Gretchen and Gabe wanted their intimate celebration to be a true representation of them as a couple with the focus to be on family, friends, incredible food and wine! Our design and coordination team set out to capture the simplicity and relaxed setting that the couple had in mind and perfectly complimented this with the romantic and elegant farm styled evening that we envisioned for their summer festivity!

The beautiful ceremony area was set in the lush gardens on the farm, which offered the perfect location for this intimate gathering! The bride left not only her groom, but all the guests breathless when she gracefully walked down the aisle in her bespoke Israeli Haute Couture Designer, Inbal Dror wedding dress!

The simplicity and uniqueness of the reception setting offered a platform that perfectly complemented the guest’s experience of ‘dinning under the stars’! The natural colour palette was carried through to the reception space, with the focal feature being a lavish floral band that ran along the center of the tables, tasteful elements of gold were brought through on dinner tables – adding a touch of elegance to the table tops!

Acting as a canopy of stars for the evening and a simple, yet striking lighting feature the ambient combination of fairy lights with exposed light bulbs perfectly brought this look together – truly a unique elegant farm styled celebration!

Images by: Kikitography

The post A Country Chic Celebration – Gretchen & Gabe’s Real Life Wedding appeared first on Wedding Concepts.

A sense of family, warmth and stylish personality were the key elements that Lauren and Keelan wanted to achieve on their wedding day. As family and close friends were travelling from all over the world to celebrate with the couple, a great deal of personalisation was put into the finer details to make this celebration a truly wonderful and memorable experience for all.

Passionate about detail – both sentimental and visual – Lauren went out of her way to ensure that little bits from her home in Zimbabwe, as well as tokens representing her relationship with her new family, were a big part of the overall look and feel of their celebration. A fun “Here Comes the Bride” handmade beaded wire-art piece was brought specially from Zimbabwe. Two giant floral heart-shaped wreaths, which “welcomed” guests to the ceremony, were lovingly made by the groom’s mom, and the mother of the bride contributed by making Lauren’s childhood favourite sweet treat, naked sponge cakes layered with fresh cream and berries! Lauren also went about raiding her future mother-in-laws home for stunning vintage styling props and décor details to add to the verandah where pre-drinks had been ingeniously transformed to emulate a fabulous High Tea.

The design concept behind the look and feel of the day came from the bride’s love affair with the colour yellow. This was a match made in decor heaven as Heike from Fleur le Cordeur shared this passion for this bright and cheerful colour. Rustic wooden boxes which ran down the centre of the table were filled with bunched country arrangements of garden roses, tulips and hydrangeas. Multiple vintage jars that had been collected by the bride and wrapped in lace and ribbon added a charming contrast amongst the rustic pieces. Not to be outdone, the groom also contributed to the wedding décor by constructing the focal piece of the reception: a wooden platform that was suspended above the bridal table. Heike created a striking floral installation, where the florals appeared to have grown on the platform and had naturally begun to cascade down in a soft, romantic style.

As the youngest member of the Wedding Concepts team, and having put so much thought and care into every single design detail of her own celebration, we cannot wait to see what she has in store as she begins to plan for her own portfolio of exclusive weddings. Congratulations to Lauren and Keelan – the team wishes you a beautiful marriage for many more years to come!

Images by Kristi Agier

The post Young Love Ties the Knot in a Yellow & Navy Countryside Celebration – Lauren & Keelan’s Real Life Wedding appeared first on Wedding Concepts.

From the very beginning Candice had a striking décor brief that our team were very excited to get started on. The fashionable combination of blush pink, black and a touch of gold meant for an opulent and dazzling colour palette that would contrast beautifully against the rustic setting. Silvery charcoal tablecloths combined with black Tiffany chairs created the dark canvas that highlighted the lush pink and white floral arrangements. White proteas, roses and orchids worked romantically alongside soft pink florals and trailing twigs and seedpods that were expertly delivered in black and gold. Pink glasses added a stunning repetition of colour and intricate laser cut menus added charming detail to the tablescape.

The ceremony was kept classic in white with soft draping over the gazebo as well as providing much needed shade for the guests. The aisle and Candice’s dress in particular stole the show once the ceremony started. Candice arrived in an exquisite dress that had a soft neckline made from feathers, a stunning fitted draped bodice, which then flared out into a soft flowing train – which was mirrored by her on-trend trailing bridal bouquet. The lush aisle for the ceremony was adorned with hundreds of pink and white rose petals arranged in a paisley pattern – which was only for the blushing bride to walk over.

