The morning of our wedding I woke up at the venue of my dreams, next to the man of my dreams.
Our wedding suite was spectacular, nestled amongst the trees with a full view of the sea.
I know on the wedding day the bride is usually stressed, but I had never felt so at peace.
I knew that no matter what happened, everything was going to work out perfectly, because come rain or shine I was about to marry the man I had waited for my entire life.
At 8am my man left, and my bridesmaids arrived !
We had breakfast delivered to us on the balcony, and I'm sure the echos of our raucous laughter could be heard on the other side of the venue.
After a long day of fun it was finally time to begin the long trek, from the one side of the venue to the other, I felt like I was in a movie with all the people fawning over me, and true to form I was late.
How does the saying go, "being late makes the heart grow fonder" ? or something like that heehee...
But above all, there is one moment that means everything to me.
It's the moment I saw him.
He was standing in the forest at the end of the aisle, when our eyes met.
I saw him looking at me with unconditional love so powerful, it took my breath away.
It must have been the fastest walk down the aisle, and ceremony in history, because I literally couldn't wait any longer to be his wife.
That is the moment I will treasure above all else forever.
watch our wedding video : https://fb.watch/b52A93hDqG/
We didn't plan a thing !
We got in our car and drove.
We ended up spending a night in Graaff-Reinet, then headed over to a beautiful little town called Prince Albert and stayed at the Dennehof Karoo Guesthouse ( Where they really go the extra mile to make you feel special) , and then spent 2 days in Plettenberg Bay on the way back home.
We will be going on a snow-skiing trip soon for our actual honeymoon !!!
I am very unique, so I knew I had to find a dress like nothing else I had ever seen, and I did !
It was simple, elegant, unique and sexy.
I knew it was the one, the moment I put it on.
I wanted Vintage Hollywood waves because that is the hairstyle that would make me feel my most beautiful.
Plain nude heels and simple diamond teardrop earrings.
My makeup matched my hair , bold yet classic, it was so perfect.
Wedding Dress - Veil Bridal Couture. @veilbridalcouture
Nicole Milano. @nicolemilanoofficial
Hair - Glow Hair Studio. @glow_hair_studio_by_milene
Makeup - Kelly May Makeup Artist and Studio. @kellymaymakeupartist
We got married at Prana Lodge, If I had to attempt to describe how spectacular it is, I would say it is an oasis of tranquility nestled in an indigenous coastal forest.
We rented out the whole venue for the weekend.
All of our guests that stayed there said they felt so relaxed from the moment they arrived, it also helps that the staff treat you like royalty.
I cannot fault anything about it, everything was perfect.
I wanted hanging rose petals, turns out it was too expensive so I didn't ask them to do it.
After the ceremony I noticed that they had stitched leaves and rose petals together by HAND, instead of buying them and hung them from the trees, it must have taken so much time and effort , but they made it happen.
It is an award-winning boutique hotel, which was worth every penny.
It is because of Meagen (wedding planner/owner) that I didn't have to worry about anything but showing up on the day !
https://www.pranalodge.co.za
@pranalodge
I thought leading up to the wedding, I was going to do everything to have perfect skin, teeth, hair and body.
But to be honest, the pressure to be perfect can take away your ability to enjoy the process and the moment on the day.
So I gave myself a world class Bondi Sands spray tan, Whitened my teeth, put highlights in my hair and made sure I arrived with my whole arsenal of makeup, to cover any and all imperfections on the day.
And if I wasn't perfect, so be it.
I enjoyed every second, and remember every moment.
I told Meagen I wanted Simple and Mystical... Oooh and lots of candles.
Not exactly straight forward, yet she made it happen, and it was so much better than anything I could have come up with.
At Prana you are already surrounded by a forest, so its stunning before you even start doing anything.
Meagen hand picked every flower, candle, napkin, vase, chair, etc.
She brought what I couldn't describe to life.
The groom and groomsmen wore a white collar shirt and stone coloured chinos, from Country Road, with a forest green satin bow tie and smart brown shoes.
They wore a beautiful forest green coloured, open back dress with two slits down the sides, from YDE.
Anine Koch was our Photographer, she was honestly so amazing.
She has the ability to capture the moment in ways I never thought possible.
She is an operator !
She is constantly running around to get the perfect shot, and my favourite part is that she manages to take photos without you knowing she is doing it .
She takes candid shots, but somehow they are all attractive.
Usually, candid shots make you say " Oh no! do I really look like that ? "
But not with Anine, everyone looks beautiful, happy and like they're having the time of their lives.
She really is the best.
www.aninekoch.co.za
@aninekochphotography
Wesley Thatcher was our videographer.
All I can say is , the video he gave me is absolutely priceless.
Every time I watch it I get to relive that day all over again.
It is edited so beautifully and is exactly what I wanted, now I have those memories forever.
He compiled every special moment into a highlight reel for me and also gave me a whole lot of other incredibly well organised footage from the night.
He also has the power to melt into the shadows ,he gave me so much footage yet I barely saw him !
https://vimeo.com/videosbywesleythatcher
@videosbywesley
Meagen from Prana Lodge did EVERYTHING.
www.pranalodge.co.za
JC, the chef at Prana Lodge planned the menu and made the food.
Jules on Jarvis made me the most beautiful macarons instead of a wedding cake.
www.julesonjarvis.co.za
@julesonjarvis_
Marthinus and I have a set dance we use for everything, a Sokkie with our own flare.
We decided we would just wing it, and it was awesome, with zero stress to try and remember steps.
Dynamics sounds were the company we used for the DJ, they were very good, really got the crowd going.
