I met Jamy at athletics practice, he was in high school and I was just in grade 7 we became friends and flirted at athletics. He asked me to be his girlfriend just after my grade 8 consert (groentjie konsert), that was the 21st January 2004. And we have been dating since.
It was the best surprise ever! I did not expect it to happen that week. We were at the Kruger National Park for a few days. On the last day on our way out the park we stopped at Sable bird hide near Phalaborwa gate, we visited it in January with my family. The hide was busy we sat there for a while, we went back to the car. It was a cold day and I wanted to go home now. I thought we are leaving when he made a u-turn and drove closer to the water (dam). He stopped and I asked him what now. He had this funny grin on his face and said he has a surprise for me.....I remember asking him what is the surprise and the he asked me if I will marry him. First reaction was of shock and surprise and asked him if he is being serious. He said he is and held the ring box in his hand. I immediately said yes and kissed him. When he opend the ring box, the ring was not in the box and he started to panic just a little.....he found the ring where he hid the ring in the box earlier.... he then placed the perfect ring on my finger!
Why was it the perfect ring....
My best friend made it, I saw the ring a few months back in her studio and fell in love with it even send a picture to Jamy and said I want a ring like this. Little did I know he approved the design long time ago!
The highlight of the big day for me was walking down the aisle with my dad and to see my future husband standing with the biggest smile ever! We have been dating since high school(15years) so to finally starting a new chapter was just indescribable, I have been dreaming of this day since I can remember.
To say "I do" with the knowledge that this is forever and he choose ME!
Having a special moment with my dad while the song "daddy dance with me" played in the background.
The food, it was fantastic, "regte boerekos" (spitbraai and all the food we as a couple love eating) and we stayed up and celebrated with our family and friends till 02:30!
This is just a few of the day out of a lot more that I will treasure forever.
Night after the wedding we stayed at a guest house in town not that we slept much because we got to the room at 03:00 and the next night we went to Askari Game reserve. Askari was forsure a one night romantic getaway with its beautiful rooms and setting with the elephants a few feet away fron our room. We got home late monday afternoon, we packed and opened our wedding gifts and the next morning we were off to Zanzibar!
For a whole week we explored the island on scooters, drank coctails, take walks on the white beach made awesone friends and just enjoying spending time together.
I wanted to be a sophisticated elegant timeless bride, but still comfortable and ME!
My hair was halfway up and curly and I had fresh flowers in. Very natural. My hair was done by Marlize my hairdresser for the past +-7years.
My makeup was very natural with a rose pink lip. Is was done by Soné Vermeulen Makeup artistry. I have known Soné since she was in primary school.
My weddingdress was so elegant and timeless and when I fitted it the first time I was just in awe and amazed on how good I feel and look in it! I went dress shopping with my mother an best friend and we Skype with my sister (she lives in Aus) throughout the whole appointment. I was confused about 2 dresses, but when I came out of the dressing room in my dress everyone had tears in their eyes and I knew we had a winner! I brought my dress from Bridal Manor Garsfontein in Pretoria and it is a beautiful Provonias Orville wedding dress with the most delegate beaded (silver,gold and rosegold) cap sleeves and belt. It had n V-neck and a deep V back. I completed my look with a floor length veil.
My wedding shoes were a stone colour wedge heel very comfortable, I danced in them till morning.
My jewelry.....oh how I loved them! My engament/wedding ring was made by my best friend, Estelle Lourens Juwele (without me knowing of course). She made the most stunnig drop earings that complimented my ring. My earings was a gift from her so I did not see it untill I had to put them on, they were stunning and I loved how it all fitted together. I still were them every chance I get.
We got married in Bronkhorstspruit in our NG church. This specific church is close to our hearts because it is the church were Jamy grew up in, his mother and her family grew up in the church and some even got marriend in the church as well as my parents got married in the same church 33years ago. We still attend the church today.
My "brother" did the ceremony and it was so special because he knows us personally and the scripture and everything he said was just for us and about us. Everyone in the audience could apply something to themselves and their marriages.
Our reception was +-2km outside town on a farm in a barn (The Rustic Windmill) close to a river. The owners of the farm are friends of my dad and the venu fitted so well with what me and Jamy had planned and our personalities, a down to earth but still beautiful wedding with a great big party with family and friends. Our aim was that everyone should eat enough, so the food had to be great and that everyone will just relax and celebrate with us.
