BLOW THE BUDGET ON A DIAMOND SAFARI
The Benguela Diamond Safari offers Ellerman House guests the exclusive opportunity to choose their own diamond, freshly sourced from South Africa’s West Coast and see its transformation into a piece of jewellery.
The safari includes a chauffeured limo transfer from Ellerman House to Cape Town International Airport, where the couple will be whisked off in a private plane to Port Nolloth. After a leisurely breakfast at a beachfront villa, they can join the divers on the Diamond Diving experience (or watch from the boat) before enjoying a decadent wine-paired gourmet lunch. Then they get to choose their rough diamond from the Harvest of the Day, with assistance from the Benguela team, before heading back to Cape Town for Ellerman’s signature Dom Pérignon Experience.
Stuck on what to buy the bride and groom that has everything? We rip off the wrapping paper to reveal presents that get better with age: cool collectables or a blow-them-away experience that will live on forever…
Within three days the diamond will be cut and polished, and their piece of jewellery designed, made and certified. You can never have too much bling!
R225 000* (up to six people). *T&Cs and other costs apply.
www.ellerman.co.za or email info@ellerman.co.za
IF YOU LOVE ME, LET ME NAP
The Aura Swivel Daybed with canopy makes for A-list lounging – and it’s our idea of a unique gift for the home. It’s a party for two as you soak up the sun and sip Champagne next to the pool. It even has built-in wheels so you can follow the sun or shade.
R39 999 with canopy; R31 999 without
ARTSY-FARTSY, FANTASTIC!
Art aficionados will just adore a South African curated art experience. The tour kicks off at Cape Town’s Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA), which exhibits 21st-century African art via more than 100 galleries spread over nine floors. From there they’ll be whisked off on a helicopter for a full peninsula tour along the Atlantic to Cape Point and False Bay, before heading inland to The Norval Foundation in Steenberg. The centre exhibits 20th- and 21st-century visual art from South Africa and beyond. After that, a meal and wine-tasting at Bistro Sixteen82 at Steenberg, before heading back to the V&A Waterfront.
R14 000 per person
www.capetownexperiences.co.zaAre you sure Le Creuset isn’t French for ‘served with love’?
THE WAY TO A COUPLE’S HEART
If your budget is tighter but you still want to give the newlyweds something from the heart, the Le Creuset Deep Heart Casserole is not only built to last, but it’s also a visually-ideal reminder of their love. The casserole is purpose-built for an oven casserole, dessert, reheating or storing, which means it’s oven-, grill-, dishwasher-, freezer- and microwave-safe. Hopefully, it’s relationship-proof, too!
R998
THE COGNAC OF KINGS
Referred to as the ‘fragrance of time’, Rémy Martin Louis XIII is the most exclusive Cognac in the world, bottled in a hand-made crystal decanter. Each exquisite bottle is the lifetime achievement of generations of cellarmasters. Since 1874, they’ve selected the best grapes in the renowned Grande Champagne region of Cognac in France, to be transformed into eaux de vie (the water of life) and carefully matured by the cellarmaster for 40 to 100 years. The final product is blended from 1 200 eaux de vie. And then there’s the legendary mouth-blown Baccarat decanter that holds the exquisite amber spirit. Wow!
R50 000 at Makro and Norman Goodfellows
www.louisxiii-cognac.com The Tumi McCoy Gym Bag, R8 799.
LUST-WORTHY LUGGAGE
With this camo range from Tumi, the honeymooners will have fellow passengers wishing they’d bought something as cool instead of yet another boring black suitcase. The Tumi McCoy Gym Bag (R8 799) features a separate compartment for your dirty clothes, a waterproof shoe pocket and front elastic straps for holding extras, plus a zipped 14-inch laptop compartment. The Tumi Merge International Expandable Carry (R9 299) is super-lightweight, meets the aircraft carry-on requirements and has a quick-grab top pocket for easy access to your ticket, and dual swivel wheels to zoot across the terminal.
Get yours at Tumi Sandton City, Tumi Canal Walk, Wolmans La Lucia and on www.tumi.co.za
LOVE POTION NUMBER FINE
The newlyweds will want to wind down after all the wedding excitement, so consider welcoming them home with a sensual Jo Malone Home Candle and Diffuser, which will release a continuous enveloping scent to any space and last for ages!
R2 755 for the 500g deluxe candle, R6 450 for the 2.5kg luxury candle and R1 370 for the diffuser.
BUT FIRST, A TOAST
A membership to the Wade Bales Wine Club is a gift that keeps on giving for the pair that enjoys their wine. Simply select the couple’s wine preference, choose from four price plans (Bronze through to Platinum) and a personalised case of six bottles will be delivered to their door every month for as long as you choose.
From R450 per month to R1 200 per month, plus a R59 delivery charge.
LOVE LETTERS (Images To Come)
There’s something super stylish and romantic about a beautifully crafted Mont Blanc pen. This prestigious brand is known for creating instruments that get those feelings of love — and wedding vows — down on paper in the most elegant way. If you pre-gift the bridal couple, they can use their matching pens to sign their names into eternity in that register…
From R5 500
LEKKER LOCAL ART
A gift that will stand the test of time, art can be handed down within families as part of the couple’s legacy if you buy wisely. We love local art and these two talents: Andrew Ntshabele and Jemmiro. Andrew lives and works in Jozi’s inner city, where he gains inspiration for his mixed-media paintings, while Mozambique-born Jemmiro currently lives in South Africa and became a full-time artist in 2003. To date, his artworks have been sold to collectors across the globe.
POA
Andrew’s art representative is Barbara Lenhard: barbara@thetravellingartgallery.com or hello@thetravellingartgallery.com. Jemmiro: www.jemmiro.com
A TIGHT UNIT WITH A FIRM FINANCIAL FUTURE
Many couples already have a home full of things when they tie the knot, so gifting them a sound investment is a great way to help them start their joint financial life together. But with more than 1 500 unit trusts in SA, how do you choose? Marc de Fondaumiere, Director at KM Wealth Management, suggests:
· Making sure costs are upfront, reasonable and you understand them. Compounding a cost-saving over the life of an investment is meaningful.
· Ensuring your portfolio is diversified across asset classes, asset managers and geographies.
· Insure using an insure company, and invest using an investment company. Too often fees are loaded against you in ‘products’ that are sold by insurance companies. Be wary of cash-backs or boosters – they generally favour the house in the long-run.
· Choosing a good independent financial advisor to guide you. Don’t underestimate the value they add by helping you avoid financial pitfalls.
Author: Ingrid Wood
