LGBT Weddings

The Mirage wants to make this special day happen for you, and help you plan your wedding. Because, let’s face it, love is love–gay or straight. In fact, we are experienced in planning same sex weddings / lesbian weddings. We have a team of accepting wedding coordinators who have planned gay weddings in the past. We have a network of DJs, videographers, photographers, florists, and caterers so that your wedding will be beautiful and flawless. No last-minute hiccups. No worrying. No stress. Your job is to sit back, relax, and enjoy this day with the ones you love.

You’ve always dreamed of the perfect wedding, and now the Mirage is here to help make that dream a magnificent reality. Call today one of our wedding coordinators who is experienced in gay weddings. They’ll be happy to go over the details with you, as well as listen to your wedding ideas, comments, and questions. Also, know that you’re wedding is completely about you, which means that our wedding planners work with you to make your vision come true.

You’ve found your person, they popped the question, and now you’re engaged – congrats!

But now, wedding planning sits before you like a big, never-ending to-do list.

Your wedding is not like any party you’ve ever planned before. So, where do you even start? Between creating a guest and picking a date, it’s all feeling a bit overwhelming – and those are just the first couple of tasks to tackle!  But we are here to help! Read through our wedding planning tips before you decide to wave the white flag in surrender. And learn how to get started on the right foot and which three vendors will get you there.

Step 1: Get a Sense of the Big Picture

Perhaps a bit of a surprise, the average couple in South Africa is engaged for 19 Months.  But if you’re planning your wedding in 12 months, or even less, there is still plenty of time to think about how you want your wedding to look and feel.

Take your time gathering inspiration from wedding magazines, social media, and real wedding photos. And look outside of the wedding world too for what sparks your interest and creativity. For me, it’s about the destination, good food and drinks. Which means my dream wedding (if I could do it over again) would be an intimate, tropical destination wedding with our closest friends with a great dinner and delicious cocktails. (Eg, at Clifton 4th Beach)

Think about the style, feel, and experience you want you and your guests to experience. This part of the planning process isn’t so much about getting into the details just yet. It’s more about getting a big-picture vision. Like:

• Where do you see the yacht docked for you to get married?
• How many people do you want to invite?
• Do you want a one-day event? Or would you like an entire weekend’s worth of celebrations, including a rehearsal dinner, bridal luncheon and/or post-wedding breakfast?

Try to describe what events your dream day includes. Remember, this is what YOU want. When you’re daydreaming, don’t get bogged down by obligations or the inner critic telling you something isn’t realistic. You’re dreaming at this stage. So let yourself dream!

Step 2: Make a List of What’s Important

Establishing your priorities will help guide your decisions and budget and keep you and your partner aligned on what’s important.

After you’ve had time to dream about your wedding day, decide on the must-have details and non-negotiables. For example:

• Photographer
• Live entertainment
• Anchored venue
• Plated dinner
• White bridesmaid dresses and pink bouquets
• Time together with family and friends

To help stay organized, consider starting a few Pinterest boards with all of your favorite details. Pin images that reflect your wedding style, real wedding photos you love, and locations you’re swooning over. And to help you determine what dress or stationery design to go with, look for the patterns in the images you save.

And if you start feeling overwhelmed by everything and feel lost in the sea of options, revert to your list of priorities and remember your original vision.

Step 3: Set a Budget

Okay, time to come back down to earth. But don’t let this step dishearten you. Setting a budget is essential because it gives you direction and allows you to move forward confidently. The budget will be your compass along the way and will continue to help you make decisions as you go.

You’ll also need to have a guest count in mind, as these two go hand-in-hand. It wouldn’t make sense to budget for 12 guests and invite 50 to 130. So go ahead and have a good idea of your guest count before you have the cost talk.

Then sit down with your families and find out if anyone will contribute financially, and if so, how much. Once you know how much you have to work with, take your list of what’s important and start plugging in the numbers.

You’ve always dreamed of the perfect wedding, and now the Mirage is here to help make that dream a magnificent reality. Share your most important occasion with us, and we vow to make your first memory as a married couple your most unforgettable one.

Find out more by visiting our web page www.miragecatamaran.com or contact us on 071 428 1126.