Have a fabulous Friday

Don't forget to enter this amazing competition - you could win your wedding coordination and planning by Done Events and Celebrations. The closing date is this Sunday (28 February) so we just couldn' t let it pass you by without a reminder! We love the process of planning weddings and having a plannerdoesn't take this away - it will, however, relieve stress in the planning phase and you will be so pleased to have a planner for the actual day - to keep things running smoothly behind the scenes. So put some time aside this weekend and get your entries in. We're keeping an eye out for the winner - good luck!

And, for a little free love on Friday, click here for this gorgeous LOVE design from In Good Company. Let your imagnation run wild - it would be great on T-shirts for bachelorette parties, for the retinue to wear the day before while setting up, or on the morning getting ready; it can be used for save-the-dates or even on some elements at the wedding.

We heart wedding magazines

Today we went to the re-launch of Wedding Inspirations Magazine at the Westcliff Hotel. It was a rainy grey morning in Jo'burg but we were treated to a wonderful warm introduction by new Editorial Director Jacquie Myburgh, not to mention the delicious dainty bites of cheesecake!

Previously the magazine was distributed free of charge at the Bridal Expo bi-annually. It will now be a quarterly publication sold in stores. The handbag-sized wedding guide will be full of inspiration: fashion, beauty and lifestyle. As they say - it's your bridesmaid in your handbag.

We can't wait until they hit the stands in March!

Inspiration Board #4: High Tea

Recently, we were invited to a High Tea & Cocktails wedding, which inspired me to create this dreamy mood board. I think High Tea is a great reception option for couples on a budget or second-time round couples, or just for those with a really sweet tooth. Hosting a high tea at a fabulous venue is sophisticated, romantic and so very sweet. Think champagne, dainty bites, vintage china, pastel blossoms, and all things pretty.

Click on image for larger version.

Source (clockwise from top left): Dress, Macarons, Flowers, Man, Cupcakes, Invitation, Tea Cup, Cakes, Vintage Linen.

Wedding gone Vogue

Have you read every wedding magazine available on the shelves? Then it's time to be inspired by haute couture! This gorgeous shoot by Arthur Elgort and styled by Vogue's amazing fab fashion editor Grace Coddington was featured in Vogue, June 2009. It stars top model Sasha Pivovarova and her husband photographer Igor Vishnyakov with a whole lot of their friends. While most of us can only dream of Balenciaga, Christian Lacroix and Givenchy designing our wedding dress and those of our bridesmaids, this spread has some elements that you can achieve without being famous!

The old fashioned family portrait is one of our favourite ways of setting up that necessary photograph

An ecclectic mix of bridesmaid dresses come together in their length and in the hair pieces

Cute pose and even cuter hair pieces

Patterned bridesmaids dresses are unusual and refreshing

Ooh la la!

A going away dress is such a fun tradition!

Real Wedding #3: Love and Cacti

We love this wedding and all the little details - so many ideas and tips for your own day.

*Love the tea-length dress, romantic fascinator for her hair, and the bright purple shoes! (And the groom's sneakers are pretty cool too.)

*Kale and succulents were used in the gorgeous floral arrangements - and the bride's bouquet was wrapped with her grandmother's pearls, a lovely sentimental touch.

* Rustic, simple table settings with mismatched vases and floral arrangements. And lots of sweet little arrangements all the way down the length of the table. Love! Succulents are a great choice for the Inspired South African Bride as they are accessible, indigenous, affordable and eye-catching.

*Clever use of paper bunting - a really easy DIY project.

*We heart divine yummy-looking dessert tables.

*Fun photo booth - a big trend from 2009 continuing into 2010.

See more from the wedding and floral designer Jesi Haack Weddings and the photographer Sarah K Chen Photography.

Friday for free: do yourself a favour!

Look at these beautiful favour boxes we found at Nonpareil Magazine! We love how they can be customized to suit any wedding style by changing the ribbon, the color paper or adding adornments (how gorgeous are those cut out butterflies!). If I received this favour box as a guest at a wedding it wouldn't even matter what's inside. Download the printable favour box template here.

Send us photos of your results- we would love to see your personal take on this idea.

We all scream for ice-cream

I adore everything about this DIY Ice-Cream Parlour from Eat,Drink, Chic - the colours, the labels, easy-peasy DIY ideas, the interaction for guests. It's perfectly on trend - we're seeing dessert buffets everywhere this year and it is a fun way to end a meal and bridge the gap between dinner and dancing. Plus it's a dessert everybody will love! You could incorporate an ice-cream wedding cake into the Parlour too. There are gorgeous download freebies here so this look is really simple to recreate but will be so impressive for your guests. The sweet life, indeed!

Inspiration board #3: Playground and romance

Inject a little bit of FUN into your wedding! Today's inspiration board is about the sense of humour, the playfulness and the joyful exuberance that become the memorable parts of a wedding day. How about a cheeky pair of colorful heels for you or a stripy bowtie for him? We love wedding favours that are unique and cootie catchers never fail to amuse guests. The essence of the day can remain elegant, classic and charming but here are some ways to incorporate little surprises that you will never forget!

