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GAUTENG’S most stylish digital WEDDING MAGAZINE Your RELATIONSHIP Wedding Planning Tools Techniques Tips Décor Trends Flowers FIRST LOOK AT 2010 dresses, ideas, and colours January 2010 Issue 1 Inspirational Wedding Magazine Professional Beauty Advice for BRIDES

Splendid Affairs Wedding Magazine

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This is a free bridal publication packed with practical wedding planning advice, wedding inspirations, bridal fashion, and one wedding venue review per issue.

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Page 1: Splendid Affairs Wedding Magazine

GAUTENG’S

most stylish

digitalWEDDING

MAGAZINE

Your

RELATIONSHIP

Wedding Planning

Tools

Techniques

Tips

Décor

Trends

Flowers

FIRST

LOOK AT

! 2010dresses, ideas, and colours

January 2010

Issue 1

Inspirational Wedding Magazine

Professional Beauty Advice

for

BRIDES

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Evegenia PoplettPublisher / Editor

Katharine ForsythResident Photographer

Sam ScaifeHair and Make-Up Stylist

For Advertising andMaterial Submission Enquiries

Click Here

Affairs

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Welcome to the first issue of Splendid Affairs™- the only magazine dedicated to helping Gauteng brides not only to plan a perfect wedding, but also to remain sane during the planning months.

Perhaps you got engaged over the fes-tive season, or maybe you are in the final stages of your wedding planning, we are here to guide you through anything and everything wedding related.

My name is Evegenia Poplett. I am a professional wedding planner and the owner of the wedding planning company Splendid Affairs.

I am proud to be a professional wedding planner. I love my job. It is exciting and demanding and very often emotionally draining. It is stressful and it is a lot of hard work. I cannot even tell you how demanding it is mentally, and physically. Yet, I love it for it is ultimately rewarding and fulfilling. I treasure each and every one of my brides (and grooms too, but it is the bride that I form a deep relationship with). I learn from them and I grow be-cause of them. I know I touch their lives too, and that is the ultimate “high” in my chosen profession. It is a true privilege to be a part of someone’s special day, and I feel honored knowing each one of these ladies on a personal level long after their wedding.

As a wedding planner I face many chal-lenges when working with brides. Please read our feature about wedding planners to gain a greater insight into the profession.

I have always dreamt of starting a wed-ding magazine. The immense task of put-ting this issue together for you was exhil-arating and exhausting. I had an amazing team behind me - Kat, Sam, Cat, Milda and the wonderful staff from Toadbury Hall and Ehire. Thank You to all of you!

Wedding planning encompasses so many topics - budgets, trends, decor, flowers, stationery, cake, etc - enough to make anyone’s head spin! However, there is a real human element that brings all of these separate things together, and that is you!

Our digital magazine is aimed at inspiring you, but also educating you and arming you with invaluable choices, allowing you to make informed decisions regarding plan-ning your special day.

ENJOY!

Splendid Editor’s Letter

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Katherine Forsyth was raised in the “wedding photos are boring” tradition, and it was only after Kat began searching for a photogra-pher for her own wedding that she began to fall in love with amaz-ing wedding photography.

“Give me a couple in love, a radiant bride in a gorgeous dress, family and friends full of emotion, and guests full of joy, and I’m in heaven,” she says. “Your photos are the only thing you have left after your wedding to remind you of that emotion and joy, and they need to be as beautiful as your day.”

Sam Scaife is a head make-up artist and founder of LASHLINE; she is incredibly talented, and focused. Her make-up brushes bring out the best of our features.

“Having worked in a studio as a stylist and make-up artist for the past three years, I have established a keen eye for detail and knowledge of what works behind the camera. I have been fortunate enough to be in-volved with Jo Borkett, Miss Italia SA, Top Billing and various other high profile publications. I find very little more rewarding than achiev-ing great pictures and even better, a glowing bride”.

Splendid Contributors

Sam ScaifeProfessional Make-Up Aristwww.lashline.co.za082 576 3498

Katharine ForsythProfessional Wedding Photographerwww.katforsythphotography.co.za082 486 8492

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Do You Believe in Fairytales?

Maybe you should... Or at least in fairytale colours for nails that are dreamy, girly, and altogether too pretty to pass up. Check out the new Fairytale Bride SoftShades by OPI -- four delectably delicate gos-samer shades of light pink, as well as a pink-kissed nude. Utterly feminine -- and too beautiful to save

for weddings. Pink happily ever after.

Splendid Wedding Beauty

Jo Malone www.jomalone.co.za

Add the finishing touch to your wedding by decorating the interior with Scent Surround.

The Scent Surround™ philosophy is pure brilliance and makes entertaining an art form. With delicately scent-ed products to be spritzed on to napkins or candles that harmoniously add to the dining experience, there’s no end of combinations for providing the perfect ambience when entertaining guests at home. Scent Surround™ is also perfect for adding unique touches to wedding ven-

ues, or indeed, at any celebration.

Imagine creating a space that’s a tranquil haven of her-baceous lavender, mint and jasmine. Or, if you seek inspiration, try scents that are invigorating – the ef-fervescent character of grapefruit combined with the

zesty nature of lime make perfect partners.

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Bobbi Brown

Beautiful

PLATINuM COLLECTION

TIP: To add depth and drama to the eye, smudge a deep medium shade

in the crease of the eye (it should be slightly darker than the lid shade)

Glowing Bride+

Bobbi Brown believes that 'every woman would gain confi-dence if she understood more about applying her make-up using the right tools, finding the colours that work for her

and perfecting the basic techniques'.

