Nungwi, a charming little village at the northern tip of Zanzibar, boasts some of the most beautiful beaches that are unaffected by the island’s tides, resulting in gorgeous long stretches of pristine beaches and crystal clear blue seas all day! The Hideaway of Nungwi is a 5 star resort located on this stretch of beach and nestled amongst 10 hectares of lush tropical gardens. It was at this perfect hideaway, amongst frangipanis, ylang ylang and palms trees, that our wedding team and travel team from Travel Concepts, would handcraft a bespoke and exclusive destination celebration.

The wedding weekend kicked off with a sumptuous beachside barbeque with tables that were adorned with palm tree fronds and tropical lush greenery. Guests met for the much loved African tradition of enjoying cocktails whilst watching the sunset, followed by a fabulous 3 course dinner accompanied by entertainment from an amazing 7-piece local band. This was the perfect prelude to what lay ahead!

The impending rain clouds cleared and Zanzibar served up picture perfect clear skies for the wedding day. With the wedding having been planned and designed all the way from Cape Town, our team, along with local Tanzanian suppliers, kicked into high gear on the day to create Jelena’s dream celebration. The ceremony location was a garden that looked over the steep cliffs of Nungwi and across the azure blue sea. Our team designed a space that would take full advantage of the incredible views and highlight them with beautiful décor elements and structures adorned with tropical florals. Many of the smaller yet key décor items that added detail on the day were flown in with our team from South Africa.

The reception setting was a large terrace enclosed with beautiful Arabic-style columns. In order to add a softer rustic element to this space, and to suspended dozens of imported fairy lights; 3-meter high and 9-meter long wooden canopies were built on site and placed neatly over the tables. The tables were adorned with heavy sleeper-wood planks, which were topped with elegant and full floral arrangements in crystal and glass containers with only white flowers.  Silver lanterns and pillar candles subtly denoted back to the Arabic influenced chic of the hotel.

Once the sun set and the gentle lighting elements came to life, it was then that the reception terrace was completely transformed into a magical and romantic setting – exactly as Jelena had dreamed, “I had been planning my wedding from when I was a little girl, and initially had decided to have it in Zambia. I chose Zanzibar because Zein and I love the beach!  I really was aiming for a simple and romantic look and Wedding Concepts planned and coordinated our dream wedding day perfectly! Everything from the ceremony to the reception décor was just perfect. My favorite part was all the fairy lights, which they flew all the way to Zanzibar from South Africa!”

From scenic wine estates in the Cape, to remote luxury bush lodges in the Kruger Park – or for Jelena and Zein who dreamed of an exotic hideaway tucked away amongst the cliffs of Rus Nungwi in Zanzibar – our design, planning and management teams thrive on transforming incredible settings into personal and extraordinary wedding spaces.

Photography by: Grace Studios Photography 

The post Sea Cliff Celebration in Zanzibar – Jelena & Zein’s Real Life Island Wedding appeared first on Wedding Concepts.

The couple made it known to our coordination and design team that it was important to make this occasion as memorable and unique as possible – with this in mind we starting the design and planning process, ensuring that this wedding would not only exceed the couples expectations but also offer an exceptional experience for their global mix of friends and family members!

The private beach situated in close proximity to the house was the ideal location for their elegant ceremony.  As the guests made their way to the beach they were welcomed to a setting that would take anyone’s breathe away – perfectly aligned white ghost chairs leading up to the custom made gazebo which was beautifully adorned with lush draping, spectacular florals and a crystal chandelier suspended in the middle to complete the bespoke look.  

Afterwards the couple and the guests mingled and enjoyed champagne and oysters as they took in the picturesque surroundings. As a surprise performance – to both the guests and the bride – a local children’s choir and The Cape Minstrels burst out in chorus as they crossed over the dunes to join the guests.

As the sun began to set over Grotto Bay, all were welcomed into the family house that had been completely transformed into a designer celebration! The existing deck had been extended making space for a beautifully styled lounge area set in front of the impressive bar structure – all perfectly designed to match the overall white, gold and soft pastel colour scheme.  The strikingly glamorous floral-look tied this elegant chic together and for that extra touch of glamour – bespoke personalised stationery details at every setting complemented by designer Phoenix chairs!

The evening ended with everyone dancing the night away in the lounge area, that too had been converted into a dazzling ‘night club’ setting. With clusters of candles set around the periphery of the room, added crystal chandeliers and a personalised dance floor the scene was set for a uniquely memorable seaside celebration!

