What a beautiful sunny day. The moment I got out of the car, I could only focus on Michael. I could not take my eyes off my future. Best. Moment. Ever!
We had a wonderful friend officiate our vows that made it even more memorable. With the heat, there was a minor, comical wrestling match trying to get Michael's ring on his finger. Persistence prevailed. Success!
After the ceremony was complete.... well, we had some serious celebrations to commence.
Oh! My! Goodness! We had a tropical honeymoons-moons! In friendly Mauritius. At Solana Beach Resort. We had an AMAZING time there. The resort staff were super friendly. Making our time there so much more than what we expected. The tour guides we had were a fountain of knowledge. Sun, sand, sea and amazing cocktails included!
I did not have a particular look in mind. It was more of a mix and match to be honest. I find the 1950’s style dresses to be particularly flatering for all ladies. I was lucky enough to find an amazing lady and her team to design and complete my dress at. Mandy and her team at Red Hot Blue Design Concepts had my dress done to perfection. I was extatic with the final result. Hair and make-up was done by a sweet girl, Madeleine Conradie, that I came across on the web! She was a blast to work with and knew precisely what would suite me. My jewelry was my “borrowed” and “old” from my lovely sister and amazing mom.
We had both our ceremony and reception at Rhebokskloof wine estate in Paarl. The ceremony was lakeside while our reception was in the Dutch Manor House.
Rhebokskloof’s surroundings is everything you want in a Winelands wedding, with vineyards, Cape Dutch buildings and a garden with willow and oak trees. A multitude of settings ensu
Since I was mostly doing the décor myself and looking for a relaxed rustic theme, I kept it simple. And Michael did not want any fuss on the tables (we wanted to see our guests not the flowers and such). The table layout was family style with regtangular wooden tables brought in from To-Nett's in Paarl. The table had hessian runners. For table décor, candles, that I suprisingly could rent (who would have thought!) from Rent A Candle and fairylights placed inside empty winebottles, were placed along the middle of the tables.
My bouquet consisted of different herbs that included rosemary, thyme, dill, parsley, basil and sage. My bridesmaids all had the same only in a smaller bouquet size. The boutonnieres were made up of one piece of each herb. To-Nett's made the flower arrangements as well.
‘Live your dream wedding with To-Nett’s’ For more than 30 years our inspiration has been our clients!
Michael actually wore a suit that he got at Woolworths. I believe it was one of the first he tried on! Lucky. Not so lucky was the groomsmen's trousers. I think we got three different pairs before I gave up and told them to just pick something. And (thank goodness) the trousers they picked out looked great! They paired it with a plain white button down shirt.
My sister was the genius with the dresses for the bridesmaids. She looked online for ideas, got all the girls together and went shopping for material. They took it to a lady she knows to make the skirts. And the tops they got from Edgars. Their shoes were from Edgars.
Paul Hugo, our friend, did our service. Technically we signed our papers a couple of days prior to our wedding day. We did it in such a way due to the fact we wanted as many friends and family involved in our special day. And everyone who knows Paul, knows he loves to chat. And chat. And chat. He was the perfect choice. And the ceremony he created was original and romantic.
Michael came across Nat from Maxwell Williams Photography. We were able to be our quirky selves and still he got amazing photo's. What a legend! He made sure we were all relaxed and had fun taking photo's throughout the day.
Oooo! Yummy. Just thinking about our cake has my mouth watering again. As I mentioned, we wanted as many friends as possible involved. And we were in luck. Our amazing friend, Merri Bays, offered to bake our cake, along with the cake pops for the guests. And did she bowel us over with her mad baking skills! The cake was a lovely fluffy lemon flavour. She did all the little decorations herself as well. Crazy talented! And so uniquely our style.
Muwuso Mkochi, another of our crazy talented friends, made us a website. He included all the links necessary so we could keep track of RSVP's, where guests could stay overnight and a map with directions to the venue. All of this with a beautiful design that he made.
Think 80's! Yup. We both listen to an alternative range of music. But who does't like to tap their feet to an 80's tune or two? We had Steve from Evergreen Music set up and DJ for the night.
We did go for dance lessons to help us out for the first dance at Dance Domain in Blaauwberg. We had such fun during the lessons. I think I might still be able to remember a move or two...
Rhebokskloof’s surroundings is everything you want in a Winelands wedding, with vineyards, Cape Dutch buildings and a garden with willow and oak trees. A multitude of settings ensu
‘Live your dream wedding with To-Nett’s’ For more than 30 years our inspiration has been our clients!
