My highlight of the day was definitely seeing my groom's face at the end of the isle. The look on his face is one I'll never forget. He had been away in the UK for two months prior to the wedding and having him home was highlight enough. The cherry on top: becoming his wife!
After planning my big day from probably around the age of 5, my wedding style went through some definite changes over the years. I suppose the look was a result of the past 22 years of planning. I love to exude elegance and was a ballet dancer as a child so I think that combination featured strongly in how the look came out. Combined with my love of old-world glamour and simple clean lines, I would describe the overall look as fairytale chic.
We held both the ceremony and reception at the Port Elizabeth St George's Club that hosted our families and close friends for the intimate affair. We loved the venue's old-world charm and its sense of laid-back glamour.
In keeping with the feel of the venue we included elements like candlabras and subtle crystal elements to mirror the chandeliers that hung above. Instead of a more traditional black, we opted for navy as our base colour with rose gold and blush accents. French roses from Casa Rose in various pale blush shades added a fragrant touch to the centerpieces.
I purchased the groom's outfit myself while he was overseas only to find out (4 days before the wedding) that it was too small (the groom being 6'5" it was a bit hard to estimate). We luckily found a full navy suit that was, to our delight, on sale! (Score!) The best man and father of the bride wore an eclectic mix of navies and soft greys to soften and relax the overall feel.
The maid of honour (or sister of the bride) looked stunning a simple navy knee-length tea dress with rose gold jewellery. Her hair was tossled and pinned to the side for a relaxed feel.
As, for the most part, my groom was out of the country during prepartions, my mother in law approached several ministers with no luck, only to find the wonderful Jonathan Hobson from Walmer Methodist who was willing to perform the ceremony for two relative strangers.
Our absolutely phenomenal photographer, Kathleen Marais, did the most beautiful job of capturing the soft, whimsical nature of our day. She was amazing to work with and even gave up extra time to help out where needed. We loved her laid-back approach and the absolute enthusiasm with which she handled the project. She is a true gem!
I owe every ounce of the wedding's success to my mother who planned every detail according to my exact specifications. My mom is a truly special woman who always puts me first and I couldn't be more thankful.
My father in law is a bit of a car enthusiast and so drove me to the venue in his yellow Audi TT Sport.
All food was catered by the venue and was absolutely delicious! The cake, both tasty and unique (with two pug figurines on top to represent our two fur babies) was crafted by Sarah J Cupcakes.
