Warm summer greetings to you all!
The wedding season in Cape Town is now in full swing and the next three months will see many happy couples exchanging vows in our beautiful city.

The festive season and the summer months have always been a popular time for both weddings and engagements. If you are newly-engaged and feeling all at sea, wondering where to start, we suggest you invest in a copy of The really useful WEDDING BOOK for South Africa. The book contains everything you need to know when planning a wedding, and is available from leading bookstores in South Africa, or directly from Celebration House in Claremont, Cape Town. (It also makes an ideal engagement gift!)

Please will you marry me?
If you are thinking of popping that all-important question on Valentine’s Day, on the home page of our popular website, www.celebrationhouse.co.za you will find an interesting article filled with hints and tips for making the perfect proposal.

The National Wedding Show, Olympia, Kensington, London
Celebration House will be exhibiting for the sixth time at the above Show, which takes place over the weekend 22-24 February. If you are going to be in London at that time, please come and visit us at Stand No. 50, as we would love to meet you. At the Show we will be handing out copies of the sixth edition of Under African Skies - a guide to weddings and honeymoons in South Africa.

Save the date!
The 12th Cape Town Wedding Festival will once again take place at the V & A Waterfront, from 26-28 April 2008. As before, ALL exhibitors at the Festival are recommended professionals with proven track records. No chancers, no fly-by-nights and no empty promises – because let's face it, you just can’t afford to take a chance with your big day!

More details regarding this exciting, not-to-be-missed event will be coming your way very soon.

This month's green tip
Add environmentally-friendly items such as cotton bed linen and towels to your gift list.

The Numbers Game

The world's largest wedding cake…

According to a news report I read on gulfnews.com, 56 bakers and their helpers took 12 days to prepare a four-layered wedding cake. The reason it took so long was because the cake was 4,9 metres (16ft) high and 3.8 metres (12ft) wide! The cake was baked to celebrate a mass wedding of 56 couples who were married at ShoeMart Mall in Northern Luzon, Philippines. A video of the making of the cake was presented to the media, as the organisers were vying for a world record.

..…longest (wedding dress) train…
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, 2007 also saw the longest wedding dress train, which measured 1362 m (4468 ft 5.94 in). It was created by Andreas Evstratiou of the bridal shop Green Leaf, in Paphos, Cyprus.

..…and shortest couple
Chinese newly-weds Li Tangyong, 1.1 metres (3ft 7ins) tall and Chen Guilan, 0.7 metres (2ft 4ins) tall, announced at their recent wedding that they are hoping to make it into the record books as the world's shortest couple.

This year’s most popular wedding date
A wedding date that appealed to many couples last year was 07/07/07 and this year, even though it falls on a Friday, I’m sure there will be as many takers for 08/08/08. According to the Chinese, the most popular date for weddings has always been the 8th of August, as they consider the number eight to be very lucky. In 2008 this date offers couples the chance to have three times as much good fortune, so I have no doubt it will be a popular choice. (It’s no wonder this is also the date chosen for the opening of the Olympic Games in Beijing!)

Destination weddings

Due to our country’s popularity as a wedding destination (South Africa is now listed as one of the top 10 ideal places to marry), it has become imperative to book your wedding venue at least a year in advance, especially if you are planning to marry during the summer months. This also applies to booking popular photographers.

This month's interesting question

Q. My dad passed away years ago and although I have an older brother and uncles who would love to do the job, I would like my mom to give me away at my wedding. Is it acceptable to have her walk me down the aisle?

A. There is absolutely no reason why your mother cannot walk you down the aisle. In fact, I think it would be a very nice gesture, and one she is sure to appreciate.

‘Diary of a Bride’

I recently watched the above movie and loved the bit where the bride walks down the aisle and thinks back on all the little mishaps that have occurred. Her diary entry reads: ‘But looking out at everyone assembled, I realised weddings aren't about the bride and groom; they are about everyone else. Marriages are about the bride and groom. When you are walking down the aisle, all the little details mean nothing because at that moment it becomes clear: the only thing that matters is who you are walking to.’

Celebration House

At Celebration House 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.

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!

Top tip from Celebration House

If you’re not planning to have a videographer capture your wedding, don't forget to ask someone to record the speeches, as this is something often forgotten about and regretted later.

Until next time

Best wishes

Pam