"Ethnic Bride Series" - Destination Weddings Africa

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A magical continent, rich in culture and tradition, and with some of the most scenic landscapes on earth, Africa was a natural choice for Black Pearl Weddings to explore the destinations available for your weddings. This week, we take pleasure in sharing our three favourite so far..!

The first breath-taking location we discovered was South Africa.

This incredible country isn’t just steeped in political history and a bench-mark in social progression, but is also home to the awe-inspiring Waterberg area and Eastern Cape, home to the five big game animals. A malaria free zone, this is truly the pinnacle in outdoor (or “bush”) weddings; as well as boasting the “Garden Route” and area magniloquently known for spectacular flora and fauna, with possibly one of the greatest sites for beach weddings, as well as world famous mountain ranges.

Travel Nation

Secondly, but by no means inferior in any way, is Zambia. With the Royal Livingstone overlooking the formidable Victoria Falls, or South Luangwa Valley, truly the romantic heart of the African Bush lands encapsulating the divine Lake Malawi which offers heavenly islands to relax upon and enjoy your honeymoon, Zambia is also famed for the Lower Zambezi Valley, considered by many to be the most scenic place on earth. Boasting sunsets that offer insight into the universal worship of the sun among all cultures, the Lower Zambezi Valley turns golden during these unforgettable miracles of nature, and shortly afterwards, is home to  dream-like starlit skies.

Tongabezi

Finally, moving into Northern Africa, Black Pearl Weddings were stunned by Kenya. Famously boasting renowned Safari Parks populated by as many exotic species as one could possibly wish for and then some, Kenya is also home to truly leading architecture such as the KICC building, or” The One”, Africa’s Tallest skyscraper.

Diani Reef

However, while we have offered the above selection as our top three so far, it’s important to remember that a continent as large and varied as Africa has incredible features in every corner – keep watch for our second part to Destination Weddings – Africa.

Venues- (The info a bride should know)

When it comes to venues or more specifically ‘your’ venue knowing the possible hidden costs from the start will save you a lot more money than you think. Here’s a breakdown of what to look out for.

Venues

When deciding upon a venue it’s important to ask what’s included as well as the hire cost. Certain venue prices depend on the time of year and where in the country you decide to get married, reception halls tend to charge the highest fees for Saturday night weddings so a tip to bring the cost down would be a Friday or Sunday night celebration instead.

Some venues offer wedding packages that can include additional extras such as overnight accommodation or floral arrangements.

Contract

Ask the venue for a sample contract to take away and study before you sign to avoid any unwanted surprises, check if VAT is included and look out for the words ‘additional costs may be occurred’, ask about service charges/delivery/costs of set up.

Decorations

Be sure to find out exactly what your venue supplies, for example chair covers, don’t assume these will be provided and if not, remember to check if the venue have a recommended supplier as sometimes the chairs for use may be specially made so ordinary chair covers might not fit.

Catering 

Ask if there’s a minimum/maximum number of guests they cater for. The cost of waiters/ waitresses may need to be considered.

Cake cutting fee, the fee is for someone from the catering company or venue to cut the wedding cake and pass it out to guests. Cake corkage fee applies if you bring in a wedding cake from an outside vendor.

Alcohol 

Consider the cost of bartenders, corkage fees, check what the bar will serve as it may not stock the brands of refreshments wanted and you’ll have to pay extra to have these brought in.

Parking

Be sure to ask about parking for you and your guests as this may not be included when booking.

Outdoor wedding venues

Outdoor venues require a number of permits. From city regulations to fire regulations they will need to be strictly adhered to. Tents/marquees might have to be rented and every rental item in the tent will be your responsibility, including electricity generators, air conditioning, sound systems, heating, tableware, dance floor, drapes, lighting, bar/staff and toilets.

Overtime charges

Remember not to overrun your venue hire time as this will result in you being charged at supplement. 

