I will start you off at the beginning. A little more than a year ago, we decided on our venue, Red Ivory in Hartbeespoort. We thought August would be the perfect time, as afternoon temperature highs aren’t summer high nor are evening lows winter low – you get a nice warm afternoon and pleasant chilly evening. After almost 7 years of being together, we didn’t want to wait! So, we planned the entire wedding in less than a year.
My walk down the aisle was one of the most amazing moments of my entire life. After the service we took a couple of minutes to have communion together. My "new" husband and I prayed together and dedicate our marriage to God. Getting to spend those first moments together before all the craziness started was so much of a relief for both of us.
My grandfather escorted me down the aisle and the ceremony was officiated by JT, the pastor at our church.
Everything was perfect, the weather was kind to us and we were surrounded by all the people that are special to us.
We stayed at Solana Beach in Mauritius
The moment I first laid eyes on the Elena Morar dress, I knew she was the one! I didn’t really know what would
suit me best but I knew that I wanted something different. Rochelle from the Bridal Secret had me try on this dress first (just so I would know right off the bat if it didn’t work and could try the rest of the dresses on with an open mind). As soon as I put it on, I turned to my Mother and Maid of Honor and we just knew. It was as easy as that!
Since my dress was the statement piece, I wanted it to have all the attention. I wore a simple veil and my “something blue” was the ribbon in my garter that my grandmother made from a lace-type material that her mother and grandmother made more than 100 years ago. This was also my “something old”.
I went with very simple hair and makeup to relax the vibe of my look. I wore my hair in a low messy bun and for my makeup, we tried to keep the look “natural glam.” The last thing I would have wanted was to not look like myself. We went with a very toned-down smoky eye and neutral lip.
Choosing where to host our big day wasn’t a difficult decision. In fact, it was quite the opposite.
Red Ivory was the very first venue that we viewed and needless to say, no other venue compared.
A magical mixture of contemporary design, scrumptious cuisine & breath-taking views, Red Ivory specializes in extraordinary moments.
With sweeping views across the Magaliesberg mountains, the tree top chapel offered a unique & dramatic setting for our ceremony. The chapel is open on all sides and offered our guests all the benefits & ambiance of an open air chapel.
Some of our guests stayed the night but because the venue couldn't accommodate everyone, other guests also stayed at Guesthouses nearby.
My moto for our wedding décor & flowers was that there is beauty in simplicity. The last thing we wanted was loaded centerpieces and layers of linens for our table settings.
In our ceremony, the minimalist look pointed the attention right where it should be — on the bride and groom. And in our reception, it enabled the natural beauty and light of the venue to shine through.
My aunt was responsible for the bouquets, centerpieces and arrangements and she really did the floral décor even more beautiful than what we had in mind.
The lighting was one of the most important details at our wedding. We had hanging Edison bulbs and a lot of candles which had a big influence on the atmosphere of our wedding reception and created an elegant ambience.
Since it was not that warm yet, Stephan went with a navy blue fitted three-piece suit, brown leather belt and shoes and a burgundy tie.
The groomsmen wore navy blue suit pants, with the same brown leather belt and shoes with burgundy ties.
I wanted both my bridesmaids to be comfortable and happy and I never like things too “matchy, matchy” so I chose the colour, which was burgandy, and told them that they can choose the style.
I love the way it ended up looking!
Pastor JT Terblanche from Doxa Deo, Brooklyn campus
Mense met Gesigte Photography & Videography
Jean-Mari and Theodore are so much fun and such a comfortable couple, which helped us to relax and also have fun and it shows in their work! They have loads of experience and knows the perfect angles and positions for beautiful and flattering shots. They were also very patient and accommodating of our large, boisterous family and was able to capture everyone looking their best, which was really a miracle!
We are COMPLETELY IN LOVE with every single one of our photos and our video.
The photo booth was a massive hit! It definitely made the night that much more special as it allowed us to capture even more memories that our photographer wouldn't be able to capture.
Our venue (Red Ivory) prepared all the food at our wedding, from the delectable harvest table to the three-course plated meal. Each dish was carefully sculptured around exceptional flavours and plated as a work of art.
Our three-tier semi-naked wedding cake was a masterpiece that had everyone talking. The flavours included Vanilla with Raspberry, Limoncello with Lemon Curd and Carrot and Walnut with Buttercream. The cake was finished off with fresh Desert roses, Rosemary and Wax flowers and topped with our wooden cake topper personalised to look like the bride and groom.
Natasha from Perfect Solution Designs
We love to dance and enjoy a good party so this was especially important to us.
Our DJ understood the dynamics of a wedding and kept each part of the day filled with just the right tunes. Once the party started he kept the dance floor full all the time.
We opened the dance floor with "Mal oor jou" by Tarren Lamb and the entire dance floor turned into a cloud (fog made with dry ice machine). It created such a romantic and dramatic look.
