Having my family over from the UK, US and Australia was amazing. We had all never been together in one setting together, so having everyone we loved around us made for the most unforgettable evening.
Other highlights included my uncle catching a fish in the venue's dam within 20 minutes of arrival, our amazing gelato stand, having to hilariously hike over a farm fence to get photos in my dress, a friend accidentally falling into the same dam later in the night, and laughing so hard my cheeks ached. :)
We went to KolKol Mountain Lodge, just a while away from CT for three days during the week. Unfortunately, during our stay there, a massive fire broke out just a few kilometres from our lodge. We made the heavy decision to evacuate amongst the chaos, thus our mid-week honeymoon was sadly cut short.
I was fortunate enough to meet my dream hair & makeup artist in the form of Leoume Vos. I showed her a photo of a braided hairband with loose curls that I liked, and she tailored it perfectly to my look. She gave my the perfect dramatic cat eye lashes, along with a beautiful dark, bold red lip to match my burgundy wedding palette.
My married sister offered me her beautiful chantilly lace dress from her wedding a few years back. I took it to Ken Dry Cleaners in Kenilworth, who altered it for me better than I could have dreamed!
I'm not really one for intricate details - so for shoes, I bought a pair of rose gold sandals from Superbalist. For lingerie, I wore grey lace panties from Woolworths. (It was far too hot for anything else!)
I didn't have any accessories, because I felt my dress, hair and make-up truly were statement pieces enough :)
Your wedding day is one of the most important events of your life and a day for keeping memories that you will remember forever. Ken Dry Cleaners is more than aware of how spe...
With two equally unique and different wedding venues on the farm to choose from and surrounded by glorious countryside, you will be blown away.
Leoume suggested I try hydrating my face with a mask, cleanser and moisturiser from Lamelle, which I did religiously in the month or two leading up to the day. (I still do it now, because it's such a feel good routine!)
I started brushing my teeth with activated charcoal, which I believe makes quite a good natural difference in teeth whitening (also still doing that).
I also went for a handful of tan-can and collagen bed treatments at Urban Tan in Big Bay, along with my fiance - to ensure we were both a little brown for the day (we're gamers, so we're used to being pretty pale!)
The Husband & Wife Team provided us with almost everything we could have asked for!
De Uijlenes included chairs and basic set-up in the venue fee, so the Husband & Wife Team came along to furnish it all beautifully!
When I spoke to Christien, half of the duo, I told her we had a "grown-up kids party" in mind, and showed her a few inspirational pic we had found online. She went wild with it, and very soon after gave us an incredible wedding plan.
For the ceremony, we had a custom made tropical greenery arch, plastered with huge delicious monster leaves. For the reception, we had gorgeous fairylights and naked bulbs suspended from the ceiling, beautiful bistro lights wrapped around a huge tree outside, and a curtain of fairylights strung from the tree next to the venue's bonfire - all making for spectacular photos!
As for decor, we had greenery runners along rustic tables with green chairs, studded with rose gold candle holders, golden spray-painted pineapples, and fresh fruits. It reminded me a lot of "Shakespearian" type feast kind of decorations, which matched perfectly with my dreamy dress and braided hair.
Christien and Nel provided gorgeous bouquets to match our burgundy/berry palette, with gorgeous red, and plum coloured flowers spilling over. The fynbos and proteas were beautifully unique, and even though my bouquet weighed a good 5 kg's, I would happily do it all over again!
For dessert, Christien and Nel also made us a beautiful two-tiered spongecake with chocolate ganache filling. But aside from that, we brought in a mobile stand from Don Gelato in Stanford, to serve hot guests ice cream all night long! It was a huge hit amongst guests, and a beautiful photographic feature.
My now-husband bought his suit from the David Jones range at Woolworths, along with his dress shoes.
He bought his groomsmen navy suspenders from Markham's to wear with their own white shirt,s navy pants, and brown dress shoes.
I told my bridesmaids I wanted them to feel comfortable in whatever they wore, so as long as they stuck to the burgundy/berry colour palette, I didn't mind what style anyone wanted. In the end, they were all different styles from different places, but looked stunning when together as a bride tribe. :)
Frikkie Zeelie
Edo Mostert Photography. Edo was perfect in every way. He documented the day so beautifully, and fully embraced my dramatic flair! We became fast friends, and felt incredibly comfortable in front of the lens. We barely noticed the photographers throughout the day, aside from when group photos were necessary - and Edo was sure to include every photo you had your heart set on, and more! He was a fantastic director amongst the beautiful, slightly tipsy chaos.
Your confidants, your cheerleaders, and your trusted allies, we're here to ensure your day is nothing short of perfection
Included in the venue fee, De Uijlenes provided us with an absolute angel in the form of Celeste van Rensberg, who ensured every single piece of our day was as perfect as we could have hoped.
De UIjlenes provides their own in-house chef for catering, with a wide range of menu options.
We went for a lighter, "market day" theme, where there were abundant small bites available for everyone.
The Husband & Wife Team of Christien and Nel made our beautiful cake.
My incredibly talented aunt and uncle, owners of the amazing Hot Ink in Cape Town.
We didn't take dancing lessons, but we had our songs set out.
My aisle song was Eyes, by Rogue Wave.
Our ceremony exit/confetti song was You & Me, by the Wannadies.
Our venue entrance song was You Are The Best Thing, by Ray LaMontagne.
And our first dance, beautifully unchoreographed, was to You and Me, by Penny & the Quarters.
We hired The Party Technician for our DJ services, and they were on point with everything. :)
(We started making our wedding Pre-Drinks and Reception playlists a year before the wedding!)
Your confidants, your cheerleaders, and your trusted allies, we're here to ensure your day is nothing short of perfection
Your wedding day is one of the most important events of your life and a day for keeping memories that you will remember forever. Ken Dry Cleaners is more than aware of how spe...
With two equally unique and different wedding venues on the farm to choose from and surrounded by glorious countryside, you will be blown away.
