2011 : a spot of reflection

If you will allow me the indulgence of wrapping up 2011...

But before that, a funny story. Yesterday the Nicholas and I met with the wonderful man who will marry us before God - my cousin Don. After we had some (totes amazing) coffee (really, EL is not as backward as it may seem! I bought the cutest dress at Hemingways Mall for a steal, something I can NEVER find in Jozi.) But I digress.

So we finish the amazing coffee and our chat about all the important things at our ceremony - seriously there should be a handbook, thank goodness for ONE person who has done this all before. Amazingly Don says most church weddings and funerals are run according to a formula. Yes, weddings AND funerals. Tells you something about weddings...perhaps the death of freedom? Kidding! I got too much sun yesterday. Then Nicky starts wrapping up the meeting. Like one would at say...an audit firm? What are the action points, summary of who said what, he fell just short of keeping minutes.

At least I know the man means business.

Back to 2011. Not a great one for me I must admit. I lost a doggie friend, struggled through my last year of articles, fought with the most inconsiderate neighbours known to man, and had an uphill battle just finding a bloody pair of shoes in supposedly the shopping capital of Africa.

Fortunately I also started this blog, found a passion, planned most of our wedding (hence the blog), got advice from some amazing ladies on the pretty blog and bijoux bride, got up the courage to have my long outstanding knee surgery, went on a few wonderful weekend getaways and shared another year in a tiny flat with the love of my life.

But 2012. Now she will be a wonderful year. I'm getting MARRIED to my Nicky. we are making a few major moves (more on that next year) and I am determined to continue following my heart.

Thanks for all the support this year...HAPPY 2012 :)

100 layer cake blog

photography fridays #11

I chose this picture more for the content than the photography itself. But a girl is allowed to indulge her “just cos it’s so purdy” every once in a while...

This bride is everything I want to be on my wedding day (in TWO WEEKS eekkk) – glamourous and different. Don’t you love her accesorries, that necklace, those shoes?!

So I have two weeks to become a brunette with a face like Keira Knightley and find a cream chaise lounge. Not likely. But I'm ok with being blonde, glamourous and different. Teehee.

Thanks to that haven of bridal perfection Style Me Pretty. 



photography fridays #10

Can’t believe I only have 3 Fridays left before the Big Day.

Let’s not even consider what I will do once it’s over. Still have Photography Fridays, but maybe include some nature and fashion too...?

Losing my blog doesn’t bear thinking about.

This photo is by the crazy talented Lizelle Lotter. I love it because it shows a sweet moment between Mom and Bride. My mom and I are polar opposites, in personality, looks, interests, you name it! But my wedding has really shown me how much she loves me. She even bought a sparkly clutch for the day. If you knew my Mom, you would understand – it’s like me buying a pair of brown Crocs.

The Hair Dilemma

Today I got my dress! Altered, pulled in, buttoned and perfect. Although my poor boobies need to hold up like 5kg worth of dress. 


I had an epiphany a while ago, a real Oprah AHA moment.

My dress is quite fancy, quite formal, quite out there. And I am not having a fancy or formal or out there wedding. And I certainly am NOT changing the dress. It is my One True Love Dress.

Then I had another epiphany. You CAN wear almost any dress you love. And change the feel of it with accessories and the way you wear your hair and make-up. Wearing your hair down, loose and perhaps a bit bohemian, can change your whole look.

So, despite everyone asking “So are you wearing your hair up then?” like it's a statement not a question, I am NOT. Another of those situations where everyone thinks they know best. And is likely to get a klap from me if they mention it again!

Here are my sweet down do inspirations: 

Stephanie Williams

La Boheme on Etsy

Style Me Pretty

100 Layer Cake

Pinterest

Style Me Pretty

Style Me Pretty

100 Layer Cake

Style Me Pretty

Beautiful hey? I will be walking down the aisle in all my down do'ed glory in just 23 days time. (Just an aside, I spent the entire car ride back from picking up my dress crying my happy eyeballs out. How emo am I?)

cake toppers - old school cool

At the beginning, before I entered the sultry and addictive world of wedding planning, I thought cake toppers were lame. Now I pat that deluded muppet on the head and think how far I’ve come...

I mean why? They serve no logical purpose. But then neither does a long train or sparkly lights behind the wedding table or initials carved out of wood for photos...but they so PURDY!

Mine are birdies. But of course.

Succulent flower topper from Pinterest - this still counts as a cake topper right?

Pink ombre cake with bunting topper from Pinterest

Fresh flower cake toppers from Martha Stewart weddings

Cake topper from Le Magnifique

Birdie cake topper from Style Me Pretty

Cake topper mice from Etsy

Wire love topper from Pinterest

Wooden topper from Style Me Pretty

Cap Classique's blog post on cake toppers, 'tops' mine a hundred times over, thanks to her for the inspiration!

photography fridays #9

Today is a public holiday. Whoop whoop! And I am busy with some cool stuff that will change my life...Promise will tell all when it's confirmed (and no, it's not getting married, you all know about that duh!). 


I have been admiring photos like this one for a while now. Where the bride and her veil share an intimate moment. And the light is just right...


The effect is beautiful. W. Scott Chester have such a unique style, many of their photo's border on the grainy.


(An aside, this wedding was in Florence, how romantic is that?)

ONE MONTH!!!

