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Cape proteas for Monaco wedding

Citrusdal – Bouquets of Cape proteas called blushing brides have been flown to Monaco over the weekend for the wedding of Prince Albert of Monaco and his South African fiancee Carlene Wittstock.

The order for 1 000 stems of blushing brides, to form part of the forthcoming celebration’s flower arrangements, reportedly came directly from Wittstock who is a lover of South African fynbos.

According to Joretha Grib, who runs a flower business from the Jansekraal farm in the Olifantsrivier mountains in the Western Cape, the request was issued barely a week ago by their exporter in Cape Town.

Ultimately the farm was only able to garner 500 stems of the local flower, since most of the blooms have yet to open due to the cold Cape winter.

Beautiful bouquets

Jansekraal is the biggest producer of blushing brides after 10 years in the flower industry. The farm prides itself on its own variety of an ivory-coloured flower tinged with pink.

"The flowers are very popular as bridal bouquets and as decoration at weddings."

"Usually other kinds of protea are exported, while blusing bride is more popular in the local market."

"For the Monaco order we tied the flowers in bunches of five of which 20 bunches were packed into a carton."

The three-day-long celebration of the wedding of Wittstock and Prince Albert II on July 2, the prince and leader of Monaco, promises to be the highlight of the European social calendar.

When, in keeping with tradition, Wittstock throws her bouquet into the crowd in the main square of Monaco – it might just contain a few South African blushing brides.

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