Pre-drinks followed with flowing champagne, canapés, jazz music and lawn games – all accompanied by a spectacular summer sunset. After a sumptuous 4-course reception dinner, Candice and Phil were ushered into La Petit Dauphine’s studio by their guests who had formed an aisle of sparkers! The couple then went on to cut not one, but two weddings cakes as Candice’s brother had surprised her with a second cake that he had made himself. The first danced followed and guests partied the night away with wedding cake and Lindt chocolate wedding favours to keep them going to the early hours!

Images by Vivid Blue

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Close friends and family travelled from far to celebrate the couple’s marriage in Leigh’s native country as they had their civil ceremony in Switzerland, where the couple reside. Guests were welcomed with beautiful summer weather and the soft sounds of Mali and Me, an upbeat folk acoustic band with pretty harmonies from Knysna.

Sandrine’s love affair for all things vintage was the basis for the décor throughout the day. This was perfectly reflected through the rustic, wooden gazebo that was custom made for their ceremony, which was adorned with King Protea’s, greenery, and shades of pink. Following the ceremony was the traditional pre – drinks on the patio overlooking Hawksmoor House’s famous views with delicious Pimms cocktails. The couple wanted to bring in local influences throughout their menu and give their guests a genuine South African experience, so bowls of chunky biltong, Bobotie springrolls and fun “Ice Lollies” in watermelon and strawberry daiquiris were served throughout pre – drinks.

The reception was set up in the beautifully rustic ‘Blue Barn’ where our design team used handpicked vintage pieces, natural elements and personal touches. An array of handmade lamp shades were suspended above the tables and charming details such as antique cutlery wrapped together with twine and personalised name cards finished off the chic. A custom printed napkin with the menu and farm fresh biltong in a drawstring bag was placed at each setting as a memento to take home. Flowers in shades of pink and green mixed amongst succulents filled the tables and were further complimented with vintage teacups, glass domes and wooden accents.

The dancefloor was set outside under a canopy of pastel coloured Chinese lanterns. One of Cape Town’s best Dj’s supplied the entertainmaint whilst a surprise fire dancing performance was the highlight of the evening. For our team, this wedding showcased the unique level of attention that can go into every little detail from personalised wedding gifts, designer stationery and custom made menus!

 Images by Tyme Photography

The post Romantic Intimate Garden Wedding – The Real Life Wedding of Sandrine and Leigh appeared first on Wedding Concepts.

After the nuptials, what lay ahead for guests was a long, lazy “Sunday lunch at home” styled celebration, which was planned with such detail that guests were sure not to go hungry, thirsty or unentertained for the rest of the afternoon and evening! Lunch took place in the barn where each table was set with charming handmade runners in various floral and paisley prints which matched with the table seating plan. A countryside mix of tin and Mason-jar vases filled sweet floral arrangements finished this look off beautifully. Acting as edible place cards for guests, ‘His & Hers’ biscuits made by bridesmaid and always talented Roxanne Floquet, marked every setting.

The menu was served to the tables in leisurely waves, so that guests could help themselves to the scrumptious and plentiful assortment of platters of fresh fare that was catered by Zest Catering. After a long lavish lunch, it was then on to the cake cutting – another sweet masterpiece from Roxanne Floquet!

The celebration continued on the lawns overlooking the dam where an abundantly laid dessert table, soft serve machine and lawn games were waiting! Nostalgia took over as guests took turns playing the specially made giant Jenga and giant pick-up sticks, followed by the traditional lawn games of croquet and boules. Folk group, Andrew James and The Steady Tiger, kept the mood light and laid back with their melodic repertoire of soulful folk and roots music.

Once the sun had dipped behind the mountains of the picturesque Elgin Valley, romantic and fanciful lighting filled the boat house as guests excitedly welcomed Steph & Dave for their first dance as husband and wife all holding giant sparklers! Tasty late night snacks combined with a mix of old and new party tunes, kept guests celebrating with the happy couple till the early hours of the next day!

Photographer: welovepictures

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The wedding weekend commenced with a sensational cocktail event at one of Cape Town’s favourite seaside hangouts; The Grand Café and Beach.  With their shoes properly kicked off, guests could indulge the platter-served delicacies whilst savouring the spectacular sunset over Table Bay.  Minutes later, as a full moon started rising, it quickly became clear that all the elements were going to conspire to make this a truly magical celebration of a love that literally spanned across continents.

South African born Gaynor works as a designer in magazine publishing and knows exactly how an idea comes together…  She had no problem in articulating her vision of a relaxed though chic day with authentic South African flavours and sounds.  “All we really want is a big party where everyone feels looked after and entertained,” Gaynor aptly summed it up at the beginning of the planning process.

