How do I only highlight a few moments when the whole day was perfect?! I can truly say that I would've done nothing any other way. From the moment I opened my eyes that Saturday morning to the moment I fell asleep the Sunday morning, everything was perfect! The highlights of course was our first dance, the games we had to play, the speeches that was delivered, and the partying with our guests! One of the most memorable moments of the whole day was when my husband, the groom, ran out of the church seconds before I was about to enter! Everybody, of course, was shocked. It looked like a scene from a movie. One of the groomsmen ran to stop me in my tracks, as the bell announcing my arrival already sounded. One of the Clydesdale horses also runs a lap to announce the arrival of the bride. This had already happened when my husband ran out of the church! You can imagine the looks on our guest's faces! He actually just forgot his written vows in his room, and ran to fetch it. He returned within seconds, and all went ahead as planned. Haha!
We had a 'split' honeymoon! The week after our wedding we spent in the Hartbeespoortdam / Magaliesburg area. Stunning Three Oaks & An Aloe Hotel, followed by a luxury tented camp stay at B'Sorah. Please Google them, it's amazing! In November we spent a week in gorgeous Umhlanga Rocks!
I have to say that the whole look that I went for with both the decor, flowers as well as myself was romantic and elegant with a touch of vintage. Accessories and jewellery were all silver with a touch of fresh water pearls here and there. Lingerie were a light shade of nude pink. My shoes were a classic peep-toe silver shoe with a small little heel. I wanted to wear them the whole day on a rather rough terrain without any challenges. And they were so comfy! My beautiful wedding dress is actually a hired dress from a boutique in Potchefstroom. The owner of the boutique designs and makes all the dresses. It was exquisite to say the least! My hair was done by the very talented Wilmari Bosman. And my stunning make-up by Jeanri Bolleurs. We went for a soft, romantic look, with main focus on my eyes.
We had our wedding at Louig Giano Wedding Village. It's a small little gem between Pretoria & Hartbeespoortdam. Louig Giano is home to a very rare breed of horses named Clydesdales. My husband and I love horses, and we fell in love with the venue even before we were engaged! It was a no brainer when we had to decide on a venue. The photos are amazing. And the horses even more so!
Goodness, I wasn't too strict with myself. There was no time! We got engaged on the 13th of May this year, and got married on the 23rd of September. We planned our wedding in four months! Of course, I followed a calorie-restricted eating plan, and went to the gym at least once a day for four to five days of the week. I followed my usual beauty regime, and did not change any of my products in those four months. The week before the wedding I visited Royal Tree Spa in Potchefstroom for a top-to-toe! From eyebrows and waxing to pedicures. It was such a treat!
Christa Botha from Op Dolly Decor in Pretoria was the magic behind our decor & flowers. She was truly amazing! Our first meeting was a late Sunday afternoon on very short notice, as we planned our wedding in four month's time. Christa was gentle, patient and so warm. She quickly went to her storeroom to grab a few examples, and literally within one hour we decided on our decor and flowers. A lot of the decisions I left in her very creative and capable hands, and it was breathtakingly beautiful. To this day our guests rant and rave about the flowers. It was large bouquets of pink roses with dashes of lilies, proteas, other fynbos and eucalyptus. I would recommend Christa in a heartbeat to any bride to be! She is a remarkable woman and vendor!
The groom and groomsmen got their attire from Edgars and Woolworths. The groomsmen were dressed in dove grey pants and crisp white shirts with navy ties. My husband wore a stunning navy suit, white shirt and navy tie. He looked so handsome!
My two bridesmaids wore dresses bought from the designer department at YDE in Cape Town. We had the one dressed couriered from a Cape Town branch all the way to Pretoria, as the dresses were exclusive to Cape Town stores. It was a nude dusty pink color, halter neckline with some detail on the top. It was a perfect fit for the romantic theme!
Our marrieage officers was both our pastors from our church in Potchefstroom, His People. Pastor Willem Nel and his wife, Celeste, married us.
Oh my goodness! Lindie captured every moment of our day. I would recommend her in a heartbeat. We had so much fun, even though it was a scorcher of a day. She has fun ideas, and really makes you feel so comfortable in front of the camera. Lindie, we will never be able to thank you enough!!
Nope! Did all the planning by ourselves! My amazing husband helped every step of the way. From the smallest detail to the big decisions. I'm truly blessed!
Wedding transport was in the form of hooves! We didn't have a need for a car as the ceremony and reception was held at one venue, and we got ready there as well. The horses did all the work for us!
The food was prepare by the venue. It was not necessary to use a vendor for the catering. The food was delicious! Our beautiful wedding cake was made by the amazing Baker Boys Confectionary. A semi-naked three tiered cake, red velvet with cream cheese, turkish delight with rose water frosting and carrot & poppy with lemon meringue icing. If one of the groomsmen didn't save us a piece, we wouldn't have had any! The guests polished that!
Baker boys is a boutique style bakery based in Pretoria east, supplying Pretoria and the Gauteng area, stretching to different game lodges and wedding venues in the vicinity.
My one bridesmaid's husband is an absolute IT & Photoshop genius! He designed all of our beautiful stationary. The menus, the names & table placements, everything. We printed them ourselves.
The party was awesome! We danced the night away! We did have one dance lesson at a very dear friend who choreographed our first dance for us. The DJ is actually contracted with the venue, and he did the sound and lightning as well. Thank you Roy!
Baker boys is a boutique style bakery based in Pretoria east, supplying Pretoria and the Gauteng area, stretching to different game lodges and wedding venues in the vicinity.
