Vintage prettiness for your big day

Moi Decor Wedding & Function Hire have recently updated their rental catalogue – and boy, does it include some cute things! Shabby chic ladders, chalkboard signs and glass beverage dispensers, which are a big trend for your refreshment table!

View more pics and their catalogue on their website, and for inspiration on how to use vintage items on your wedding day, look at the albums on their Facebook page.



Photo credits: {www.moidecor.co.za}

Tuesday Shoesday!!

These shoes are so pretty.. too pretty to just wear for one day.



Photo credit: {www.kurtgeiger.com}

Ten Must-Have wedding shots on your big day

You would think that this concept is quite simple and that photographers usually cover all the shots you would deem as necessary as representation of your big day. This is usually the case, but with the stress of the big day and all the chaos surrounding the photographer and you, it’s a good idea to have a list of Must-Have shots to be taken on your big day. You know... just in case!

Here are our top ten Must-Haves:

1. The Dress on its own
This is probably the most expensive piece of clothing you will ever wear. Ever. A good enough reason for this Must-Have! Over and above the fact that it's one of the most anticipated aspects of a wedding.

Photo credit: {pier23.typepad.com}

2. The bride walking down the aisle
It’s the moment you have been waiting for darling! Best you take a pic of it!

Photo credit: {zara-zoo.com}

3. The Groom looking nervous/tearful
It’s his big day too you know...

Photo credit: {www.momentjunkie.com}

4. The Big Kiss
Spontaneous, full of emotion....the first kiss as a married couple...aah what's not to love about this one?

Photo credit: {welovepictures}

5.Bridal party shots
You want to remember all the friends and family who made your big day possible, so this one is a no brainer...

Photo credit: {welovepictures}

6.Speeches
You have to capture the emotion of the speakers on the big day and of the guests! Not negotiable!

Photo credit: {lovemadevisible.co.za}

7. First dance
This shot is so intimate and romantic...sigh...

Photo credit: {lovemadevisible.co.za}

8.Cutting the cake
If you don’t make a big hoo haa about cutting the cake, then you may as well have thrown your reception at the local post office...

Photo credit: {welovepictures}

9. Party shots
You need to keep the memories of your awesome wedding-turned-disco-party-of-the-year...

Photo credit: {welovepictures}

10. Finally married shots
An intimate moment shared between the newly weds...is a TOTAL MUST-HAVE!

Photo credit: {simplyme.co.za}

DIY Inspiration: Mini Cookie Wedding Cakes

I love this idea! It’s not only super cute and will get the guests talking, but it’s a great DIY project too. These mini wedding cake cookie things actually come from Martha Stewart Weddings, although I found this DIY tutorial on Lucy Dylan Weddings. You can find royal icing at any baking shop or try www.cakedeco.co.za.




Sugar Cookie Cakes (from Martha Stewart Weddings, Winter 2006)
Makes 64 cookies, enough for 8 cakes
• 8 cups sifted all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups unsalted butter, softened
• 4 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 4 tsp vanilla extract
• Small store-bought gum-paste or icing flowers (2 cm each)

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl; set aside.
Put butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Reduce speed to low.
Gradually mix in flour mixture. Divide dough into 4 pieces; flatten each into a disk, and wrap in plastic.
Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (or overnight).

Preheat oven to 180 degrees with racks in upper and lower thirds. Let 1 disk of dough stand at room temperature just until soft enough to roll, about 10 minutes. Roll out dough on a lightly floured work surface to 0.6c cm thick, adding more flour as needed to keep dough from sticking. Using cookie cutters, cut out 24 x 8cm rounds, 24 x 7cm rounds, and 16 x 5cm rounds. Transfer to baking sheets lined with parchment paper as you work, keeping rounds of the same size on the same sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.

Chill in freezer until very firm, about 15 minutes. Bake until edges turn golden, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks; let cool completely. Transfer icing to a pastry bag fitted with a small plain round tip. Pipe around top edges of each cookie, about half a centimeter from edge; fill in with a thin layer of icing. Smooth with a small offset spatula. (Reserve about 1/4 cup icing for assembling cookie cakes.) Let set, at least 6 hours (or overnight).

Stack 3 large cookies, securing with dabs of icing in between. Repeat, stacking 3 medium cookies and 2 small cookies on top. Secure a gum-paste flower on top of each cookie cake using a small amount of icing. Repeat with remaining cookies and icing. Let stand until set, at least 30 minutes, before packaging.

Happy baking!

Photo credits: {lavidacreations.com}

La Dolce Vita Engagement Shoot

Now this is something you don’t see everyday! A Dolce Vita stylised E-session (engagement shoot) taken in the heart of Jozi. This one has to be one of my favourite e-sessions, taken by the fabulous Blackframe Photography. I just love this idea! Take a look at the full shoot here:




Photo credits: {blackframephotography.co.za}

Happy Shoesday!!!

What a miz day for a Shoesday up here in the Highveld. But to chear you up, I found the most stunning shoesday pic from a wedding shot at Oakfield Farm (love this venue) by the super talented Cape based team at Zara Zoo Photography (love them too). The vintage books came from Moi Decor Wedding Hire, which were a nice touch. This wedding actually deserves its own post, which I will probably get to at some point, but if you would like to see it, click here.



Photo credit: {zara-zoo.com}

Beautiful Balloon Inspiration

One of my favourite wedding trends (I actually don’t like the word trend to describe this, because I think it’s actually a timeless decor idea...but moving along) are wedding balloons. They add pops of colour and a festive-ness, can be used as decor (especially the big ones that look like lanterns) and as props for your photos. They are super cute, whimsical and are just all round awesome! Oh, and they are inexpensive. What’s not to love?