"Ethnic Bride Series" - The Money Dance

The knot

A custom in Africa, favoured particularly in Nigeria, the “Money Dance” is a tradition actually enjoyed the world over.

The tradition is that the first dance, as the floor is being opened up to the guests, is carried out by the Bride, often with a backing group of dancers, or perhaps close female friends of the Bride such as the Bridesmaids.

As the bride undertakes the dance, guests and well-wishers dance toward her on the dance floor, approaching her to shower her with money, in note form. The customary showering of the bride with cash is to wish the happy couple well on their journey as husband and wife, with each donation being a token toward a stable and prosperous future.

As the dance progresses, the Groom will dance toward his wife, accompanying her for the first dance, as the well-wishers move away having deposited their kind gifts. This dance will then lead to the dance floor being available to all guests to come and share in the happy occasion and enjoy the party for the rest of the evening.

See the perfect demonstration of this elegant dance below..  

You Tube

Aside from the customary depositing of notes, often the guests will fashion items out of cash for the bride, such as garters made from bills or simple jewellery fashioned from coins.

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In fact, so renowned are the spectacular Nigerian weddings and tradition of the "Money Dance" that a whole styled shoot was undertaken by photography byobi, following the inspirational Black Barbie shoot for Vogue Italia

Fash Afrique

"Ethnic Bride Series" - Ma Nubiah

Ma Nubiah, a London based greeting cards publishers  specialise in creating a wide
range of multicultural and ethnic designed products. Their inspiration is derived of the wide palette of diverse and dynamic mix of people and cultures in the UK, Africa, the Caribbean and beyond!

Ma Nubiah aim to produce quality, unique and stylish products that not only capture the imagination, but are also something beautiful to treasure as a keepsake from a special time.

Alongside greeting cards, Ma Nubiah also offer bespoke wedding invitations and stationery, as well as beautiful gift ideas.

In this latest installment of our "Ethnic Bride Series", we meet owner Josie Fadlin, and find out more...

Tell me about your business?

My name is Josie and I'm a greeting card publisher who is passionate about developing products that are reflective of my African/Caribbean culture and heritage. After years of being left disappointed with the lack of choice on the market in terms of accessing multicultural and afrocentric greeting cards, I decided to launch my own greeting cards publishing company Ma Nubiah, 2 years ago. Since then Our product range has expanded to include gift ideas such as Mugs, T-Shirts, Picture Frames and Cushions.

Our transition into designing wedding stationery was quite organic in that it happened through its own natural process! We were approached by someone from America who asked if we would design her invitations and we said yes! We were then commissioned by a Nigerian/Ghanian couple to design their wedding stationery as the bride explained she had exhausted the market searching for wedding invitations that would reflect not just her and her fiancée's personalities, but also their different ethnic cultures. Since then we have taken on several commissions and designing stationery is now an established part of the services we provide.

Tell us about your most popular range?

Every couple has their own unique style and preferences and so far all the invitations we've designed have been very bespoke, however there is clearly a central theme running through all of them, and that is they reflect the couples ethnic backgrounds. That said, currently our illustrated invitations are very popular and many couples are choosing to have illustrated images of themselves incorporated within their design.

Tell us how will your products benefit the ethnic bride?

From my own experience, ethnic brides struggle to source wedding products that allow them to incorporate elements of their ethnicity in their wedding theme. The benefits of using our services is that we are passionate about working with couples to bring their visions to life. The bride will be involved in every stage of the design process and they will have the guarantee that their wedding stationery is truly unique and most importantly, if this is a priority and necessity for her and husband to be, not to mention their extended family! their invitations will also be reflective of their cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

What advice would you give a couple when selecting wedding stationery?

Whether you choose to send a save-the-date card or an elegant invitation, your wedding stationery gives guests their first glimpse of your wedding theme. So choosing the right set of stationery is the first step in setting the tone for your big day! My advise to couples is to get your stationery designer involved very early in the process of planning your wedding. Ask to view samples of their work and start the process early. Unlike off the shelf invitations, bespoke designs can take at least 4-6 weeks to complete the design process and even longer if it is a large order with lots of hand finished details in the design.

