do soft lighting 🙂

– Do have a substantial amount of food.

– Do have someone to help you on the day with all the behind the scenes work.

– Do keep the speeches sincere, special and avoid 17 pages long. I love speeches but you want everyone on the dance floor before 11 PM.

– Do use the right DJ – we used Liam from Mr DJ company. He was UNBELIEVABLE. Another thing that people are still speaking about and I have received copious amounts of phone calls for referrals.

– Do use our caterer – Escoffier Catering. Annalize was absolutely brilliant and people are still speaking about the food at the wedding. Her starters were so clever and delicious. She designed the menu around our favourites so we ate everything we loved and there was SO much of it. We had a dessert table filled with fruits, wedding cake, cheeses, biscuits and gorgeous champagne Lindt Balls. A friend mentioned that the only down side to his experience at the wedding was that he missed the announcement for the dessert table. He only found it on the way out so ended up staying a further hour.

and…

– Don’t over look how important it is to seat people in the right spot.

– Don’t have fancy food, extravagant decor and then rubbish wine. Drink Sophie 🙂

– Don’t forget that the most important thing is the marriage and not actually the wedding.

Justin and Juliette, thank you for including us in your special day and for allowing us to be a part of your celebrations. It was a privilege watching you marry and we wish you a lifetime of blessings and love.