On your wedding day you should be confident, and radiant and simply glowing.

Bobby Brown Make-Up offers ideal tools, palettes and ad-vice to help you achieve a glorious bridal look.

Bridal Kit Hydrating Eye Cream

Shimmer Body OilPlatinum Collection

Silver Pack

Nude Lip & Eye Palette

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Why should a bride have a professional make-up artist?As a bride’s wedding pictures will be treasured long after the big day, it is very important to en-sure that she looks her absolute best. Making use of a professional make-up artist guarantees that the correct products and techniques will be used, taking into account her skin type and specific emphasis of her features. Foundations will be photogrammatic and hypoallergenic, preventing her from looking ghostly white on the photos and suitable for all skin types.

What beauty regime should a bride follow before her wedding?The bride should follow her normal beauty routine of cleansing, moisturising and ton-ing. The make-up artist will usually shape her eyebrows at the time of the trial. Should the bride be going for any spray-tanning ses-sions, she should then notify the make-up art-ist at the time of the trial. The most important beauty regime - get lots of sleep!!! What to bear in mind when meeting with a make-up artist?If the make-up artist does not have a website, request that she sends through a few pictures of her previous jobs to get a good idea of her standard of work. upon meeting, it is always a good idea for the bride to have a few reference pictures handy in order to more easily explain the look she would like to achieve on the day. Remember that a make-up artist will know how to bring out your best features using specific techniques and colours, but will always be open to a bride’s specific requests.

How to voice concerns to your make-up artist?This is the reason a trial is held - as on the day there is no time to get it wrong! A discussion will be held first to go over the overall theme of the wedding, the colour scheme, the flowers, and last but not least, the look the bride would like to have on her wedding day. The bride will explain her normal day-to-day look and which colours she would be comfortable wearing on the day. The make-up artist will apply as many variations of looks as required until one is agreed upon for the day of the wedding. The bride is encouraged to give the make-up artist as much feedback as possible in order to create a look she loves. It is vital that the bride is 100% happy at the end of the trial.

How to make sure the make-up artist you choose is qualified?I have always felt that a string of happy brides means so much more than a qualification. Al-though the bride can request details for her de-gree, ask her to send through pictures of recent work and/or testimonials.

Sam ScaifeProfessional Make-up Arist

www.lashline.co.za082 576 3498

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A Perfect PearA Perfect Pear wedding theme is incredibly sweet and there is so much you can do with it - pears on the stationery, pears as centerpieces, baskets of pears at the post-ceremony site, and even giving your guests a pair of pears, or a pear jam to take

home as a Thank You.

Letterpress stationery is luxurious and suits a bride with impeccable taste. After all luxury, archival-quality invitations ensure that no matter how rambunctious the festivities become, posterity will always remember her

impeccable good taste.

Go to The Letterpress Company Website(www.theletterpresscompany.co.za) to learn more.

Splendid Wedding Trends 2010PentoneColour of theYear

TURQuoISE

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Splendid Wedding File

A Perfect PearA Perfect Pear wedding theme is incredibly sweet and there is so much you can do with it - pears on the stationery, pears as centerpieces, baskets of pears at the post-ceremony site, and even giving your guests a pair of pears, or a pear jam to take

home as a Thank You.

Heart Warming IdeaGive your guests a party pack to take home (just like when you were children)

filled with your favorite sweets.

A wedding theme featuring birds is very popular at the moment. Also, this theme invites the bride to consider outdoor dining, and even an early morning wedding set in a lush garden surrounded by birds and beautiful

nature.

Birdcage veils are HAUTE! Customise your veil with pearls, feathers, diamanté to match your look, fea-tures and wedding style.

Simple Bouquets made out of Roses only tied with a gorgeous ribbon make a

statement.

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Splendid Technology

The awesome world of APPLE MAC

Allow me to introduce Apple Mac and the iPhone -the best tools you can have in plan-ning your wedding. The added advantage is that you can keep it after the wedding bells have rung to use it in every day life to im-prove the quality of your life and your work.

A Mac is designed to give you the best com-puter experience possible. Because Apple makes both the hardware and the software, everything just works. Like a computer should. So whether you’re accessing a Wi-Fi network, organizing your photos by faces, or video chatting, everything is surprisingly simple.

The Mac also opens and works with Micro-soft Office applications such as Word and Excel, and even runs Windows — so it’s compatible with the PC world. That includes sharing documents with people who use PCs, printing to just about any printer, and work-ing over Windows networks.

The easy to use software and applications will allow you to plan your wedding, track budgets, build schedule lists, design your wedding website, create professional looking stationery and much more.

The iPhone can become your sanity saver, with all relevant information backed up on your device. It has enough memory to store those inspirational boards, pictures, and seating plans.

Small things make life so much better. For example, you can have your impor-tant wedding songs with you when you are meeting with a DJ. The images you take as you are ‘shopping around for your wed-ding’ can make decision making much easier.

Amazing iPhone applications are available on iTunes (many of which are free) and they will make your wedding planning a breeze.

Top iPhone Wedding Planning Apps:• Bento• Wedding 911 by The Knot• The Wedding Link• 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Planning your Wedding

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Splendid Websites

More and more brides turn to the internet for inspiration and information when plan-ning their wedding. You wouldn’t be read-ing this magazine if you were not one of these tech savvy brides.