Our aim was to create a romantic dining room atmosphere set against a dramatic natural backdrop of winelands vistas.  The use of tablecloths in an oyster hue and walnut Tiffany chairs ensured that the base of the set-up remained suitably neutral, and so we turned our attention to getting the floral mix just right.

For the tables, we opted for one large centrepiece with a variety of rustic blooms in rich jewel tones which were arranged in an asymmetrical fashion and kept rather low.  Various other containers – a combination of glass, antique silver and ceramics – were scattered around the centrepiece, one of which contained a moss covered branch to lend some height.  The overall effect was as striking as it was stylish.  Beautiful Ming vases in white and blue adorned the tables while bookshelves behind the bridal table, floral carpets and potted Poplar trees created layered dimensions throughout the reception space.  Amber water glasses, floating candles in footed vases and delft plates rounded off the look perfectly.

Nic has a Chinese heritage and hence it was decided to incorporate Chinese elements into the look and feel of the day.  The stationery boasted a monogram of the traditional symbol for “Double Happiness” and this was carried through to the orders of service, menus, table names (all depicting the names of Nic’s favourite ski resorts) and personalised ‘thank you’ stickers on take away cake boxes.  Chinese lanterns in clusters, mirroring the bold colour palette of the flowers, provided a sense of warmth and playfulness.  Even the lounge areas boasted wooden Chinese side tables.

Gaynor and Nic share an offbeat sense of humour, and so it was decided to surprise guests with a Marimba performance at the end of the main meal which comprised of local Franschhoek salmon trout and Dukkah spiced lamb.  After a glorious outdoor ceremony, gentle Gypsy music and a wonderful line-up of speeches, this was the perfect ignition to a party that would carry on until the early morning hours.

We simply loved this wedding – not just for its decidedly different décor – but also for the inviting nature of the people we’d engaged with.  Thank you to all the suppliers who made this such an exciting journey!

Images courtesy of Annemari Ruthven

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Wedding Concepts went to great lengths to find them the perfect venue for their mid-summer soiree.   After much deliberation, the quaint La Petite Dauphine was chosen to play host to the festivities.  With so many wonderful ingredients to work with, our biggest task was to stir up the right concoction for their guests to savour.  Each aspect of the venue was to play a role: The large Oak trees, the gravel terrace, the fruit orchards, the tranquil water features, the exquisite mountain vistas, the lush vineyards, the cottage style buildings, the thatch roofs – and even the beloved farm dog and tame rooster.

Our aim was to afford the international guest list a taste of authentic South African hospitality at its very best.  Both bride and groom were very involved in the planning process, and soon we had established a clear division of roles. While Katherine had an unblemished vision of the décor style and general ambiance they desired for the day, Arturo was the mastermind behind the striking musical line up and sequence of formalities.  Great attention was paid to constructing a timeline that would see guests comfortable and taken care of throughout the day, as well as subtly incorporating a theme of the couple’s mutual journey.  This was to be a celebration of the paths that had brought them together, the embracing of the present moment, as well as the ignition of their joined passage ahead.

And a day filled to the brim with symbolism it was…  At the ceremony, the specially printed first page of the guest book was signed by the couple and their siblings in recognition of the beauty of love and the strength of partnership that unite.  Not long after that, Arturo had his gorgeous, glowing wife in tears as he took up the microphone to serenade one of their favourite songs.  The wedding cake was cut with a sword – a family heirloom – whilst guests tucked into the delicious, rustic style canapés.  With dinner – and some of the best prepared speeches we’d heard in years – out of the way, a tequila bar boasting imported Mexican brands set the tone for opening of the dance floor: A specially rehearsed tango!  Much later, Mexican songs echoed through the courtyard as the first guests started making their way home with personalised thank you gifts – mosaic candleholders handmade and supplied by a local community upliftment initiative.

The decor at this countryside celebration mirrored the beauty of the natural surroundings.  The blooms were soft and rustic with splashes of sage green, grey and light pink.  The air was filled with the fragrance of freshly cut rosemary and delicate stationery elements in a matching botanical theme adorned the tables.  Potted succulents were scattered around the area to add some Mexican flair.  The weather played along perfectly and some hours later the courtyard was washed in the romantic glow of oil lamps and fairy lights.  It was a fiesta marked by high levels of energy, hilarious dance moves and unlimited laughter – one with memories we’ll cherish for a long time to come!

Images by Lauren Kriedemann

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A big thank you in advance to Gavin and all the suppliers who assisted in making another memorable and beautiful wedding.

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