A woman’s wedding day should be special and memorable. It should be a happy time in your life - celebrating your the love you have for one another as husband and wife. Our day was just that!! It was months of planning and hard work. Creating a day that represented us and the love we have for one another. We decided to have a small, intimate wedding (60 guests) with close family and friends. Our day was magical and everything that we had envisioned. Everything went according to plan...believe it or not! It was a day filled with love, laughter, joy, music, dancing and good food of course. To this day we look back, and think there is nothing that we would change, and we are very grateful for that.
Yes, indeed. We had the most wonderful time and created a lot of memories at Aquila Game Reserve. We went on game drives, horseback ride through the wild, the spa and had 3 buffets a day. FOMO on good food.
I think for any girl, lady or woman the most exciting part of finding ‘the wedding dress’. I wanted to feel like a princess on our wedding day and always wanted a traditional wedding that will be timeless. I opted for a princess or ballroom gown. I tried on many dresses, until I found the most exquisite white ballroom gown. It was plain and simple, yet elegant. The detail was precise and the sleigh was just the right length and volume.
My hair I wore in a low bun with loose strands of curly hair. I want to look at my wedding photos and still be in style in 30 years time. My makeup was fresh and natural. Both my hair and makeup was done by Alida Aletta.
Because I always wanted a traditional wedding, I had something old (bracelet) something new (wedding dress and shoes) something borrowed (necklace) and something blue (garter).
We got married in Spring at Nantes Estate, Paarl. They have the most beautiful venue, and the best part of all was their staircase. Their venue is open, bright and spacious. Our venue was central to all our guests, therefore they did not need to stay over. The venue does have accommodation, that is only available to the wedding crew and the guests. My husband and I did sleepover, and were spoilt with a delicious breakfast.
Throughout my life I have always looked after my skin - drank a lot of water and use SPF everyday. Therefore, I wasn’t to concerned about my skin. I was treated to a massage and had my nails done at Sorbet Durbanville.
My husband and his groomsmen went with a navy blue suit. This was hired from Bride & Co. They accessorized their suits with floral ties - the groom wearing a full tie and his groomsmen bow ties. The look they were going for was cool and stylish - pairing their suits up with their brown leather shoes.
For my bridesmaids I wanted to pick a dress that they were comfortable in and something they could wear again. My favourite colour to this day is pink, and made my white wedding dress pop. The dresses were flattering and had lace details, for a romantic look.
My husband’s father married us. It was such a blessing for us all and definitely made it more memorable.
Wedding photography was something we were very picky about. It was important to us to have photos of which we are proud of and that would still be ‘in style’ for many years to come. Our special day was captured by Astrid Photography. We loved her photos as they were bright in colours, and so true and pure to us. Her packages are amazing, and she just makes you feel comfortable - something that was very important to us, as my husband and I do not like the spot light (in this case, flash). The moment we met Astrid, it felt as though we had been friends for years.
I throughly enjoy planning events, and I was not going to let the opportunity pass me by to plan our special day. It was definitely hard work, but I would not have had it any other way. To this day a miss planning our magical wedding day.
Nantes Estate is a beautiful wedding venue, that allows you to get ready on their premises. Therefore, we decided to save on costs and get ready at the venue with a nice light lunch.
Our canapés and buffet was prepared by one of Nantes Estate’s catering company, Ebony & Ivory. They are amazing to work with, and creates a menu according to your budget.
Our wedding cake was made by Designer Cakes by Cezanne. We decided on a three tier cake, which include three different layers - chocolate, red velvet and the most amazing carrot cake. I gave Cezanne a picture of what I envisioned, and she literally blew us away.
Our invitations were beautifully designed and made by Lezanne’s Designs. The rest of the stationary, such as menus, wedding program, seating chart etc. was designed and made by myself. This was one of my favourite things to do - just to have my personal touch on our special day.
Our reception was plain and simple, yet classy. Our floral wedding invitations was an indication of what our theme would be for our special day. My husband and I chose Ed Sheeran’s, ‘Thinking Out Loud’ for our first dance. We decided to take lessons, as we have never formally danced together...EVER! We made use of a DJ who made sure all the songs that were played were our type of style, which is old school (for me) and “sokkie” music for my husband.
‘Live your dream wedding with To-Nett’s’ For more than 30 years our inspiration has been our clients!
Nantes Estate draws on the history and character of the surrounding Paarl countryside - ushering through its doors a 17th century European style of elegant spaces, rare finds a...
