Mbete Wedding | 28 September 2013

Dans Country Lodge, a few kilometres outside Mthatha is a venue for any occasion. I've written about it before but I think what really makes the venue is the constant improvement to the gardens and outdoors.

Today I covered Siyanda & Portia's wedding, they were ever willing to do anything I suggested... even walk across the whole property to get some cool shots near a water feature. Love you two for that :)

This couple did things a little different when it came to their place settings for their reception, they named each table after some very expensive cars and had a "fake" cake on each table & best of all, each person who attended their wedding got a key ring with their names on! Awesome!

Its a couple like Siyanda & Portia who make my job such a pleasure to carry out, they are definitely a couple who stand out for me.

   

  

   

   

     

Cape Town | Madame Zingara

A few days before we head off for Cape Town, my cousin Bernice asks if my sister and I would be interested in attending Madame Zingara (I had no idea what it was for a looong time). My sister - Hamida - said that we should go coz she heard about it and it sounded very promising (me still blank).

So we got all dressed and ready for the show, I luckily packed my blue dressed in when I left home looong before I heard about the show.

There are no words to describe the show, the food and the creativity that went into this work of art. The show has been in South Africa for over a year and will still be showing in Cape Town until the 14th January then they leave for JHB.

Let me set the scene, when you enter the place you are greeted by a very friendly man who asks for your booking reference, you are then offered welcome drinks (alcoholic & non-alcoholic), there's a man on stilts who is dressed like a giraffe, there's a huge carriage that you can take pictures in. You then enter the first tent and there are men dressed up like mummy's and ladies walking around serving drinks, chocolates all over the place which you are welcome to have and to your left is a place where you can buy Madame Zingara make up, wigs, hats, t-shirts as well as an option to have your face painted (which we obviously done).

In the main tent the set up is much like a restaurant with booths and tables around the main stage. The food was a 4 course meal, I can't quite remember the name of what I had but it was second to none! The option I chose for main course was steak with a chocolate chilli sauce which was absolutely divine! The performances were amazing! With entertainers doing acrobatics, drummers, singers & a trapeze artist.

Ok ok, I know you want to see the pictures so scroll on down and see what we got up too, the pictures are very clear (I didn't take my camera with) but its Samsung ;)

Outside the show 

 

Bernice and the mummy                                          My face painting

 Face painted - four cousins

 Inside

 

 

 The table décor                                                                Starters

  
Dessert                                                                   Madam "Z" in chocolate

Smiling with Mark Lottering 

 Big smiles with "Errol" from 7de Laan

Outside as we leaving the venue 

Posing with "M" "Z"

I shape me | Happiness

In life, the people we love most hurt us the worst, I’ve learnt that this is only because we care so dearly for them. Unfortunately its hard to tell who will hurt you but we trust them not to.

You alone are responsible for your own happiness, don’t give that power to someone else.

 

I shape me

Mr & Mrs Mangesi's Wedding | 10 August 2013

Its not often I agree to do a wedding which is in the rural area's because of time, but someone I know referred Mr Mangesi to me & I agreed to cover the wedding. Mr and Mrs Mangesi got married in Tabase, a village just outside of Mthatha, about 30km out towards Ngcobo/Langeni.

With very little communication from the groom (whom I was dealing with) I arrived on time & was ready for action... just to find the wedding was running just over an hour late. Fortunately I was covering the wedding with a videographer whom I knew and worked with several times so I had some company out there :)

The wedding had a gorgeous setting, it was on a hill overlooking various villages and smaller hills in the valley. Everything happened under a tent, both the ceremony & the reception.

A tradition I've always found quite interesting in the Xhosa culture is when the couple (once married) walk around the grooms family homestead, its almost like they introducing her to everyone as the new makoti (married lady into the family).

Traditional Xhosa weddings are awesome!

 

Like, follow, share... xoxo

Womens Month Competition 2013

This month I teamed up with Carmen from Simply Pampered (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Simply-Pampered-nails-beauty/188132551257982) and asked people to nominate their favourite lady, I posted the pictures summited onto my facebook page & had their friends and family vote... the picture with the most likes would be the winner of a back of body massage sponsored by Simply Pampered.

And the winner is.... Rozel Gaskin!

Congratulations!!!

Rozel's friend Monica Willard Morrow nominated her & felt that she really deserved to be pampered. I've known Mrs G from functions where she done the catering/décor at, she's really a sweet lady & I'm proud to present her with her voucher as the winner!

Thank you to everyone who has entered, I wish I could give all the lovely ladies a voucher to be pampered but there could only be one winner.

 

Mrs G... hope you enjoy your pampering :)