Casa Labia Wedding Flowers, Muizenberg

Their story

A Casa Labia wedding in white, cream and a touch of soft pink

Nicky and Jonti were married on Saturday, 25 March 2023, at Christ Church Constantia, with their reception at Casa Labia in Muizenberg and flowers by Fabulous Flowers & Gifts of Claremont, Cape Town, founded by Josie van Aswegen in 1999. For this Casa Labia wedding, Fabulous Flowers made a white, cream and blush bridal bouquet, two round bridesmaids’ bouquets tied with grey ribbon, a posy for the flower girl, four buttonholes and three church arrangements, then dressed the villa’s long tables with wedding flower arrangements in blue and white porcelain rented from The Table Cloth Company.

Nicky and Jonti’s three church arrangements were used twice on 25 March 2023. Our driver collected them after the service at Christ Church Constantia and set them up again at Casa Labia, at the entrance and around the DJ table and dance floor. Inside, white cosmos, white dahlias, white gerberas, cream roses and soft pink roses sat low in the porcelain between gold candlesticks and white tapers, a way of planning wedding table flowers that lets a grand room stay grand. Casa Labia was one of the most distinctive wedding venues in Cape Town we have worked in. Photography was by Candice Taylor Photography.

I · November 2022

Choosing a florist for a Casa Labia wedding

Most weddings begin for us with an email. This one began with the shop door. Late in November 2022, Clare and Nicky walked into our Claremont studio without an appointment, hoping to speak to Josie.

There is a small courage in that, and we love it when people do it. Five minutes across a counter tells a florist more than a dozen careful messages ever will.

The first email followed on 6 December, and then a proper meeting with Josie. The day had two halves: a ceremony at Christ Church Constantia at half past three, and a reception at Casa Labia, the grand villa in Muizenberg with its gilded mirrors and painted ceilings. Two very different rooms, a short drive apart, both needing flowers that felt like the same wedding.

On 16 December Clare wrote back with the sentence every florist hopes to read: “We would love you to do the flower decor.” A second line followed, shorter and happier still. It was, for all of us.

Looking back, that visit said a great deal about how this family would plan: personally, with their own hands on the details. They chose the vases themselves. They brought their own candles. When the church flowers deserved a second life, they asked for one.

“All getting very exciting now.”
Clare, December 2022

White and blush bridal bouquet of cream roses, pink lisianthus, white and blush cosmos and eucalyptus for a Casa Labia wedding — White, cream and a touch of soft pink

II · December 2022

A white and blush bridal bouquet, with a touch of soft pink

The bouquet brief came with a reference photograph and three colours: white, cream and “a touch of soft pink”. No varieties were named. That part was left to us, which is a kind of trust we never take lightly.

A touch is a precise measure, even if it does not sound like one. Too much pink and a white bouquet turns sweet. Too little and the pink looks like an accident. In the photographs, Nicky’s bouquet holds cream and white roses and cream spray roses with pink lisianthus tucked low and through the middle, white and blush cosmos lifting above them, and eucalyptus letting the edges breathe. The blush is there when you look for it, which is exactly where it belongs. It sits somewhere between our white flower bouquets and our pink and white roses, and it took the best of both.

The two bridesmaids carried the same colours, “more contained and round”, as the brief put it. Theirs were kept domed and tidy, so the three read as one family of flowers, with Nicky’s the loosest and largest. In February we found a grey ribbon to bind them, quiet against the bridesmaids’ sage dresses.

There was a posy for the little flower girl, small enough for small hands, and four buttonholes: one with a rose and three kept simpler. It is a modest distinction and a good one, the kind that only really shows in the photographs, which is where it counts.

III · February 2023

Blue and white wedding table flowers in rented porcelain

The original brief imagined eight table arrangements, “loose and lovely”, and thirty-two small arrangements in blue and white vases rented for the day. On 23 February the family went to The Table Cloth Company and chose them: seven medium centre vases, a vase for the bride and groom’s table, and small specimen vases, six to a table.

Josie’s reply came back short and certain, and it is the line we have kept from this whole chapter of planning.

Blue and white porcelain carries a quiet authority on white linen, and it asks for restraint. Bright colour fights it and heavy arrangements hide it. So the flowers went in low and loose: white gerbera daisies, white dahlias, cream roses, white cosmos on long necks, a little soft pink, and greenery allowed to fall over the lip of each vase. The porcelain stayed visible. The flowers stayed light.

