Getting married in a garden setting has been a life long dream of mine, since my father passed away 3 months before my birth, I always wanted to have him see me walk down the isle on my wedding day. One of the most special moments was walking down the 'mountain' and then being able to walk down the isle, hand in hand with my Mother clasping a picture of my father on my bouquet - I was able to have both parents near me on my special day.
The ceremony was absolutely special, marrying the man of my dreams was not only the happiest moment of my life, but also a testament to the love of God to His promises, after he promised my husband to me over 6 years ago. So being able to stand at the alter, being married by his father (our Pastor), knowing that this was the day I had been promised so many years ago, in front of all of our loved ones, was surreal.
There are many more moments that were beyond special and I will carry them with me for the rest of my life!
Immediately after the wedding, we were whisked away to spend the night at the Peermont Hotel at Emperors Palace for the night, where we were upgraded to the Penthouse Suite as a gift from the hotel.
The following morning we got to fly to Mauritius for 7 days, followed by 7 days on the Island of Reunion. Truly a Honeymoon we will never forget!
I always envisioned myself in a white A-line wedding gown, but I never thought that finding the perfect dress would happen at my first stop - Marbella De Mariée Bridal Boutique at Maultiflora Flower Market. My wedding gown is one of the first to land on South African shores in this material. Downing very handy pockets and a corset style bodess. I felt like an absolute princess, and a tiara seemed appropriate.
I decided to keep my hair simple with a half up style and gentle curls, true to my personality, and Michelle Curran Hair Innovations did an amazing job, not only of my hair but that of my bridesmaids, Mother and flower girl too. When choosing the perfect make up to compliment the look, I also decided to keep it simple and light but romantic, captured beautifully by Lynn Hoff Make Up and Hair.
I wore flat, white ballet pumps, purchased from JJ's House on-line store, which matched the look perfectly.
My jewelry was a gift from my husband right before the ceremony, a circular necklace of 3 coloured golds, referencing Ecclesiastes 4:12 - reminding me that Holy Spirit would always be the center of our marriage.
My lingerie was simple, lacy and white. Purchased from Woolworths.
We got married at the beautiful Shepstone Gardens in Houghton, Johannesburg. the 5 star wedding venue really stood up to their name and could not have made the day any more perfect.
Being in the center of JHB, none of the guests stayed the night.
Shepstone Gardens is a haven of botanical serenity that will transport you into a different world; your dream come true.
Due to me having many heath issues leading up to the wedding, one of which being a double dose of Bronchitis, followed by an outbreak of eczema I was placed on a prolonged dose of cortizone which bloated me before the wedding, however the treatments that I was able to get, including Mani's, Pedi's, facials, massages, etc were completed at Fourways Lifeday Spa.
Being a garden themed wedding, we took fool advantage of the early Spring blossoms. Adorning the venue in pastals with prominent attention to succulents - representing the tenacity and longevity of love through difficult conditions. This included floral chandeliers and center pieces with accents of rose gold candles and geometric shapes. We also had white draping to the marque with a candle and floral set up leading to the stepped entrance. The evening garden was highlighted by the word "love"in bold letters, covered by a Jacaranda tree in full bloom with drapes of fairylights.
This venue truly was perfect for a late afternoon ceremony in the garden, transforming to an elegant evening dinner and celebration.
All floral and decor elements where handled by Shepstone Gardens and their in-house service providers.
The evening was ended off with a sparkler send off and a 1968 Ford Mustang, driven by Driven with Class.
The Groom and Groomsmen had their suits made by Tailor Me in Parktown. Dressed in Navy Suits, complete with Egyptian Cotton shirts and ties made by Infinity Dress SA.
The Original Infinity Dress can be worn 27 different ways, making it the perfect bridesmaid dress for all figures!
When it came to my bridesmaids, I felt strongly that they each had their own personality sihine through their look. So I decided on a Dove Grey Infinity Dress, made to their measurements - this allowed each of them to adorn different styles of the same dress while still looking uniform. Their make up was also kept simple and romantic and they each got to choose their own hairstyles, each with different styles of flowers in their hair to continue the garden theme.
The Original Infinity Dress can be worn 27 different ways, making it the perfect bridesmaid dress for all figures!
We were married boy our Pastor, who also happens to be my Husbands Father - Pastor Hannes Wessels of Frontline City Church on Honeydew. A special, special memory.
Our day was beautifully captured by Mighty Fine Photography who not only took photographs on our special day but carried out the videography as well. The team were professional, fun and fit in perfectly. We cannot wait to see the end product!
Karine Antonian of Shepstone Gardens was my planner; I could not give this amazing Planner enough praise! She was totally on top of things during the planning stages and always willing to help out where she could, especially when service providers started asking questions. On the day, she handled everything like clockwork in a relaxed and professional manner, always with a smile and ready to help wherever needed.
I highly recommend her services!
Ending a fairytale wedding would only have been appropriate with a sparkler send off and a 1968 Ford Mustang. we were chauffeured to our Hotel by Driven with Class.
We had canapes and a sit down meal to celebrate our union. The food was 5 star, top class and absolutely devine. We are still having guests rave about the food. Thank you to Taste Explosion for their yummy creations!
Our Wedding Cake was really an opportunity to be creative and we were so excited to see how exquisitely Heloise of Luna Berry completed the design we came up with, not to mention how wonderful and heavenly the cake tuned out!
All our stationary, including invitations, Menus, welcome board and seating arrangement canvas were completed by the in-house team at Shepstone Gardens.
After only 2 dance classes and many time constraints leading up to the wedding, we decided to wing our dance and it turned out short but special and memorable.
The sound and lighting was carried out by Shepstone Gardens in-house DJ, who also, was professional. He ensured that only music that we enjoyed was played and followed up timorously with the special songs for each portion of the day. We really could not have asked for better. Even with the last minutes Father / Daughter dance arranged by my Mother ti dance with my new Father-in-Law. What special memories.
Shepstone Gardens is a haven of botanical serenity that will transport you into a different world; your dream come true.
The Original Infinity Dress can be worn 27 different ways, making it the perfect bridesmaid dress for all figures!
