The Wedding Expo® March/April 2012
Everything you need under one roof to help you say “I Do!”
The who’s who of the wedding industry will be showcasing everything a bride could ever dream of wanting to find for her special day and more! Brides-to-be will be able to plan their day down to the finest of details at The Wedding Expo®. Dresses, shoes, accessories, music, invitations, table decor, flowers, photographers, cakes, honeymoons, The Wedding Expo® has it all and more!
The Wedding Expo® has just completed its 10thyear and 18th show and has most definitely become the leading wedding event in South Africa with over 15 000 visitors coming from all over the country and from our neighbouring countries . Brides-to-be will be able to plan their weddings from beginning to end with over 300 leading wedding specialists displaying everything a bride and her groom will need to create their dream wedding. Magical table settings with the latest in floral creations, cakes like never seen before, a huge selection of beautiful wedding venues and honeymoon destinations even financial advice and legal services. Chat to some of South Africa’s leading wedding planners, photographers and caterers – The Wedding Expo® has something for everyone no matter how big or small the wedding or what the budget is!
Leading wedding dress designers will show the latest trends in wedding attire at the daily fashion shows – traditional gowns to funky bridesmaids there will be something for every taste and dream! The latest ready-to-wear collections will showcase dresses from world renowned international labels imported from UK, USA and Italy. “The fashion shows are definitely a highlight of The Wedding Expo®. No expense is spared to give our brides a world class runway experience to assist them in choosing the prefect dress as well as giving them a taste of the latest in bridal fashions,” adds Amanda.
Wedding cake design has become an art. The number of wedding cake specialists and companies has grown and these talented people have taken cakes to the next level. The brides and visitors to The Wedding Expo® love seeing the cakes on display on the various stands around the show. “We feel the time is right to now bring these beautiful creations into one showcase in the form of a competition and give recognition to best of the best and are delighted to launch the Wedding Cake Competition” says Amanda. For more info on how to enter visit www.wedding-expo.co.za.
Other highlights at the Expo are the “ to die for” Cake Cafe and the Beeld Champagne Bar. One lucky couple also stands a chance of winning a R250 000 wedding in association with The Wedding Expo® and Beeld – see our website for more details.
Nicole Allen, Editor of leading Bridal Magazine Wedding Inspirations will be hosting 2 free workshops on the trends for the 2012 wedding season. Joining her will be a panel of experts who will cover décor, flowers and wedding fashion. More info on these talks can be found on our website.
31st March – 1st April 2012, doors are open from 09h00 – 17h00, tickets are available for R100 at the door or book online and enjoy a discounted ticket. For more info visit www.wedding-expo.co.za
The history of the wedding cake is quite unexpected and can be traced back to medieval times when the cake would have been made of wheat and thrown at the bride as a symbol of fertility. Society has come a long way since then! But regardless of how the ritual of the wedding cake began, today it is, without a doubt, an essential part of any wedding day!
Keeping with the importance of wedding cakes, The Wedding Expo is excited to announce our upcoming Cake Competition! Cake makers will get the opportunity to showcase their creative skills in making the ultimate wedding cake and have their creations judged by industry experts. These experts include: Franco Lambiase (South African Cake Decorators Guild), Jodie-Ann Pearton (Chefs Association), Nicole Allen (Wedding Inspirations magazine), and Hillary Biller (Food Times Weekly).
If you are a blushing bride-to-be and want to find wedding cake inspiration, visit The Wedding Expo on the 31st March – 1st April 2012 to see the magnificent cakes entered into the Cake Competition. Vote for your dream cake and stand the chance of winning some great prizes!
For those brides who would like to indulge in some delicious wedding cake, don’t forget to visit our Cake Café in association with Annica’s Designer Cakes!
For more information on the Wedding Cake Competition and competition entry, call 086 111 3997.
The Wedding Expo is on the 31st March – 1st April 2012, Coca Cola Dome, doors are open from 09h00 – 17h00, tickets are available for R100 at the door or book online. For more info visit www.wedding-expo.co.za
The Wedding Expo®, South Africa’s premier bridal exhibition, will kick off the spring/summer wedding season in style this September with a brand new Trends Theatre focused on the latest wedding ideas and inspiration for 2012.
