Everything about our wedding was designed to be deeply personal. The church, the venue, the décor inspiration... It was all inspired by, or connected to, our lives together. This not only took our guests through a brief history of our 10-year relationship and the 21 years we had known each other, but made every aspect of our wedding absolutely memorable.
My mother raised me by herself since I had been six months old. She received a lot of help from her parents - my grandfather was more like my own father in a sense - and she is my absolute role model. It was a privilege to ask her to walk me down the aisle.
One of my fondest memories was how we had to run the confetti gauntlet twice. My 84-year old grandfather took some time to get to the church steps (as the ramp he used is on the other side of the church). We waited as long as possible, and then ran down the stairs while our guests threw confetti. My one bridesmaid even threw all the remaining confetti from the woven basket! When we reached the bottom, my cousin started waving frantically, indicating that my grandfather is almost there and also wants to throw confetti. We immediately ran back up the steps, and all the guests collected the strewn confetti for a retake. The joy on my grandfather's face was indescribable - there was not a dry eye in the crowd.
While I was walking down the aisle, all I could see was my husband-to-be. I do not remember the guests, nor the crystal decorations hanging from the seats. His eyes never left mine, and mine never his, and the love we shared in that moment will resonate through our marriage forever.
The best advice I received was to continuously grow quiet and just absorb what is happening around me. This allowed me to remember my wedding day and to capture such special moments that otherwise would have passed me by.
I have a great love for dancing, and wanted a dress and look that would allow me to move beautifully and comfortably. My dress certainly met the criteria! My makeup and hair were styled to be soft, romantic, and slightly sultry with a classic element.
My dress had a classic A-line pattern with crystal beading and lots of soft chiffon. The dress originally had no straps and a very long train. As you can imagine, this is not conducive to dancing. Therefore, I had the train removed and straps made of the chiffon that had been removed. Luckily, the body of the dress already fit me perfectly.
I felt like a princess.
The ceremony was held in the beautiful gothic-style NG Church in Bredasdorp. Three generations of Aggenbachs had been christened and gotten married in that church, myself included. The beautiful 2000-seat church with its working pipe organ was the perfect setting for a new family to be born.
The reception was held on a family farm that has an existing venue. My family history in Bredasdorp can be traced back for 200 years. In addition, my husband and I had met there as children and had spent several holidays running around there.
Both families spent the weekend in the guest house on the farm, and the bridal party likewise stayed in a guest house on the neighbouring family farm. The heritage and symmetry of it all was indescribable.
Everything about our wedding was designed to be deeply personal. I grew up in the church where the ceremony was held, three generations of my family had been christened and wed in that same church, the candle we lit after the ceremony had burned at my grandmother's funeral in February 2017, the reception venue was on a family farm, the table numbers told special stories about our relationship, the envelope postbox had been salvaged from my childhood home before it was sold this year, and I made all the crystal decorations myself.
The groom wore a charcoal suit rented from Mr. Suit Hire. He preferred a cravat to a regular tie.
The Groomsmen were asked to rent similar white shirts and to wear black pants and shoes. We bought bow ties and suspenders for each of them. As another hat-tip to our shared interests, each Groomsman wore a Marvel superhero T-shirt beneath their formal white shirts. They proudly flashed these shirts while I was carefully balancing on a chair, preparing for my new husband to search for the garter.
My bridesmaids wore infinity dresses folded in the same pattern. It was the easiest style to choose for their five different body types, hair colours and skin tones. It has always been silly to me how brides force their bridesmaids into a restrictive mold. You asked these ladies to join you on your most special day because of who they are and what they mean to you. Why then prevent them from expressing their individuality? Therefore, while their dresses and shoes were alike, I did not restrict them from wearing their own jewellery, provided that it was not excessively bold or brightly coloured.
Each of their individuality provided yet another personal connection to the wedding.
Our marriage officer was a deeply personal choice. I grew up in Arné Leuvennink's house as much as in own and had been friends with his daughter during our school careers. We did not want to ask a stranger to be such an intimate part of our day and had no doubt that Ds. Leuvennink would be the perfect choice.
I have a great love for a church organ. It was important to me to walk in on Mendelssohn's Wedding March being played on full volume through all the pipes. My mother's cousin knows Awie van Wyk, a well-known South African organist. After meeting with him, he agreed to be our organist. While my heart was beating in my throat when those thick wooden church doors opened, I drew strength from the beautiful sounds eminimating from Awie's talent on the organ.
Alisha Beukes from Alisha Beukes Photography was introduced to me by one of my bridesmaids who had gotten married the year before. Alisha was only the second shooter at her wedding, but most of the photos she posted on Facebook or developed for her home, were taken by Alisha. In addition, Alisha was willing to discuss the package to include a second shooter instead of an engagement shoot, which we had already done.
Alisha is amazing! She was such a major part of what made the wedding day special. She captured all important moments, noticed intimate or spontaneous moments, guided my husband and I during the couples shoot, and the results were absolutely breathtaking.
We have certainly found our preferred photographer for any future special events.
I planned the entire wedding myself. Having studied event management, and having planned my employer's year-end function (among other events) for three consecutive years, I jumped at the occasion.
The wedding cake was my by Nicole Concer from Table Café in Bredasdorp.
We wanted an astoundingly delicious red velvet cake with cream cheese icing and decided to bring in a tiny aspect of our combined love for superhero movies. The cake toppers were Wonderwoman and Superman, while small Batman,Wonderwoman and Superman logos were placed at the back of each layer of the cake. Nicole was brilliant in making it look like an adorable hat-tip to our personalities.
My wedding stationery was very close to my heart. Each table had a number that was not necessarily consecutive, but specific to an event or date in our relationship. Each table number shortly told the story of the event. We met at the age of six, started dating on the first, got engaged on the third, spent two consecutive Valentine's Days in hospital with food poisoning, etc.
I am blessed with a brand coordinator for a cousin. After explaining to her what I wanted, she designed all the stationery. I printed it myself at Wizards Printing, and spent some craft-time assembling the items.
The DJ was one of the very first vendors we booked. We went to school together, so I was familiar with his work. We wanted a party once the formalities had been dealt with. Many of our friends love dancing (especially sokkie) and we wanted them to enjoy the wedding above all else. And enjoy it, they did! There were strobe lights, flashing lights, coloured lights, smoke machines and even dry ice during the first dance.
The dance floor opened up to the seated area outside where small fires and candles kept our guests warm and sociable.