Six specimen vases to a table sounds like a lot until you see what it does. Instead of one large centrepiece blocking the view, the flowers run the length of the table in a rhythm of small moments, each vase holding only a few stems. Guests can talk across them. It is one of our favourite ways of arranging white flowers on a long table.

Josie suggested the family bring candles for the reception tables, and they did. Tall white tapers in gold candlesticks rose between the porcelain, so the height came from flame rather than foliage. In a room with chandeliers, that is the right instinct: the ceiling supplies the drama, so the table can stay intimate.

Blue and white wedding table flowers: small porcelain vases of white cosmos, roses and greenery with white taper candles at Casa Labia — Blue and white porcelain from The Table Cloth Company

“These vases are perfect. I can’t wait to fill them.”
Josie, February 2023

Two bridesmaids in sage holding round bouquets of white roses, soft pink blooms and eucalyptus beside the bride — Bridesmaids’ bouquets, more contained and round

IV · 25 March 2023, afternoon

Christ Church Constantia: ceremony flowers that worked twice

On the Saturday morning, before one o’clock, the bridal flowers were collected from our Claremont studio. Bouquets, posy and buttonholes, all ready to walk out of the door and into the day.

At Christ Church Constantia the team set two arrangements on stands inside the church and one at the entrance. The service began at half past three and ran for about forty-five minutes. Afterwards came the confetti toss, with real petals we had prepared for it.

On 14 March, eleven days before the wedding, the family had asked whether all three church arrangements could be used again at the reception. It is one of the best questions a couple can ask. Church flowers are made to be seen for an hour, and they are usually among the largest pieces of the day. Many couples who marry at Constantia wedding venues and churches celebrate somewhere else, and that gap is what makes a second life possible.

So after the service our driver collected the stands. The arrangements travelled from Constantia to Muizenberg and were set up again at Casa Labia, at the entrance and around the DJ table and dance area. The flowers that stood beside the vows that afternoon stood beside the dance floor that night.

It takes planning. Arrangements have to be built to travel, steady on their stands, with nothing too fragile for a drive and a second set-up. But every guest sees them twice. It is the same thinking behind much of our event flowers, and one reason a local florist in Constantia and Claremont can make a two-venue day feel easy.

V · 25 March 2023, evening

A Muizenberg wedding reception beneath gilded mirrors

Casa Labia was not a room that needed much help. A florist walking in for the first time feels the pull to match it, to go big and gold and grand. The better instinct is the opposite.

Down long tables in white linen, the blue and white porcelain carried the flowers: white dahlias and gerberas, cream roses opening, white cosmos nodding on thin stems, a little soft pink. Gold candlesticks held white tapers between them, and gold chairs lined both sides. In the photographs nothing shouts. These were luxury flower arrangements in the truest sense, the kind that know their place.

The menus, easel and table numbers were by nixdesigns. The main table had its own two arrangements, “loose and natural, hanging over each end”, so the flowers spilled toward the floor rather than standing up between the couple and their guests.

There is a moment late in every wedding when the candles have burned down a little and the flowers have relaxed in the warmth of the room. Roses open. Cosmos lean. It is our favourite hour, because the arrangements stop looking arranged and start looking lived with. In a room full of mirrors, all catching the candlelight, that hour seems to last a long time.

The church flowers stood at the door and by the dance floor. The petals had been thrown. The porcelain, borrowed for a day, was full.

Candlelit Casa Labia reception room with long tables of white wedding flowers, gold chairs, a chandelier and arched windows — The grand room at Casa Labia, ready for guests

Close-up of a wedding table posy with white cosmos, white dahlias, cream and pink roses in a blue and white vase — Cosmos, roses and a little blush

VI · September 2023

Looking back at the wedding flowers, months later

In early April Josie asked whether the family might share some photographs when they had them. In September, Clare and Nicky wrote to us.

“We have always admired Fabulous Flowers work,” they said. And then a sentence that took us straight back to that unannounced visit in November: “The very kind and warm reception we got when we met Josie and the team made our choice very easy.”

We think about that often. Couples choose a florist for the flowers, of course. They also choose for the feeling they had in the room. It is good to be reminded that the first five minutes matter as much as the last bouquet.

