Downton Abbey, styled shoot

A couple of months ago I had the pleasure of being part of a styled shoot for the Nuptial Network and the theme was Downton Abbey. The age of lords and ladies, high tea, pearls, lace and elegance, makes for an ideal theme for a wedding. The soft colors and loose flower arrangement leave a suggestion of romance everywhere. Have a look at some of the pics of the flowers done by Unforgettable Events.

Getting married in South Africa (Part 2)

Last week we started talking about you need to get married in South Africa. Here's part 2:

Conducting a marriage:

Only marriage officers authorised in terms of Act No. 25 of 1961 to perform marriages, may do so. Presently civil marriages are solemnised at offices of the Department of Home Affairs and at churches by authorised marriage officers.  Marriage officers are easy to find, just contact the church of your choice or have your lawyer or wedding planner suggest one.

A marriage must be conducted in the presence of at least two witnesses in:

•                       A church or another building used for religious services

•                       In a public office or private house, with open doors

•                       In the case of serious illness or injuries, the marriage may take place in a hospital or any concerned facility.

Marriage certificates:

Two witnesses and the marriage officer must sign the marriage register after the solemnization of a marriage. Then the marriage officer must issue the parties with a handwritten marriage certificate (BI-27) free of charge.

The marriage officer must then submit the marriage register to the nearest office of the Department of Home Affairs, where the marriage details will be recorded in the National Population Register (NPR).

Any additional abridged copies or unabridged copies of the marriage certificate can be requested by:

•                       Completing Form BI-130 and submitting it to the nearest office of the Department of Home Affairs or to the nearest South African embassy, mission or consulate abroad.

•                       Paying the prescribed fee

The first issue of an abridged marriage certificate is free, and a re-issue is R15.00 (approx. $2 US)

In addition to abridged or unabridged copies of a marriage certificate, you may also request the following documents after completing Form BI-130 and paying the prescribed fees:

•                       A vault copy of the register

•                       An abridged marriage certificate that is either computer printed or handwritten 

That’s about it! I know it seems like a mountain of paperwork but lifelong commitments do not come easily. Think of it as slaying the paper dragon to get to your beloved!

For more information you can go to:

http://www.home-affairs.gov.za/Marriage%20certificates.html

or

http://www.celebration.co.za/related/wedding-articles/miscellaneous/marrying-as-a-foreigner-in-south-africa/

Hope that helps!

Happy planning!

Getting married in South Africa (part 1)

South Africa is one of the most amazing places to get married because you can find a bit of everything in one country. We've got beaches, lakes, mountains, wild bush reserves, historic buildings, rural villages, opulent hotels, cosmopolitan cities and open savanna plains.

We've also got a very favorable exchange rate at the moment and a lot of international couples find that they get way more bang for their buck here, at the Southern tip of Africa.

So, if you’re considering an exotic wedding in a faraway land, here’s what you’ll need to get the paperwork done!

First off, find out what your country of origin needs in order to register the marriage. While anyone can legally get married in SA, you still need to register your new marital status once you get home! If the bride and groom are from different homelands, then it is advisable to find out what the requirements are from the groom’s side first. The requirements will differ from country to country, so I’m afraid you’re going to have to do some legwork here yourself.

Once you've established the requirements from your country of origin, you need to get the following together:

·         Letter of No Impediment - This is a legal document issued by the country of birth stating, according to the records, what your present marital status is and whether or not you have any outstanding warrants, etc. This is very important. The South African Department of Home Affairs have gotten really strict on this in an effort to stop human trafficking.

·         Passport and Visa permit – Make sure you can be in the country for a few days before and after the ceremony, just to make sure you give yourself enough time to get the paperwork done.

·         3 Certified ID photos (of both the groom and the bride) plus 1 certified copy of each of the 2 witnesses – you will need two witnesses to sign the wedding register with you.

·         If either of you is divorced or widowed, you’ll need the final divorce decree or deceased spouse’s death certificate (preferably translated into English if that is not your native language)

·         Its also advisable to get you Ante nuptial contract drawn up as soon as possible. Depending on how you want to get married - community of property, ANC or ANC with accrual - the last two need a lawyer to draw it up.

