The Cape Town Wedding Festival was elevated to new heights in 2008, when, for the first time, it was held in two spectacular marquees on top of the Breakwater Boulevard Parking Garage at the V & A Waterfront. The setting for Celebration House's 12th Wedding Festival certainly could not have been more romantic, with the sea literally on our doorstep, and majestic Table Mountain towering behind as a backdrop.

On arrival, all visitors to the Festival received a Directory, showcasing the services of exhibitors at the event. Filled with useful information on wedding planning, this handy reference guide was an invaluable take-home item.

The Dressing-up Box was once again a popular attraction. After many years of talking to brides at Celebration House, one thing we know for sure is that they all love trying on wedding dresses, and this feature of our Festival has grown in popularity each year.

Another drawcard was The Make-up Box, where several of our leading make-up artists were on hand to provide makeovers and, together with hairstylists, offer advice on how to look stunning on your wedding day.

All visitors to the Festival were eligible to enter the fabulous competition, which this year offered some amazing prizes, ranging from the chance to hire a Robyn Roberts wedding dress worth R4000, to a weekend for two (including game drives) at the Garden Route Game Lodge. Other wonderful prizes included overnight stays at country hotels, dinners and picnics for two, limousine rides, and many more. Click here to view a list of the prizes and the names of the lucky prizewinners.

This year's Fashion Showcase took the form of mini-fashion shows held throughout each of the days in the coffee bar area. Those at the L'Oreal stand alongside very kindly offered members of the audience glasses of sparkling wine to enjoy during the shows, and while visitors sipped their drinks, the models wove their way among the tables, allowing those watching to have a closer look at the stunning outfits. (Some of the models who took part in the Robyn Roberts Showcase were in fact brides wearing the wedding dresses that Robyn had designed for them.)

After Robyn's Showcase, Pam Black - owner of Celebration House - interviewed the designer and asked her some interesting questions relating to choosing a wedding gown.

The Cindy Bam Showcase featured models wearing stunning wedding dresses created in this designer's inimitable style.

A bevy of little girls, varying in age from 2 upwards and dressed by The Fairy Shop, drew enthusiastic applause and enthralled the audience. (The word 'cute' could be heard muttered many times throughout the weekend during their appearances on stage!)

In between the Fashion Showcases, some of Cape Town's leading musicians - ranging from vocalists to string and jazz duos - took to the stage to entertain those attending the Festival.

Visitors to the coffee bar area were also treated to complimentary copies of the Weekend Argus and Conde Nast magazines.

One of the big advantages of attending the Wedding Festival is that it gives couples the opportunity to meet, face to face, many of those directly involved in the industry, and to see first-hand what they have to offer, as well as how they present themselves. At the 2008 event, visitors were able to interact with a host of service providers: exhibits included those by top venues, photographers, videographers and leading dress designers, as well as gift registries, jewellers, cake decorators, wedding magazines and many more.

Other attractions included the Mangwanani stand - where the ladies had their time cut out for them, as they cheerfully gave visitors most welcome foot rubs.

The Lindt stand was particularly popular, especially when they were handing out their delicious chocolates!

And of course, no chocoholic could resist the temptation to stop at the spectacular chocolate fountain at the Chocolate Falls stand.

As the cherry on the top, the 2008 Festival coincided with the launch of The Wedding & Honeymoon Association of South Africa (WAHASA). Weddings by their very nature are expensive affairs and, particularly with the recent downturn in the economy, couples organising their celebrations want assurance that the service providers they choose are indeed professionals in their field. As all WAHASA members have agreed to comply with a very strict Code of Conduct, those who engage the services of one of their members can rest assured, knowing that they are dealing with a reliable professional in the wedding industry. (All who took part in the 2008 Festival have been approved by the Association.)

We were delighted with the public's enthusiastic response to the formation of WAHASA. Many couples who stopped to chat at the WAHASA stand had very positive comments to make about the Association, and the general feeling was that this was a vital addition to the wedding industry in South Africa.

All photographs taken by Alexander Photography

Information:
Tel: 021 674 7350
e-mail: info@celebrationhouse.co.za
www.celebrationhouse.co.za