They ended simply. “Your flowers and bouquets were so beautiful.”

In January 2024, ten months after the wedding, Clare wrote once more. “It was so lovely going through the pictures again.” The cosmos are long gone, but the photographs keep the tables exactly as they were, and somebody still goes back to look. If you are imagining something similar, our Cape Town wedding flowers page is where every one of these stories starts.

“The effort went above and beyond our brief and was just amazing.”
Clare and Nicky, September 2023

Long reception table at Casa Labia under a chandelier, dressed with white flowers in blue and white porcelain and tall white candles — Long tables under the chandeliers at Casa Labia

White cosmos, a white dahlia and pink roses in a blue and white porcelain vase on a Casa Labia wedding table

Tall white taper candles in gold candlesticks above a posy of white and pink wedding flowers

Wedding table by an arched window at Casa Labia with a loose arrangement of white flowers in blue and white porcelain

Detail of a large white gerbera with cream roses and greenery in a blue and white vase at a Casa Labia wedding

The flowers

Nicky and Jonti’s wedding flowers, piece by piece

Bridal bouquet: White, cream and a touch of soft pink, from Nicky’s reference photograph.
Bridesmaids: Two bouquets in the bride’s colours, “more contained and round”, bound with grey ribbon.
Flower girl: A small posy to match.
Buttonholes: Four in all, one with a rose and three kept simpler. See our buttonholes and corsages.
Church: Two arrangements on stands inside Christ Church Constantia and one at the entrance.
Reception entrance and dance floor: The three church arrangements, set up again after the service.
Guest tables: Centre arrangements and specimen vases, six to a table, in rented blue and white porcelain. More wedding table flower ideas here.
Main table: Two loose, natural arrangements hanging over each end, with a vase for the bride and groom.
Confetti: Petals for the confetti toss outside the church.

WhiteCreamSoft pinkPorcelain blueSageGilt

In the mix

Bridal bouquet: white and cream roses, cream spray roses, pink lisianthus, white and blush cosmos, white snapdragons and eucalyptus. Bridesmaids' bouquets: white roses, cream spray roses, pink sweet William, white veronica, white cosmos, white snapdragons and eucalyptus, tied with grey ribbon. Tables: white cosmos, white dahlias, white chrysanthemums, white gerberas, cream, white and soft pink roses, pink snapdragons, pink lisianthus and veronica, with eucalyptus and silver foliage, in blue and white porcelain.

Casa Labia wedding venue room in Muizenberg with a gilded mirror, chandelier and dressed tables of white flowers

The place

Casa Labia, Muizenberg: flowers for a Casa Labia wedding

Casa Labia is a grand villa in Muizenberg, on the False Bay side of the Cape Peninsula. The villa was built for Count Natale Labia in the style of a Venetian palazzo, and was declared a National Monument in 1982. Its reception rooms, as Nicky and Jonti saw them in March 2023, are what you see in these photographs: gilded mirrors, chandeliers, painted ceilings, patterned walls and tall arched windows that let in the late light. It was one of the most distinctive rooms in our guide to Cape Town wedding venues, and it rewarded a florist who knew when to stop. Casa Labia is now listed as closed, so this story records the villa as Nicky and Jonti knew it in March 2023.

Flowers work best low here. The ceilings are high and already busy, so tall centrepieces compete with the chandeliers rather than adding to them. Long tables suit the rooms, and a run of small vases down the centre, with candles for height, gives each table rhythm without blocking the mirrors. Blue and white porcelain, or any vessel with a little age to it, sits naturally against the gilt.

For couples marrying in a Constantia church and celebrating here, the drive is short enough to make reusing ceremony flowers realistic. Plan it with your florist and the venue well ahead: who collects the arrangements, where each one goes, and what time the rooms are free for set-up. We deliver and set up across the southern suburbs, and our flower delivery in Muizenberg runs from the same Claremont studio.

White and cream flowers keep their detail in candlelight, where deep colours tend to read dark. It was one more reason Nicky’s palette suited Casa Labia so well. For more rooms with this kind of presence, see our list of the best venues in Cape Town.

