01 July 2017 will always be a magical day to remember. Our wedding was the best day - the day I married my best friend. We celebrated this event with family and close friends at Durban Country Club. It was such a special time and moments we shared will be treasured forever in years to come. Witnessing all our intricate planning and thoughts come together on the biggest day of our lives, was indeed a highlight and memorable as my husband, Matt and I enjoyed our unique wedding day, creating our memories and taking in the amazing ambiance surrounding us. Great thanks to all of our loved ones who attended our big day. Words cannot describe how grateful we are to our parents for making our dream wedding possible and for all their continuous support towards us.
Yes, we were fortunate enough to go away for a week on a fabulous tropical honeymoon to Mauritius.
Although we had a Winter wedding, my husband loves the beach and I like the tropical vibes, so we ensured our wedding had a tropical yet elegant theme in all aspects- from the save the date/invitations to the decor of the reception venue. My hair and make-up was done by "Kiss and make-up" Alana Halgreen. She was fantastic and did an amazing job. My fairytale dress was created by the ever so talented, Hanrie Lues, based in Durban North. She helped me design the most beautiful dress. I felt like a princess. My shoes were a wedge base, neutral shade of beige from Woolworths as I went for comfort and practicality, hoping to wear them again. My jewellery - I wore a bracelet from Pandora my husband bought for me to wear on our wedding day as well as earrings and hair pieces for myself and the bridesmaids from Lovisa.
Most of our guests who attended our wedding live in Durban or the surrounding areas, so we booked to have our wedding at Durban Country Club. My parents and theirs have been and some still are members of DCC for many years. Guests could drive home after the occasion. Local is lekker!
The decor and flowers for our wedding were done by "Weddings and Functions by Jackie." Jackie is absolutely amazing- she is able to understand ones ideas and the kind of theme you'd like. She brings together stunning ideas and suggestions to make it all possible. I would recommend her and her super team.
The furniture was mainly DCC's with a few things bought in from Jackie. I absolutely love fairy lights and Jackie went all out to ensure they were in place as well as have a unique center piece for a lighting effect - M&M (as our names are Matthew and Michelle, we wanted this effect and it was made possible).
The draping, table settings and center piece details on each table were also provided by Jackie. Her candelabras and flowers were outstanding, creating such elegance and making quite a statement. Her touches of pineapples tied our tropical touches together.
The Groom and Groomsmen hired suits from, Suit Yourself in Kensington Square, Broadway Durban North. They went with a modern and formal look, by wearing navy blue suits, white shirts, grey ties and brown leather shoes. They looked dashing! My Groom wore cufflinks and a personalized tie pin to add that touch - engraved on it was M&M and on the inside our date to always remember. All the special men and bridal party wore corsages (including our special parents and grandparents).
My sister and sister-in-law were my bridesmaids, and looked radiant in their long lilac dresses, carefully made by Carol Palmer. With her many years of seamless experience I knew I could rely on her to make dresses according to our liking and quality. Their dresses were a combination of satin and chiffon to give a stylish flow and light feminine appearance. Carol also made our gorgeous flower girls dresses that matched my off white wedding dress. My nieces loved the layers of tulle and a lovely bow at the back.
Carol also made my Mum's stunning dress, making her feel like the beautiful Mother-of-the-bride she is.
Revd Jen Hands.
I have known Jen for many years and felt quite honoured to have her marry us. She advised we attend a marriage course, which we did complete.
Enthusiastic and professional photographer, Stephen Railton captured our magical moments. His fun, friendly yet formal approach towards his job brought us comfort and confidence in him on our big day.
We were lucky enough to have a videographer join the team on our wedding day. Steven Jarrett from DVD Video Productions was excellent as well, and provided us with a special video and clip of the highlights and important details of the moments that pass by so fast. They were both outstanding and I would highly recommend them.
KZN Photobooth were present for 2 hours of the reception and ensured our guests had a fun and smooth session of photos, where one had options to dress up too. Their services included an additional duplicate strip for our guests to keep as their memory of our day with our personalized signature at the bottom of the pictures.
Weddings and Functions by Jackie.
Jackie showed great support and helped us coordinate the days events and give advice where possible to ensure the flow of the day went gracefully.
My Dad's good friend had his Mercedes cabriolet bought in from Hong Kong just in time for our wedding and offered to drive me to the venue, which added a meaningful touch.
Durban Country Club prepared the delicious food and provided great variety, sticking with the dishes we had previously spoken about and tasted. We were very pleased with the service and quality of the food at the reception.
Our wedding cake was made by a lady Moyra.
Our "Save the date" and wedding invitations as well as Menus etc were printed and created by a wonderful lady, Janine Dickson of Handmade by Janine, who also helps Jackie with stationary she needs printed. So we had a fantastic well organized team. Our tropical theme was awesome and turned out so well thought stationary touches.
We did take dancing lessons as the wedding was soon approaching!
It was a fun and enjoyable experience for us to do.
