A closer look into Nazelle and Reinier's beautiful wedding.
I really want to start laughing when I think about how we met. It all started with a random Facebook invite. I don’t just accept any stranger, but I saw we had plenty of mutual friends, so I asked him on Facebook Messenger if we knew each other. After two months of talking on messenger, he was in Wellington for the weekend where his parents lived. I happened to be there with my best friend as her family was also in Wellington. I wanted to go back to Stellenbosch with every bit of power, but Lizelle (my best friend) insisted on meeting him.
Oh yes, did I mention that Reinier and his brother are identical twins? When I walked in where they were for the evening, it was as if we all knew each other for years. After more or less two months of chatting, the love flared, and our journey started together
Wow. Where to start? It was my birthday. The morning of my birthday the lady that always did my nails phoned me and said someone made me a surprise appointment for my birthday to get my nails done, but she can only help me on the day at 14h00 (so that my nails look beautiful for the engagement photos of course).
So, rewind a bit, that whole week Reinier kept hinting at me that he didn't have a birthday gift. I was not bothered by it and told him it was not important to me. We have the most beautiful lookout point on the farm that overlooks the entire Orange River. He said we're going to have some sundowners the evening with a few good friends of ours. I did not find this gesture out of the ordinary because we have done this many time before. When we got there, there was nobody insight, and there were candles set out everywhere, a picnic basket, music… the works. As I sat down to take my sunglasses out, he went down on one knee and asked me. The rest was history. The best part and probably the funniest one, when he opened the ring box, it was facing the other direction and I did not see the ring until it was on my finger. It was beautiful.
The planning of the wedding was difficult but easy. Difficult in the sense that I had to organize the whole thing while being 850km away from the venue and could not have been as involved as much as I wanted to. But easy enough because Lizl from Flamboijant was my wedding planner. Without her, our special day would certainly not have been so beautiful and out of this world. Our wedding was not a venue that was already there. It was a "shell", a massive storing unit on my parents' farm. We had to use wooden bins, wrapped around the entire storage unit to give it a venue effect and lots of planning to make it look like a venue. I always wanted to get married on my family farm, because that's where I grew up and had such special memories.
Majority of my inspiration came from ideas I had as a little girl and luckily for Pinterest I got a lot of inspiration off and change it into my own. Lizl (Flamboijant) also brought a lot of inspiration and ideas, because she also coordinated my brother's wedding on our farm, so she had a very good idea of what will work, and what wont.
The whole day was very overwhelming. But I think the part where you walk down the church isle with your father and your future husband is standing in front of the church with tears in his eyes was very precious to me. Then on another note when we got to the venue and I saw how beautiful everything looked and my whole idea and dream for my wedding day came together was just so special to me and everyone had so much fun together until late at evening. I really had a special day!
I had a classy & relaxed type look & feel, with dramatic colors because we got married in winter. In the winter, I believe one should tend to have more a dramatic colors scheme to give a nice look & feel to the wedding to make the cold of the winter go away. My colors were Dark Burgundy (More pink than burgundy), plum, Blush, green & cream.
Bridesmaids' dresses I also had a Classy look in mind but still warm because it was winter. That's why I chose a beautiful velvet material for them with a timeless cut. As I know myself, I can't usually just look at one picture and say that's exactly what I want. I searched 3 different dresses' put into one dress. Hannelore who made my dress made the dress exactly, so it could fit my body. For a more beautiful & more stylish dress, I could not think of someone else making it. It was perfect in every way I wanted it. I felt like a real princess. We went shopping for the material and we only had to stop at one place and within an hour, my mother, Hannelore and myself had everything we needed. I had my dream dress.
Yes. I needed those pretty colors of flowers to brighten up the venue and no one better than Blomstories could do it. Ilse from Blomstories surpassed herself with the flowers and I left it in her hands completely, her ability to do the most beautiful arrangements with flowers made me so at ease and I knew she will bring everything together.
The décor was done by Lizl to match the flowers and give the whole Classy & relaxed feeling to the evening.
Yes just here and there. I took the stationery on myself. My talented mother did my Welcome Board, Menu Board and other signs. I did the food signs myself.
One Last Kiss by Chris Norman. Reinier and I love Golden Oldie music and it was just a song that was fun dancing (not that we are fans of dancing really), and will make everyone join us on the dance floor
There were so many, but the one that was the most special was when my husband did his speech. He still has a fear of talking in front of people throughout his life, but he embraced the moment and he said his speech and the fact that everyone gave him the opportunity to speak was special. Usually at weddings when the groom makes a speech, they tend to do all kinds of silly things, but I was so happy they did not do that because his speech was so special. His words were so special, and I will remember it forever. Then also my maid-of-honor's toast on me and Reinier was so special and spot on.
Everyone always says embrace everything about your wedding, take everything in, and I could not agree more. At one point in the evening I just stood still and just looked around me and embraced everything about that day. Because that whole day really does go by so fast. Make sure you have a good photographer who can capture that special day. Lilac photography captured our day so beautifully and I can't stop looking at our photos. On the day when you are getting ready with your girls and mother you do not want to worry about things not being done, so if you can have a wedding coordinator, because it takes the stress away, I had absolutely no stress on the day of my wedding.
Yes, we went to my parents' beach house for a week to just relax after all the wedding planning and then we went to Botlierskop where we were really spoiled and enjoyed it so much.
Goeters specialises in the utmost imaginative creations of beautiful décor and lights for weddings and events.
Blõs Bakery is a bespoke bakery that came to light from a secret love affair with all things blush.
Nothing gives me more satisfaction then making a bride or girl more beautiful then she already is.
Lemon Square Productions is a boutique video production company, based in Cape Town, operating all over South Africa.
Freelance makeup artist & hair stylist based in Malmesbury, Western Cape, specialising in bridal makeup and hair styling.