The internet is a valuable source of all things related to weddings, but too much information can confuse and even frustrate you. It can also create unrealistic expecta-tions, and lead to overall dissatisfaction with your own wedding planning experi-ence.

When browsing international sites, always bear in mind that unless you are willing to import the wedding paraphernalia, you will have to get creative in using local resourc-es to create your vision.

Another important note to all brides us-ing the web for inspiration is to remember that most of the images you will come across are edited by the photographers. The colours in the flowers may be adjusted to suit the specific photograph, and that perfect shade you may fall in love with may not exist in the real world.

Be realistic, be optimistic, be inspired and then be ready to get creative!

.

TOP SITES FOR BRIdES

theperfectpalette.blogspot.com

www.stylemepretty.com

www.thebridescafe.com

www.eco-beautifulweddings.com

www.bridesbuzzing.com

Visit www.bridesbuzzing.com - South Africa’s premier bridal blog and you will be able to get in touch with other brides planning their weddings, get advice and come across real inspiration.

Inspiration Online

YOU could be Bridesbuzzing’s next blogger!Visit the website to find out how

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Splendid Wedding Venue

TOADBURY HALL

Toadbury Hall is the perfect country wedding venue. Located on the Beyers Naude extension just beyond Muldersdrift, in the world renowned Cradle of Humankind lies this spectacular venue on the banks of the Crocodile river.

Founded in 1997, Toadbury hall was developed to provide an exclusive country house which offered the finest cuisine and outstanding service in an immac-ulate country garden setting. It was not long thereafter that the venue became sought after as an exclusive and intimate venue for wedding celebrations.

As a Gauteng’s finest wedding venue with a continued focus on exclusivity and high service standards- their five star rating is a proof of this.

Whilst Toadbury Hall is well known for its breathtaking beauty and magnificent grounds, another distinctive feature of Toadbury Hall is its creative, talented and attentive staff.

Toadbury Hall always strives for service excellence.

Everyone works harmoniously together to allow the bride to have a quality wedding that is stress-free. The staff at Toadbury Hall will work hard at making a bride and her family feel like a royal family, whilst making sure their guests are well taken care off.

Contact Detailswww.toadbury.co.za

[email protected] 659 0335 079 512 0554082 529 2178

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Splendid Wedding Fashion

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Wedding Dresses & Accessories: Honey BoutiqueModels: Cat Coxon

Milda PylvinyteHair & Make-Up: Sam ScaifePhotographer: Kat ForsythVenue: Toadbury Hall

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BRASIL | SOUTH AFRICA | PHONE 011 465 6350SHOP 7 SHOWROOM ON LESLIECORNER WILLIAM NICOL & LESLIE | FOURWAYS | GAUTENGWWW.PATRICIANASCIMENTO.COM

Special moments last forever and should be remembered with joy. Patricia Nascimento is one of Brazil’s top designers,

her creations have been described as truly wearable pieces of art. Since the designer has brought her brand from Brazil, she has been impressing people with her unique style and is being loved by the

glamorous women of South Africa.

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Splendid Designer Spotlight

A bride’s perfect dress is... One that enhances women’s beauty (specially a thin waist!) The happiest bride is... The one who feels she is the most special girl in the world.

I draw my inspiration from... The glamorous 17th and 18th centuries.

I’m best known for... Shaping women’s bodies with beautiful corsets.

My biggest achievement to date is... Opening the shop in South Africa – My first international branch.

My evening ranges.. from chic casual to red carpet glamour, both making my clients’ special moments unique.

How do I get my wedding dress designed by Patricia Nascimento?Simply visit my shop inFourways, you can evenschedule an appointment via web cam if you want the dress designed exclusively for you by me.

You probably won’t know this but.... I cut every single piece of every garment that is produced in my atelier.

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A bride’s perfect dress is.... a DT dress.

The happiest bride is... The bride that walks down the aisle knowing she is the bell of the ball…. IN A DT DRESS!

I draw my inspiration from... life, textures, where I am in my head-space, and Africa.

I’m best known for... Attention to detail

My biggest achievement to date is... yet to come

My evening range is... Couture

How do I get my wedding dress designed by David Tlale... Making a call to 011 214 2700

You probably won’t know this but... I’m fun loving.

David Tlalelegend in the making

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Having an outdoor wedding is now being followed by the trend of outdoor dining. In summer with warm weather and long days, there’s no better way to celebrate a wedding in style than by enjoying the great outdoors. There is something alluring and intoxicating about the mix of aromas and head spinning fresh air to complement a wedding atmo-sphere.

However, an outdoor reception requires you to be more flexible and easy going. If God decided to water his plants on the day of your wedding, you have to be OK with that. However, with a little planning and some creative ideas, you can impress your guests with incredible scenery whilst they are enjoying a wedding feast.

Things to bear in mind: When selecting your venue, pay attention to the shade factor. You do not want your guests to be sweating when it gets too hot. Always have back up plans and inform your guests about the outdoor setting.

Once your tables have been set and decorated you cannot move them around. Therefore, ensure that you listen to the staff at your venue regarding best possible positioning for your tables.

You have to ensure that there is plenty of shade, and that spare umbrellas/parasols are available. Think about printing your wedding program on a fan so that guests may cool themselves.

Always have a back up plan. If you are not interested in using a tent, then the ideal outdoor wedding location has an indoor location wait-ing just in case. Fill a basket with sunblock and hats. Your guests maybe very uncomfortable with pro-longed sun exposure.

