Here is our story. :) A week before my wedding my Maid of Honor told me she could not make it anymore as her boss did not want to give her off. She is a chef on a private yacht, traveling all over the world. I knew it was not her decision so I made peace with it. What could I do? The wedding weekend: We were a few people that arrived to the venue two days before the wedding. The road to the venue is a horrible, when you drive over it you spend more time lifted from your seat than sitting. So on our way there, the door my husband's best man build, broke. Great! That night all of us came together and had a great time just enjoying the closeness of the company. The next day (day before the wedding) I took all my bridesmaids to a spa just outside Bela Bela. Buyskop Lodge and Spa. They are amazing!! Those ladies really know how to make you feel special. It was time to do my nails when my bridesmaids came to me telling me that something happened. While my one bridesmaids boyfriend was on his way to the venue, driving on the ground road, the door of the cool room, where my white flowers were transported, broke off and fell out onto the dirt road. That is when I burst out in tears. My bridesmaids just went into super mode. Two driving to whatever available flower shop they could (the nearest one was two hours just to get there) and the rest trying to keep me calm. Giving me more Champaign haha So after the spa we went back to the venue. I was emotional. I planned for months and months on 'our perfect day' and now I was just tired. When we arrived back at the venue our guests were running around with the new flowers, making the bouquets, arranging everything together the way it was supposed to be. Putting up the arch for the ceremony. Adding flowers to it. Everyone laughing and chatting while doing it. The men fixing the broken door. My husband also had to drive back into Bela Bela to get chair covers as the ones we got were to small. But in that moment I was so thankful to each and every person that night. I had a grateful heart. I still had to run around to make sure I had everything for the next day. I was so tired.. But woke up real early the next morning. Nerves hitting me hard I did not want to speak to anyone. While getting ready it was just like a bell went off: 'Let the family drama begin!' After a lot of tears, tissues and more champagne, the drama was over. And once again my bridesmaids were the best. Comforting me and just doing the best for me they could. So when I was finally ready, dress on, makeup and hair done, I looked at myself in the mirror. Crying. I did not feel pretty or happy or anything good. I was afraid I would not be the pretty bride for Carlos. Dumb right? But with everything that happened, anything was possible. Through all the drama I did not even sit down to take everything in and have that one nostalgic moment where I thought about how it would have been to have my father with me and to have that honour of him walking me down the aisle, giving me away. Trusting another man with his daughter. Thinking about it now, I feel so guilty for not even taking just that one moment. I was fortunate enough to have my cousin, driving all the way from Swakop, Namibia, to give me away. There were a few other mishaps throughout the night. The food was ice cold, our guests were chased away from the bar.. Most of the décor I spent a lot of money on, were not even set up like I asked the venue to do. The stuff came back home with us, still wrapped in the package it came in. It was the small detail I put a lot of time and effort in, that were not bothered by the people you trust to make your day special. At least it did not rain right? haha All an all we still have our memorable momens. The moment I walked down that aisle, not seeing or hearing anything or anyone else. Only the reaction Carlos had when he saw me. He cried! That made me cry! And our guests cried! It was a cry fest. I will always hold on to that memory <3 And then of course our 'I Do' moment and Carlos's speech. My heart melt. The highlight of the wedding was just to see how happy everyone was and the way everyone mingled and danced and had the best time. Everyone that came to us said that it was the best wedding they had ever been to. And that made all the downs leading up to that day, worth it for me. I know this is not the way it comes across but, just like any other bride, I wanted that one perfect day. It took me a while to decide if I really wanted to share my day and submit my entry to Bride of the year, being 100% honest, as I was really not happy about everything that went wrong. It actually took me 5 months to make peace with the fact that the devil will always try to get to you and do whatever he can to ruin what is most important to you. Especially the love two people, brought together by GOD, have for each other. We were tested from day one of our marriage. Jokes on him, because with everything that happened the way it did, I am still grateful and I can tell our story with a smile. :)
Yes we did. :) We went to Madagascar, Nosey Be. It is an island off Madagascar’s northwestern coast. We did our scuba diving course just for this purpose. I really wanted to swim with the whale sharks. Such gentle giants. We did not get to do that though. But we had the best time diving at Sakatia Lodge. It felt like we had a little family we had to say goodbye to afterwards. It is very secluded but breathtaking. The lodge is next to a dormant volcano. The way these people love and take care of their marine life is beyond words. We swam with green sea turtles. They were huge!! We saw the most incredible sea life. How can people still think there is not a God? The only one that can create such breathless masterpieces. This was definitely the best place for us to start our scuba diving journey. We had a private tour around the island and snorkeled on every spot we could. The food was out of this world. We also had our own private romantic set up one night on the beach where we were escorted by the Malagasy staff. We felt so important haha We went into Hellville one day to get sweet, cookies and Ice Cream. We picked up a few french words along with the all weight we lost before the honeymoon haha
I just took whatever I liked and think would fit to the whole bushfield theme. Fafa MakeUp did my hair and makeup, he also did the mothers makeup and hair. I bought my wedding dress from a website overseas. The dress did not come as the one I thought I ordered. It had to be altered as well, it was not a perfect fit at the end with a lot of weird small things being in the way but It had to do. Carlos thought I was going to wear a sparkle dress. I made him think that just to make him crazy haha I bought Mr Price wedges. No special undies. :) My Jewellery was from Lovisa. I also made bracelets for myself and my bridesmaids with my birthstone (pearl). It looked beautiful. :) I had a ring on from my grandmother (something old), the garther my sister gave me (something new)and a hair accessory with pearls from my mother (something borrowed). Me and Carlos bought machin Gucci perfume as well. I bought my vail at Smart Guy in Centurion. It was so beautiful!!
