The most memorable moment of my day was my Mother walking me down the isle in the absence of my late Father. Being a single parent she was and will always be a superwoman to me!
Standing hand in hand with my best friend and love at the alter saying our vows to the ocean as our background. Thanking God for creating the beautiful environment and blessing our wedding day with perfect weather was hands down my highlight of the day.
Wade and I call it a ”minimoon” as we had a two night stay at the wedding venue resort, Cape St Francis which was part of the wedding package. We stayed at Nautilius Beach House which was absolutely breathtaking. The service we received from our personal house staff Loretta and team was exceptional.
For the ceremony I opted for a mermaid silhouette, a low back covered in lace and lace sleeves with a chapel train and scallops custom made from the Oriental Plaza, Johannesburg. I was barefoot with earrings as my only accessory.
For the reception I wore a plain long silk dress made by a dressmaker Abby from my church with white flat floral sandals.
My talented cousin Mikhaila Swartz did my hair and make up and transformed me into a princess
Wade and I really wanted a minimalist wedding where we did not get caught up in the glitz and glam that comes with weddings. We got married at Cape St Francis Resort, in the Eastern Cape. The ceremony was held on the beach with the reception in the Space conference center at the resort. The location of the venue allowed us to be true to who we are but still provide a great atmosphere.
Seeing as Wade is from Cape Town and I am from Port Elizabeth but we both live in Johannesburg, absolutely ALL our guests stayed over. Some stayed in the various accommodation options within Cape St Francis Resort, Camelot Cottage further in St Francis with the bulk staying at St Francis Bay backpackers. The management at the backpackers were thoughtful enough to offer our guests discounted prices.
We are truly appreciative and mindful of the costs involved for our guests to attend our wedding at relatively short notice (4 months). They are undoubtedly our favourite people!
Truth be told I did not follow any beauty regime other than the full body aromatherapy massage I received at Hibiscus Beauty’s Spa in Cape St Francis Resort which was included in our package.
My family like to call me plain Jane as I’m not really into lots of make up and faffing. Although I love a good make over now and then, I don’t believe beauty should be laborious as true beauty is within (corney I know!)
Side note, I think my husband and I are the only couple who picked up weight instead of lost weight for our wedding! However, we have now committed to getting fit and into a healthier lifestyle.
My bouquet had orchids and other white flowers with forage.
In true minimalist tradition, there were no flower bouquets as centerpieces but rather one long white orchid in a tall vase with candles in shorter vases on a mirrored center.
Fairy lights were accompanied by white drapping.
My uncle Tommy and husband worked on the reception set up.
My husband wore a cream suit, wooden bow tie, cotton shirt and blue checked braces, with a two toned dark blue and cream Sebago.
The groomsmen wore stoneharbour Chinos, white shirts and stone braces and brown moccasins.
They all had wooden bow ties and immigitation wooden sunglasses. We had ordered their wooden watches internationally but the shipment was delayed at customs so no watches were worn.
My bridesmaids dresses would be considered a nightmare as we opted to get their dresses made. To our horror the dresses were a complete horror. Thankfully my Mom and Sister were walking in a Chinese Mall and found dresses pretty close to the look and feel I had wanted to go with the beach theme, flowey yet elegant.
They wore a nude gold dress with lace and minimal sequence for the bodesin the same color with a tule bottom. They were barefoot for the ceremony and had nude flats for the reception.
Our marriage was officiated by our zone Pastor from Johannesburg, Pastor Mary Mulenga from Rhema Bible Church Randburg, where we are members of. We were adamant that we did not want a stranger to officiate as it is the most important aspect of a marriage. Both my husband and I have known her for a few years and she also gave us our pre-marital counseling in the months leading up to the wedding day. We are truly greatful to Pastor M for traveling to marry us.
Due to having a destination wedding, sourcing a photographer in a place you don’t know was trickey. We were fortunate to have had a referral from my cousin Michelle of a Mr Gregory Quantoi from Port Elizabeth. We could not have asked for a better photographer, within minutes of meeting him on the wedding day he became a friend with his calm demeanor and funny humor. His professionalism and skill is amazing.
When you are a DIY bride and have a bossy family like mine (love them to bits), you don’t have a coordinator lol.
Lesson learnt: wedding day coordinators are essential!
The food was prepared by Cape St Francis Resort.
Our wedding cake was made by Indulge Bakery in the smal town of Humansdorp just outside of St Francis Bay. Perfect decision!
Guilty as charged! I like to think I’m a creative even though it’s not my day job. I found ideas on Pinterest, bought the materials at a crazy store, designed and printed myself.
The only exception was my matchbox favours that were bought online from Say It Creative by my best friend Natasha.
Getting married on the beach was my theme so I didn’t have any fancy lighting or live band as we were going for minimalism.
We hired a Dj from a company in Port Elizabeth called Dj Photobooths.
We really needed dance lessons but with our busy schedule of work and studying, we didn’t get around to going!
