We got married in the year of Covid. We were lucky enough, not to have to move our wedding date and, as fortune would have it, we ended up at a better venue than we had originally planned! My wedding dress was the most beautiful garment I think I will ever wear! My dressmaker, Vesselina Pentcheva, took my vision and created something more spectacular then I could imagine! Everything about our day was better than we could have imagined. With a smaller guest list, due to Covid restrictions, our wedding was an intimate and special affair, with attention-to-detail-glamour! And despite the regulations, we still had some family and friends making their way from overseas, to be with us on our wedding day.
A few other highlights I have to mention: the food was the BEST! We had an Italian harvest table because who doesn't enjoy a good ol' bowl of pasta!? We had three different types of pasta and sauces, with at least five different vegetable and salad dishes as sides. And for dessert? Italian gelato of course, in three delicious flavours.
Another highlight and very memorable: The speeches, our first dance, the flowers and decor, and last but definitely not least, my handsome groom. His tuxedo was made for him and he looked like a movie star!
We wanted to go to the Seychelles for a lazy honeymoon on the beach. Covid didn't allow us that so we had a "mini-moon" and will hopefully get to the Seychelles soon for our Honeymoon!
For our "mini-moon" we spent two nights at a bush camp outside the Kruger Park, followed by a week in Plettenberg Bay.
My wedding look was, classic glam! I wanted that timeless feel of elegance, which doesn't go out of style.
My friend and hairstylist, Geena (@ohmy.geena) from Carlton Hair (carltonhairsa) in Hyde Park, styled my hair for the day. The night before the wedding, I went to her for a wash and blowdry and the day of the wedding, she styled my hair in a classic updo: a low sleek bun. She also made sure my hair was as close to my natural colour as possible and in such good condition!
Makeup was done by Janna Stone (@madeupbyjanna). What a gem of a makeup artist. Kind and gentle, she nailed the look I wanted for my special day and made me feel so beautiful. I wanted to look glowy and glamourous but in a subtle, more natural way and that's exactly what I got!
My spectacular wedding dress was by the truly magical, Vesselina Pentcheva Bunce (@vesselinap). Her work speaks for itself and my dress was better than I had ever dreamed. I wanted to look and feel like a princess but it was better than that - I looked and felt like a Queen! Royalty personified!
My shoes were from Castelo in Sandton Square (@castelo); my lingerie was from Barclay & Clegg at Nicolway shopping centre (excellent service) and from Matilda's (@matildasza); my jewellery was my own - family heirlooms of silver and marcasite, which ORO Jewelers in Hyde Park shopping centre, restored for me. And I wore a 100-year-old wax floral crown, that Vesselina gave me and added flowers from my dress, onto the crown...it was magnificent.
We got married at Beechwood Gardens in Hyde Park, Johannesburg. It's the most beautiful setting for a wedding and my dream of having an outdoor, garden wedding, under the stars, came true! (@beechwoodgardens_hydepark)
To lose any extra kilos I didn't want, I followed The Lean Body Lab programme (@the_lean_girl) and started on a new fitness journey with Alexia Clark (alexia_clark).
My friend and go-to for all things beauty related, getting me ready for my big day, was the ever-talented Dr Reza Mia at Anti Ageing Art in Houghton. (@antiagingart)
I wanted understated elegance for my wedding. The colour scheme was "white and lights". I also wanted one, long table under the stars with fairy-lights and that's exactly what we got! The coordinating team of Susan Greig and Cathy Joyner from Beechwood Gardens and Weddings with Wow (weddings_with_wow) created exactly what I wanted. They hired gold chairs, cutlery and underplates, as well as some candelabras and glass ones. These touches of gold, under the fairylight canopy and masses of candles, created a twinkling, romantic feel. Then my flowers, done by the talented Myrrh & Hedgehog Conservatory (@myrrh_hedgehog_conservatory) were all of my favourites in white! Under the night sky and twinkling lights, the white was luminous, adding to the romance and glamour of our day. The flowers were lilies, tulips, roses, peonies, orchids and hydrangeas - all of my favourites. The gardens of Beechwood were at their peak at the time of our wedding, being spring-time in Joburg. Due to these beautiful surroundings, we didn't need anything other than the fairy-light canopy and candles for our long dinner table. The venue itself has flowers and trees and ponds in abundance, which added to the romantic feel of our wedding. The garden also boasts a lovely rose garden, with a fountain and a rose arbour, under which we had our ceremony. It was magical! Never would I have imagined a more beautiful setting in which to get married and have our reception. It was perfect.
My husband had his tuxedo made by the very cool Daniel from @house.of.crouse who made him look like a 1950's Hollywood star! The best, most classy tux I've ever seen!
The groomsmen hired tuxes from Eurosuit in Sandton.
I had my bridesmaids dresses made by @adele.vanaswegen (now based in Cape Town). She made the dresses with the utmost care and attention-to-detail.
The dresses were cream, floor-length dresses, made in the same style as the now, famous figure-hugging dress that Pippa Middleton wore when Kate Middleton married Prince William.
Adele also made my mom's dress for the wedding, as well as the flower girl dress.
I absolutely love every picture that Ryan Graham, our photographer, took on the day. He is an incredible talent and well worth the splurge! I wanted the best pictures and I knew Ryan was the only photographer I wanted.
Rob from DVIMAGES (@robatdvimages) capture our wedding day on film and has put together the most special, most memorable wedding videos for us. For any bride wondering whether or not to spend that little bit extra on a wedding video - do it! It's so worth it, to be able to watch your wedding day again and again :)
The food was made (and menu devised by) Susan Greig from Beechwood Gardens.
Our wedding cake was a replica of a Choccy-Woccy-Doodah cake (a famous London cake shop) and made spectacularly by Sugan n Ice in Parkhurst. (@sugar_n_ice_sa)
It was iced in white chocolate ganache. It was two tiers, one tier being a bar-one chocolate sponge, the other tier, a citrus sponge. Delicous.
I designed our stationery, using two websites: Paperless Post and Canva. I had our wedding stationery printed by The Paper Cafe in Melrose, Joburg.
We had the concertmaster and another cellist from the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra, play traditional and classic music (Pachelbel, Mendelssohn, Vivaldi) for the ceremony and during the cocktail hour. Our DJ for the reception was James Cassel (djjames_sa) who took care of all the lighting and sound set-up. He also entertained the guests with our playlists throughout the night.
We took dance lessons with Alyssa, the owner of Five6Seven8 Dance Studio in Randburg, Jhb. I can highly recommend this dance studio! (@Five6Seven8_ds)
As you start the final phases of the preparation of your wedding day, wedding dance lessons come to mind. At Five6seven8 our focus is Your Wedding Dance, from bridal party...
As you start the final phases of the preparation of your wedding day, wedding dance lessons come to mind. At Five6seven8 our focus is Your Wedding Dance, from bridal party...
