We asked five wedding businesses in the Midlands what their services are all about, just in case you need to plan a wedding! They also included some tips based on their specific offerings and expertise.
Starting with Service Excellence, which is an events management company that focuses on providing staff to assist to set up and take down your events. Specialising in guest service and waiting, the company also offers a one-stop-shop when it comes to planning your event and managing suppliers.
The company was founded on upskilling the youth of South Africa to provide a standard of service that South Africa hasn’t quite mastered yet. All students participate in the 12 module curriculum that Nicky, the co-founder, has written.
They focus on providing a team based on the needs of customers. It’s important to receive a strong brief from the caterer as well as the event planner. When enquiring, do confirm how many people are attending your event, where the event will be held, what cuisine you will be serving as well as whether you require to set up and take down furniture.
@service.excellence
When we asked Kate from The Wedding Company South Africa, what they are all about, she explained, “We are The Wedding Company South Africa, based right here in Howick, and specialising in wedding and event management including styling, floral design, and decor hire.
We are award-winning, bespoke wedding and events specialists servicing all of KwaZulu-Natal and South Africa and specialising in unique destination weddings. Our hands-on professional planners have years of both international and national experience and believe in creating and designing once-off events.
We are definitely not the cheapest in the area, but our prices reflect our service, experience, and level of expertise. We work with the best suppliers in the Midlands and pride ourselves in supplying our clients with top-end service and stress-free events.
Hire professionals. You may think that they are pricey but they really are worth every cent in terms of your time and stress levels. Your wedding planning is NOT supposed to be stressful and having the right team of professionals working on your event will ensure that you get to enjoy the planning and look forward to your event. Don’t sweat the small stuff, this is the biggest event you will organise for yourselves and just remember that no one else will know if there are three tea lights per table rather than five. Be realistic with your budget and stick to it. Have fun!”.
@weddingcosa
Next up is Chef ‘n Thyme, they explained to us that their business is all about specialising in the right food for your wedding. They cater to any event and have a range of frozen meals. “We work with you to create a menu that fits your taste, budget, and style. Using locally sourced produce and the freshest ingredients, we create food with exceptional taste and presentation. 
Our suggestions to reduce your budget are to leave out a starter and rather have a good selection of canapes. Concentrating on a plated main course and using dessert jars or wedding cake as a dessert is a more reasonable and time-saving option. It will certainly leave you with more dancing time!
An average of 45 minutes is usually allocated for a plated or buffet course at an average-sized function. 15 minutes for serving, 15 minutes for eating, 15 minutes for clearing and getting guests back to their seats.
It is pointless serving a dessert after the first dance as once the guests leave their seats, most desserts will not be eaten.” Make sure to contact them for more helpful hints on making the most out of your special day’s menu!
@chefnthyme
Indigo and Ivory Designs is a business focused on luxury stationery and design. The creative director is Wendy-Leigh, she has a degree in fashion design and worked as a fashion designer and buyer for 10 years in the corporate industry. Wendy is first and foremost design and innovation-driven, she loves tactile luxury materials and print techniques, which bring her designs to life. She loves adding special detailing and threading personalised, sentimental elements through stationery and design.
Indigo and Ivory Designs focus on providing a unique and fresh perspective for clients and they are not afraid to push the boundaries to think out of the box. First and foremost they tell their clients to focus on the elements which are a priority to them. Having all the elements is obviously a dream, but realistically not every client can afford ALL the things.
Some of their wedding suggestions include not creating a carbon copy wedding scene on Pinterest, do not scrimp on card quality, framing your signage with flowers, don’t try to have all the things, and make sure your planner has a copy of your wedding invite.
@indigo_and_ivory_designs_
Last, but not least, is Natural Nostalgia, we asked the owner to introduce herself and tell us more, “I’m Kimberley the creative behind Natural Nostalgia – a Midlands-based floral and event design studio. We love gorgeous soft big blooms and lush mixed greenery and designing beautiful and unique one-of-a-kind weddings.
Our signature style could best be described as original, whimsical, eclectic, and natural. We also have a wide range of pretty things such as vases, votives, candlesticks, napkins, and furniture for hire. We find most often our clients love the full floral design, décor hire, setup, and styling package. We deliver everything, unpack it, set it up perfectly and then once the event is done we pack it all up and take it away. Alternatively, you are welcome to just hire décor from our website, collect, and return it yourself.
We also help with the daunting task of planning any size of event be it a corporate year-end party, surprise engagement, or wedding – we help with vendor recommendations, pulling together budgets and timing plans, logistics, and the nitty-gritty of event planning and management”. 
They believe that décor and flowers can be described as the real ‘rain-makers’ of any event, creating the mood and ambience that your guests will feel and enjoy. Flowers are, as you can imagine, expensive – and this cost is multiplied by the number of tables you have to seat the guests. Draw up a realistic budget and decide how much you want to spend. It is recommended for brides-to-be to find their own unique style and stick with it. Avoid spending hours on Pinterest, a sometimes helpful tool, which can sometimes just confuse you and create a very disjointed theme.
@natural_nostalgia