Tag: cake toppers

Supplier Spotlight: Ladies & Gentlemen

by gaby

As you all know, I love featuring fabulous South African suppliers, and here’s one I have been meaning to call out for a while, because every time I come across one of Ladies & Gentlemen‘s custom cake toppers I am all, yay adorable! Because they are. The idea is that, instead of plonking some cheesy plastic bride and groom on top of your cake (okay, nobody does that anymore right?) you can have a hand-carved pair that have been painted up to look like you and the hubs. And not just painted – what really gets me about these cake toppers is the detailing and effort that owner Alison Sutcliffe-Smit goes into in recreating the bride’s dress or the flowers in the bouquet, or even the couple’s dog! Tiny protea bouquets, intricate illusion lace back dresses, furry ears (on the dog, not the bride and groom, fortunately), veils, etc. They’re sure to charm your guests, and make a really sweet memento of your big day (at least until your future kids steal them to play Barbies/dinosaurs). In fact, speaking of kids, for couples who already have them I think this is a lovely way of including them on the cake, since you can get mini figurines customised to make up the family. To give you an idea of what Ladies & Gentlemen do, here’s three pretty cakes and their owners…

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Real Wedding at Shalwyn {Taryn & Lloyd}

by gaby

So, you know how sometimes you think you are totally over someone, and then one day you see them in a new light and suddenly you find yourself thinking about them all over again and you have to admit you’ve loved them all along? No, I am not talking Made in Chelsea (because Louise, Louise, why WOULD you?). I am talking fairy lights. See, there was a point where I felt a bit blah about them – like maybe they dated along with chair covers. So I put them to one side and got on with my life. But everytime I’d see them at a wedding, I would still get a little thrill. And recently, that little thrill has turned into a full blown crush. And now I admit it, I still love them. They’re just so… twinkly. So you’ll understand why today’s wedding got me all a-fluster, because the whole thing is full of twinkly twinkliness. I don’t know if that’s because Taryn & Lloyd chose rustic Shalwyn in the Tala Valley, KZN, as their venue, and the lights really shine against the barn-style surroundings. Or if it’s the fact that they’re reflected in the crystal ‘trees’ they had adorning every table (tying nicely into their little bird theme). Or just the fact that the couple are so shiny and happy themselves. But whichever, this wedding makes me feel all sparkly. Enjoy these lovely images from Durban-based Brightgirl Photography.Read More

Crowning Glory

by gaby

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.

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