On the 12th of December 2020 our special day was set to unfold at Langkloof Roses farm near Wellington, among the breathtaking mountainous landscape of the Western Cape.
From the start our goal was to plan an intimate wedding as we have a very close knit group of family and friends.
When the Covid Pandemic hit with all the regulations and travel restrictions we were devastated. Even though our wedding date was only in December we did not know what the future held. Should we Elope or watch and wait?
We were one of the very few fortunate couples who were able to have our dream wedding without postponing or downscaling.
We arranged for our guests to arrive at the venue a day early so that we may break the ice with a relaxed, informal spit braai. Later the evening we gathered around a massive bon fire, laughing and catching up with our friends and family. It truly was an unforgettable evening.
Our ceremony was simple yet elegant, held outside on a perfect summer’s day in the late afternoon. A greenery arch, wimbledon chairs and a single red persian rug in the centre of the aisle bedecked the wide open lawn with the awe-inspiring mountain background bringing it all together. The perfect place to say “I do”.
The ceremony went by so quickly. One moment our wedding song was playing and I’m walking down the aisle with my father by my side and the next moment I was standing in front of Albert reciting our wedding vows.
One of my most fondest memories were our exchange of vows. We went for the personal touch of writing our own vows and I will cherish this forever.
For our friends and family who could not be there we organised a “live” zoom meeting.
At our reception I changed into something a little more comfortable and let down my hair.
We had one big table were all our guests were seated. I’ve always loved the idea of family and friends gathering around one big table.
I had the time of my life, from opening the dance floor with my bridesmaids doing “the time warp” to doing all the wedding traditions and then finally ending the evening dancing the night away with my favourite people.
We decided to be responsible and not travel abroad for our honeymoon this year but postponed it due to the second wave of the pandemic and instead had a “Mini-Moon” and travelled the Western Cape. We went on a road-trip together and saw a few small towns we have never seen before such as Tulbagh, Hexrivier Valley, Robertson, Wolwehoek in Montagu and ended our Minimoon in Swellendam. We spend a lot of quality time together and were tourists in our own country.
We are planning on having our Honeymoon sometime in 2021.
Choosing my wedding dress was not easy. I had three dress fittings before I finally decided on Katriane by @elyseebridaldesign.
My MOH was very helpful and took photos and videos during the session so that I could rewatch it afterwards.
Finding the ONE is not necessarily the most beautiful or expensive dress but HOW the dress makes you feel when you put it on. Nothing you try on afterwards can compare.
I had two wedding dresses. The ceremony dress and a reception dress.
My ceremony dress was the beautiful Katriane by Elysee. This dress is timeless and elegant. It has exquisite beaded lace with a sweetheart neckline and a low cut illusion lace back. The first time I wore it I just knew she was the ONE.
For the reception I wore Kitara by enzoani. Kitara made me feel like a real life princess.
My hair was done up-style by the talented Madeleine @madeleinehairandmakeup. She did it in such a way so that I was able to let down my hair in beautiful waves for the reception. It was very practical and well planned.
Fun fact: I did my own make-up for my wedding. I prefer doing my own makeup as I know my skin and face better than anyone.
For Lingerie I wore Bra n Things underwear. They have a beautiful collection.
As a wedding present Albert bought me hand crafted earrings from a local jewelry company: @jeanneandco.
In 2005, a new bridal collection emerged and quickly rose to compete with top brands by merging traditional and modern European styles into exquisitely hand crafted gowns.
Langfkloof Roses in Wellington. It is a Rose farm.
We had less than 30 guests. Most of our guests stayed the night.
Langfkloof Roses can accommodate 36 people or more.
The night before the wedding my bride squad and I made sure that we pampered ourselves and also got enough beauty sleep.
The pampering involved face masks from different companies such as Skin Republic etc.
Although it wasn’t always possible with the hours I work as a medical doctor, I tried to follow a regular exercise routine and eat healthy.
I was going for simple but elegant.
The flower decor consisted mostly of white roses and greenery.
Langkloof roses provides all of these services( flowers, decor, lights, catering,etc) to their clients when choosing them as the wedding venue.
The furniture was provided by the venue.
The only furniture they could not provide was Wimbledon chairs. I hired these through Grand style hiring which is based in Cape Town.
I wanted a photo-booth area so I rented a neon sign that says “ better together “ through Happinest @signedbyhappinest.
Happinest™ Hire is here to help you conceptualise, create and style your big day so you can focus on the big “I DO”
The groom wore a black suit from Carducci with a button up shirt and black shoes.
We had 3 groomsmen and they wore black pants and shoes with a white button up shirts and black waistcoats. All the groomsmen, including the groom wore a floral tie from @coffeetieandco.
The socks the men wore were StarWars themed. The groom wore Darth Vader socks and his groomsmen storm troopers.
My bride squad consisted out of three bridesmaids.
They wore champagne coloured satin dresses with a slit. Each bridesmaid had a different pattern that suited their body type the best and all the dresses were made by the Hoiden company.
From a makeup perspective, my bridesmaids did their own makeup as well as their hair. The look was 1930s, Gatsby style that included hollywood waves with red lips.
Andrew Treu.
Our wedding verse: 1 Corinthians 13:4-13
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.”
Dillon Kin documented our wedding day. He is an amazing and talented photographer who does documentary wedding photography.
There is power in documentary photography. It is raw and authentic. It instantly takes you back to that moment and emotion you felt.
The Geldenhuys(Gustav) was our videographer.
We love their work. It is heartfelt and warm.
I only had a wedding coordinator on the wedding day. I did my own wedding planning.
Most of our guests flew from Gauteng. Those who did not rent a car hired a taxi from Cape town to Wellington. We predominantly used Uber and Bolt and some guests carpooled with those who lived in Cape Town.
Linda Bruyns was our caterer. She works with Langkloof roses and her food is delicious. It tastes like home yet it is elegantly plated.
Our wedding cake: Kerri from @cake.patisserie.studio made our two tier wedding cake.
It was vanilla flavoured with lemon meringue filling. The cake had so much flavour and the sponge was moist. She is very gifted and the best at what she does.
We decided not to eat our wedding cake at the reception but leave it for the next day so that the wedding guests can enjoy it with tea and coffee.
Elaine from @sulitdesign created our wedding stationary.
We also had beautiful one line drawings done by @oliveandarrowcreative
Our reception was in the manor house at Langkloof Roses. The chandeliers were decorated with greenery above the guest tables. We had one big family table, which was decorated with a runner of white roses and greenery, that seated all our guests. I’ve always loved the idea of friends and family gathering around one big table.
The dance floor was outside on the patio. Langkloof roses also provided us with fairy lights and bulbs to light up the dance floor.
Our DJ was Lian from @capetownjam.
We also had Ezra as our Emcee for the reception. He is very charismatic and ensured that the evening ran smoothly according to schedule. He even surprised us with his beautiful singing talent when he sang at our reception.
We took dance lessons to assist with our first dance. We used Dance Domain in Bloubergstrand. They are very professional and assisted with the choreography of our first dance.
Happinest™ Hire is here to help you conceptualise, create and style your big day so you can focus on the big “I DO”
In 2005, a new bridal collection emerged and quickly rose to compete with top brands by merging traditional and modern European styles into exquisitely hand crafted gowns.
