Our wedding was truly a much-needed celebration after all the uncertainty, disappointment, and loss that we as a couple (and many of our friends and family) have faced because of Covid-19. My mother-in-law passed away 8 months before our wedding and I lost my mother to cancer a few years ago. Our wedding had to be postponed with more than a year and the travel agency that we used for “original honeymoon” as we now call it, went bankrupt, so you can imagine what a rollercoaster it was, emotionally and financially.
The whole day was filled with highlights, but the stand-out moments would be the ceremony, dancing and speeches. The song we chose for the ceremony was James Blunt’s “The time of our lives”. The song perfectly sums up our almost decade long relationship and all the ups and downs that finally led to our special day. We also included our loved ones who aren’t with us as much as we could and had special seats “reserved” for them in the chapel. EVERYONE bawled their eyes out during the song and seeing my husband’s face when I walked in made me so happy, thankful and at peace that we can finally start this new chapter of our lives.
Our opening dance was also a highlight. We LOVE dancing and I had a surprise for my husband and guests with my dress during the reception (I’ll elaborate a little later). The speeches were also very special to me personally. It’s not so strange for brides to make a speech now, but in the 80’s, when my parents got married, it was unheard of. So, to honour my mother and follow in her footsteps, I made a speech like she did on her own wedding day. I have social anxiety and hate public speaking, so it was a big moment for me and surprise for those who know me well to see me making a speech.
We went to Zanzibar (originally, we booked for Mauritius, but those plans fell through like I explained) and it was amazing. The food, the beach, the activities…amazing! The beaches look like the Maldives and the staff are so friendly. We went snorkelling and swam with turtles. It was a real adventure and treat. We’re considering going again for a December holiday.
My wedding look was a real reflection of my personality. I love traditional wedding dresses but also always dreamed of having a colourful and unique dress. My husband and I are also obsessed with Mexican culture, colours and themes and I wanted my dress to also have some Latin flair. Alicia from Alicia Bosch Couture managed to perfectly combine all my ideas and create a truly one-of-a-kind dress that has a traditional look but with a splash of colour! My husband and I also love dancing and I knew it would be a challenge to dance with a big skirt. Luckily, Alicia was up for a challenge and made the long skirt detachable and her amazing lace work hid the fact that the skirt was detachable. It was a sweet surprise for my husband and our guests when I slipped the long skirt off!
My hair also makes it obvious that I’m not afraid of colour! I’ve always dyed my hair bright colours and my wedding day was no exception. I wanted an old Hollywood hair and make-up look that would make my eyes pop but not overpower my colourful dress. Elrike from Canvas Make-Up Artistry is an absolute genius and made me feel like a real princess. She only uses the best products and techniques, so my make-up held up through all the tears!
My jewellery was very sentimental. I wore my mother's wedding rings in a customized neckless that was designed by Kraai Fine Jewellery, the same jeweller that designed my wedding band. I also wore my mother’s favourite pearl earrings and by some miracle managed to find matching hair pins to complete the look. I also chose to go bold with shoes and wore bright red block heels and had a Mexican-inspired purse to match the theme.
We got married at Lace on Timber just outside Pretoria. A few of our guests stayed over at the venue and at Lace on Timber's sister venue Hello Timber.
Our wedding had a colourful, Mexican-inspired theme and we tried to incorporate it as much as possible. I’m lucky to have a family that’s in the floral business. My father’s company, Alsmeer, provided the flowers and my sister did the floral arrangements and décor. We went with a burst of colour and used mainly orchids, ranunculus, carnations and roses for the centre pieces and chapel. The tables had black table runners and colourful Mexican-inspired candles to match the flowers.
We chose not to have tablecloths because the tables were made of beautiful wood that matched the look and feel of the décor perfectly. I love terracotta pots, so we had them hanging from the ceiling in macrame plant hangers filled with bright orchids. Each guest also had a small cactus on their place setting which doubled as a thank-you gift.
My husband wore a gray suit from Smart Guys and the groomsmen wore black shirts, black pants and floral bow ties.
The grooms tie is from Knotted Ties and the groomsmen's ties are from Good guys & Bow Ties.
My bridesmaids’ look was inspired by Mexican-artist, Frida Kahlo. I wanted them to be comfortable and have some uniformity, while still matching each girl’s unique personality. They wore black dresses from Gelique Couture and could each choose their own skirt and top. They wore bright, “Frida-like” flower crowns and colourful clay earrings from Cemented Handmade. We also chose to give a twist to their bouquets and had them carry tambourines decorated with flowers and colourful ribbons that matched their flower crowns. The results were amazing!
Marius van Jaarsveld from Ahavah Church.
Rozier van Tonder from Okay Deer captured our special day. A friend recommended him to us for our engagement shoot and we loved working with him. His images perfectly captured the look and feel of our wedding and he made us feel very comfortable. He also has an amazing ability to capture special impromptu moments that make you say “where was he standing when he took this, we didn’t even see him!” haha! Tintype Productions made our wedding video so beautiful and almost theatrical. We’ve probably watched it a hundred times!
Lushano Steenkamp is the coordinator at Lace on Timber.
One of the biggest complements we got from guests was how great the food was. The talented chefs from Lace on Timber prepared the most amazing food. We had a huge harvest table and chose to cut and eat the cake during the canapes. We love pasta and potatoes and the venue joked that they’ve never met a couple who had such a variety of potato dishes at their wedding!
My husband and I compromised with our three-layer cake from Dirty Peach. Each of us had our own flavour (I chose a rose flavour and he chose Nutella). The cake was decorated with black marzipan and flowers that matched the centre pieces. The cake was absolutely delicious.
Owner, designer and cake artist, Trisha Ras, works with you step-by-step to bring your cake dreams to life.
I’m a graphic designer and my company’s name is Pink Cactus Designs. I specialize in wedding websites and stationery, so it was such a treat doing all my own designs. I wanted the Mexican theme to be visible throughout the designs but not make it look like a normal party invite. My cousin and her husband has a printing business (EC Labels) and they did all the printing for me.
The reception was so much fun but just flew by (that’s why you need to make a video!) Like I mentioned, my husband and I love dancing and took lessons a few years ago, so we really enjoyed opening the dance floor and I wished we could’ve danced past curfew! For the father-daughter dance we “freestyled” to “Another one bites the dust” from Queen, which was hilarious.
Dj & lighting: EMC Productions
Dance School: Lifestyle Dancing
Make your first dance, as husband and wife, unforgettable with a specially choreographed dance to your choice of music.
Make your first dance, as husband and wife, unforgettable with a specially choreographed dance to your choice of music.
Owner, designer and cake artist, Trisha Ras, works with you step-by-step to bring your cake dreams to life.