The best balloons I managed to find were big lantern type and heart shaped balloons (which are my favourite) at a balloon company based in Durban (www.balloonandprinting.co.za). Alternatively you can also try Jozi based www.skytoys.co.zain Mayfair. Remember that when it comes to helium balloons, only helium "type" balloons - not just any balloon! For more suppliers, a simple Google search for balloons in your area should also lead you to other balloon suppliers.

Here is some wedding balloon inspiration to get you going this Monday!



Photo credits: {www.whimsicalwonderlandweddings.com}{www.stylemepretty.com}{www.greylikesweddings.com}{www.middleofthemapweddings.com}{www.weddingchicks.com}
{styleunveiled.com}{www.loveandlavender.com}

Tuesday Shoesday

Happy Shoesday! Just loving these ruffles on these Badgely Mischkas!



Photo credit: {recycledbride.com}

Wedding Menu Ideas

A menu need not be just a printed card propped on the tables at your wedding. With a bit of thought you can use this as an opportunity to express your creativity and personality! Here are some of our favourite menu ideas, which are actually quite simple, but chic and elegant.

Use a brown paper bag as your wedding menu as well as a bag for favours; A belly wrapper makes a perfect menu too; doilies are so cute for that shabby chic look; vintage crates presenting the menu is a novel idea; an embellished frame makes a creative menu display; a cookie catcher menu is nostalgic and unique



Photo credits: {youaremyfaveparties.tumblr.com} {libbyjamesblog.com} {projectwedding.com} {brides.com} {oh-lovely-day.com} {stylemepretty.com}

To favour or not to favour...

Aaah, wedding favours. Once, revered as the perfect little thank you gift before the recession, and now, just an anomaly... So, what is the latest with regards to these little penny pinchers? Are your guests going to think you’re a schnoep if they don’t receive a favour? Are they going to care/take note/remember?
Probably not. A wedding favour does not a fabulous wedding make. However, they are thoughtful and can add to the detail of your big day. I have heard of brides budget between R20 – R50 per favour. Which can work out quite pricey. However, you don’t have to go this route. When it comes to doing wedding favours on a budget, here are your options that won’t break the bank:

Seeds, plants, and flowers are a great symbol of your growing love!

Candy from a candy bar – it’s pretty, is a great photo opp and your guests with sweet tooths will be over the moon

Lotto tickets – R2.50 a pop...comon what’s not to love about this one?

Double up your favours as table decor – think potted flowers/plants, candy apples, luggage tags, vintage books...the list here is actually endless

Small candles, lollipops, silver bells to ring as you leave the church

Photo credits: {nurserymen.com} and {gourtmetweddingfavours.blogspot.com}

DIY Tutorial: Chiffon / Tulle Flowers

A few weeks back I posted beautiful blue shoes, adorned with cute little chiffon flowers (which were clipped on) for Tuesday Shoesday. Here is a DIY tutorial I found on one of my favourite blogs, Sparkle and Hay, on how to make these precious little treasures yourself...and you can use them on hair, pinned on a dress, shoes or a clutch. They are so easy to make and are super versatile and will add that little element of girly-ness to your look!

This is what you will need:
Chiffon and tulle fabric – how many metres will depend on how many flowers you want.
Paper, a pen, scissors, pins, needle & thread, and glass seed beads.



Step 1:
Create a stencil by drawing a single petal shape on the paper and cut it out. You can Google petal patterns to help you here.



Step 2:
Take your fabric and fold it into a square a little larger than the flower pattern. Pin the pattern to fabric and carefully cut out. Repeat this process until you have enough layers to make a full flower – the number of layers will vary depending on the weight of your fabrics and the size of your flower. (Example shown here uses 26 layers of fabric)



Step 3:
Stack flower cut outs, alternating fabric types and staggering petals. Use a needle and thread to secure them together at the center. Pinch together the center of the flower (from the bottom) and secure with stitches to create volume and give the flower and authentic shape.



Step 4:
If desired, sew decorative seed beads in the inside center of the flower and sew the flower to a hair clip, comb, or piece of ribbon.

Photo credit: {sparkleandhay.com}

Candy Coloured wedding at Helderfontein Estate

I’ve blogged about Helderfontein Estate before, but it just goes to show how a venue can change through the eyes of the photographer and the personality of the couple. This wedding incorporated soft candy colours with vintage books and ribbon and Simply Me Photography did an awesome job with these pics. I especially love the soft, floaty feel and the romantic details coming through – and the table number is such a cute idea! For more on the beautiful wedding, visit Simply Me Photography.














Photo credits: {simplyme.co.za}

Happy Shoesday!!

Some nice shoesday inspiration for you! Happy shoesday!



Photo credit: {theknottybride.com}

Jozi wedding at The Radisson Blu, Sandton

Now THIS is a ‘joburg’ wedding, taken at the Radisson Blu hotel in Sandton by the talented Schantel from Kiekie Photography. The modern venue is chic and the head-to-toe ceilings in the reception hall allowed the guests to overlook the whole of Jozi, making a perfect backdrop for this lovely wedding. I love the clean, sophisticated look here, which isn't something you see everyday now that there's a big vintage trend. Nevertheless, I think this big day is truly timeless! For more lovely photos of this wedding and others by Kiekie Photography, click here















Photo credits: {kiekiephotography.com}