Any new products for 2015?

The last two years have been amazing for us and in 2015 we are hoping to launch our sister company Adero Invitations! The name Adero is South African and means 'She Who Creates Life.' The Adero brand will follow the Ma Nubiah model, in that it will be specialising in bringing the ethnic bride's dreams of multicultural and Afrocentric wedding stationery and products to life. Our aim is to establish ourselves as the first choice for ethnic brides in the U.K.

Photos complements of Ma Nubiah

For more Information see Ma Nubiah's website - manubiah.co.uk

Black Pearl Weddings Meets Honey & Lace Cake Design

Cake-maker of excellence Nicola Gill, founder of Honey & Lace Cake Design has recently collaborated with Black Pearl Weddings to create this masterpiece "Urban Romance" for our soon to be released photo-shoot.

Experienced and skilled, Nicola is capable of creating luxurious cakes with magnificent designs, bespoke specifically to clients requirements with ease, and is a true consummate professional, recently nominated for a prestigious Hitched Breakthrough Award. Here Nicola tells us a little more.

"Urban Romance"

Please can you tell us a bit about yourself and your business?

I have always been a keen baker but it wasn’t until 2013, after many years of working as a scientist, that I discovered the magical world of sugarcraft. After reading rather a lot of wedding magazines whilst planning my own wedding last year my eyes were opened to the exciting possibilities.

Wedding cakes didn’t need to be a three tier fruitcake covered in white icing, they could become a unique representation of the couple’s style and personalities.

Honey and Lace Cake Design was born in early 2014. I have since  been asked to appear in the UK’s most popular wedding magazine as one of their top cake designers and recently was shortlisted to the Hitched breakthrough awards top ten new cake designers in the UK which is incredibly exciting. Making sugar flowers is my favourite area of sugar craft. I studied botany and enjoy gardening so I find nature a great source of inspiration.

What advice would you give a bride and groom when selecting a wedding cake?

Your wedding cake is a chance to express your style and a good cake designer will be able to work with you to create a truly unique cake just for you! Think about the design but also think about the taste, it's nice to have a combination of fruit cake and more modern flavoured sponges so your guests have a choice. Take some photos of cakes you like and maybe swatches of your colour scheme or your wedding invitation design to your cake tasting, these will be really helpful to give your cake designer a feel for your style.

What cake trends have you noticed over the past 6 months?

Metallics are still proving popular and I can feel there is a shift back to a more classic style of sugar flowers and hand piped royal icing. Personalised details, such as sugar lace matching the bride's dress, or monograms of the couple's initials, are also popular to create a completely bespoke design.

What do is you most popular products?

Couples are also getting more adventurous with their cake flavours, some of my most popular choices are rhubarb and custard and chocolate and Cointreau, not something you can find on the supermarket shelves!

What is the most elaborate cake request that you have had?

Perhaps not the most elaborate, but the most unconventional! I made a lovely personal wedding cake for a wonderful couple getting married at Lewes Castle. Their reception was at a beachside house in east Sussex and they decorated the garden leading to the beach with bunting, candles and fun board games on each table. They had a jazz band, magician and sparklers for the photographs. I was given a fairly free design brief - a teacup of roses, a motor bike and absolutely no pink! The result was a unique cake with wired sugar roses in the teacup topper, hand made models of the bride (in her gorgeous vintage tea dress) and groom sitting on their motorbike, tiny sugar bees taken from their wedding invitation design and finished with lots of bright flowers and piped pearls. They were utterly thrilled with the results!

For more information please see www.honeyandlace.co.uk. 

All images courtesy of Honey and Lace. 

