Dorian got down on one knee, at the top of the Franschhoek Pass (overlooking our hometown) on 18 December 2018. Due to our engagement date, we decided to get married exactly one year later so we wouldn't have to remember too many dates! ;)
Throughout the process of planning our wedding, we kept reminding ourselves that our wedding day would be spent exactly the way we envisioned which was not very traditional. The 18th of December fell on a Wednesday, so we did not have trouble with availability of suppliers and also "one week before Christmas" meant our guests would have the best excuse to break up early from work and spend a week celebrating with us in the Cape Winelands...
We spent the days leading up to the wedding wining and dining with family and friends. Some of the festivities included my Bachelorette, Kitchen Tea and our Couple's shoot at the Franschhoek Monument! Although our wedding day was the highlight of the week, we spent the entire week leading up to our wedding catching up and celebrating with everyone who traveled to be with us.
I woke up on our wedding day and it was pouring with rain! I always knew getting married in December in the Cape was risky with the weather...our wedding day was no exception. Windy, raining and moody. Despite the weather, I just could not wait to walk down the isle, to marry my hero and love of my life!
My bridesmaids and I spent the day getting ready at the most serene Manor House at Rickety Bridge where my husband and I spent our wedding night.
By the time the ceremony began, the rain had cleared and the sun beamed through the clouds with fierceness. It was magnificent!
My absolute highlight was hearing my husband's speech. He was poetic and he spoke with unconditional love, respect and wisdom.
The greatest wedding gift we received was the love and help from our family, friends and loved ones. Our very dear wedding guests reminded us that marriage is a selfless sacrifice of unconditional love, a sanctity worthy of daily celebration, treasured forever.
Having our closest family and friends under one roof celebrating our marriage, eating the most delicious food, hearing speeches from loved ones and dancing the night away until the sun came up...our wedding could not have been more perfect.
Every minute of our wedding was unique to us and we will forever reminisce about the memories created on our special day...
After spending Christmas with family, we went away for a few nights (over New Years Eve) to KolKol Mountain Lodge in Botrivier. It was very romantic and we loved the short getaway welcoming in the New Year as a newlywed couple. The rest of our lives will be the honeymoon :)
I fell in love with my dress the minute I put it on, everyone knew that it was "the one". Comfortable and elegant, I adored wearing my dress and danced (and twirled) the night away!
My makeup was done by the lovely Peach Cronje. I requested my hair to be done in an up-style as it was very windy and for Peach to do my makeup as naturally as possible. Peach considered and mastered my every request!
ROCA, has been our home away from home for many years; the perfect venue for our very intimate ceremony and reception. ROCA has the most incredible sunset view of the Winelands and their food is the best we could have asked for! Due to the weather, we had to move our reception to the upper restaurant which ended up being the ideal venue for us to all dance the night away... Thanks to our favourite venue for being the very best at accommodating our every request!
Iconic views of the Franschhoek valley, breath-taking landscapes and a perfect venue for weddings and functions
Just before the wedding, my bridesmaids organised a day of pampering at The Beauty Box in Somerset West. Lisa's service was Royal - treats, bubbly, and staying open late into the evening until we were completely satisfied. Lisa and her beauty team personalised my wedding nails and put on the most beautiful, natural-looking and comfortable lashes. I found my new favourite beauty salon... For other Brides getting married in the Winelands, I highly recommend The Beauty Box Somerset West!
Proteas were plentiful due to the design of my engagement ring. Our flowers included Proteas, Gypsophila, soft roses and Pennygum.
One of my favourite surprises was receiving a card at my Kitchen Tea, stating that all the wedding flowers would be a gift from some of our wedding guests!
The Protea theme was rounded with touches of rose gold and sprinkled with fairy lights.
We rented the vases, easles, table numbers and candles from Sitting Pretty Stellenbosch and sourced our Proteas from Molenvliet Farm in Stellenbosch.
Flowers and Decor - Pink Moss (Lesley Gray), Elmarie Kotze, Lexi Stanford, Lauren Pretorius and my army of Bridesmaids :)
The flowers and decor were chosen and put together by the help of our family and friends. It was a sentimental, intimate and romantic ceremony and reception.
Willie Viljoen from Cape Marriages was our Officiator. Willie made us all laugh throughout the happy tears and guided us throughout the formalities.
Photography - Me and May Photography
Lizel and Bjorn from Me and May captured the memories so beautifully! We were freezing cold while taking the wedding pictures but spent so much time just laughing at the disappointment of the weather that we forgot about it and had the most fun snapping away before walking into our reception...
Videographer - Magic Hour Productions
It was only at 14h00 on our wedding day, as I sat down to have my makeup done, when I realised we had not booked a videographer! Lizel from Me and May came to the rescue by contacting Magic Hour Productions. All of us were in stitches of laughter as we got ready, while we waited for Marnus to arrive. He arrived an hour later! One of the best recipes to get you through the "wedding blues" is watching your wedding video footage afterwards... Thanks to Marnus, no more wedding blues! ;)
My Bridesmaids were my confidants throughout the process of planning our wedding. They constantly helped with advice, research and organisation to ensure that the wedding week was exactly what we envisioned. I am endlessly grateful that I had the kindest, most patient and caring army of Bridesmaids; my extended family!
Lisa from ROCA was instrumental at overseeing the arrangements on and before our wedding day. Although our entire wedding setup had to be changed at the last minute due to the weather, Lisa was patient and kind and went out of her way to ensure it was even more perfect that what we had originally planned!
But ultimately, our wedding came together with the help and collaboration of family and friends. Who needs a wedding planner when you have a community?
The food at our wedding was perfection! Head Chef Margot from ROCA Restaurant designed a unique menu; a magical twist on our favourite meals from their menu. The food at our wedding was unforgettable!
Our wedding cake was a very special gift to us. Our dear friend Jessica Kincaid from Cake Bae! Her cake was the most delicious wedding cake we could have ever tasted. She even made us a mini version of our wedding cake as a takeaway cake for the honeymoon!
Iconic views of the Franschhoek valley, breath-taking landscapes and a perfect venue for weddings and functions
I relied on the talent of one of my Bridesmaids, Astrid, to do all our stationary. Using the Protea Theme and a colour scheme we loved, Astrid designed our save-the-dates, wedding invitations and all our wedding stationary. We especially loved the wedding menus; very elegantly designed with one of our parent's favourite poems printed at the back.
EMC Productions were our DJs. They stayed at our venue until 05h00 and kept us on the dance floor all night! Our first dance was "Dream A Little Dream" (Mamas and Papas) and we danced together as if nobody was watching, without having had lessons :)
Iconic views of the Franschhoek valley, breath-taking landscapes and a perfect venue for weddings and functions