(Please click on board for larger image)

Top row from left: Cupcake and cake decals from Ticings; cheeky bride image from Paco and Betty Photography 

Row 2: Sparkly red shoes from Christian Louboutin; DIY party hats by Jordan Ferney; bowtie by J.Press   

Row 3: Scrabble love via Merci New York; cootie catcher wedding favour from Martha Stewart Weddings; bouquet toss image from Vogue June 2009 photographed by Arthur Elgort  

Join us for dinner

A key trend for weddings in 2010 is a return to the traditional sit-down dinner reception. Say good-bye to buffets and queues! The dinner reception is elegant and timeless and brings guests together over delicious food and great conversation, creating an intimate atmosphere. A thoughtful and well-executed table setting adds a polished look to any reception - lots of candles, good tableware and glassware,  bounteous flowers and quality linen. A more casual take is to have the food set in platters at each table so guests help themselves from their seats - make sure no more than 8 people share to avoid tedious passing around of laden plates and that everyone can reach easily. Bon appetite!

Source (From top): The Knot,  Jose Villa Photography via Style Me Pretty, Gertrude and Mabel Photography via Snippet & Ink, Megan Sorel via Style Me Pretty

Real wedding #2: It's in the details

We love seeing a bride's unique stamp and personal touches shine through in a wedding. It is inspiring how this bride, Laural, embraced the idea completely from cross-stitching the table numbers and the reserved signs that were used in the ceremony and the reception, to designing the invitations and hand tying them together, to making the programmes and hand-stamping the seating cards. A good tip is to give yourself plenty of time to work on these detailed projects so they do not become a last minute stress. Laural began the table numbers nine months before the actual day!

The groom, Jedd, also got in on the DIY and presented Laural with diamond earrings before the ceremony with the gift wrapping keeping with the style of the wedding.

All the other aspects of this simple, elegant wedding fitted in just perfectly. A beautiful lace dress, an old fashioned refreshments table with lemonade and bottled water for guests to cool down before the ceremony, uncluttered tables topped with glass conatiners filled with white flowers, and the fun food that was dressed up but not fussy all came together to create a unique, fresh day to remember.

Source: This wedding was shot by Meg Runion via here.

Friday for Free - Happy Valentine's Day!

The world of wedding bloggers is extremely generous in sharing their creative genius with free downloads. We love this gorgeous Valentine's Day card and postcard download from The Wedding Chicks. Perfect for a DIY love letter to your fiance on Sunday. Have a happy Valentine's Day!

Click here to download.

Save the date

With the hectic pace of life today and  the jam-packed schedules of potential guests, sending out a Save The Date has become de rigueur. As soon as you and your groom to be have decided on the date that you'll celebrate forever more, you can send out Save The Dates to make sure those you want there mark it in their diaries!

Don't worry if you have not yet chosen the design of your invitations- Save The Dates don't have to match the invite nor reflect the style of your wedding. In fact, Save The Dates give you a little more time to decide on all the details. Being less formal than the invite they let you have a little fun and are a great way to show off your creativity.

We love this unique idea where the actual date is the save the date!

And we love that it's an easy DIY project too!

Source: Martha Stewart Weddings

1. Cut the numbers of your date from cardboard. We recommend printing out the numbers (choose a large, bold text) from your computer and using them as stencils tracing around them or sticking them on cardboard with prestick and cutting around them.
2. Punch a hole into the tops of the numbers
3. Thread your numbers onto a thin ribbon tying knots before and after each pair
4. Print your names, the wedding venue and any other details you want onto cardboard note cards (we recommend A5 or smaller)
5. Cut two slits into a note card, thread the ribbon through and tie a bow.

6. Place in envelope, seal, address and send!

Inspiration Board #2: I Heart You

This week's board is inspired by Valentine's Day, just around the corner. It's all about red and pink, heart shaped delight, and the celebration of love. We love the nostalgic heart as a design element in a wedding - so get creative with how you use it, such as the sweet little red heart on the programmes or a well-placed floral heart (near an entrance to the venue or in the middle of the dance floor works well).

After all, love is all you need!

(click on image for larger version)

Clockwise from top left: Love Potion by Wiley Valentine via Once Wed, Heart Quilt from Brooklyn Bride, Flower Heart from Once Wed, Bicycle by Style Me Pretty, Cake with Love Sparklers from 100 Layer Cake, Reveal Me card from In Good Company, Red bucket from Brooklyn Bride, Cupcakes by Le Cupcake.

It's all about the dress

Your wedding dress is one of the most important aspects of your wedding. Not only does it have to reflect the style of your wedding, it has to reflect the style of you as an individual. Finding the dress can be a daunting task to say the least so it helps to take a look at what some of the greats are doing.

Vera Wang is the quintessential wedding dress designer and her Spring 2010 collection is one of my favourites- it is filled with whimsy, fantasy, and wonder. Although she is not exactly a local seamstress, let her collection inspire you in deciding upon your dress.

Grecian-inspired one shoulder gown in layers of light fabric

mulitple layers in off-white tones

unexpected textures with a dramatic bow

simple elegance with a coloured sash

intricate layers and details to die for

can you imagine this master piece in white?!

a dramtic statement with haute couture design

bows and more bows complimenting the waist line and shoulder

a touch of sparkle for the glitzy event

Source: All dresses by Vera Wang