When the last guest has left and the tables have been cleared, there is of course only one thing left to do. Er, ok, two things (get yer mind out the gutter, will ya! ;) ). Thank you cards. Three little words to strike dread into the heart of any post-honeymoon bride. The fact is that while strictly speaking etiquette dictates that you have up to a year to send out those little notes, the sooner the better. Speaking from experience as a guest, they really are appreciated and necessary. But after all of those months of planning when all you want to do is relax into married life, they’re also a schlep. Well, here’s your solution. Not just one, but TWO different options of thank you cards from The Invitation Gallery – one classic and vintage and the other playful and modern. All you need to do is pick one, download and print it (or have it printed by your favourite print on demand service like PSPrint), attach one of your wedding pictures and get down to writing your personal notes. And there’s even an Afrikaans option for our Afrikaans brides and grooms! Links in bold denote affiliate links. The cost to you remains the same, but SBB may receive a commission for any sales made.
For a while now, I’ve been a big fan of Durban photographer Jacki Bruniquel‘s work – I’m sure you’ll agree it’s absolutely gorgeous! I especially love what she does with reflective surfaces – so clever and beautiful. Anyway, so I was thrilled when she contacted me to submit this wedding because not only is it super stylish, but it’s at one of my favourite venues outside Cape Town. The Oyster Box Hotel is the grand old lady of Umhlanga, which just happens to be near where my beloved grandparents lived when I was growing up. I remember visiting them every year and sometimes going to the Oyster Box, which seemed impossibly glam and sophisticated to my little eyes. After a two year rebuild it reopened in 2009 to wow us yet again, this time with beautiful wrought ironwork, inlaid hand-painted tiles and murals and a stunning gazebo you can choose to get married under. I visited it last time I was home (my parents live in Durbs), and totally fell in love with the decor. Not to mention, of course, the iconic lighthouse. And that’s just the visual aspect – they also do delicious food, and the location is completely amazing. I’m not always a fan of hotel weddings, but this one is something special, and just hosting a wedding there makes it special as well. Gaelene and Richard understood that. They kept their wedding simple and classic to best complement their surroundings, with clever, personal touches to make it their own. Gaelene herself described it best: “beauty in the simplicity of things: beach air, sunshine and our wedding vows”. LOVE.Read More
The Cape’s a beautiful place, but if there was one part of it that would have to be my favourite, it’s Elgin. My cousins have a farm there, and I remember going to visit them when I was growing up, and thinking it was just the most beautiful place on earth. It’s all green valleys and apple orchards and farm stalls and now vineyards… pure heaven. So I was stoked when Marina James of Elgin Weddings & Events got in touch to submit some of their gorgeous floral and design work. Then I realised which wedding it was, and did a little happy dance, because I’ve been wanting to feature this one for aaaaages. Not only is it at Rockhaven Farm, one of my favourite venues, and not only was it photographed by the legend that is Christine Meintjes, but it’s rustic, Mediterranean farm wedding goodness in its purest form, and I could just eat it up with a spoon. Everything is just so perfectly shabby chic and at the same time – especially with Sofia’s beautiful dress and birdcage veil – insanely sophisticated. I LOVE it. Some of my favourite stealable ideas: the herbs, the terracotta pots, the frames, the washing line ‘guest book’, and of course the fabulous cheese cake. Everything just works together so coherently, and Marina’s team did a seriously awesome job on the decor. Add in a dollop of Greek hospitality (and food!) and you have the kind of warmth and festivity that the gods themselves would be proud of. Yiamas!Read More
Today’s board is another reader request – my favourite kind! Natasha emailed looking for help with her chosen palette of pewter with a rose or dusty pink. She’d had trouble finding an inspiration board using these colours that embodied the romantic elegance she was looking for from her wine farm wedding, with a touch of formality. I have to say, I LOVE these colours! Pink and grey are very hot right now, but there are many different shades of both colours to work with and pewter is absolutely gorgeous. I think the colours on their own embody the romantic (pink) combined with the more formal and elegant (pewter), which will really help to create the atmosphere Natasha wants.
