invitations - part two

We have finally finished our invitations! Exciting times.

And you can imagine, neurotic as I am it was very hard to reply to the final email saying “Print those things”. Very hard. Like I waited three days with the email in my drafts. I mean this is the first hint of our wedding to our guests! It gives all the pertinent info and suggests – God forbid – a THEME.

And don’t even get me started on the wording. My word. How do you say in the nicest possible way, we will not be having a gift registry. Please don’t buy us a set of cake knives. Unbelievably, we inherited a set of beautiful silver ones from my Granny back in ‘09. We have a tiny flat full of stuff we don’t have space for. It’s a constant battle keeping the granite tops in our kitchen VISIBLE. And we pay a small fortune in rent for that bloody stone and not melamine. I want to SEE it.

I’m guessing everyone is going to have an opinion about my invites. I mean..mmhmm..OUR invites. I am so invested in them though, please be nice. Pretty please.

And a last bit of advice for any brides to be, get someone to help you with the invites. A designing genius someone. I asked the lovely ladies at Tadaa Design – thanks to the pretty blog for that suggestion – here in Joburg and they were amazing. Check out their website. We did the whole thing over email – my favourite – and Cassie even hand delivered the final product to my office! They can also courier, which is great if you live somewhere obscure or where the stationers think everything needs to be bright pink and covered in diamantes.

Obviously I don’t want to give too much away, but here are two little shots (note the No jeans – because, seriously, you need to be specific. I had to stop myself from writing "Shoes required".)

Love my love birds!

something old

No shortage of these. With my penchant for hoarding stuff and the spoils of SuperMary (if you don’t get this reference, read this my lovelies).  I was never going to be a bride in the loo of the church five minutes before the wedding, realising...oh shite I knew I forgot something.

Never.

Let’s see....Gran’s brooch, Mom’s veil, Nic’s jocks (kidding; but seriously what is it with men and these grotty old bits of fabric that have holes and highlighter stains. Try not to think too deeply about the highlighter stains.) I wonder if my dress counts seeing as I’ve had it since November last year?

Something old...definite tick.

This beauty is courtesy Style Me Pretty

pinterest

Pinterest is awesome. Finish and klaar.

Let me explain. It works like an old school pinboard. You have a profile on Pinterest, with Boards that you can name whatever you like. Then you install a little programme called Pin It, which you save under your favourites on Explorer/Chrome/whatever you using.  Then whenever you see a pic you like ANYWHERE on the Net, you pin it to one of your boards. Me loves it! 

I use it to collect pictures for this blog, I have a board called “supercuteness” just for cute animal pictures that make me giggle like a psych patient. And one called "stylish" for pictures of what I aspire to wear (but sadly cannot due to my current enslavery). And people can follow you and you them.

So follow me if you like, or just go and have a look see here: pinterest

Here are some examples from my boards:

happy cake

stylish

supercuteness

inspirational wisdom

pretty little things



places and spaces



My South Africa

my wedding blog

First Look

This is the one thing Nicky and I have decided to do that has caused MAJOR upset. I’m talking LARGE. Especially with the older generation. Horrified looks, disapproving grunts and general “have you youngsters lost it?’s” They all think we have gone what Nic calls BSC (Bat Shit Crazy).

If you don’t know, here are two photographer’s blogs that give fantastic explanations of what a First Look is.

Zara Zoo

Segerius Bruce

It just makes sense people. The sky will not fall on our heads if we decide to see each other before the wedding ceremony. When you’ve been living together for more than two years, believe me seeing your man all suited up before the ceremony is the LEAST of your worries. Bathroom mishaps and digestive related nightmares abound when you live with someone for that long, especially in a flat the size of a Vietcong POW camp. It’s a true testament to love I tell you.

So we’ll be doing it.

And wedding guests, you will thank me when you don't have 2 hours to get tanked on the bar tab and are hungover by the first dance - waiting for us to have a million couple photos. As Mom says “your wedding is nothing but different”. Yes The Rules have gone out the window (hopefully onto our jackass neighbour's garden, making a loud and messy splat) and Nicky and I are rocking it.

And how sweet are the couples' faces when they see each other for the first time?

I have nicked these pics from the blog posts above (follow the links!).

something blue

I love this one. And very happy that I’m not forced to wear blue shoes or blue earrings (that SO would not go with my outfit) or - Heaven FORBID - a blue garter. We’ve been through the garter story, not happening.

My Gran to the rescue once more. (On a side note, I imagine Gran as a super hero – SuperMary if you will – in a twinset and pearls, but with a supersonic car and a German shepherd sidekick called George. She really had a German shepherd called George so I’m guessing that’s where that one comes from. Otherwise, I’m just weird.)

About two years ago when Gran had to move into a smaller room at her retirement village, she gave my Mom some of her jewellery to give to me. One beautiful piece was a brooch with a large pale blue stone (think it might be a blue topaz) and a few pearls. I loved it on sight.