Top industry experts have been invited to participate in workshops and panel discussions that will cover topics such as cakes, flowers, catering, dresses, decor, event planning, hair and make-up … in fact, anything and everything to do with weddings! The open forums will also give the public an opportunity to ask any questions they might have for the top of the industry!
Nicole Allen, editor of Wedding Inspirations magazine, will be hosting the talks at the Trends Theatre. “The Trends Theatre is going to be a brilliant way to find out from wedding experts what’s hot and what’s not for the coming season. It’ll be informative, interesting and fun and visitors are guaranteed to pick up loads of useful tips!” says Nicole. Top trends on her radar include the return of more demure, elegant wedding dresses with sleeves, lace and intricate detailing, as seen on Kate Middleton. “Look out also for textured embellishments like feathers, flowers and bows and interesting necklines, such as Charlene Wittstock’s off-the-shoulder design” adds Nicole.
Other experts participating in the trends talks will be Biji from Biji Couture, Johan Harley from Jem Catering, Guy Granger and Anton Rautenbach of the Wedding Emporium, Kristin Masters of Garnish Couture, Stefan Norval from Afresh Events, Eve Levinsohn from Eve’s Bridal, Annica Johan of Annica’s Designer Wedding Cakes and Rudie Stoop of Rudie’s Events.
A sneak preview of what to expect from our experts:
Biji from Biji Couture says: “The current biggest trend in weddings is personalisation. Couples are choosing to make their weddings a true representation of their personalities. This starts from venue choice and follows through to everything from stationery to the choice of the menu. Brides still dream about their ideal dresses and couture offers the bride the opportunity to have a one-off, completely customised gown that fits not only her figure, but also her personality perfectly.”
Kristin Masters from Garnish Couture lists some key fashion trends to look out for as feminine and floral designs, soft pink and nude hues and tones, the vintage feel, three dimensional fabric flowers, lace, dropped waist silhouettes, as well as texture and layers.
As far as food goes, Johan Harley from Jem Catering says: “The worldwide trend towards local, organic and green is here to stay; clean, classic plating is the way to go and the focus should be on food – which means fewer elements complementing each other and no garnish, including flowers.” Johan also predicts a definite move away from the conventional buffet, but says that more formal, classic look dessert canapé buffets in the colours of the function are likely to be a hit. “Another trend will be to serve surprise elements that create confusion by presenting a lookalike of a traditional dish with and unexpected contrasting taste,” he adds.
According to Rudie Stoop of Rudie’s Events, weddings and wedding styles have come full circle. “Wedding vows and the reasons behind the celebration will take centre stage again. It really is all about marriage, rather than just an excuse to have a massive party with all the bells and whistles,” he believes. “Weddings will also become smaller and more intimate. This allows for the use of more unique and exciting venues. Garden weddings and weddings at home seem to have become trendy again.”
Stefan Norval of Afresh Events says that “economizing on decor use and still making a big impact is the way to go in 2012. Colours this season are mostly pastels, especially yellow, pink and orange. Base colours are also showing a shift towards grey, navy blue and other strong colours rather than traditional whites and cream.”
All the experts agree that while vintage weddings may not be new, they are likely to remain hugely popular in 2012 as they represent old-fashioned values and romance. In terms of dresses this means that lace is the fabric of choice, and colours lean towards ivories and creams. Fascinators have taken over from tiaras as the headpiece of choice, and as a result the birdcage veil has also seen a revival.
In conjunction with Annica’s Designer Wedding Cakes, The Wedding Expo® is introducing the Cake and Coffee Café where you can indulge, unwind and also pick up gorgeous ideas for your wedding cake. Owner Annica Johan will share her knowledge of new cake trends at the Trends Theatre on Saturday 10 September between 11:30 and 12:00 and on Sunday 11 September between 13:00 and 13:45.
The Trends Theatre will run from 10:00 to 16:00 during The Wedding Expo®. You’ll find a full schedule online at www.wedding-expo.co.za.