Another great requirement for a truly success-ful outdoor dining experience is a steady flow of chilled drinks – be it champagne or juice, and even bottles of chilled water.

Be sure to put out citronella candles to get rid of the bugs so that your guests won’t spend the whole dinner swatting at the air.

Even though you will be surrounded by natural beauty, there is still work to be done to create an ideal wedding setting. Beautiful table cloths, cut crystal on the tables, and hurricane lamps with big candles will add magic. For the finish-ing touches, drape fairy lights or hang chande-liers from tree brunches for an exquisite and unexpected touch of glamour.

Author: Evegenia Poplett Splendid Affairs

Splendid Wedding Decor

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Flowers and Design: Splendid Affairs www.splendidaffairs.co.zaDecor Stock: Event Hire www.ehire.co.zaPhotography: Kat Forsyth Photography www.katforsythphotography.co.zaVenue: Toadbury Hall www.toadbury.co.za

Outdoor Dining in Style

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Wedding flowers are a major part of your wedding. From your bridal bouquet, to the boutonniere tucked into the groom’s lapel, to the centerpieces, flowers help set a joyous mood for your wedding day.

However, flowers are incredibly expensive and not every bride can afford to have lavish floral displays at her wedding. This does not mean that the only way to get around the budget is to cancel all the flowers. Rather, creativity, ingenuity and resourcefulness need to be exercised to achieve maximum impact.

If you are on a tight budget, the worst thing you can do is attempt to create a cheaper version of traditionally expensive arrangements. Instead opt for flowers that create impact. For example, King Proteas, Arum Lilies, Succulents and Chrysan-themums can be used on their own in a variety of ways to create a signature look for your wedding.

If you choose a stunning venue, with lush gardens and have your wedding reception during the day

in the gardens, you will not need too many flow-ers. Outdoor dining provides an amazing way to use clear glass vases with f lowers s imply immersed in water.Most brides know that it makes sense to use seasonal flowers for the wedding. This will not only save money, but will also help to avoid frustrations.

Moreover, choosing your colour palette to coincide with seasonal flowers can stretch your budget even further. For example, the colour purple is a hot favorite this season. In Gauteng, purple flowers are most abundant and relatively inexpensive in August/ September and rather costly in October/November. Whereas the complete opposite can be said about roses for the same months.

You might want to consider having potted flower arrangements for an altar area, a guest-book table, and even as centerpieces. This will work especially well if you have an avid gardener in your family.

In November/December you can opt for gorgeous Hydrangeas (considered an expensive flower), which you can purchase at a Nursery. The flowers will make stunning, lush arrangements, and you can plant the bushes in your garden afterwards. This is a great idea if you have a new garden which requires attention.

using one type of flower can be striking, and you can think broader than just roses. Sweet peas are incredibly beautiful, soft and elegant and cost far less than many other flowers.

BLOOMINGgood advice

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In Spring, you can arrange for cherry, apple or plum blossoms to be cut especially for you. These delicate flowers are gorgeous in tall, clear vases. This will make a statement at any ceremony.

Get creative with your containers; look around for those that are inexpensive or disposable. You can opt to borrow vases from relatives and friends. At your wedding reception, you can use/arrange/place small, loose flower arrangements for a simple, country look. This will also allow you to send floral displays away as beautiful favours after the wedding.

Don’t forget to look around your home or your parents and grandparents homes to see if they have anything you can use at the wedding - old books, mirrors in stunning frames, paintings, vases, bird cages, candle sticks, the list o f p o s s i b i l i t i e s i s e n d l e s s .

Another key element is to be flexible about your wedding flowers. Prices on flowers change daily and many factors play a crucial role in determin-ing the price of the blooms - supply, demand and even the impact of global warming. If you order very specific flowers you will pay a higher pre-mium to ensure your order is correct and spe-cific. However, if you are willing to wait until the week of your wedding, you will be in a better position to negotiate the price of the flowers - this option requires nerves of s teel and is not sui table for the faint-hear ted!

Flowers & Decor: Splendid AffairsPhotography: Kat Forsyth Photography

Venue: Toadbury Hall

Splendid Wedding Flowers

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Splendid Real Wedding

Lara and Jean7 September 2009

Positano, Italy

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Our wedding took place on September 7, in the most romantic little fishing village ever. It is a small village on the Amalfi coast in Southern Italy, called Positano.

Positano is known as one of Italy’s jewels and is a holiday destination for people with a love of authentic Italy. We chose this little town for several reasons. First, my family-in-law often visits Positano and got to know some of the people and my family and I went there on a family trip four years ago and I fell in love with this town.

I told my relatives that I want to get married there. Well, a few years passed and when Jean and I got engaged and decided that we wanted a small, intimate wedding only for our immediate family and close friends, Positano came up.

This would be the perfect, most romantic setting ever where we can declare our love and where our two families can bond and unite.

Ionnis Dekas, a pastor we know from Doxa Deo in Lon-don flew all the way to marry us in a special ceremony held on the veranda of the villa where we stayed.

The veranda overlooked the Mediterranean ocean with nothing blocking our view. It was breathtaking. The villa where we stayed was villa Giardino. All the people in Positano are well familiar with the villas. Our wedding reception was held at the grandeur Le Sirenuse hotel in Positano. You can go to their website for all the related information, www.sirenuse.it. There they bedazzled us with their Italian food and wine and of course the best service one can ever expect in ones life.