There are some key foundations to the look I’ve built up here. One is the use of lots of white (since too much pewter could be a little dark), with soft, floaty textures and classic white stationery. A second is the use of calligraphy, which again adds that romantic but formal touch and ties everything else together beautifully. Use it on everything from fun fortune tellers (these make super cute orders of service or place settings) to a table of pretty escort cards to understated place settings (don’t you just love the pink ribbon?). Of course, bringing in the metallics is equally important, which I’ve done here on the wedding dress (I die for this Vera Wang, but a sparkly belt or even brooch detail on a dress would also work beautifully), in the pewter vase and in the bridesmaids’ dresses. Of course, you could just as easily go for soft pink dresses or even a combination of pink and dove grey, but I loved these formal, full-length pewter gowns. Combine with pink bouquets to get both colours across. And speaking of flowers, I adore the single oversized bloom trend and think it would be perfect for this wedding! It adds that little something quirky and different. However, if Natasha chooses to go more traditional, then roses, peonies and anemones are all possibilities, combined with other soft pink and white blooms.
Natasha also asked about favours, as she’s considering white fans for the ladies but is a bit stumped for the boys. One thing to bear in mind is that men tend to forget to take their favours home with them, so in my experience giving them something they can use on the night is ideal. I’ve suggested cigars to play into the elegant theme, but if you don’t want them all disappearing for a little while at some point, then scratchcards, alcohol minis or something edible also work well. Otherwise you could consider bottle openers (in line with the winelands setting), playing cards, or even mini hip flasks.
Hope you like your board, Natasha! And don’t forget, if you would like your own inspiration board, just drop me an email!
I’m continuing our series of Q&A today with an interview with the photographer of yesterday’s lovely wedding, Cheryl McEwan. I know from experience that Cheryl’s an absolute sweetheart as well as a fantastic photographer (she took all the pics at the hen party I organised last year) and I’m so excited that she’s joined the other amazing photographers lighting up the industry in Cape Town. I’m also SUPER excited to announce that she’ll soon be starting her own series of guest blogs here on Cap Classique, as our newest real life bride! So look out for that in the next few months. In the meantime, here’s a chance to get to know Cheryl just a little better.
Hi Cheryl – thanks for answering my questions today! How did you get started as a photographer? Hi Gaby, I’m so excited to be interviewed on Cap Classique! Thank you :) My love of photography started whilst I was living in the UK, and was lucky enough to travel extensively around Europe. Along with my passion for travel I wanted to be able to capture the essence of these amazing places as well as the cultures of the people that I was seeing and meeting. Ultimately I turned my focus to weddings and was lucky enough to second shoot on a number of UK weddings, which led to me going solo and shooting my first wedding in London.
How would you define your style?
I have a reportage type of style – I aim to ‘capture the moment’ as the day unfolds and most importantly I aim to tell a story through my photos.
Which part of a wedding do you like shooting the most? My favorite part of the wedding has to be the couple shoot, where it’s me and my camera capturing the special love between the newlyweds, and generally just having loads of fun with the two of them – capturing their reactions amongst lots of laughing! I like to form a good relationship with my clients, getting them to relax and enjoy the shoot.
Do you have any favourite photographers or major influences? South Africa has an abundance of fabulous photographers, however there are a few whose work I really admire and whose work constantly inspires me, namely a few of these photographers would be Nastassja Harvey, Nikki Meyer, Wesley Vorster & Lizelle Lotter. These guys have been so supportive and fantastic I can’t thank them enough!
When looking at weddings, I often see that little verse crop up: “Today I marry my best friend”. And it’s such a special thing about relationships, how the person you fall in love with becomes your friend as well as your partner. But sometimes you come across a couple who really have married someone who was their best friend first. It’s a rare and wonderful thing, and today’s couple are it. I can’t even imagine how amazing that must be, but you can see Terri and Tim glowing with it on their wedding day. Aaaah! Not to mention all the other gorgeyporgeyness. Oh, just you wait. The bride’s dress? Amazeballs. Terri said it made her feel like a princess and wow, did it ever make her look like one! Bridesmaids dresses? White. SO cool, so on trend. In fact, all the guests wore light colours, and Terri mentions the way it gave everything a 1920s vibe, which I also happen to love. Dessert? Sweets bar. Entertainment? One of the coolest photobooths I have yet seen with a massive selection of props. It all adds up to an absolutely dreamy celebration at Delsma Farm, captured by the very lovely Cheryl McEwan. You can find out more about Cheryl on the blog tomorrow, but let me just say, this lady has a talent for bringing out the beautiful in everyone she photographs. I could have done a whole post on just the pictures of Terri, and it was really hard to narrow them down. You’ll see what I mean…Read More
Blame it on Elizabeth Messina, who first had the awesome idea of topping her own wedding cake with an antique crown, and then went on to photograph that same crown on some of her clients’ cakes, or in their hands, or on their pretty heads. They’re iconic pictures – the kind that stick in the mind and inspire a flurry of googling. Or blame it on Kate Middleton, for being all royal and getting married, and reminding us why we wanted to feel like princesses on our wedding day. Or just blame it on the tiny piece of gorgeous perfection that is a vintage crown. Either way, these have been popping up as cake toppers (and photo props) in some of the most beautiful weddings and style shoots of the last year, and every time they do, I get a little thrill. So of course I had to do a roundup, but right off I’m going to apologise, because I may be leading you brides up the garden path a little. Truth is, I have no idea where you can find these crowns, especially in South Africa. I did spot a couple on eBay and elsewhere online, and I’d love to hear from anyone who knows of a supplier or rental option in Cape Town, but chances are you may just have to start scouring local antique shops or getting creative. Even so, in the words of Dinky Bossetti (and if you get that 80s film reference I will totally love you forever), it’s good to want things. So here we go. Let the covetfest begin.
