I am going to get to wear my wedding dress again!!

We’re having a “multi-bride trash the dress picnic”!

On Saturday November 26^th, the fabulous Jeanette Verster will be the official photographer for myself and three other brides as we rock our wedding dresses on a picnic in the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden!

Picnic food, blankets, cushions… Its going to be so awesome!

If there are any photographers who would like to come and try their hand at photographing something different, you’re more than welcome to join us too! Leave a comment and I’ll send you more details of time and such.

I am so excited! This will be my third trash-the-dress shoot and the fifth time I’ll be wearing my wedding dress!

If anyone isn’t sure what “trash the dress” or “rock the frock” is, you can read about it here: Wikipedia

The majority of venues you visit will provide you with a list of preferred suppliers and service providers.

These suppliers and service providers however, are not necessarily the best in the business. They may also not have been vetted by your venue as reliable or efficient.

In many cases, the people on a venue’s “preferred supplier” list have paid to be there, so do not assume that a “preferred supplier” list contains your best options.

If you are planning on having a wedding cake with lots of tiers that looks gawjiss and divine and is just the most fabulous thing on earth, you may want to keep the following in mind.

Check with your venue whether they will charge you to cut it into pieces for you after you’ve done the cake cutting ceremony and had pictures taken! Some venues will charge you for this service.

This is one of the reasons cupcakes continue to grow in popularity.

As a wedding planner I am beyond particular, so when I am looking at a wedding venue I have a long list of questions I ask. Many of these questions will be answered in conversation with the venue staff, and some will be non-applicable for your wedding.

I must stress that if a wedding venue can not find the time to have you visit with a set appointment and someone to meet with, then you should remove them from your “potential venue” list. Any venue that claims to be too busy to be able to make an appointment to see you and show you around their premises clearly doesn’t need your money.

Here are the questions I ask when viewing a venue:

• Are the candelabra included in the venue hire (check what is available for look and quality)?
• Are there adequate bathroom facilities?
• Are there enough chairs for the ceremony venue or will you need to hire more?
• Are there other weddings taking place on the same day?
• Are there restrictions for photography?
• Are waiters and barmen included in the venue hire?
• Can you get dressed on the premises, is this room included in the venue hire (if you’re doing everything in one location) and what time can you get there to begin preparation?
• Can you spend your wedding night on the premises and is it included in the venue hire?
• Can you use your own suppliers and vendors?
• Do you allow candles and open flames (this also applies to fireworks, flying Chinese lanterns, candle-lit walkways)?
• Do you have noise restrictions (this sometimes happens if residences have been built up around a venue since it was opened)?
• Does the venue have a a problem with you bringing a coordinator with you (keep in mind that a wedding venue’s own coordinators are looking after the venue, not the bride)?
• Does the venue have a coordinator you can work with (keep in mind that a wedding venue’s own coordinators are looking after the venue, not the bride)?
• Does the venue supply a PA system?
• How far is it from the ceremony venue from the reception venue?
• How far is the parking from the ceremony venue?
• How far is the parking from the reception venue?
• If you’re thinking of an outdoor ceremony and reception, is there an adequate back-up plan at the venue?
• Is confetti/ rice/ streamers allowed after the ceremony?
• Is cutlery and crockery included in the venue hire (check what is available for look and quality)?
• Is decorative draping included in the venue hire (check what is available for look and quality)?
• Is it pretty enough to take photographs (try to visit the venue at the same time of year and time of day as you plan to get married, summer flowers and greenery are often gone in winter)?
• Is it wheelchair accessible?
• Is table linen included in the venue hire (check what is available for look and quality)?
• Is the clean-up fee included in the venue hire?
• Is the dance floor big enough once the tables have been set up (5mx5m is usually enough)?
• Is the venue available for your date?Is the venue big enough for your wedding (or too big)?
• Is the venue easy to find?
• Is there a generator?
• Is there a minimum requirement for food and beverages, and are there consequences for not fulfilling the minimum?
• Is there a payment schedule option?
• Is there enough secure parking on the premises and is it included in the venue hire?
• Is there space for the band/ DJ in the reception venue after the tables are set up?
• What is the cancellation policy?
• What is the corkage fee (a bottle of wine per table can be costly as you pay for each one opened and not everyone drinks wine, consider letting people order it if they want it)?
• What is the expected turn-around time for communication during the planning process?
• What time can set up begin?
• What time does the venue close at night and are there overtime charges?

Apart from this long list, I suggest you ask for a sample contract to read through before they draw one up for you.

This Sunday past, I had the priviledge of spending the day with Tanya as her wedding co-ordinator!

Since Tanya planned her own wedding, spending her wedding day with her meant that I was there to field phone calls, ensure all her service providers arrived and completed their tasks on time, and that her time frame was adhered to as much as possible. I was also there to fetch anything that may have been forgotten, keep an eye on lipstick, pin boutonnieres on lapels, help carry photographer’s equipment if I could, and ensure that gifts were carried to cars and luggage moved from the ready room to the bridal suite at the end of the day.

I had THIS much fun, and it was such a beautiful wedding. Tanya’s beautifully understated elegance and eye for detail was on show everywhere you looked, from the table decor to her wedding gown.

I got to work with two fabulous photographers on the day too- Jeanette and Alana are quite a team and I can’t wait to see their photos. Oakfield Farm’s fabulous staff were really on their game too- thank you Edison and Patience.

Here are some of my photos from the day, though I don’t get to take many whilst I run around!

Photographer – Jeanette Verster

Second Shooter – Alana Meyer

Venue & Catering – Oakfield Farm

Cake – Dilene from Salon de Culinaire

Bride’s gown and MOH’s cocktail dress – Marietjie Oelofse Couture (marieks12 on Twitter)

Stationery and table decor - Michelle from Evergreen Design

Photo booth - The Photo Corner

Decor and flowers - Flower Creations

Hair and make up - Frances and Lizelle from SLM Hair Design