As you can imagine, there were many moments that we will be looking back at fondly.
Firstly, one of my favourite moments was where when my husband started to make his speech. For the start of his speech all he could do was look art me and say Wow! It was a moment where we looked at each other with nothing but love.
Another favourite of mine was when my Dad and I were about to walk down the isle. My Dad started tearing up and said 'I'm a little sick'. Of course my Dad was not really sick.
As one of the biggest parts of your wedding day, I will always remember when I started walking down the isle. I saw my Husband covering his mouth with his hands as this moment became too big, while his best man patted him on the back. This was the moment I was trying to save my make up by not blinking.
My husband then lightened the moment (As he always does) by showing me how he has sweated through his shirt.
It was a day where family and friends came from far and wide. They drank Sparkling Wine, ate cake and danced the night away. I will always remember the joy at our wedding.
For months I had no idea where we were going on Honeymoon. All I knew was that it was a big one. At the airport I got the ticket and saw MLE. Of course I had to Google. What an amazing surprise when I saw that we were going to the Maldives for 10 days!
We parasailed, went snorkeling and had a romantic breakfast in the water with French Champagne.
After we returned, I was able to take my husband on a second honeymoon to a lovely place called De Wilge. Right between Worchester and Robertson. We toured all the wine farms and bought back half of the olive products and wine back home.
I will start with my wedding dress.
My dress was made by Elizabeth Stockenstrom. I did not consider another designer at all. She created my big Sister's dress 15 years ago as well as my Sister-in-law's dress 9 years ago. I truly believe that there is no other designer with such a talent and heart not only for wedding gowns but for people. Up till the day that I had to pick up my dress she still made changes to make my dress even more beautiful!
My jewelry were very special to me. The pearl bracelet I wore was from my Sister-in-law as my something borrowed. As we know, tradition is that your something borrowed should be from a happily married woman symbolic of her blessing upon you to also have such a happy marriage.
My earrings where even more special as they were my grandmother's. Sadly she is no longer around but I got to have her in my thoughts through my cameo earrings and cameo broach on my bouquet.
I had a long search to find a hair and make up artist as I have never been blown away when I have had hair and make up professionally done. Alicia Buckle was my answer. She has so much passion to make you beautiful, she is soft spoken and exudes beauty from in. I truly believe that I had a dream team!
Elizabeth’s gowns are the ultimate in femininity, romance and sensuality. She has built an enviable reputation for creating exquisite bridal gowns, using only the best fabrics.
Our wedding was at Towerbosch Earth Kitchen on Knorhoek WIne Estate.
What a wonderful place to get married! Not only is it breathtaking but the service and food is amazing!
They do everything and anything for you to make sure your day is special and stress free. Even moving our Mr and Mrs Swanepoel cake topper to our center piece on the table and moving the ceremony flowers to other areas to make it more beautiful.
The venue is more than just a hall, it feels intimate and gives you a feeling of being at home with all your friends and family. They have mountains, vineyards, trees and peacocks. What more could you want?
Best of all, the food is beyond what you imagine. Let's face it, the reception is more for the guests than the wedding couple. That is why it warms my heart that so many guests came to tell us how amazing the wedding was, especially the food!
One of the best kept Winelands secrets just outside of Stellenbosch, where unpretentious 'ouma's kos' defines an enchanting haven of old-fashioned culinary bliss.
I did quite a few things actually,
I included an all natural green tea mask into my weekly facial care as well as a gel peel and a face scrub.
I also did a full body scrub on a weekly basis.
As I have a very light complexion I opted for just a bit of tanning before the wedding.
I also had my teeth whitened as well as went for a full spa day. My Spa day included a body wrap, full body massage etc
The Center pieces were done by Towergoed, through Towerbosch.
My and my bridesmaid's bouquets as well as the boutonnieres were done by a friend of mine. She used to be a florest and I just knew she would create something that will be beautiful! She knows me as a friend and therefore I did not even discuss any concepts with her. She just created what she thought I would love and as I knew, it was more than perfect!
The outfits for the men were quite easy actually. We went to Woolworths one day and put outfits together.
I knew I wanted the men in waistcoats and my Husband requested no jackets and brown shoes.
It was quite easy actually.
All I wanted was romantic and flowey dresses. We found what we were looking for at Bridal Isle.
Christina was amazing! She made sure were were all happy with every part of the experience. She helped my bridesmaids with dresses that made them all look amazing and suited their various bodies. She did not rest until the job was completed.
And they did look beautiful in their purple and pinks!
This was quite a special one.
We actually grabbed my our parents and went to get all the legal things done the day before. We had a lovely intimate ceremony with Troy Golden. He truly made the day so special!
On the day of the big ceremony my brother-in-law married us. He is a pastor living in the UK however not ordained to officiate in South Africa.
It was truly special as someone who has seen me grow up, is my brother and now family of my husband could bless us with a message and facilitating our marriage.
The photographer was an easy choice! Nikolai Polzenhagen is incredible!
Not long after the engagement we walked through a Wedding expo, we saw his stand and said 'who is that, we want that person'. It was settled then and there.
Nikolai has a way of making you feel comfortable. What I very much appreciate is that he directs you so that you can look your best in photos.
What we love the most about Nikolai is how edgy and dramatic his photos are! You don't end up with photos that look like every other photo.
Towerbosch has an event coordinator that assists you throughout the journey.
Other than that it was just me, Google and my wedding book.
My bridesmaids and I stayed over on the venue the night before the wedding. The ceremony is crawling distance from the guests house so no transport was needed. We just walked.
The food was all done by Towerbosch except for the cake. The cake was amazing! We served the cake with Sparkling Wine as part of the canapes so we wanted to make sure that the cake is more than just pretty.
A friend of mine made three cakes. A vanilla, chocolate and carrot cake. She bakes for events as a hobby but if she had to own a bakery then other popular shops would have some real competition!
Along with the cake we also ha a coffee vendor. In a little yellow truck they made various coffees including ice coffees. Go have a look on Facebook, they are called the Yellow Tin.
We had a wedding website created by My Big Event. What a great idea this was! There was no hassle with paper, posting or RSVPs!
We did have wooden save the dates made as well as wooden name placements for the tables. These were done by Laserlink. Their products are beautifully done and their service was wonderful!
We had craft beer as wedding favours. Very kindly a friend of mine designed beautiful labels to for them.
We aimed for a reception that felt like a celebration and not just a wedding!
We were very fortunate that through a personal favour Streamline Audio provided us with sound and lighting equipment for the wedding and MGM DJs provided us with the music on the night. The dance floor was always full of dancing!
Elizabeth’s gowns are the ultimate in femininity, romance and sensuality. She has built an enviable reputation for creating exquisite bridal gowns, using only the best fabrics.
One of the best kept Winelands secrets just outside of Stellenbosch, where unpretentious 'ouma's kos' defines an enchanting haven of old-fashioned culinary bliss.