We wanted an elegant and classic wedding with authentic Italian food. We therefore had white as our main colour with a hint of light green that is used all over Positano. I wore a short wedding dress, just below the knee, made by Christa B out of lace to fit the setting. Also, since our getaway vehicle was a vespa, I thought this appropriate.

Everything was as Italian as it could come. We first drove in a Fiat 100, a very small very old little Fiat. In Positano there are only a limited number of these classic vehicles and lots of poli-tics surrounding them, which of course made it a lot of fun for us to ride in one.

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After we drove in the little Fiat, we rode on a Vespa through the town. This, I must admit, was one of the most precious experiences of our wedding and one of the memories that will last a lifetime.

Positano only has one road and it is a one-way street. So everyone goes in the same direction and walks alongside this road. Since it was wedding season, with about three weddings a day held in September, the whole town is in high spirits and very cheerful.

As we departed our villa to go to the hotel for our reception, Jean and I rode our vespa with our wedding party walking behind us. People would bless us, wave at us, stop us to take photos with them, clapped hands and cheer us on. It felt as if the whole town was part of our wedding party. It was such a wonderful experience full of fun.

This was our dream wedding, in a dream town, not for anyone else, but for us - the way we wanted it. This is a piece of advice for any bride to be. Have the wedding you want, don’t have a wedding for someone else, it is your special day.

My second piece of advice would be not to stress unnecessarily about detail, it spoils the journey of being engaged, it spoils it for your fiancé and for the people around you.

If something doesn’t go according to plan, laugh about it and enjoy your big day. That day only comes once and you can really spoil it if you stress to much.

The last piece of advice is this: get the best pho-tographer ever to capture all the memories made

on that day. I took Christiaan David (the best photog-rapher in the world), www.christiaandavid.co.za, with me and I am ever as glad that I did. He captured the essence of my wedding, and we will never in a million years forget anything about our special day because he captured it as the perfect story.

To arrange a wedding in Italy is a lot differ-ent from arranging one in your home country. You cannot have as much detail and you cannot control everything. My parents-in-law as well as my mother went to Positano to arrange most of the wedding. The language is a barrier and the people are very kind and warm-hearted but their English is not good enough to allow you to arrange the wedding over the phone or e-mail. It took a year to get everything in place, not that you need to arrange so much, it is rather a situa-tion of arranging certain things at specific times.

If you want to contact me for information about a wedding in Positano, feel free to email me at [email protected]. With lots of loveLara

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Heleen & JD17 October 2009

Diamond Hill Country Estate, Cullinan

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Splendid Real Wedding

Heleen & JD17 October 2009

Diamond Hill Country Estate, Cullinan

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We got engaged on the 1st of May 2009, thus we had a quick 5 ½ months to plan our wed-ding. We still wanted to get married in 2009 on the 17th of October since this was the only available date at the venue of our choice, We only realised afterwards that this is the date of our 3 year and 3 month anniversary!

I wanted something different and I loved the colour “teal”, so I decided to go with the this as our colour scheme. It turned out a bit harder than I thought because few people knew this colour and a few people told me that it wouldn’t work. Luckily my florist also liked my ideas and we followed it through.

We used dusty pink and silver for the groom, bridesmaids and best man’s attire – who said that you can only have one colour scheme?

For my flowers I couldn’t choose between Orch ids and Anchaverias (Desert Roses). In the end we decided to use them both. An un-likely combination, being that the one flower is fragile and the other is a succulent that could en-dure anything, but at the end it looked great. We used the different flowers as a metaphor for our marriage; Two totally different people coming together to form the perfect match.

We went for an engagement shoot with our photographer, Annalene, which was a lot of fun. We decided to “personalize” our wedding with the photographs. We used the photos together with our favorite movie and love quotes to create a fabulous “portrait” for the layout of the table plans. Lastly my favorite “special detail” was an engagement photobook which we printed with open pages between the photos for our guests to write a special wedding message.

As a gesture, every guest got a special “Thank you for sharing this day” bookmark with a photo and a love quote on.

The most memorable element about our wed-ding day was the rain! When I was planning my wedding the mere thought of rain on our wedding day brought me to tears. When it however started raining at two o’clock on the day, I was really calm about it. Instead of the rain being a curse it was welcomed, because it broke the terrible October heat, gave the w e d d i n g a cosy atmosphere and provided us with a chance to take the most stunning photos with beautiful rain clouds in the background. There is also a belief that if it rains on your wedding day you’ll have a blessed marriage – that was what the rain was to us – a blessing.

Flowers by:Joy Anassis

083 713 6555

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Instead of having a normal wedding cake, we wanted something different and decided on a “cheese cake”. The cake consisted of 8 types of different cheeses stacked on a cake stand to get the same effect when you cut the “cake” but with a totally different taste! The guests loved the idea and while they were enjoying cheese and cocktails, we were taking photos with the peace of mind that the guests are neither bored nor hungry.

Heleen’s advice to bridesShop around – Weddings are expensive, and every bride knows that it is quite a skill to plan a stunning wedding and still stay within your budget. Shop around for the best prices. It also pays to look beyond your borders. My wedding stationery came from Mosselbay and my DVD from Newcastle – their quotes were 4 times cheaper than anyone in Pretoria or Jo’burg. Also try new and upcoming service providers – they are a lot cheaper and will go out of their way to give you what you want.

