The Best Day of My Life.
Our wedding was truly special, we had a small intimate weekend wedding which was more of a friend and family reunion, with 90% of our guests coming from other towns or countries, which is what made it so exceptional. With Trav and I being together for 14 years since I was just 18, we didn’t rush into our big day. We took the time to decide what we wanted, and planned every detail, and finishing touches together. It’s a day I will always cherish, and a day most of our guests have mentioned… they will never forget.
We chose to go on honeymoon later in the year, and rather stay and spend time with friends and family that travelled from a far.
My wedding look, was as natural as possible, with a touch of sexy elegance.
My hair and make-up artist was the very talented Yolandi Wilson. She was amazing, from the minute we met she made me feel comfortable, relaxed and really did what I desired in the most beautiful way.
I really battled to find the dress I wanted, I must have tried on about 40 different ones, but couldn’t find the one I was looking for, so eventually a friend suggested an online store which she used, and was happy with. So I attempted it, and wow was I surprized when it arrived and was exactly what I was looking for. I needed a few alterations as every bride does, and Carika from Bridezilla was able to make the finishing touches that just made my dreams come true, we had one fitting and two weeks later I was elated with joy. I wanted rose gold accessories, which was not easy to find, but I walked into Lovisa and 30 minutes later walked out with everything I needed to finish off my timeless, elegant ensemble.
Trav and I had a great time looking for venues in the Cape Town and surrounding areas, there are just so many beauties to choose from. But we knew we needed a place that had accommodation for all our guests firstly. So we came across a little gem in Somerset West called Chelaya Country Lodge.
It was breath-taking, the garden's where immaculate with rolling green lawns, and quaint little dams and streams. It was perfect! We booked out the entire lodge from the Friday to Monday for all our guests. Got married in their garden under gorgeous blue skies, and had our reception around their boma with a roaring fire in the middle to set the most exquisite ambiance.
Our decor was completely DIY, we made all the signs, roses, glitter candle holders, candy jars, flower vases and so much more all ourselves. We had 2 years to plan our big day, so we started early with making everything. We shopped around at little vintage second hand stores, for the doors I walked through at the ceremony, my hubby made the heart shaped arch we stood under. We made it fun, and exactly what we wanted. We hired a few items, like fairy lights and draping which we set up ourselves on the Friday night with the help of friends and family. My cousin from America was my on the day co-ordinator and she was amazing, she saw my vision and made it come true. It was truly special, as everyone who attended was involved somehow. There was so much love everywhere you could actually feel it in the air.
My hubby wanted a fitted blue suit, so he had one made by Master Suits, and wow did he look dashing. The groomsmen, were dressed in light brown slacks and white button up shirts from woollies, with matching bow ties we had made.
My girls!!! I love them all so much. As they all lived in different cities or continents from me I asked them all to choose their own dress in a gold or beige colour, and somehow they all chose the most perfect dresses that matched up beautifully. I love that they all had their own style and most of all I wanted them to feel comfortable and beautiful and what better way to make that happen than them choosing their own.
Our marriage officer was Troy Goldie, and he was brilliant. We wanted a ceremony that was light, short and had some humour, and he nailed it. He was absolutely fantastic.
Photography for our big day was very important to me, it’s the one thing you take away from your day and can treasure for a lifetime. So I took a lot of time choosing the right person for the job. I wanted photo's that would capture the feelings within the moment and pictures that would last a lifetime.
We eventually chose the very talented Adele De Bruyn. Her pictures are simply perfect, her passion for what she does just jumps off the images. She made us feel so comfortable, like we had known her for years. She was wonderful.
My exquisite wedding cake was a 3 tear, each a different flavour masterpiece made by my very own mom. She's always enjoyed baking, but this was her first big cake and she did a marvellous job. It was delicious and as pretty as a picture. I still don't know who was more proud.
I designed everything myself. We had a wedding website invitation and everything on the day was designed by me, and approved by hubby.
We had a lovely DJ from DJ Magic Entertainment. He really got the party going for both young and old, and had no issue staying later for our guests to continue the fun until the wee hours of the morning.
