The most magical moments of our wedding was definitely walking down the aisle with my dad to Ryann Darling’s “I choose you”.I think it left a tear in everyone’s eye.My dad and i have been through the toughest 10 years caring and losing my late mother in 2013.So not having her there on my wedding day was a very emotional walk down the aisle.And of course marrying my best friend.We have been together for 7 years.It was truly the best day of our lives.
Another moment was our first dance which was performed by my brother with a song from Bobby van Jaarsveld “Alles vir jou”.That was a real special and magical moment.
We decided to take a road trip through the garden route(Wilderness,Knysna,Plett) because we reside in the karoo with immense water drought and heat at the moment.So we chose to be near the ocean.We also ended up taking a detour to Cape Town as the last leg of our honeymoon.
I had my dress custom made by Alzane designs.I had a very specific look in mind.Sheer top with 3D lace flowers.It was mermaid style with lace scattered across the bottom of my dress.I had a long train and veil with a lace boarder.
My hair was a very minimalistic, sleek middle path bun for the ceremony.And loose waves for the reception.Curls-/Waves done by my cousin Lezaan Swartz.
I wanted very minimalistic make-up as well.So i opt for a very natural but still glam look.Both hair & make-up were done by my cousin Carradine Sedras who own’s a beauty salon in East London, Attraction Body Beauty.
My shoes were a gift from one of my bridesmaids Mariline Segrys, which she bought in Abu Dhabi.
My earrings are from Forever New.
Our wedding venue was The Vale Karoo Farm.We chose this venue simply because we are both from the karoo in Beaufort West and our little town is very close to our hearts.Also because of it’s natural,rustic chic feel and our guests could stay at the venue all weekend.It made our wedding feel like a holiday on it’s own.We wanted our guests to feel relaxed, away from the hustle and bustle of the city and experience the karoo as a land of secret beauty and infinite variety.
The Vale's beautiful natural setting makes it a wonderful country venue for a romantic wedding in the Karoo.
I’m naturally a very fit & active person so i didn’t change much to my routine during the months leading up to the wedding.I did do more weight training than cardio a few months before the wedding.
My secret to healthy long hair and skin were coconut oil!!And lots of water.
Our wedding elements were karoo chic,very minimalistic decor but still romantic.
Our color scheme was rose gold with touches of grey and the entire venue was filled with greenery with the absence of flowers.We had greenery as table runners with rose gold centre pieces and candle holders by Something Borrowed,Happy Tree designs and Candles4U.Every second table had a grey mesh table runner from Decor4U.We had each guest’s name printed on a marble background magnet that served as place holders on their plates, along with rose gold -/ grey macaroons as thank you gifts.
We also had rose gold hoops hanging from the ceiling with laser cut “love words” inside each of them across the tables made by littlewoodpecker.
Our main table had LOVE lights made from wood by Happy Tree designs and a custom made greenery backdrop made with love by my aunt and uncle, Wendy & Raymond Anthonie.
We also made provision for a kiddies table at our wedding reception.Which blended in beautifully with the rest of our decor.We had coloring books & crayons to keep them busy and give their parents a bit of a break.Our venue also provided them with mini pizza’s, fries and milk, which they thoroughly enjoyed.
The entire venue was surrounded by fairy lights and naked bulbs.
One of the MOST special elements at our wedding was a chair with flowers we had for my late mother, with a sign board that we missed her and wished she could’ve been there.I know she was smiling down on me and had the best seat and view throughout the proceedings.
The beauty of the fundamental nature of a rustic wedding is that simple touches with a lot of personality can speak volumes.
We wanted the classic sophisticated look of black suits for the groomsmen with white shirts and grey ties from Woolworths as a gift(to compliment the bridesmaid dresses).They all wore their own suits.My husband opt for a charcoal suit which he bought at Country Road and brown belt with brown shoes from Aldo.We also replaced flower boutonnières with wooden laser cut one’s.
We had our bridesmaids dresses custom made by a dress maker Shenaaz from Cape Town.I wanted a grey off the shoulder dress for my bridesmaids and didn’t want the loose, flowing dresses.So we went for something fit and flair and it looked amazing on their different body shapes.
My sister - in love (in law) Jo-Anne Wynne, officiated our beautiful wedding ceremony.She traveled all the way from Natal with my brother and their three children.She had the most amazing sermon which had everyone’s attention and something they all walked away with and still talk about to this day.It was so special and something my husband and i will cherish forever!
Herman Pieters was our wedding photographer along with his assistant.They came all the way from George which is 3 hours from Beaufort West with a very mild climate and had to endure the karoo’s scorching hot weather.But he did such an amazing job under those difficult weather conditions.I chose him because he’s not just a wedding photographer, but a fashion photographer as well.And that was the style i wanted for our wedding pictures.Romantic yet still have a editorial feel to it.
We didn’t have a professional wedding planner or co-ordinater because i knew exactly what i wanted.My sister Zabreal who was also my maid of honor was such a big help in planning my wedding so she stepped in to help me with everything.We have such similar style & taste that it was so easy to bounce ideas off her because she knew what i liked.My sister was such a trooper.She collected all our hired goods in Cape Town and brought it down to Beaufort West.The venue played a very big role in assisting with the entire setup of the wedding and ensuring that things go as smoothly as possible so we didn’t have to worry too much or lift a finger.
The venue provided both our food and cake.
We had such a huge variety to choose from and it was some of the best food i have ever tasted.Real homemade “plaas kos”, which is not very common at weddings these days.
Our cake was a 3 tier chocolate naked cake which was so moist and tasteful.It fit right in with our venue and decor.It was absolutely stunning and everything we wanted.
Wedding stationary was done by adam & eve weddings.
If we could describe our wedding (reception)in three words it would be FUN,JOY & LAUGHTER!My husband and i make each other laugh every single day and i think it is so well depicted in our pictures.Our guests had a ball of a time and it turned out to be a big party, just as we hoped it would be.
We used dj’s and sound locally from Beaufort West.They had everyone on the dancefloor the entire evening.So much so that no one wanted to leave the reception area.Our guests continued the party at their cottages until the early morning hours.
The beauty of the fundamental nature of a rustic wedding is that simple touches with a lot of personality can speak volumes.
The Vale's beautiful natural setting makes it a wonderful country venue for a romantic wedding in the Karoo.
