Our honeymoon was a complete surprise! We knew we were looking for an adventure and that we would plan a full 'honey-moon' - a month. The day after our wedding my husband gave me a big book he made, that contained the travel detail, the places we'll visit and all the interesting bits he found in his research. It was such an amazing surprise and a very special wedding gift. We went to Australia and spend a month touring the country – from well-known sights to new discoveries, private beaches and cycling a wine route.
I believe planning a wedding should be an intimate affair. I knew I wanted to get my family and friends involved. I designed my own dress. And it was made by my great aunt. We finalised the design on scraps of paper in her kitchen and the creation took shape from there. From shopping for fabric together to every single stitch, so much love went into it. Now it is an incredibly special family heirloom. My hairdresser from high school and a lovely friend did my hair. My jewellery was a gift from my dad - something pretty he saw in a shop and I loved it.
I bought shoes online (busy busy girl during the week) and it nearly caused all kinds of chaos. I accidentally bought shoes that had to ship from Spain with only 2 weeks till the wedding day. They arrived in time and were absolutely gorgeous (Mango)
I found a very delicate little Swarovski Crystal bracelet with an infinity bow and I fell in love it.
We got married at Mongena Private Game Lodge
We love nature and the scenery Mongena offered was beautiful.
We wanted to spend as much time as possible with all our friends and family, so we turned the wedding into a weekend affair. It was such a great party and a relaxed time together. Guests could stay at the venue, allowing us to celebrate till the sun came up
I tried my best to waste as little as possible, aiming to create an eco-friendly wedding.
My mom and I planned the flowers and decor for the big day and bought fynbos and proteas from various farms. With the help of old and new family and friends we created the pieces for all the tables.
All the containers we recycled and the flowers lived for weeks after the event.
Carolien and Ben were the most amazing photography team - and we could not love our photos any more.
Marina from Mongena was an absolute star. Organising everything for the day was a breeze with her by our side.
I commissioned a good friend and very talented illustrator to create a wedding artwork for us. It turned out absolutely gorgeous. We used this is the inspiration for all our stationery which I designed myself. (Illustrator: Sonia Dearling)
Instead of wedding favours, we wanted to leave our guests with memories and a heartfelt message from the day. Each guest received a card with a handwritten note and a limited edition artwork to take home. Many of our friends had their cards/artworks framed - which made us so happy
One of my best friends gives professional dance lessons. When she heard about the engagement she gave us unlimited hours of dance lessons as a wedding gift. She was determined to teach my darling fiance, who could not dance at all. It was such a great experience and very special to spend so much time with her. We loved our dance and had so much fun with it. The husband is a pro now! (Dance instructor: Cindy Botha)
