Our story began on the 29th July 2009, as a very young couple, adventuring out into the real world, trying to find our ‘way’ as individuals as well as a couple.
We spent the next 7 years getting to know one another, growing as a couple and adapting whilst making many happy memories together.
On the 29th July 2016, what was supposed to have been our 7 year anniversary celebration, instead turned out to be one of the most exciting and memorable days of my life.
This amazing man that I had come to know and love, got down on one knee and asked me that BIG question…
I doubt that any future bride would ever have hesitated when asked that question and I was definitely NOT going to be one of them!
After 7 years of sharing a life with this man of mine – I had no doubt that I wanted to share the rest of my life with him…
So, my answer, of course, was a loud “YES”!
With everything coming together, it was time to find my dream dress. I knew that this would be a challenge as I had a very particular and unique idea in mind. After trying on many dresses I found myself at the Coral Island Wedding Gowns boutique. Wendy, the owner, knew exactly what style I was leaning towards and assisted me with finding my dream dress. After a few alterations and adding a few special touches the dress was transformed into my very own unique gown which made me feel like a beautiful princess, every moment of our special day. Our hair and Make-Up was done by Beauty Beyond by Claudette, and I absolutely loved the look she did, which just complimented my dress perfectly.
I spent many a late night on Google, searching for many venues, scrolling through many galleries in search of my ‘perfect Stone Chapel’ when eventually I came across a venue called ‘The Secret Garden’
After searching through their gallery, I knew that this was the ‘one’ and we had to see it for ourselves. When we arrived, we were met and welcomed with a warm and friendly greeting, by the owners, Jamie and Dana, who began to show us everything that the venue had to offer. I was captivated by the ‘stone to stone’ chapel and it’s glistening chandeliers and most importantly I could picture the two of us exchanging our vows surrounded by such breathtaking beauty.
And as expected… the rest of the venue did not disappoint either. It offered an intimate tea garden where guests could gather just after the ceremony, a carefully thought out ‘photo garden’ for the photographer to use her creativity and an elegant glass-surround reception room with open doors to the balcony overlooking the private Game ranch. This venue was more than I could have ever imagined and even though it was the first venue we had visited, I knew in my heart that it would be the ONLY venue we would visit… because once we had discussed the menu selection, I was completely sold!
I decided on a ‘Tiffany & Co’ inspired colour theme for our wedding – with the most exquisite blue and white ribbons and a hint of sparkle. Our co-ordinator, ForWedz listened to our ideas and captured these perfectly creating elegant and beautiful décor right down to the finest detail. It was amazing to finally see our dream wedding taking shape.
Pastor Johny Grobler was our Wedding Officer, and he conducted the ceremony so beautifully... There was not a dry eye in the house, and every now and then he had us and our guests in Laughs.
When I look back at our wedding day, I know for certain that we had made the right choices as everything was even more amazing than we could have ever imagined and one of my best decisions was choosing Jacky Hogg Photography to capture these special memories. Personally I found that one of the most intimidating tasks, when planning a wedding, was selecting the right photographer, so my decision was not only based on the photographers previous work, but with someone who we felt naturally comfortable with. Jacky Hogg has the ability of capturing the natural emotion and happiness that surrounds the day without anyone feeling uncomfortable. She went above and beyond assisting wherever she could, making the day feel effortless and for this I would highly recommend her