Make time for your mother – Like it or not, this is just as big a day for your mother as it is for

you – Involve her with the organising, take her to the dress fittings and go to a spa the day be-fore the wedding. Let’s face it – she’s been there your whole life and has made so many sacrifices for you, involving her in your big day is just a small way of saying “thank you”.

Enjoy it! - Make the most of every fitting, rehearsal, kitchen tea, the silly moments spent fighting about the colour of ribbon or where to put the napkin. Before you know it, it’s all over!

Don’t sweat the small stuff. In years to come you will not remember incorrect napkin place-ment, who did not arrive for your wedding, the song that did not start playing at the right time... but what you will remember is how much fun you had! The only certainty on your wedding day is that everything will not go according to plan. Accept it, laugh a lot and make the most of your day.

Prepare for your marriage, not just your wed-ding day – Isn’t it shocking how many hours you put into planning your wedding day, but when it comes to preparing for your marriage, couples don’t find the time or have the money to go to wedding seminars. My husband and I made it a priority to go to as many pre-wedding seminars as possible in order to give us the tools to have a happy marriage.

Venue: Diamond Hill Country Venue www.dhcv.co.zaPhotographer: Annalene Rautenbach www.momentsbyannalene.comDVD: Benette productions www.bennette.co.zaStationery: Designer Graphics www.designergraphics.co.zaDress: GF Bridal Couture www.gfbridal.co.zaDJ: Rey’s Music 083 4329171Make-up: Louisa Pieterse www.makeupfromheaven.yolasite.com

Cake by:Cheese Gourmet

083 656 5209

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Splendid Wedding Stationery

The stationery plays an important role in your wedding. It is the first clue your guests will have about your wedding. Therefore, to communicate the formality and style of the wedding you will need to use the appropriate style of stationery.

Traditionally, the bride and the groom need to send out formal wedding invitations to inform the guests about the details regarding the wedding - date, venue, location, formality, dress code and other relevant details.

Wedding Stationery you will needSave The Date

Formal InvitationsCeremony Programs

Seating ChartTable Numbers

Name CardsThank You Cards

Stationery by:Splendid Affairs

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Modern brides are becoming more creative in seeking different ways of planning their weddings and communicating with their guests. When it comes to wedding stationery, the focus has shifted from printing to seeing what online solutions can offer them.

Wedding websites, e-invitations and RSVP systems have taken off across the globe and are enabling couples to reach their guests and become more effective in their commu-nication.

There are a number of advantages to combining traditional paper-based wedding stationery with online tools.

Brides can save time and effort by having guests RSVP on the couple’s unique wedding website. Guests can confirm their attendance to the wedding on the website, leave a special message for the happy couple and capture contact information such as phone numbers, e-mail or postal addresses for thank you cards after the wedding.

Brides can post important information lead-ing up to the event on their website, instead of cluttering their wedding invitations with leaflets of information. Directions, gift registry information, recommended accom-modation can all be posted on the couple’s website.

As the world becomes more environmentally conscious, forward thinking couples are do-ing just that and are exploring different ways of reducing their wedding’s carbon footprint. Reducing paper-printed stationery is a good starting point.

A FEW IDEAS

Replace printed menus and table arrangements with chalkboards with beautiful artwork on it.

Make use of recycled paper where printing is required. It has become not only affordable, but a variety of colours and textures have also become available.

With so many alternatives to traditional stationery, the modern bride can experiment with a wealth of media, ideas and designs to truly support the style of her wedding.

Author: Carike from Canvas Events Mediawww.canvaseventsmedia.co.za0823937070

Modern Twist OnWedding Stationery

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www.savethedate.co.za

Save The Date Magnets will announce your special day to your friends and family, and give your guests a beautiful wed-

ding keepsake. These personalised magnets also give your guests the courtesy of being able to plan for your special day,

well in advance, as well as increasing your positive R.S.V.P’s. With many customised options available these magnets will give your guests a hint of the style and elegance to come on your big day. Essential for out of town guests and weddings.

Images: www.mypersonalartist.com

INVITATION IN A BOXA Box Invitation is an amazing way to announce your wedding details.

using box invitations allows for great personalisation, as you can fill the box with little embellishments that suit your wedding theme.

Splendid Ideas

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All brides have heard about wedding planners - thanks to that program called Whose Wedding Is It Anyway? This article is aimed at dispelling some myths and shedding some light about what it is like to be a wedding planner

and working with brides in planning their special day.- A wedding planner will know things that you may not even consider during your planning pe-riod, and especially on the day of the wedding

- A wedding planner is in a position to negotiate great deals for you and save you money without compromising on the quality of the wedding

- You can choose to have a DOC (day of the wedding only co-ordinator). You will start working with the planner a month before the wedding. You planner will be able to make sure that your wedding day goes smoothly and is as stress free as possible

- A wedding planner will provide a great deal of direction

- We are an invaluable source of inspiration, coupled with experience as to what works and what does not. We appreciate all of the bride’s ideas, but are able to foresee whether or not it can work given the setting, the budget and many other factors. At the same time, we are able to arrange alternatives and find creative solutions to seemingly impossible dreams.

- What most couples do not realize is that an in-house wedding co-ordinator at the venue will make sure that the venue’s responsibili-ties are fulfilled. They have the right to decline any additional last minute requests made by the bride.

The venue does not have any obligation to set up your tables for free (if you chose to have your flowers simply delivered to the venue in

order to save on the florist set-up fee). The venue will reserve the right to charge for last minute changes that do not directly involve the venue.