FloralsFabulous Flowers & Gifts, Claremont (Josie van Aswegen, since 1999)

CeremonyChrist Church Constantia

ReceptionCasa Labia, Muizenberg

PhotographyCandice Taylor Photography

Menus, easel and table numbersnixdesigns

Vase hireThe Table Cloth Company

Planning notes

Casa Labia wedding flowers: what this wedding taught us

Let the room carry the height
At Casa Labia the chandeliers and mirrors already filled the upper half of the room. In a room like that, keep table flowers low and loose, and let tall tapers in candlesticks add height without hiding faces across the table.
Choose your vases early
Nicky’s family picked their blue and white porcelain from The Table Cloth Company about a month before the wedding. Knowing the exact vessels early lets your florist plan stems, sizes and colour around them, rather than guessing.
Give your church flowers a second life
Ask early, as this family did, whether ceremony arrangements can move to the reception. Build them on stands that travel well and agree who collects them after the service. Ours went from Christ Church Constantia to the entrance and dance floor at Casa Labia.
Use a touch of colour, not a theme
A white and cream bouquet with a little soft pink photographs gently and stays elegant in any light. Keep the blush low and let white lead, as in our white rose bouquets.
Collect bridal flowers with time to spare
Nicky’s bridal flowers were collected from our Claremont florist studio before one o’clock for a half past three ceremony. That margin means bouquets are in hand for the photographs and nobody is watching the clock.

Gallery

Long wedding table at Casa Labia with blue and white specimen vases of white flowers and tall white candles by the windows

Wedding table flowers of white cosmos, white dahlias and pink roses in blue and white porcelain at Casa Labia

Loose wedding table arrangement of white cosmos, a white dahlia, cream and pink roses with silver foliage in a blue and white vase

Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a church ceremony in Constantia be paired with a reception at another venue?

Yes. Nicky and Jonti married at Christ Church Constantia at 3:30pm on 25 March 2023 and held their reception at Casa Labia in Muizenberg, which is now listed as closed. The service lasted about 45 minutes. Fabulous Flowers dressed both venues, and with planning, the church arrangements can be collected after the service and set up again at the reception, as ours were.

Can church flowers be reused at a wedding reception?

Yes, church flowers can be reused at a wedding reception, and it is one of the best ways to get more from them. For Nicky and Jonti on 25 March 2023, the Fabulous Flowers driver collected all three church arrangements after the service and placed them at the Casa Labia entrance and around the DJ table and dance area. Arrangements on stands travel well. Agree the timing with your florist and venue beforehand.

What wedding table flowers suited Casa Labia?

Low, loose arrangements were the wedding table flowers that suited Casa Labia best, because the Muizenberg villa already had chandeliers, gilded mirrors and painted ceilings. Small vases down long tables, with candles for height, let guests see one another and kept the room in view. Nicky and Jonti used blue and white porcelain in March 2023, with six small specimen vases per table, filled with white cosmos, white dahlias, white gerberas, cream roses and a touch of pink.

How do you style a blue and white wedding?

A blue and white wedding starts with the porcelain, then flowers that let the blue stay the accent. White, cream and soft pink flowers sit beautifully against blue and white china without competing. For Nicky and Jonti’s Casa Labia reception in March 2023, rented vases from The Table Cloth Company held roses, white gerberas, white dahlias and cosmos, with white tapers in gold candlesticks between them.

What flowers are in season for a late March wedding in Cape Town?

Late March is early autumn in Cape Town, and Nicky and Jonti’s wedding on 25 March 2023 used white cosmos, white dahlias, white gerberas, white chrysanthemums, cream roses and soft pink roses. Garden flowers such as cosmos can still be found at that time of year, and roses are available most of the year. Availability always depends on the season, so Fabulous Flowers confirms stems closer to the day.

Do Cape Town florists set up wedding flowers in Muizenberg and Constantia?

Yes, Fabulous Flowers set up wedding flowers in both Constantia and Muizenberg for Nicky and Jonti on 25 March 2023, at Christ Church Constantia and at Casa Labia, and moved the church flowers between them. Our studio is in Claremont, a short drive from both. Bridal flowers can also be collected from the studio on the morning, as theirs were before 1pm. Fabulous Flowers travels to weddings anywhere in the Western Cape, and travel and accommodation for our team are quoted separately.

Your wedding

Tell us about your day

If you are marrying in a church and celebrating somewhere grand, bring us your rooms, your vases and your colours, even if the colour is only a touch. We will make the flowers work twice.

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