The moment we drove into Hakuna Matata wedding venue in Muldersdrift, Johannesburg, we fell in love with the place. It had the most beautiful gardens, reception deck area with permanent fairy lights as a feature and options for an inside or outside ceremony. Hakuna Matata's staff was so accommodating from the first time we got there and since then has never denied us any request we had for our wedding, and there were a few unusual ones I must add.
We had our wedding ceremony outside in the garden, surrounded by a variety of trees in all shades of autumn colours of yellow, brown and orange. I also were creative and rented a Vintage door, rustic white with flowers, to complete the outside ambience. Our 100 guests , whom share our special day with us, sat on black chairs, decorated with silver and glittered organza tied to a white beaded heart and pew rose arrangement. Just before I walked down the aisle, rose petals was scattered all over the garden.
I walked down the aisle on Bella's Lullabye (from Twilight movie), which my Quartet (Musique Romantica) has specially played for me, just after my Bridesmaids (dresses in amazing navy blue from Gelique). I decided to wear a silver dress, designed by Kobie Exclusive., with 8 different llayers of white, blue and silver organza which shined in different shades and changed colour between silver and blue in the sunlight.
The whole day were a combination of Afriikaans and English because our guests were both Afrikaans and English, and we attempted to accommodate everyone in the ceremony, hymns we sang and the speeches in the reception. In stead of the traditional unity candle, me and my Husband decided to braid a rope in two different colors to symbolise our union together with God. We included framed pictures of our parents' wedding day on a table in front of the ceremony, just as a reminder that we won't be anything without them and the example they set to us.
After the ceremony and cake cutting, we left our guests to enjoy carrot cupcakes and welcome drinks, while entertained by the quartet, and then went to take photos in the sunset showing off our happiness.
As in my dreams, our reception was a display of a thousand fairy lights (additional ones apart from those of the venue) and silver candles which filled the whole wooden deck area with lights and a reflection of silver glittered organza. In stead of table numbers, we named our table according to the characteristics we desired in a happy marriage. After the speeches, toasts and formalities, my Bridesmaid and best friend, sang “It feels like home” from the movie The Vow and had everyone in tears. After dinner, I threw my bouquet, which my brother’s girlfriend caught. Very coincidental my husband decided to give my garter to my brother instead of throwing it and with that clearly suggested that they really should also get married now. The formalities ended with our first dance on "All I need, Within Temptation" and thereafter the father and daughter dance on Butterfly Kisses.
As a last treat with dessert, and also our gift to the guests, was a photobooth were they could just have fun and take silly fun photos to remember our day with.
It really was an amazingly beautiful day and we will remember it for the rest of our lives!