Photography by: Lad & Lass Photography

The post An elegant Destination wedding set on the shores of South Africa – Natalie & Carl’s Real Life Wedding appeared first on Wedding Concepts.

‘Classic elegance with a touch of golden glamour’ was the design brief to our team for this luxurious celebration. This was perfectly executed throughout the day – starting with the stunning outdoor ceremony which was kept classically white with an abundance of floral pomanders framing the aisle for a “WOW” factor that had everyone speechless!

Wearing a magnificent couture gown, the bride arrived in true style in a luxury Rolls Royce Phantom, with the groom – dressing in a hand-tailored white tuxedo – patiently waiting in for the ‘first viewing’ of his stunning bride to be!

The glamorous reception space was the Wedding Concepts design highlight of the day oozing glamour and opulence in soft shades of pastel, cream and gold! Creatively customised designer details featured all day and night: a personalised dance floor, an opulent wedding cake, customised stationery details and suspended lampshades in an array of colours customized just for the couple!

Striking floral centrepieces with suspended crystal beads added that extra touch of glamour to table – whilst a customised outdoor lounge was all about enjoying ocean views in elegant style.

With all the right ingredients perfectly in place, this stylish seaside soirée proved yet again – that combining designer details with an international guest list – and a touch of our Wedding Concepts flair – this destination wedding to South Africa’s shores is a celebration like no other!

Photography by: Tyme Photography

The post A Stylish Seaside Soiree – The Real Life Wedding of Carmelice & Bruno appeared first on Wedding Concepts.

With the majority of the guests coming from abroad, it was important that they got to experience South Africa and Cape Town for all its glory! The festivities began 2 days before with dinner at the Gold Museum and an interactive drumming session and a relaxed brunch at the revamped, chic seaside location, The Bungalow.  The wedding itself of course was the main affair and this took place at The Grand Beach in Granger Bay – a fabulous location for the üeber stylish French contingent to feel the sand between their toes.

The décor and design of the wedding was completely conceptualized by Wedding Concepts and executed to perfection by one of our favourite floral associates – Okasie. The celebration needed to reflect the fun and life-loving nature of the couple, so colour “en-masse” was the order of the day. Pink, blue, red, yellow and purple where the colours chosen for the guests tables and in keeping with a touch of tradition the bridal table was adorned in white. For each respective colour we had matching colour water glasses, floral arrangements & table features and even candles made to order in that specific colour!

The stationery, designed by Lara Friday, consisted of custom-made napkins printed in the same colour of the table as well as a seating plan with name badges for guests printed in their table colour. The combination of dazzling colour on the tables and the vast ceiling of the venue adorned with a mass of crystal chandeliers, created a sensory delight for guests as they entered the reception space. Intelligent lighting concepts produced amazing colour shifts with light reflecting off all the various chandeliers. And for a touch of nostalgia and romance, a black and white video montage of movie clips from the 1920’s and 30’s was projected onto a giant screen which formed the moving backdrop of the reception. Anne-Laure’s wedding dress followed this theme of old-school romance and designed by local designer, Errol Arendz.

Music was where the bride and groom really got involved. The groom’s Irish heritage was celebrated with the performance of the fantastic Shanty group who played Irish folk music for the ceremony and pre-drinks. DJ Darren Rose from The Beat Collective took care of Anne-Laure’s musical taste and had just the right set of tunes to keep her Techno heart happy content. As a surprise feature for the guests, and to kick off the first dance, we had the larger than life divas of Three Tons of Fun perform, and what a great party starter they were! Even the bride and groom joined them on stage as their spirited performance brought every single guest onto the dance floor!

We loved that Richard & Anne-Laure were bold in their choices and excitedly accepted every single one of our imaginative concepts. They trusted Wedding Concepts 100% to bring their ideas to life and to put our creative and designer signature to their celebration, which resulted in an incredible three day designer soiree for their family and international guests.

Photography by welovepictures

The post A Dazzling Kaleidoscope of Colour! Anne-Laure & Richard’s Real Life Wedding appeared first on Wedding Concepts.

To enhance this charming seaside venue we fashioned a contrasting mix of indigenous and classic florals alongside styled natural elements like hessian and twine; set against a fresh colour palette to really compliment the rustic elements beautifully.