We'll look at the rest of the process next week.

Happy planning!

Vintage West Meets East

Surprise Weddings....what reality shows are made of. 

Yet this surprise wedding was a romantic gesture of note! The bride knew when she would get married and in which country. She chose her own dress. The rest was orchestrated by her groom and Unforgettable Events.

He flew his bride to Cape town, South Africa, where his grandparents were married in the twenties. He wanted to incorporate elements of South Africa and the 20's, to remember them. However, since the couple are living in Taiwan, he also wanted to incorporate elements from the east. And so, Proteas and Orchids found themselves side by side in a small chapel in a Cape Town forest, where an English Groom finally wed his Spanish Bride under the African sky.

Photos by Ross Chuter from Happy Snaps Cape Town

Rustic Romance

"Love... That has to be the focus of the day; Love" 

This is the brief that I was given by beautiful bride Tanya. She wanted to be involved in every aspect of the day and her handiwork was visible everywhere. The venue was filled with bottles and cans that she decorated herself. We basically just added the flowers and finishing touches. This wedding was a true reflection of the bride and groom in their love and commitment to each other with rustic elements combined with soft pastels.

Photos by Marlene de Villiers Photography

A French Affair

France; synonymous with fashion, fine food and romance. An obvious choice for a wedding. But when our French bride and Durban-born groom wanted to celebrate their wedding, the choice was Cape Town.

And so french flair was brought to our sunny African shores as they renewed their vows in a small intimate ceremony in the Tokai forest chapel and had the reception at the beautiful Buitenverwachting wine farm.

Tradition French elements like Jordan almonds as wedding favors, met South-African delicacies, in the form of boxed biltong parcels for the guests to enjoy. French champagne was set beside the flower arrangements where South African fynbos peeked out. A true reflection of the combining of two cultures in the lives of this memorable couple.

Photos by Micheal Hammond

Feestelike Fynbos

Daar is baie dinge wat my laat dink aan die mooie Kaap maar as dit by blomme kom is niks so eg Kaaps soos fynbos en die alombekende Protea nie. En wat is nou meer eg Suid-Afrikaans as 'n hartlike Sondag middagete, saam met geliefdes, om 'n mooi gedekte tafel? 'n Sondagmiddag fees rondom 'n tafel belaai met fynbos!

Hierdie is 'n maklike idee wat enige een hul eie kan maak. Gaan kry net 'n lieflike bos fynbos en speel met dekor elemente wat al klaar in jou huis rondstaan. 'n Ou bottel of twee kan vinnig vervraai word met 'n lint of stukkie kant. Stapel 'n paar ou boeke en krap Ouma se mooi kant tafeldoeke uit. 'n Los kers of wat en 'n mooi servet rond die tafel af. En as jy nie mooi servette het nie, skribbel 'n paar woordjies op 'n stukkie ongebleikte linne en maak jou eie servette!

Hierdie tafel kan net so lekker werk vir 'n informele troue met 'n oudhede tema.

  

Real Life Wedding: Venetian Romance

The creativity and diversity in people will never cease to amaze me and while every client is unique and every wedding special, this one stands out for me.

The brief; A second wedding, for a couple who wants simple elegance, with the focus being on the celebration of life, love and family rather than on the couple themselves.  A wedding in white and silver with a hint of purple and a whisper of Venice.

The bride and groom had spent a fantastic holiday in Venice and brought back with them a wedding dress, a beautiful anglais fan and some small Venetian masks to be incorporated in the wedding.

We made the Venetian masks into boutonnieres for the men.

The bride wanted the fan to feature as part of her bouquet, forming this truly unique flower arrangement.

The precious little flower girl had a handmade flower basket and corsage topped with a silver butterfly.

The chapel was decorated simply in white and green.

The reception was equally understated to feel more like a family reunion rather than a wedding. And the wedding cake was as practical as the bride herself. Red velvet cupcakes were boxed, tagged and stacked to form the wedding cake and also to serve as favours for the guests

Photos by Nora Papanicolaou