The Wedding Expo®, 10 – 11 September 2011 at the Coca-Cola Dome, Northgate, Johannesburg. Doors are open from 09h00 – 17h00; tickets are available for R100 at the door or book online and enjoy a discounted ticket of R80. For more information visit www.wedding-expo.co.za.
The Wedding Expo®, the most trusted bridal show in South Africa launched its ten year anniversary by giving back to charity at the April exhibition. This exciting initiative will continue for the September exhibition.
Tying in with the wedding anniversary tradition of tin symbolising a ten year union, The Wedding Expo® will mark its decade in the industry by donating tinned goods to two Non Profit Organisations – Mother of Peace Communities and Tshwane Place of Safety Association. Donations are vital to the functioning of these non-profit organisations, especially as the cold weather approaches and the rate of occupancy increases.
Mother of Peace Communities is a foster home in Northriding run by a group of volunteers who dedicate their lives to looking after 22 children who have survived extremely traumatic backgrounds. Mother of Peace Communities aims to provide a safe and structured family environment where children will be cared for, nurtured and loved. Tshwane Place of Safety Association focuses on fulfilling the needs of new-born babies and young children up to 6 years of age. The ‘parents’ who volunteer at the organisation are well trained in health and emotional security guidance and demonstrate immense love and patience when looking after the babies and toddlers in crisis (abandoned, abused, orphaned and often HIV-infected) in their care.
During the April exhibition, The Wedding Expo® bought a tin to represent each of the 300 exhibitors. In addition to this contribution, the exhibitors were requested to bring at least one tin. The Wedding Expo® then matched every tin bought. Approximately R25 000 rands worth of tinned good were bought and donated across the two charities.
For the September show taking place 10 – 11th we are wanting to encourage the public to get involved in our this initiative. The Wedding Expo® will match all public donations This drive is expected to accumulate a stock of food that will last until the end of the year.
The idea for the tin-collection crusade originated while The Wedding Expo®’s Managing Director Amanda Cunningham was trying to think of a special ritual to mark the expo’s ten year milestone. “The wedding industry is one of love, celebration and sharing special moments and I want to extend this love to reach people who may not be able to afford even basic necessities. It is important to bring attention and assistance to these people, and through a tinned food drive, we can achieve this goal. I feel this is the perfect way to commemorate our decade in the industry,” explains Cunningham.
All of the expo’s attendees are urged to get involved by dropping tins off in the collection bin located at the show’s entrance. Although the campaign’s main focus is on food-collection, especially milk powder and soya milk, all donations are welcome. If it can fit in a tin – crayons, clothes, or toys – then it will go to good use! Members of the public or retailers who are not attending the show but would still like to get involved in this project are welcome to contact The Wedding Expo® directly.
Since its inception ten years ago, the Wedding Expo® has succeeded in unravelling some of the best kept secrets and trends of the wedding industry. This year is no different; the Wedding Expo® introduces the Cake and Coffee Café in association with Annica Johan of Annica’s Designer Cakes. Annica’s Designer Cakes not only offers the best in designer cakes for weddings and special occasions, they have also opened a coffee shop to cater for everything from your early morning coffee to croissants to your Sunday afternoon treat.
The Cake and Coffee Café at the Wedding Expo® will offer the most delectable treats to ever emerge from an oven. Brides and their entourage can take time out and indulge in the most delicious cakes, petite fours and all things pretty. Just to wet your appetite, these are some of the mouth-watering treats you can look forward to: white chocolate roulade with apple and Earl Gray tea mousse, homemade assortment of Pies, mini baked chocolate & nougat cheese cakes with berry coulis and a lot more.
This will be the place to rest your weary feet and be seen as you take in all the beauty you’ll be treated to at the Expo. You will also be able to discuss and decide what to view next while mouth-watering events are taking place in your mouth and your taste buds are having a ball.
Your groom will of course not be left behind in the fun. While you are enjoying Annica’s cakes he will also be treated to the South Africa vs Wales World Cup rugby match on the big screen at Castle Corner on Sunday 11th. There will also be a prize for the couple wearing the country’s colours with pride and enjoying the best of both worlds.
So this is a chance to put all the wedding preparation bickering to a halt and enjoy each other’s company and plan your perfect day down to the very last bit of confetti!
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