Every love story is special, we know this. Every chance meeting, every barrier crossed. But sometimes I get a bride’s wedding story and I get swept up in the enthusiasm she has for her wedding and her marriage, and the love she and her new husband share. Because this is why we’re here, people. The details, the dresses, all the prettiness? They’re awesome, but they’re accessories to the main event. They’re really just ways of a couple expressing their personalities and for all the people who love them to share in their joy. And today’s wedding is full of that joy and exuberance – I know you are going to LOVE it! Plus, these are some of the most gorgeous pictures it’s been my pleasure to work with. Ian Mitchinson always has such a unique and dramatic take on wedding photography, and it works perfectly with this beautiful bride and groom and their city cross beach chic wedding. It’s everything a Cape Town city wedding should be.Read More
Good morning everyone! I’m stuck in bed this morning with a horrible cold, but I don’t mind because I had the best weekend! A group of us headed to Devon for my friends Kate and Jim’s wedding, which was so heartfelt and lovely and reminded me again why I love weddings so much. I got to rock some head candy and shoe candy and a pretty dress, and we all danced until ridiculous o’ clock. There’s a few details I’ll be sharing with you all in due course, one of which is a little DIY to look out for this afternoon. In the meantime, here’s today’s inspiration board.
I’ve been wanting to do another lavender board for a while now, ever since the nice folks over at the East India Company sent me some lavender cordial to try. If you’re not familiar with the East India Company, they make an amazing array of teas and other delicacies, all of which are beautifully packaged and could make great favours or even decor pieces at your wedding. One of their top products is a line of cordials, which all make lovely additions to a signature cocktail or refreshing drink on your big day. Originally I’d been thinking along the usual shabby chic lines, but the more I looked, the more I fell in love with the weddings where couples had superimposed ballroom-level elegance onto rustic venues. Think chandeliers in a barn. Because why not? Why should you have to choose, and the mixture of two styles is utterly charming. Add in some gold metallic to balance the pretty purples, and you have a look that’s absolutely bang on trend and perfect for a bride who can’t choose between a wine farm and a Cape country venue.
Note: This is not a sponsored post and The East India Company is not a Cap Classique advertiser, but they did send me some of their product to try. Thanks, East India Company!
There’s something about a beach house, isn’t there? For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted one, with shutters and white floorboards and falling asleep to the sound of the surf and salt in my nostrils. For so many of us South Africans, the beach is our happy place. So I honestly can’t think of a more amazing venue than the one Heidi and Donnie chose for their wedding, since it’s Heidi’s parents’ beach house right on the ocean in Jakkalsfontein. Beautiful, coastal rustic and as personal as you can get. Heidi brought her love of hearts into the decor, and after their ceremony, the couple decided to buck convention by having bowl foods and canapes served to their guests, who were able to mingle and dance and relax in break out areas. Doesn’t it sound amazing? (Well, wait until you see how good it looks, courtesy of Hearts in a Shutter‘s Brenda Wardall!) I just love when brides and grooms decide to do things a little differently to suit their venue or guests or just the kind of party they want to have. If you want a dinner party feel, do it. If you want a brunch, do it. If you want a rock concert, do it! Have the ceremony and the meal when and where you want – make the conventions work for you. I guarantee that not only will you have an amazing time and be more relaxed on the day if you feel like you’re in your element, but your guests will remember your wedding more than any other.Read More
