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Wedding bells are ringing at Joburg's Darling headquarters this week! Our lovely Rochelle from our Sales & Marketing department got hitched recently and she did it with such flare that I just had to insist she share all her super awesome wedding stories with all of you. So, this week is going to be centred around all things wedding related. Rochelle will give you the lowdown on everything from where she got her beautiful wedding dress and who made her ultra-unique wedding cake (seriously, that one is a must-read!) to where to get the coolest event cake pops in town. It's all too lovely for words.
I have been looking so forward to doing this Wedding Series on Joburg's Darling. As you are very well aware, the purpose of Joburg's Darling is to share all the inside secrets on businesses in Joburg that are at the top of their game. And boy did I find some keepers for you!
Before I dish it all out, allow me to give you some background first for some reference:
After a six month engagement, Clayton and I survived our wedding week earlier this month which consisted of a legal wedding in South Africa (really just a matter of getting the paperwork signed and confirmed), six days in Mauritius for a beach wedding so beautiful our pictures look photoshopped, followed by a divine Wedding Reception here in Joburg to cater for all our friends and family who were unable to make it to our paradise island wedding.
Step number one in our wedding process was booking the hotel in Mauritius – believe it or not, this turned out to be less expensive than a one-night big wedding affair in Joburg (#JustSaying). I highly recommend Sugar Beach Hotel (World Leisure Holidays), a five-star resort that is simply a magical wonderland of all-you-can-eat buffets, all inclusive drinks and cocktails, beautiful settings, as well as one of the most comprehensive Wedding Package offerings around. Air Mauritius also offered us incredible two-for-one deal flights for us and our guests.
Step two was of course, the dress. Introducing GF Bridal Couture in Fourways, a bridal shop offering one of South Africa’s largest collections of imported haute couture, limited edition bridal gowns, a selection of bridal jewellery, accessories, separate bodices and veils. Here is why every bride-to-be in Joburg needs to know about them.
From the moment I made contact with GF Bridal via their website, I knew I was on to something good. They got back to me straight away and assigned me to a personal sales consultant, Abi (or The Wedding Dress Mentalist as I like to refer to her). I had a very specific style and price range in mind (I did so much online research first), so I had lots of questions before I even walked into the store.
At our first appointment Abi brilliantly used all the info she learned about me to only show dresses that met my requirements. The moment I laid eyes on my dress I knew it was the one - a gorgeous mermaid style, strapless and ivory white dress. Some people say they heard angels singing in the store that day, but who knows.
What I loved about GF Bridal is that it was my one-stop shop. I got a package that included my dress, long veil, dress alterations, steaming, dry cleaning and a travel bag. It really was as straight forward as that. I was getting married on the beach, so I was going barefoot commando – but, for the brides wearing shoes, and wanting wedding jewellery, GF Bridal stocks a small but lovely selection.
Better yet, this all suited my budget perfectly! From beginning to end, Abi and the GF dream team seamstresses were heavenly with their high level of expertise and service. All three of my fittings went smoothly from beginning until final collection day. I felt they really understood the changes I wanted and the dress came out better than I ever could have imagined.
You can pop into the store at any time to have a look around, but to try on dresses you need to make an appointment. There is a fitting fee of a mere R50, which is a once-off cost per dress that you try on, but you will get your money back if you buy the dress.
In terms of variety GF Bridal has over 80 styles of dresses on mannequins on their showroom floor (Enzoani, Herve and Demetrios Collections). Prices range from R2 000 to R30 000, and depending on how much you're willing to spend they’ve got you covered. You will also be glad to know they are getting new styles in for 2014, which means they currently have a Clearance SALE on now until the end of April 2014 offering great low prices on some 2013 dresses! (Sizes may be limited, so hurry.)
If you, a friend, sister, cousin or mother are getting married I highly recommend checking out their range. Click here to book a personalised fitting with GF Bridal Fourways now.
By Rochelle Hall (Friedman)
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Did you miss a day of the Joburg's Darling Wedding Series?
Day 1 - Wedding Dress (see review above)
Day 2 - Reception/ Dinner Venue
Day 3 - Wedding Favours
Day 4 - Wedding Cake
Day 5 - Flowers/ Centrepieces
 
 
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