We had a white marquee tent that we rented from the church next to the river were we served predrinks had a bread table, fruit sticks and other snacks for our guest to enjoy and taking in the veiw while we where taking photos. It also served as the starter.
There was a heat wave and we had load shedding so the aircons did not work in the church but I had beautiful wood hand fans that all the guest received. It helped a lot. But when we got to the venu there was a storm brewing and it was dark all around us which made our photos stunning and we even had a rainbow luckily it did not rain but it did cool down.
Most of our guest stayed in town and did not drive from far, but family that did come from far stayed at my parents house and our friends from far stayed in our house.
Our colour scheme was latte, green and grey. All our flower arrangements was white flowers and lots of greenery. We had 2 different arrangements for our tables one was on a large glass vase and the other was a circle of flowers hanging above fron the roof. Our bride&groom table was an old wood table that belongs to my cousin. We had lots of candles and greenery on our table. We had a beautiful back drop behind us with fairy lights and willow branches. All our flowers and fairy lights was done by Johan Cloete from De Oude Werf (wedding venue). Our decor was minimal but I loved it!
The groom sexy fitted trouser was bought from Coquis. He wore a slim fit off white shirt from Edgars and his accessories was a leather belt, leather suspenders and a leather bow tie all from Wanderer Leather.
The groomsmen and ring bearer wore their own chinos and white shirts from Edgars and their leather bow ties comes from Wanderlust Leather.
They had these beautiful lapel pins to finish their look. The lapel pins were all different silhouette sparrow made out of metal and wood it made by Estelle Lourens Juwele.
My bridesmaids wore these beautiful green floral dresses made by my friend's aunt. My sister saw the pattern in Aus so I bought it here and was made here.
Our Marriage Officer was my brother Ds Cobus Swanepoel he is currently a preacher at the NG church Goodwood in Cape Town.
Our photographer was Vanessa Coezee from Vanessa Coetzee photographer and her 2nd shooter was Elke Engelbrecht. They were just awesome, they made us comfortable and I think our photos are just stunnig. They captured every special moment and they were just everywhere capture images that I missed. Vanessa took my sister's wedding photos almost 6years ago.
We did not have a videographer, but Jamy's cousin took a home video that is very special to us.
My biggest planner was my mother.....but I had help from my sister and best friend.
Our wedding transport is an old classic it was a 1976 Mercedes-Benz yellow in colour. The car Jamy's car he brought it years ago from his grandfather's brothe when they took away his licence due to old age. The car is very special and has a sentimental value. It was Jamy's oldest brothers wdding car, it was my cousins matric farewell car and another family member's wedding car.
The our food was made by Johan Cloete from De Oude Werf. We had a spitbraai and all the food we love to eat like pumkin fritters in carmel souse, roast vegetables, garlic potatoes, greek salad, carrot salad and fresh fruits. Our deserts was malva pudding with custard (Jamy's favourite) and ice cream with chocolate sous and of course our wedding cake. There was more than enough food and everyone enjoyed it.
Our wedding cake was a group effort. It was a 4 tear cake the bottom tear was a traditional fruit cake made by my granny and mother. The 2nd tear was rice crispy treats and made by my sister and best friend. The 3rd tear was sweetie pies that me and my friend/bridesmaid assembled the night before the wedding and the top tear was fudge also made by my best friend. My dad's colleague's wife decorated the cake for us. Everyone loved it and could not get enough.
My wedding stationary was done by my sister-in-law Charlene du Plessis from Blush designs & Bietjielief.
We send out save the dates with an rsvp date. Then we only sended a formal invite via email to the ones who rsvp. We printed invitations for our close family and older generation.
Our reception was everything we wanted and dreamed about. It was a party! We did not take dance lessons but because we have been dancing together for years it comes naturally. We opend the dancefloor with "If I ever saw heaven" from Rohan the words mean a lot and because it is slight a slow song it made us take in the moment even more.
The father-daughter dance was on the song "Daddy dance with me" . When I heard the song the first time I knew it is the song for me and my dad. We are very close and my dad is the one who taught me to dance.
We had a bon fire just outside the venue an it just gave a diffrent atmosphere.
Our music was donr by Pete van der Merwe from Pete Sound sports commentator and music entertainment. He was very good and the dance floor was never empty.
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