Steff - our photographer

This was a tough one for me. I loooove photography. Am fairly clueless at taking the actual photos, but I know what bokeh means, can appreciate good light and have the ability to see what’s lovely and what’s awful. I obviously needed an East London photographer, seeing as the budget did not run to hotels and travelling expenses for an out of town photographer.

I was pleasantly surprised.

As with most people, I was guilty of Big City Snobbery when it came to East London wedding providers. I assumed they would all be cheap and cheerful. And then I went online on a little preliminary search. That’s where I found someone fantastic. Great portfolio, had done weddings at our venue and church before and a really friendly, professional couple.

If you are wondering why I’m not mentioning names, it’s because in the end the photographer we chose fell out of the sky – like my dress. Yes, I count my blessings every day J

My mom goes to art classes with her Mom-in-law. Yes this is East London for you. Her name is Steff – Estefania Romero Photography, you can check out her out on www.estefaniaromero.com or her facebook page www.facebook.com/estefania.photography.

If you were wondering about the name, she is Mexican. Married a wonderful EL boy and now lives there. She has worked as a photographer in New York and Mexico, and is becoming increasingly popular in EL. She is sweet and friendly and accommodating and my only regret is that I have yet to meet her in person!

Here are two of my favourite wedding shots:

Isn't she amazing?

etsy.com

Today is a landmark day.

I bought my first item off etsy.com!!! Much happiness and clapping like a 5 year old. The boys in the office think I am certifiable :P

Obviously I can’t tell you what I bought! But it’s something pretty and sweet for my wedding. I am busy collecting random little items for the tables, cake etc at the reception. No themes I promise. I have collected similar things that MAY be construed as having a theme, but NO. NO themes. Hehe. And just having such fun doing it. One thing about being engaged for 18 months is that you have the luxury of time to find pretties, from all over the world if you want to. Loves it!

In case you don’t feel like going to Etsy yourself, let me tell you how it works. It’s a collection of shops from all over the world that creative crafty geniuses have created. Etsy provides a platform for these geniuses to sell their wares. And it’s SO easy.

You can filter by type of item, country, amount (everything is quoted in dollars, but you can times by 7 come on!) and even colour. They have easy payment options, via Paypal (I used Nicky's account) or credit card. And you don’t need to be planning a wedding to find an item to fall in love with. Decorating your home, clothes, accessories, having a chic dinner party – etsy has everything!

Here are some examples of Etsy products I love (I have included the name of the shop they come from, just search the name on Etsy and voila!):

Beach prints from joystclaire

Vintage sunglasses from StuckOnVintage

Bridal fascinator from portobello

Upcycled chairs from trinaroseboutique

Houndstooth pencil skirt from reachingrobyn

Rose cut tourmaline ring from JanishJewels

Wooden cook sign - perfect for a kitchen - from OldNewAgain

Birdie wedding cake topper from purplemadison

Finding the Dress

A couple of months ago, a friend asked me for advice on how to shop for a wedding dress. The truth is my wedding dress was the first one I tried on. Ever. I literally walked into Bride and Co., picked a rack and there she was. A creamy sensation of tulle and feathers and gorgeousness. I can hear you all going...Kate? FEATHERS??? But you’ll see, it’s tasteful I promise. And really, very ME. I do believe there is a right way to shop for a dress. Whether you are buying off the rack, from Overseas or having one made.

I didn’t have a plan in mind for my dress; it almost fell out of the sky. I was so so so lucky.

 I am no expert, but from my experience and listening to other brides and reading many many blogs I have a bit of advice for all brides to be.

-          Start early, my dress had to be ordered from Overseas and took 3 months to come

-          Try dresses on first, even if you have one made. You will be so surprised at what looks good on. I had my heart set on a certain style from pictures and the Net, and actually my dress looked far better on. Nothing beats trying on a dress.

-          If you are trying on dresses from a designer, or an exclusive boutique always ask if they charge for trying on. No-one wants the nasty surprise at the end, it can cost upwards of R400 just to have a look!

-          I highly recommend Bride and Co. OK so I got my dress there, and obviously I’m a fan! But they don’t charge for fittings, and you get very good service with your own consultant. They also have a large selection of styles, colours and sizes.

-          Don’t get despondent if you try on 50 dresses and none are quite right. If you hate all of them, then you’re just high maintenance *wink*, there are always some elements you like. Keep track of these, especially if you have one made, as it can provide valuable insight into the Perfect One for you.

-          Don’t be afraid to do something different. Colours other than white can be gorgeous, and shorter dresses are also becoming quite fashionable. My dress is ivory and was far more flattering on my skin tone than white.

-          Lastly, don’t be afraid to go on your own, especially the first time. Sometimes having a bevy of aunties and friends, all with conflicting comments, can only confuse you. Having said that, I wish my Mom and girly family and friends could have shared in my dress experience. But that’s what happens when you live so far away.

I will not spoil the surprise about my dress, but here are some unusual wedding dresses that rocked my world:

invitations

Yay, much excitement J Our invitations are being printed as we speak and my wonderful stationery designer, Cassie, will be dropping them off next Friday!!! Well in advance, typical me, but I have a few other surprises before we send them out. I will do another post with all the details, and maybe a picture or two in a month or so.

Have a happy happy weekend, Nicky and I are going to a wedding north of Pretoria at a gorgeous bush lodge. Lucky me!

For now, here are some invites I used for prettiness inspiration:

beautiful

I just had to blog this - the light and warmth...maybe it's because it's so cold in Jozi at the moment and I am constantly dreaming of my honeymoon on the beach :)



Pic from Style Me Pretty