Of the many highlights of the day, quite a few stand out. One has to be the moment when I slipped into my dress. This was when evrything started to become real. I felt like a princess. Another, was the reaction of my husband when I walked towards him down the aisle. The moment was filled with emotion as he was crying, along with many other guests who also had tears of joy.
Unfortunatly, we did not go. Everyday since the wedding has been our honeymoon
The dress was so elegant and fitted me perfectly! I wanted to look like the brides we all dream of as a little girl - a princess, with elegance in simplicity. The same applied to
my make up, shoes, and jewellery. Choosing a dress was like choosing a frame for the perfect picture. It was less of a mission with the Bride & Co team. I was worried, because the dress that I had wanted was outside our budget. Consequently I opted for a less pricy one and man oh, man - I had no regrets at all. The consultants know exactly what they are talking about! It was sureal. After my hair jewellery was placed, I slipped into my shoes and dress and my look was complete. A day that I dreamt about all these years finally was here and it was magical. I walked down the aisle dressed as a princess, soon to be a queen.
We got married at a special hidden venue called La Ferme Derek. It has an abosolute amazing scenery which partially overlooks the beautiful valley. Definitely a hidden gem of Paarl. The wedding organizer caters to what the guests want and not how she wants it.
My bridesmaids and I spent the night before the big day at a cottage just down the road from our the wedding venue, with a bottle of sparkling wine to put all the butterflies at ease before bed time.
After fitting my wedding dress, my main goal was to not gain nor lose any weight. I followed my usual diet and added a few products from Africology skin care to my skin care regime. My husband and I went for a couples spa day at Babylonstoren a week ahead of the wedding, which relieved some of the stress and prevented us from running down to home affairs haha
I had decided that less is more, and chose to stick to this concept for décor. With tiffany chairs, gypsophila flowers, and mostly hand made items, the expert of Babylonstoren did her thing. The shed was transformed into a magical forrest which echoed love, and an evening to remember. My fiance at the time did all the painting of the bottles and art work which we used for the centre pieces. Instead of a red carpet down the isle, a Bible verse which would later be used in the sermon written on a hessian mat lead me to my soon to be husband. My husband had also made huge Jenga tower blocks which kept guests busy while we had our photos taken. We had wire work done at a local supplier, which brought more of a personal touch into the atmosphere. We literally danced underneath love - the letters dripping with fresh flowers and green leaves over our heads.
My fiance at the time did not want to go to Euro suites because he thought it was expensive. I convinced him at the end and he was more than satisfied with their service. He said their attention to detail about what suited him was outstanding. They wore grey suits and coral, mint and grey ties according to the colors of the wedding
The bridesmaids were wrapped in infinity dresses according to the colour scheme of the wedding - coral, mint, and grey. Each colour and style complimented the individual. Instead of shoes, they wore foot jewellery, which meant they could dance the night away comfortably! I loved their natural hair with a few meticulously added flowers. This unconventional style flowed through the rest of the evening, just as they did
Rev. George from Bethel Cong in Paarl took the lead to marry us with a beautiful ceremony. It's so important to have a reverend that knows what both of your heart beats are.
Our photographers were so proffesional in capturing the special moments! The team of Drakenstein photography had really out done themselves. Also, we knew exactly what type of photographs we wanted, which made their task much easier.
My husband and I knew what we wanted, and together we planned everything ourselves. We had a team of close friends who also helped us make the day extraordinary. The coordinator of La Ferme Derek, Jolene, also had a hand in insuring that everything went smooth on the day.
We are in love with the classic beetle and went to 3 people privately to ask them for the cars for a photo shoot at the wedding. We did not have a specific wedding car as everything took place at the wedding venue. The photos with the beetles were taken next to the road, which resulted in fun, vintage photos.
Instead of having a starter, guests were treated to bread and cheese platters filled with traditional home made preserves - a treat made by my grandmother - which were layed out in a buffet style. The filling main course was prepared by the cooks of La Ferme Derek. For dessert, guests could help themselves to a candy cupboard with delicious treats after dishing a slice of the variety of cakes and tarts. Our wedding cake made by a local talented pastry chef, Kim Daniels did a fabulous and delicious job! She brought the cake of my dreams to life.
My husband made all our stationary. We had a lot of ideas inspired through Pinterest. I gave the orders and he followed through with the artwork.
We hired a local DJ and again we knew the exact songs for every moment - from our first dance to throwing the bouquet. Our musically talented family serenaded guests while we had our photos taken. I love dancing, and even though my husband doesn't dance much, his natural rythm synced perfectly with mine for our first dance.
Our guests had a ball, and we danced till the last beat.
