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Firstly, a very big thank you to all who attended the recent Cape Town
Wedding Festival, organised by Celebration House at the V & A
Waterfront in Cape Town.
Judging by accounts received from visitors to the event, the Festival was
enjoyed immensely. A review and photographs can be found on our website www.capetownweddingfestival.co.za.
The Cape Town
Wedding Festival Competition
All visitors to the Festival were eligible to enter the Festival
Competition, which offered some amazing prizes. Details of these and the
names of the winners can be viewed at www.capetownweddingfestival.co.za.
The Wedding & Honeymoon Association of South Africa
(WAHASA)
- when right choices matter
The Festival saw the launch of the newly-formed Wedding & Honeymoon
Association of South Africa (WAHASA). All those who took part in this event
were approved by WAHASA.
Weddings are expensive affairs, and with the recent downturn in the
economy, couples organising their celebrations want assurance that the
service providers they choose are indeed professionals in their field. As
all WAHASA members have agreed to comply with a very strict Code of
Conduct, those who engage the services of one of their members can rest
assured, knowing that they are dealing with a reliable professional in the
wedding industry. To read more about WAHASA, visit www.wahasa.co.za
The really useful WEDDING BOOK for
South Africa by Pam Black
The above book was on offer at the Festival and it was gratifying to hear
so many visitors remark that they already had a copy, and that they had
found it very helpful when planning their weddings. To read more about the
book click here.
This publication is available at all leading booksellers in South Africa
and from Celebration House. If you have difficulty in locating a copy,
please email us at info@celebrationhouse.co.za.
This month's 'Green Wedding Tip'
Judging by reports I have been reading recently, and by comments from
couples I have spoken to, there is a worldwide trend towards more
environmentally-friendly weddings. One of the ways in which you can have a
'greener' wedding is to cut down on the amount of travelling guests have to
do in order to attend your nuptials. This can be achieved by holding the
ceremony and the reception either at the same venue, or in close proximity
to one another.
The Numbers Game
- I recently discovered
that the serving of shark fin soup at Chinese weddings is regarded as
a status symbol. Who would have thought that, due to the increase in
the number of wedding celebrations in Singapore, the consumption of
this soup would more than double, with over 470 tonnes now being
consumed!
- According to The Knot
Inc, the average wedding budget in the USA (not including the
honeymoon) is now $27 882. One American couple who chose to marry in South Africa
recently, reported that although they paid around $8 000 for their
wedding here, they could afford to hold it at a luxurious location.
- It is estimated that 25%
of British couples marry abroad – which is what UK soccer star
Wayne Rooney and his bride Coleen McLoughlin did when they married in
Italy this month. The reported budget for their wedding was a cool £5
million.
Prenuptial agreements for bridesmaids
According to a survey conducted by the UK magazine You and Your Wedding, more than 20% of
brides-to-be would be prepared to ask their bridesmaids to sign prenuptial
agreements, and would withdraw the invitation to be in the bridal party to
those who failed to sign. The following are among the most common demands
of brides-to-be:
- No weight gains
- No pregnancies
- No hairstyle changes
Would you subject your bridesmaids
to an Agreement? Let us know your views on the subject. Click here.
Pets at a wedding
I enjoyed the story I read a short while ago about a bride who was keen to
have her terrier act as ring-bearer at her wedding. Fortunately, she
changed her mind after much thought, as she realised that, since he had a
habit of marking territory, there was a good chance that he would lift his
leg on every pew going down the aisle!
Are you planning to include your pets in your wedding? Drop us
a line, we’d love to share your comments or tips with others who
might be contemplating going this route. Click here.
Borrowing traditions from other cultures
On a recent Martha Stewart show on weddings, it was suggested that instead
of tossing her bouquet, at the start of the reception the bride could ask
all the single girls present to write their names on the soles of her
shoes. At the end of the evening, the girl whose name had faded the most
would be given the bouquet. (This is apparently a Turkish tradition.)
This month's interesting question
Q: My fiancé and I would like to marry on a Sunday evening. Would a
minister be prepared to marry me on that day? And is there any stipulation
as to the time of day, e.g. can we have the ceremony at 9pm if we wish to
do so?
A: There is no legal restriction as to when a marriage ceremony may take
place, and providing you can secure a willing Marriage Officer and an
available venue, you may marry at any time or on any day of the year.
The importance of an antenuptial contract
(ANC)
This month at Celebration House we have focused on the legal side of
marriage and the importance of an ANC.(To read article, click here.)
On our website, www.celebrationhouse.co.za,
we are also running an exciting competition, in which attorneys Catto
Neethling Wiid are offering a lucky couple the chance to win an ANC. Click here for competition
details.
An invitation to Celebration House!
We look forward to welcoming you to our unique wedding information centre,
Celebration House, which you will find in Claremont (just around the corner from Cavendish Square).
In addition to the vast array of displays on view, we also
have a good collection of imported wedding books and the latest imported
wedding magazines, which visitors are welcome to spend as much time as they
like browsing through. Remember, too, that although we are not wedding or
event planners, we will provide you, at no cost, with the tools you need to
do your planning successfully yourself.
All those who exhibit at Celebration House are leading
professionals in the wedding industry and have been approved by The Wedding
& Honeymoon Association of South Africa (WAHASA). We are open during
the week from Monday to Friday between 09h00 and 16h00, and on Saturdays
between 09h30 and 14h00. And, best of all, we offer free parking right
outside our door!
Celebration House Top Tip
Never overlook the importance of an ANC – remember that its main aim
is to protect you!
Until next time
Best wishes
Pam
Black - Owner of Celebration House
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