On my Big Day, it will be proudly on my bouquet. On our trip to EL this weekend (more about that later) we met with the florist and he said he can wire the brooch into my bouquet so it will be more visible than on the stem.

Something blue....tick.

I got the idea from these:

Sea shells and brooches bouquet - courtesy Green Wedding Shoes

Courtesy Pam Scott photography

Courtesy theknot.com

Courtesy theknot.com

Courtesy Flourish Designs

4 months to go!

OK time must really stop flying now. Although...progress has been made. Tomorrow the Nicholas and I are heading to EL to do some wedding stuff and have a little break from mad Jozi.

Silence and darkness. That’s all I ask.

We have a jam packed schedule on Friday with appointments with our DJ, videographer, florist (ie: my Mom’s friend Kim!) and cake lady (ie: my Mom’s friend Anne!).

Can you tell that Mom is a superstar?

Then Nicky is going off to look at suit hire.

Clearly we both come from VERY relaxed families because no-one owns a suit that wasn’t made in the 70’s and will not fit (no matter how hard you try Dad – jokes!) over the over 50s boepie. So we will be hiring every available suit in the greater East London area. And that’s just for Dads, siblings and groomsmen.

Things are looking up, thank Heavens.



Hairpiece from Twigs and Honey (available on Etsy)

Ode to an Old Dog

I know this is a wedding blog, full of happiness and prettiness. But I think when you lose a member of your family, it’s lovely to honour them somewhere that’s important to you. Like your blog.

Yesterday my Mom and Dad had the unenviable task of putting down our 11 year old Cocker Spaniel, Simon. Actually we think he was half Cocker half Springer Spaniel, but that’s not important now.

Best. Dog. EVER.

I wrote about him in my wedding puppies post.

I feel such a sense of loss. But as my Mom says, we must remember him as he was. A happy, slobbery bunch of fur with a penchant for weeing on dustbins and using his paw as a form of bribery.

Always in our hearts Si Pie.

something borrowed

Right, so my something borrowed. Perhaps I am cheating a little, because it’s not like I need to return it to my Mom. But it better count, because I have zero other ideas!

It’s my veil.

The same one my Mom wore on her wedding day back in ’84. It’s the perfect colour for my dress (ivory) and with a few tweaks will be gorgeous for me. So thanks Ma. But don’t expect to get it back, consider this a permanent borrowing arrangement. Like a bond, with no term to maturity.

Luckily for me, my Mom was not one of those out there 80’s brides – like the disaster below, I am still laughing about this get up - so her veil is classic and will work in a 2012 wedding. No giant hair or pouffey netty bits. Relief!

Ask any bride, the first time you put on a veil, it all becomes REAL somehow. A pretty white dress is a pretty white dress...but a veil. Then you're really a bride. The first time I put one on I had a few tears. True story. (Ask Tam.)

from ashleysbrideguide.com

Mom's (now mine!) is more like these (thank the Pope):

traditions

Something old, something new
Something borrowed, something blue
And a silver sixpence in her shoe.

I thought for the next few weeks I would do a little series on the fusty old bridal traditions of something borrowed, blue, old and new. It’s the one tradition I definitely want to have, simply because it’s fun and won’t embarrass/hurt/result in anyone being covered in cake/seeing up my dress.

So, being me, I did a little research online.

It is an English tradition, dating back to Victorian times. All the more reason to have it to honour my very English Granny. And it seems to be all about luck for a long and happy life together. Perhaps I’ll gain some luck from the fusty old bridal angels, farting dust in churches everywhere.

Here are the (unconfirmed by any real, referenced library research) reasons for each custom:

Something old – this one you wear as a connection to your family and the past, it continues the link of married women in your family. (I can’t help wondering if faux vintage counts?)

Something new – epitomises optimism and hope for your new life as a married lady (especially if it's a Vera Wang masterpiece).

Dress by Vera Wang collection

Something borrowed – this has two meanings, first it reminds you that you can depend on your family/friends to be there for you (ie: lend you things) and second, if you borrow an item from someone happily married some of their good luck is meant to rub off on you (hopefully that’s the only thing that rubs off hehe).

Vintage headpiece by Twigs and Honey, from Etsy

Something blue – blue is associated with purity in Christianity, and back in the day blue was a popular colour for wedding dresses. And, my favourite, the following quote: “Marry in blue, Lover be true”. Bear that in mind ladies.

Pic from I do inspiration blog

PS if you were wondering about the sixpence, it is also considered a good luck charm and symbol of financial security. Although, the thought of a coin in my shoe all day just freaks me out. Might give this one a skip.

happy spring day

Seeing as Spring is the season of new beginnings, and light and warmth and prettiness...I thought I would post pictures of the two places that will hold the ceremonies to start our new beginning.

As hubby and wife.

First City Baptist Church

Blue Lagoon Hotel

Going to be the best day of my life. YAY!!!!!!