Besides, their job is highly demanding as well, and their time schedules and rosters are compiled at least a week before the wedding to ensure that they fulfill their contractual obligations.

So… if your wedding programs still need to be folded, then it is up to your bridal party to make sure this gets done before the ceremony.

On the other hand, the wedding planner will do everything that needs to happen from ensuring that your decor and flowers are arranged as per your requirements to making sure no unsightly boxes are left behind. All your personal requests and smallest details are tended to. If there is a crisis situation, we fix it, we make a back-up plan.

- A professional wedding planner will pro-vide you with the luxury of a truly stress-free day. You and your family will not deal with any elements that would require lifting, moving, unpacking, deliveries, setting up, hang-ing, stringing or arranging.

All you will have to worry about is looking gor-geous, remembering your vows, and enjoying every moment of your wedding day.

Author: Evegenia Poplett Splendid Affairs

some facts about

Wedding Planners

after...

Page 59: Splendid Affairs Wedding Magazine

BEFORE

after...

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Splendid Advice

Photography: Kat Forsyth(taken at Christine Meintjes workshop)

Enjoy your engagement!Forget the wedding plans and stop worrying about your wedding day.

You are getting married!

Take time off to enjoy each other, learn new things about each other and talk about your future. Share your feelings about your upcoming marriage and how you anticipate the change to affect your relationship- laugh and create

dreams!

If you start feeling overwhelmed seek advice and reassurance, but choose your ‘experts’ wisely. Strongly consider premarital counselling as it can em-

power you as a couple.

Seriously, just enjoy this chapter in your life.

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B U D G E Tmatter(s)

The world is slowly coming out of recession and there are many couples who are desperate to have a fabulous wedding, but their financial situation is putting a great strain on the impending nuptials.

Whilst everyone has a dream wedding in mind, not everyone has that dream wedding budget. This does not mean you cannot have an amazing wedding.

Weddings are expensive, and everyone has heard that before. But how expensive? What does that elusive ‘expensive’ term means?

The problem with having a set budget in mind before you start any planning is that you do not know what weddings cost - the price of a wed-ding venue, photography, music and other wed-ding related essentials. After all, these are ser-vices not many people use in their every day life. Yet, in our daily lives we have no problem com-ing to terms with how much things cost and understanding our individual points of afford-ability. For example, we all would love to live in a R10m mansion, but accept that when purchas-ing our first home we would be lucky to afford a R1m townhouse.

The most important thing to bear in mind when planning a budget wedding is the fact that you will have to compromise. For example, trad-ing a Saturday wedding for a Friday (or any other day of the week) can save you thousands. Think about getting married out of the ‘wedding season’ months. There are a few ways of cutting cost, but you have to be reasonable.

There are some things that you can do on your own, but it will require discipline and a lot hard work. If you choose to do you own stationery, then be prepared for days of designing, pur-chasing the right materials, and assembling the

stationery. Do not leave it to the last moment.

There are a few things that you should splash out on and they are: venue, bridal party outfits and the best photographer.

The bride and the groom have to look phenome-nal on the day of their wedding. This may mean that you have to spend thousands of rands. But shop around, and bear in mind that hiring a dress may not be as cost effective as you think. Some wedding dresses that are made cost less than a hired gown! Find out about the end of the range sales from Bride & Co, and you will be amazed at the prices you can find there. However, always remember that this is your wedding gown and perhaps other things should be sacrificed.

Your wedding venue is your crucial ingredi-ent to a successful wedding. The venue has to provide you with great service and your guests with warm hospitality. The catering side has to be impeccable, and this can only happen at a venue that charges the appropriate rate for their services. If you are in love with a specific venue but the cost of hosting your wedding there puts an end to your dream, think again. Most venues have ‘special offers’ for weddings hosted on days other than a Saturday. Moreover, if you get married during the winter months, you can save up to R30 000!

Another important thing is to capture your wedding through the right set of lenses. Find the best photographer and pay him/her. Trust me, the photographer is the only service pro-vider that will stay with you for the rest of you life. His/her talent and quality of work will be kept by you for the rest of your lives. You do not need to sign up for the most expensive package either. Perhaps, ask the photographer if you could have your photobooks printed a year later.

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The date is set, and before any kind of planning happens you will need to know how many guests you will be hosting at the wedding. This is for two major reasons - venue and budget.

You will need to have a venue in mind, as the last thing you want is to discover that the venue you’ve chosen is not large enough to accommodate all of your close family let alone extended family and friends.

Drawing up a guest list can become one of the hardest tasks in your wedding planning process. In fact, it can easily become the source of many battles coupled with a heart-wrenching exercise in emotional blackmail within the family and between the couple.

Certain cultures celebrate weddings on a mass scale, including virtually anyone and everyone the families know, may know, and may get to know in the future.

In South Africa, the ‘white dress wedding’ is usually characteristic of 100-180 guests. Therefore, your wedding guest list will look very different to your Facebook friend list, after all you do not need to invite 400+ guests just because you know them.

This follows into the second reason - your budget. Mindy Weiss, a legend in the field of event planning, hit the nail on the head when she pointed out that the number of guests you include affects your costs more than any other element of the wedding.

Many couples who have hard times downsizing their guest list justify accommodating their numbers by trimming away many wedding essentials.