Oh my word. So excited I can barely breathe. Still thinking about the purple sponge.

Mrs C - wife extraordinaire - coming soon.

(Yes, this is me...jumping in the air...I’m that excited)

wedding wisdom #2

Work out what works best for you and make sure you incorporate both your personalities on the day. Figure out what’s really important and what you can do without. Don’t fuss too much, but try and relax and enjoy the day as much as possible. Think about the day as a celebration for the two of you, but also as a party for you guests and try and be as good hosts as possible: 

it’s all about you but it’s not all about you.

Just because this made me relax and stop fretting over the dream I had last night where my bouquet was made of a sponge (really, my subconscious?) and the colour scheme was deep purple. Horrors.


From a beautiful and genuine wedding on bijoux bride. Something about this couple exudes happiness and calm and sincerity. And when last did you see a Japanese-Canadian-Dutch wedding in London?

videography

As I’ve said before, every bride wants to capture her wedding day in a little bottle to sniff at inappropriate times and invite others to do the same.

Videography is an unbeatable way to capture The Big Day. Some couples think it’s lame, or unnecessary. But I think of it like this...

My Nicky will make the romantic speech to end all romantic speeches. I will cry and get butterflies in my tummy and want to kiss him all over his face. And not hear every precious word through all of this mush. This way, when we come back in February to the harsh realities of life, I can put on my video and store away all the words in my little bottle.

Nic and I went with Brad from Fab. The hilarity of which has not escaped me. I think I may have gone to high school with this dude. That’s East London for you. We looked at some CD demo’s first and Fab really are good. Of excellent sound and image quality, they don’t get in the way and most importantly...

DO NOT add Celine Dion to a slideshow of photographs and call it a wedding video!

Pinterest

to the good ones

This blog has been chockablock with pretty ideas, pretty pictures and things that make me happy. But there has been a down side to planning our wedding. The ugly, unpretty, reality stuff that I didn’t want to sully this blog with.

So without going into the gory details, some things have been rough. I have seen the true colours of some people that I would have rather not seen.

The upside is that the true friends, the faithful family and the beautiful, giving, caring people in Nicky's and my life have shown themselves. So I can easily forget all the nasties.

I hereby dedicate this blog post to you guys. Thanks for everything. For the missioning, and stuffy roadtrips and expensive plane tickets. For finding accommodation on your own, using up your leave balance and coming to the small town that means so much to me. Bring on the pretty!

Lizelle Lotter

photography fridays #8

You know that feeling you get when someone tells you something about yourself? That feeling of...how did I not realise that?

Well that happened to me this week. My friend Tam said in passing that I seem to like dramatic photographs. And she is totally right! I like a photo to take reality and make it more dramatic, more eye catching, more emotional. But that’s how I am as a person too. I take great liberties with reality!

ZaraZoo are photographers of the dramatic kind. And this one is a killer example. I love it.

the groom

So we know the flowers in the guest bogs are usually considered more than the poor groom. NOT in my case, but in most.

Saying Nicky’s outfit for The Day has caused quite a bit of konsternasie would be putting it mildly. I have trust issues when it comes to men and clothes.

My poor father went from being dressed by his mother in brown and khaki with langkouse to my mother dressing him, thankfully in more colour. My brother hasn’t worn an item of clothing I have not purchased in about 15 years. His idea of fashion is wearing his clothes from the day as pyjamas. And hence smelling like a mine worker by the morning. My ex was also dressed by his mother. So when it came to Nicky’s suit, I was concerned. VERY concerned.

For nothing.

His suit is AWESOME. Barney “Suit up” Stenson awesome. And he chose it all on his own at a suit hire place of much repute in East London.

I have issues. Clearly. Regardless of that, my future hubby is going to look HOT. Eat your hearts out girls :P

Here are some other AWESOME groom outfits I have collected:

The Super Suave Groom - 100 Layer Cake

The Old School Groom - Nicola Cornick

The Trendy Groom - Rensche Mari Photography

The Creative Groom - Style Me Pretty

december

My favouritest month of the year.

It’s my birthday YAY, Christmas carols (for some odd reason I love Michael Buble at this time of year), beach (because Nicky and I have two holiday homes to choose from at the coast hehe), family and friends and NOT work.

Oh and of course gin. Lots of gin. What’s not to love?

And sorry ladies, I possibly have one of the only men alive today who know how to spoil a lady properly on her birthday! There are boxes and packets hidden all over the flat (which is really tiny, hence I always stumble upon them when hauling out my old bikini’s from the depths of the cupboards) and a whole day planned tomorrow. I am like a bloodhound when it comes to surprises though, slobber included. This year, however, Nicky has got quite shneaky and I have no clue. Despite the fact I told him what I would like for my birthday. He is amazing.

Eeeekkkk last day of my mid twenties!!!

from 9gag

photography fridays #7

There is nothing I like better than finding a jaw droppingly talented wedding photographer, especially if they are as amazing as Yvette Gilbert. 

I happened upon her on junebug weddings. They list her as one of the top six wedding photographers in South Africa. I tend to agree.

It was so hard to choose just one of her photographs, but this one captured my heart because it shows you can still have amazing pictures in the rain. And we know my thoughts on the likelihood of rain!

Take my advice: get a lovely cup of tea, settle in your desk chair and go to her website. Happy Friday!