There were so many special moments, walking down the aisle with my father and seeing how beautifully everything came together was magnificent - I had to take many deep breaths. My mother had folded 1000 origami cranes for our wedding and the moment I started walking down the aisle (to the sounds of a beautiful harp and flute duet from Zest music) I saw the strings of birds floating in the trees, this immediately brought a tear to my eye as I could feel the love in every bird. There was so many DIY elements and seeing each detail made especially for us by our loved ones made the day just that extra bit more special. Another beautiful moment was when my husband and I said our vows to each other, we hadn't spoken about our vows beforehand, but still there were so many similar elements in each which just once again affirmed our strong bond and friendship. Our first dance was to a song that is very near to our hearts, in that moment all that mattered was us and I completely focused on my new husband, drinking in the moment and not worrying about whether or not we impressed anyone with our simple slow sokkie moves. Another moment I have to include is when my bridesmaids fashioned a beautiful garter for me from the ribbons around their bouquets and the flowers in their hair. I had just realized moments earlier that I left my garter at the villa (too far away for someone to go get it). I knew at that moment that these girls will always have my back, I am so grateful to have such amazing friends.
We went to the Maldives for our honeymoon. My husband planned everything and I had no idea where we were going until we got our boarding passes. It was just what we needed - complete relaxation in a 5 star luxury resort in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Paradise.
We wanted the wedding to have a natural and comfortable feel, the venue is in a beautiful forest and I wanted to look like I belonged in that forest. We chose a natural green and white as our wedding colours and I insisted on a pop of yellow. The colours worked beautifully in the forest. We wanted an elegant, but unpretentious wedding and that is exactly what it was. I really wanted to look and feel like myself on my wedding day. I wanted a natural bridal look and a wedding dress that was Me. My makeup and hair was done by Skoonlief, they are amazing. Suzanne gave me a natural look with waves in my hair. My wedding dress was custom made by Alana van Heerden, it was exactly what I envisioned - simple, elegant, comfortable and beautiful. It had a V neck and back with a soft flowy skirt. Everything was perfect.
We got married at Die Woud in Caledon. This was our dream venue and we were prepared to be engaged longer than we wanted to just so that we could get a date there - they were booked out more than a year in advance. Our guests arranged their own accommodation in and around Caledon. My bridesmaids and I got ready at a beautiful villa on Barton Vineyards, my husband and his groomsmen also stayed in another villa on the same property. All our friends joined us for a braai and a swim at the villas the day after the wedding. We wanted to extend the celebrations for as long as possible.
Die Woud is in perfect harmony with nature nestled between established oak trees and majestically tall wattle forests.
Our wedding was pretty much entirely DIY. My husband's step mom and her sisters did our beautiful flower arrangements and bouquets. The colours of the wedding was beautifully incorporated into each floral arrangement these incredibly talented women created for us. Every wooden element was made by my dad, his hobby is woodwork and the pieces he created for our wedding were exquisite. He made boards for our seating plan and menu, blocks for the table numbers, a box for our gifts and my favorite - beautiful light letters of my husband and my initials. My mother folded 1000 origami cranes and plaited beautiful strings for the name tags, she was also my wedding fairy, arranging all other decor items and ensuring that I had zero stress. My artistic aunt painted our menu, seating plan, timeline and welcome board.
My husband had a very clear idea of what he wanted to wear and what he wanted his groomsmen to look like, so he arranged their outfits entirely on his own. I had no say, but luckily my husband has impeccable taste so I wasn't worried. My husband wore a beautifully taylored dark navy suit by Ben Sherman, a crisp white cotton shirt a black tie and black accessories. He kitted his groomsmen out with attire from Country Road - navy chinos, white cotton shirts and black ties.
My husband's step mom made beautiful sage green skirts for my bridesmaids (another DIY) and we bought white body suits for them from cotton on.
We had a lovely calm, kind photographer, Nikkie Fivaz, who made us feel so at ease. Her style is natural, crisp and clear. We are still waiting for our official photos, but she already posted a preview online with 100 photos a couple of days after our wedding and these are absolutely devine. My made of honor owns a videography company, Boy meets Girl wedding cinema, she arranged two very professional videographers who were there the entire day. One of the videographers even took a dip in the river for us whist bundu bashing to get the perfect shot. My made of honor will be editing the video for us herself as our wedding gift, I can't wait to see it.
We did not have a professional planner. I wanted the planning to be part of the wedding process and planning every detail ourselves was so special. My mother was a great help as well, she shared my vision and I could deligate a large chunk of the preparations to her. Without my mother I don't think I would have been such a relaxed bride as she took care of every last detail and made sure everything was perfect.
Die Woud is in perfect harmony with nature nestled between established oak trees and majestically tall wattle forests.