In reality this is not the best option. You can trim away all you like by cutting out hors d’oeuvre at cocktail hour, forgetting premium liquor for house brands (or choosing the cash bar option), or skipping on overlays on table-cloths, but a wedding boils down to a cost per head affair, and eliminating some of those heads is the single most effective way to bring a wedding in on a budget.

Ask yourself, is the compromise worth it? Giving up the dream of a dream wedding for the sake of feeding a large number of people a very trimmed dinner? This is not what is going to get you rave reviews, nor will it give you your dream wedding scenario.

A wedding of high quality in Gauteng will cost roughly R1 000+ per guest (this charge takes into consideration your venue, a three course plated meal, cocktail canapes, and a few drinks plus stationery, favour, and even a cake portion that needs to be factored into the equation) then cutting down your guest list by 10 people will save you R10 000 - ten thousand rand can go a long way to cre-ate beautiful decor for your wedding day.

When making your guest list, do not forget to include yourselves and the bridal party in the final guest count. Also, you will be expected to provide a fully catered meal to your photographer (and an assistant), a DJ and anyone else working on your wedding during the reception.

A nice way to accommodate those who got de-listed due to budget constraints is to send them invitation to a more casual post-nup-tial bash later in the year.

be our GUEST (or not)

Page 63: Splendid Affairs Wedding Magazine

Source: BRIDESJuly/August 2009

Page 64: Splendid Affairs Wedding Magazine

When many couples think of an antenuptial contract the topic of divorce seems to come to mind. Are you planning for your marriage that has not even started yet, to end? The answer is no. An antenuptial contract (ANC) is the first major decision the two of you will be making together. People often get defensive when this topic comes up whilst planning their wedding. Is-sues like ‘for better or worse’ and ‘till death do us part’ tend to be mentioned and often a fight ensues.

When addressing this issue you need to know what it is that you are talking about; the facts. You need to know all your options and what each option entails. These facts are important to have before you and your partner be-gin this conversation. You need to know what an ANC entails and what each different type of ANC means.

Each couple is different with their own wants and needs. It is important, once you have talked to a law-yer and know what the basic options are, that you sit down with your partner and discuss the basics. This is where the importance of communication comes up. Each person must voice their opinions to their partner and discuss what they understand an ANC to mean. It is important to remember that each person is an individ-ual with their own opinions and viewpoints surround-ing any issue. We all have our own perspectives and it is important to acknowledge these differences. It is when we do not acknowledge these differences in each other that misunderstandings and arguments occur.

Another issue that also arises when talking about an ANC is what it means to be married. Does an ANC detract from what it means to be married? Does the ANC destroy the idea of marriage being a partner-ship; what’s mine is yours and vice versa? What a couple must remember is that this is a decision that the two of you are both making, together. This deci-sion is one that is safeguarding your financial future together, on paper. When it comes to decisions about how you and your future husband live and spend the money that you make within the marriage is still a decision that is made by the two of you. The ANC does not take this away from you. Your marriage is still in your hands as well as the mainte-nance of your relationship with your partner.

Another concern is that of ‘for better or worse’. When you sign an ANC you are planning a safe way of dealing with ‘the worse’ (in financial terms). Fi-nancial concerns are one of the main stressors in any marriage and doing something that will lessen the effects of this particular stressor in your mar-riage is a smart idea. This is when the old say-ing ‘prevention is better than cure’ comes to mind.

How to discuss the topic of the ANC with your fi-ancé: As mentioned before, communication is a vi-tal aspect in all relationships. It is important to listen to each other and each other’s point of view. After talking to a lawyer or doing some research on what ANCs are available it is time to sit down and talk.

Firstly, you and your fiancé should sit down and discuss the pros and cons of signing an ANC. This will help organise your thoughts and give each of you a turn to discuss your views and understand-ings of what it means to sign an ANC. This can be an important discussion for you and your fi-ancé as it can lead to a conversation of what each of you expect from each other in your marriage.Secondly, each of you should talk about your con-cerns surrounding having an ANC. This can in-volve your concerns of having one or not hav-ing an ANC and why it is important to you.Finally, it is time to make the decision. With all of your cards on the table you and your fi-ancé can make an informed decision, together.

When looking at planning your wedding the last thing you really want to do is sit in a lawyer’s office and talk about finances and ‘what ifs’ but it is an important de-cision that only you and your partner can make. Com-munication is a vital part in all decision making in any marriage and this is the first big and important decision that you two will be making as a soon to be wed couple.

Author: Elizabeth SmithRegistered Counsellor

0829279730

Antenuptial Contractthink about it

Page 65: Splendid Affairs Wedding Magazine

Great Online Sources:www.antenuptial.co.za

www.law24.co.za

Page 66: Splendid Affairs Wedding Magazine

Splendid Fitness

Revolutionize your workout regimen with EA SPORTS Active, the ultimate interactive fitness program that’s designed for you. Get fit with a holistic approach to fit-ness that combines nutrition and lifestyle factors, with a variety of activities, all from the convenience of your living room. From customized routines that target up-per body, lower body, and cardio to a guided 30-day challenge that tests muscle endurance, coordination and agility, stay in shape with fitness made fun and easy.

www.ea.co.za

Do you need to get into shape before your wedding?But somehow you lack the motivation to hit the gym?

Luckily, in the modern world there are a number of unconventional, yet truly effective ways, to get into

shape before your special day.

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COMING uPin the next issue....

The art of Gifting

Cocktails and other

Post-Ceremony Etiquette

MORETrendsTips

Details

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