As a bride, planning your wedding is a big deal and you may be ticking off your checklist to make sure things go smoothly on the day.

On your wedding checklist you are likely to see “something borrowed, something blue…” This saying is common for traditional weddings and originates from an Old English rhyme and refers to having certain items as symbols of good luck. According to theknot, “Something old represents continuity; something new offers optimism for the future; something borrowed symbolizes borrowed happiness; something blue stands for purity, love, and fidelity; and a sixpence in your shoe is a wish for good fortune and prosperity”.

For most brides, shifting expectation and tweaking traditions are a thing of the “now” and with so many ideas out there, bringing in your lucky charms to ensure you feel complete when you say “I do”, is a breeze.

Before deciding how you would like to incorporate these small traditional items, discuss options with your mother, mother-in-law, and bridesmaids, as they may have ideas you have not yet thought of. Divide responsibilities amongst them, by allocating certain items to certain people. You mother may want to bestow something borrowed and the bridesmaids may want to take responsibility for one of the others and vice versa.

When it comes to uniqueness, the symbol you are likely to have the most fun thinking up, is your something blue.

Here are some ideas, provided by real brides, of how to incorporate this item into your wedding.

“I incorporated my “blue” into quite a few features. I had blue ribbon on the bouquet which matched my bridesmaid’s dresses and groomsmen boutonnières,” commented Kyro Brower, a PR Executive who was wed in Durban.

“I went traditional and had a blue brooch pinned to my garter,” said Lisa Folkard, a receptionist by profession, who was wed in Hillcrest.

Culinary Artist at Granny Mouse, Kirstie du Toit, also recently tied the knot. She too embraced the old traditions, however changed it up by having her groom follow the traditions as well. “My something blue was the ribbons in my garter as well as my husband’s underwear. I made it very sentimental by printing “until my forever ends” in blue on each item,” she said.

If you are the type of bride who looks at unique ways of hosting your wedding, ideas could include a blue champagne glass for your toast, blue vintage car, sapphire ring, blue embroidery in the label of the wedding gown, blue flowers incorporated into the bridal bouquet, blue nail polish, blue dresses for the bridesmaids, blue shoes or blue accents on the cake.

One could go as far as incorporating blue into the wedding gown – if having it made by a seamstress – blue ribbon twisted in an up style, or even a blue tattoo, for those wanting to take it to the extreme.

Some brides may even want to host an all-white wedding in an aquarium, with the blue of the water representing your “something blue”.

These are just a tip of the iceberg of ideas available, but whatever you decide, avoid placing too much pressure on yourself. Enjoy each and every hour of the planning, and every second of your special day, as it is what you make of it – it is your happy ever after!

Tips supplied by the Banqueting Manager at Granny Mouse Country House & Spa. For more information on the wedding packages available, visit www.grannymouse.co.za

“It is a wonderful venue with excellent facilities,” was a comment made by a conferencing guest to Granny Mouse recently.

For many conference seekers, a well-established hotel that offers value for money, delicious food, quality service and a variety of conferencing options, is on the checklist for a successful conference.

For companies based in and around the KZN Midlands, Granny Mouse Country House & Spa, nestled in the Caversham Valley, is not always seen as a venue to host a conference, but according to the national sales manager of Hulamin Containers, the reason for choosing Granny Mouse was simple, “The facilities at Granny Mouse were sufficient to accommodate the whole team and the deal offered was reasonable and I would definitely recommend it”.

Hulamin Containers manufactures a vast range of aluminium foil containers that are used to package food for ready meals, pies and bakery items. With their factory and head office based in Pietermaritzburg, it was only fitting that Hulamin Containers choose a quality location in the Midlands to host their national sales workshop.

The feedback from the sales team was that they most enjoyed, “The tranquillity of the Natal Midlands and the extremely friendly staff making everyone feel very welcome. They (Granny Mouse) also have very comfortable and well-appointed rooms”.

With every aspect of the Hotel, from the reservations to the banqueting, to the Spa, to the food and beverage department, as well as housekeeping, there are always those that stand out and go the extra mile. For the Hulamin Containers team, “The lady that was tasked to “look after us” was excellent and she ensured that everything ran smoothly. She was very friendly and always professional. However, the staff in general was also very accommodating for any special requests.”

For all those who host a conference, workshop, product launch or teambuilding, the aim of the outcome is success. For the Hulamin Containers sales team, this conference was one of the few times during the year that the whole sales team from the various parts of the country were able to interact on a one-on-one basis, achieving the aim of the workshop as a whole.

For the team at Granny Mouse, headed by the General Manager Sean Granger, conferences allow them to showcase more of what Granny Mouse offers. “We are so well-known for our wedding facilities and fine dining restaurant, and it is rewarding to receive positive responses from those who use our conference facilities as well. We strive to offer a wide spectrum of options for our guests and endeavor to provide quality service, so that each and every guest, conferencing team, wedding party or general patron, feels at home away from home. We also offer tailor made packages that we believe meet the criteria of value for money,” Granger said.

For more information or to book your next conference contact 033 234 4071.

For more about Hulamin Containers visit www.hulamincontainers.co.za