"Ethnic Bride Series" - NayNay Make Up

The first episode in our "Ethnic Bride" series focuses exclusively on Naima Mohammed, founder of NayNay Makeup, an up and coming Make-Up Artist with a real flair for wedding style. Extremely talented, Naima has recently assisted Black Pearl Weddings with a styled photo-shoot, soon to be released for your enjoyment.

Developing her career, Naima is a versatile and adept artist with a speciality for Afro-Caribbean and African make up, although her prowess extends to European, Asian and traditional make up styles. 

Here we find out more about Naima and her vocation.

Tell me about yourself?

I have always been interested in make-up and the makeup industry, from a young age I was fascinated by Makeup as an Art form. I saw Art in media which developed my passion for creating makeup looks on my family and friends. I increased my knowledge by paying for several makeup courses. With further self-study I gradually built my skills and I became a Makeup Artist. I have been working as a freelance makeup artist for a year now. I specialise in creating that perfect look for weddings and special occasion, I know all of the secrets that include how the lightening affects the way make-up looks and how certain colours can make your best features stand out. I have the skills to provide the professional service that clients expect and deserve and I always stay updated on all the latest trends and styles. I am passionate about makeup.

What type of makeup do you specialise in?

I specialise in makeup for ethnic brides, bridesmaids and mothers and flower girls. I also do make-up for photo shoots for model portfolios and special occasion.

Do you have any makeup tips you can share?

"Set your foundation with a translucent powder, less powder goes a long way". The most naturally looking powder on the market is translucent powder, a white loose powder or pressed powder that applies clear and translucent. Translucent powder helps achieve an airbrushed look on your face and has blurring properties making your pores look smaller and your overall skin look smoother. Also it's great at keeping your face shine & oil free. However, beware if you apply too much powder it can cause a white flash in flash photography. It can be used as an everyday powder it not only sets your makeup like a traditional powder but it’s much more silky & finely milled so it looks airbrushed. My favourite translucent powders are Makeup Forever HD powder, MAC Prep & Prime, NARS Translucent powder.

What type of makeup suits an ethnic bride?

Ethnic women have the most beautiful features such as dark thick eye brows, almond shaped eyes and fuller lips which non ethnic women love to achieve in their makeup. In the makeup industry ethnic beauty is a trend which, celebrities and the media have helped promote. The main focus is the eyes when applying makeup for ethnic brides.

For my ethnic clients I like to enhance their strong features such as the eyes, eye brows and lips. I would enhance their eyes, by applying a natural eye make-up with eyeliner and lashes or an exotic smokey look of various colours, eye shadows of gold, green and red colours, and eye shadows of their choice. I would finish the smokey eye look with lashes. Smokey eye makeup suits an ethnic bride, however, most ethnic brides go for a natural look that that gives a glow, which can be achieved by matching the right foundation and getting the skin tone right, as most brides fear having ashy and heavy makeup on their big day.

For this beautiful bride picture above, I used a shimmery golden brown with dark brown Matt eye shadow from the corner of her eye and crease. I also pumped up her lashes with a few false individual ones and plenty of mascara. I also defined her brows to further enhance her eyes. Ethnic women vary in complexion tones from golden complexions to darker, richer tones. By choosing the right makeup colour for your specific skin tone, I can create an absolutely flawless look.

What advice would you give a bride when picking a makeup artist?

When choosing your Bridal Makeup Artist it’s really helpful to have a look at their portfolio, do they have real life examples of the Brides that they have made up? Does the beauty of the bride shine through? Are you inspired?

All Photos are courtesy of Naynay Makeup.

Ethnic Bride Series

Black Pearl Weddings are delighted to announce that our newest focus is going to be on “Ethnic Brides”.

We feel that the huge wealth of cultures around the globe provide some sublime design techniques, with styles and flavours unique yet transferable in a way that can compliment any theme.

So we invite you to take the chance to enjoy all we will be offering on this inspirational topic over the coming months on our Blog & Social Media sites.