We got married in Bela Bela. We slept over from the Thursday until the Sunday. We had a fun Thursday night with the closest people to us. The friday night, almost everyone from the wedding was there. We had a bond fire and braai that night. Then everyone that came to the wedding slept over the Saturday. I think there was one couple that drove back. But most of the guests stayed from the Friday until the Sunday.
I didn't really have a beauty regime. Me and Carlos started banting before we got engage. To think of it, we started to eat way more before the wedding haha I only took my bridesmaids and my mother and mother in law to Buyskop Lodge and Spa, just outside of Bela Bela for a message and a day out before the wedding. They were great!! The food was amazing and we were treated like VIP's. I will def recommend them and go back. Such special ladies x
My decor was whatever I thought would fit the bushfield theme. A moody romantic bush vibe, if you can call it that. I had a lot of candles and lighting. Rose-gold, green, bronze and white colors. I added a lot of small details. Everyone at the ceremony received a handkerchief as they all said they are going to cry at our wedding. It really came in handy haha I had a lot of signs up as well. We had a cheese, biltong and fruit table with brownies, Krispy Kreme doughnuts, macaroons and cookies. We also had a shooter table on us. We had games for the guests while they were waiting for us. We did not have a seating chart. The guests had to draw balls with numbers and whoever has the same number sits at the same table. There was a rose gold ball per table. Our MC made them believe it was a very special ball haha If they wanted to get that special ball they needed to challenge each other with the games. We made them believe that whoever had the special ball was going to receive a special prize. We only gave them more shots though haha But we thought it would be a good way for them to interact and for fate to take its course :) I used different small providers for all my decor. I wanted white flowers with the greenery. The flowers I wanted looks like roses but they are softer and they have more petals. I added orchards in my bouquet as it is my favourite flower. We added the succulents as well. So as I already explained that I did not get the flowers I ordered though. I am not going to name and shame. So three of these providers I do want to mention as they really made me feel like a bride: MoiNoi, My Secret Garden and The Pink Label.
Their colors was white, cream and light brown. They had hessian ties and underbids. They all looked really handsome. I made all of them an underwear with their favourite Marvel character on it. The pictures are great LOL They drank wiskey and smoked cigars when they got ready. I had a belt made for Carlos. I gave him Deadpool cufflinks. I made a special handkerchief just for him. I gave him a pin with his brothers initials on it with his birthstone which is Aquamarine (something blue). Hiss brother passed away. So it was just a little something I could give him to wear near his heart on our day. :) Their suits was rented from Smart Guy in Centurion.
My bridesmaids wore the same wedges as I did, bought from Mr Price. I also bought them jewellery at Lovisa. They had body suits that we bought from Edgars and the skirts was from Miladies. Their colors were blush pink and peach. I wanted them to have clothes and accessories which they can wear again. And they do. We made them hair clips with pears and succulents on. One bridesmaid did their makeup and the other one did the hair. My girls looked so beautiful!! <3
Her name is Angela Reed. She had the best message regarding different kinds of love. <3
Claudia Hamman Photography took our photos and Ruan Mayburgh took our videos. We did have a place and props where the guests could take their own photos, but the venue did not set it up properly. Luckily we had that old 'mik en druk' cameras on each table. So our guests grabbed it and took a lot of photos. When we developed the photos we could see who was in charge of which the camera haha That pictures are the best because there is one of everyone. :) And they enjoyed it as well.
I planned everything on my own. :) It was stressful but so much fun! I actually thought about becoming a wedding planner throughout the whole journey.
We had a Spitbraai, with pampoenkoekies, veggies and salads. Unfortunately when we went to dish up, the food was cold and the staff did not know where the sauces were. I had to take the plastic and foolie off most of the dishes. I was so mad that I did not even eat my own wedding food. The guests said it was still nice although it was cold. Most of them said the pudding was great as well. The cheese table and doughnuts was especially the best 03:00 the morning haha
Melissa from Honey Bee baker made the most beautiful, delicious wedding cake. It was a two tier cake with added on macaroons and succulents. The first tier was cappuccino cake and caramel filling. It had gold leafs on the outside. The second tear was carrot cake with marble fondant. Thank goodness that one was a success. :)
We had a wedding website that one of our friends designed for us. It had all the detail of the wedding. We also received a lot of compliments for it.
The best place to do stationary is at MoiNoi in Lyttelton. Larize met my every need and she had a mini expo where she displayed most of my wedding ideas after the wedding. I feel so lucky. :) They made the handkerchiefs, all my signs, the underwear for the men. I gave the two mothers a box of gifts on the day, which she designed as well. The robes. The balls for the table placements. Our weekend programme we gave each house where the guests stayed in. Our sparklers for our first dance. The wedding topper that the venue did not even put on. Our vow plates in perspex as well. The cigar labels for the men. Nothing was to complicated for them and I am forever grateful. :) I would definitely recommend them!
No we did not go for lessons. But we probably should have haha We had a DJ and I was truly so impressed with him. He works with my husband. He did exactly as I asked and he used his own initiative with funny noises during the speeches and with song when we played the games. He even managed a mic that worked for our ceremony in the field. His name is Arno van Aswegen and I also highly recommend him.
