Esther Reid Photography
Article written by Pam Black of Celebration House, Cape Town’s unique wedding information centre. First published in Die Burger Leefstyle newspaper in August 2009
Whilst every couple wants to ensure that their wedding day is perfect, it is often the little glitches that make the day more memorable. However, having said that, nobody wants any unnecessary stress on this important day. With a little bit of forward planning many problems can be avoided.
Some last minute questions often asked:
Buttonholes and corsages – which way up?
Probably the most often asked last-minute question is, "Which way do I pin on the buttonhole and corsage?" The answer is simply that the buttonhole is worn with the stem down, and corsages with the stems up.
How much ribbon for the car?
Another item that is often forgotten until the last minute is the ribbon for the car.
For an
average-sized car you will require approximately six metres of 25mm wide ribbon. The ribbon is attached to the bonnet of the car and then tied inside, around the sun visor.
Which leg has the garter?
Something that is easy to forget whilst dressing is the garter. It is worn on the right leg, above the knee.
A few useful tips
Although we live in a land of sunshine, it is still a good idea to be prepared for unexpected showers. Golf umbrellas are a wonderful size – ideal for keeping a bride dry – and they won’t turn inside out very easily. Hopefully you won’t have to use them, but borrow a few ahead of time to keep in the wedding car just in case.
Spit out the gum!
A videographer once asked me to advise couples to ensure that all members of their wedding party had disposed of their chewing gum before the service! You only need to watch one American wedding video to realize the
importance of this advice!
A valuable veil tip
When fixing your veil to your hair, you should always ensure that the shorter piece is uppermost. It might seem like common sense, but brides who are planning to cover their faces for the ceremony have been known to panic on arrival at the church, when they find that their veil is firmly fixed onto their head with the longer piece on top!
With this ring…
Best men have been known to forget the wedding ring so it is advisable to ensure that a few people are given the task of reminding him to bring the ring with him to the ceremony. I personally know of a best man who forgot the ring — something the poor guy is going to be ragged about for a long time!
Talking of rings, to enable the groom to slip on the new wedding ring, it's advisable for the bride to move her engagement ring from the left to the right hand before the ceremony. This will mean less fumbling at the altar. Once the vows are over, it can be slipped back onto the left hand.
Getting to the church
Always ensure in advance that your photographer, videographer, the driver of the car and — most importantly — your Marriage Officer, know exactly how to find the church, reception venue and so on.
I was horrified once when I overheard a photographer asking a bridesmaid for directions to the reception — and a local newspaper covered the story of a Marriage Officer who arrived long after the appointed hour, as he was lost and wandering around the wrong venue. If your venue is hard to locate, and even if you have included a map with your invitation, it is a good idea to equip your ushers with extra copies of reliable maps. Be sure to include the telephone number of the venue on the map.
Choose your wedding gown with care .
One bride who had chosen a very full-skirted gown with lots of petticoats, told me
she had not realized that once she had on her wedding gown, going to the bathroom would be a real mission and utterly impossible without the assistance of her bridesmaids!
Avoid aching feet
If you are wearing new shoes on your wedding day, try to wear them in a bit around the house beforehand. (This rule applies to both the bride and groom.) In the case of leather soles, a good tip is to run some sandpaper over them, to ensure that they are not slippery on the day. You are going to be on your feet for a long time on your wedding day and if your feet are hurting it will show on your face.
Remember the mother of the bride
It's also the ushers' role to look after the mother of the bride (whom I sometimes feel is a little neglected). As it is traditionally the task of the bride's father to escort the bride to the ceremony and then to walk her down the aisle, the bride's mother usually arrives at the service on her
own.
Remind your ushers ahead of the day that it is their job to escort the bride's mother to her seat, in the second pew on the left. The bride's mother needs to be informed of this plan, so that she doesn't make an entrance on her own. She should be the last person to be seated before the arrival of the bride.
The antenuptial contract
As the wife of an attorney, I am alarmed by the fact that many couples don't seem to realise that if they want to be married out of community of property, they must enter into an antenuptial contract before the wedding.
To change your marital property regime once you are legally married is a very costly and time-consuming affair, involving an application to the High Court. Unlike the ruling in many other countries (such as the UK), marriages in South Africa are automatically 'in community of property', and I cannot emphasize enough how important it is for any couple contemplating
marriage (and especially if they own their own business), to contact an attorney well before their wedding.
It is not unheard of (but definitely not advisable) to have attorneys drawing up ANCs hours before a wedding!
Music
If your musicians need electrical facilities, find out what is available – particularly if your ceremony is being held outside. I once attended a wedding where the couple had overlooked this point and instead of the keyboard player being able to entertain the guests before the bride’s arrival, we were highly entertained by the sight of him and the venue staff frantically joining lots of electrical leads together so that he could strike up the wedding march in time!
If you plan to have hymns sung at your ceremony, always check in advance that your musicians are au fait with your choice. I heard of a couple who discovered at the last minute that their marimba band did not know how to play All things bright and beautiful!
It goes without saying that many wedding calamities can be avoided by choosing reliable service providers. All who exhibit at Celebration House are members of The Wedding & Honeymoon Association of South Africa (WAHASA). www.wahasa.co.za
The month of August is Goodie Bag Month at Celebration House and as it is also Women’s Month, all brides-to-be visiting Celebration House during August will be given exciting Goodie Bags to take home with them. Read more about this on our website, www.celebrationhouse.co.za
Celebration House is at 14 Protea Road, Claremont (near Cavendish Square) Tel: 021-674-7350.