Bespoke stationery and décor features really brought this celebration to life in every detail. Flip-flops and woven palm-leaf fans were stylishly presented for the ceremony with individual tags and elegant ribbon to complete the look. Handmade pin wheels and a lemon & mint foot washing station added a fun and youthful presence to the seaside ceremony. For pre-drinks, the hessian seating plan and wishing tree created much a talking point and added a splash of colour alongside the delicious mojitos!

The blend of a relaxed seaside setting with contemporary yellow accents turned this celebration into a designer beach soiree. Besides the distinctive attention to detail that the team from Wedding Concepts is renowned for, a wow factor that really took centre stage was the exquisite wedding cake adorned with delicate sugar frangipani petals.

Images by Du Wayne Denton

The post Helen & Gareth’s Blissful Seaside Celebration! appeared first on Wedding Concepts.

Why not try our personalized flip flops? They are a fantastic gift idea for your guests, especially for the ladies who arrive earlier in the day in sky high heels and want to rest their weary feet. In the past, flip flops have proved to be an absolute hit and if guests opt to slip into their “flops” right away, the mood is naturally set to dance all night! Alternatively, for beach weddings, outdoor ceremonies & summer parties we always suggest presenting a pair of flip flops to your guests upon their arrival, so that they can then make their way across soft lawns or sand with ease and in comfort.

At Wedding Concepts we can of course take your gift to the next level and personalize each pair with your wedding date, names or simply a beautiful design element that may form part of your overall décor and colour scheme.

What you need to know:

• A minimum of 50 pairs would need to be ordered.
• The soles are white and the wishbone (strap between toes) will be a standard frosted clear. Further colours are available on request, but only for very large orders.
• We are able to personalize and print on them in whichever colour you choose so as to tie the appearance of the flip flops with your chosen décor and colour scheme.

For further information contact us at gifts@weddingconcepts.co.za

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Clever lighting, soft draping and beautiful touches of white and green floral décor transformed the somewhat rustic Strandkombuis into an enchanting setting. As guests arrived they were greeted with refreshing homemade lemonade and asked to remove their shoes and slip on a pair of tailor-made flip flops before heading down to the beach for the ceremony. Marcia’s passion for butterflies impelled us to have 80 specially flown down from Durban for this celebration. 9 were symbolically released at the beginning of the ceremony to represent family and friends who are no longer with them. As fate would have it, one of the live butterflies landed on Marcia’s wedding dress and stayed there for the duration of the ceremony – she couldn’t have asked for a more perfect moment!

The remainder of the butterflies were released after the ceremony and guests were then invited to enjoy celebratory sparkling wine and personalised cocktails. Craig’s cocktail of choice was a Mojito with a twist and for Marcia we served a “Marcini” which was in essence an apple martini. The unique colouring of the cocktails again captured the fun theme of their seaside celebration. Gary Deacon’s duo kept guests entertained during pre drinks and canapés consisting of local favourites like chicken and coriander samoosas and springbok Carpaccio with aubergine relish amongst others warmed up their appetites.

At sunset guests were asked to take their seats and DJ Preston took to the decks with sultry lounge music for dinner. The Strandkombuis team laid out a West Coast seafood feast as only they know how. Dishes like crumbed calamari, succulent Yellowtail fillets, delicious West Coast mussels, traditional beef potjie and garlic & sweet chilli prawns amongst others ensured that every guest was left utterly satisfied. After dinner the couple took to the dance floor for the cutting of the dazzling 4-tiered colourful butterfly cake followed by the first dance. Marcia & Craig – never leaving out any detail – ensured that their first dance would have a twist to it, in more ways than one! Their dance started of to the slow, smooth melodies of Al Green’s classic “Lets Stay Together” and then half way through the funky and modern Flo Riders “Low” was mixed in. The couple had a genuinely entertaining dance sequence rehearsed for the upbeat tempo and then later returned to the more traditional ballad. Guests were ready to party and joined the couple on the dance floor to dance the night away.

For those wanting to relax and put their feet up, white lounge pockets with a variety of designer green scatter cushions provided that comfort, whilst Moroccan Shisha’s with an assortment of fruity and exotic tobacco for guests to smoke served as further late night amusement.

Where & When:

West Cost, April 2010

The Look:

White and Green glamour with Moroccan decor touches

Guest List:

90 local and Zambian family and friends

Take Our Word:

Combining a rustic seaside venue with glamorous decor is a natural and easy way to combine opposite elements

Credits:

Coordinator: Kim Werner

Photographer: Joe Dreyer

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