Pic: Unsplash
The months of September to April bring booked out wine farms, chapels and breweries as South Africa experiences its annual peak wedding season. Locally and internationally, couples are drawn to the wide variety of options (and affordability!) of the South African wedding scene. Just hours apart, you have the choice between a scenic beachside wedding or a charming country estate ceremony. As the wedding calendar fills up, we’ve taken a look at the top wedding tips and trends to look out for this season.
Wedding planning 2.0
Some of the most rewarding parts of planning your wedding would have to be ticking things off on your wedding checklist. However, the less charming activities include co-ordinating guests’ accommodation or their meal preferences - these can also change often and result in having to keep a close eye on any amendments that need to be made - so we suggest moving it online. There are times that we don’t have our wedding file with us and need to remember changing a guest’s dietary requirements while driving - not ideal and a forgettable piece of information that will be a pain on the day. Quicket (yes, the ticketing platform) has an amazing free feature that allows you to create your own private event to which you invite your guests. The platform enables you to list accommodation options, meal requirements, bachelor and/or bachelorette parties . Everything stored in one place - amazing!
Husband material
For the better part of the last two decades, the groom’s suit has been understated, simple, classic. Neutrality was key and standout choices for colours were black, white, navy and beige. Since the beginning of the year, there has been a refreshing spike in grooms opting for bold suit jackets.Colours like burgundy and emerald green are among the more popular choices. You’ll find lovely hues of blue and red at Euro Suit and Khalique’s at prices that won’t break the bank.
Let them eat cake
Statement wedding cakes are making waves globally, and over the last year we’ve seen bakers displaying their work on Instagram rise to fame. Bakers like Lameez Abrahams put together awe-inspiring cakes, including hand-painted layers and minimalistic all white creations. More couples are opting for the traditionally-sized (albeit more unique designs) wedding cakes this season, after the last decade was dominated by cupcakes in place of cakes, or assortments of treats in place of a cake altogether.
Make it personal
In the global trend of weddings becoming more intimate, the way we thank our guests for joining us has also changed. Personalised thank you gifts are all the rage, and more unique options are available for couples to choose from and customise as they’d like to. Tired of the traditional gifting altogether - why not thank your guests with an experience? If your wedding is on a beach, arrange a cocktail-making session with a mixologist. Alternatively, signature scents are another great way to have your guests remember your special day, by gifting candles or scent sticks.
Shoestring destination weddings
It’s no secret that our country has an abundance of wedding venues for just about any creed, religion or theme, and the same can be said about your budget. A destination wedding does not necessarily need to break the bank, and our East Coast has idyllic views that rival those of the Maldives and Mauritius. BON Hotel Waterfront Richards Bay is one of these hidden gems.The venue will serve best if you’d like to wow your guests with beautiful views of the waterfront and keep them remembering the amazing food! Since the hotel is known for its exceptional cuisine, this will save you the worry of external caterers and uncertainty about the food quality.They have 75 rooms of different sizes, making it easier to help your guests plan their trip to your destination wedding.
