Our wedding was set in the beautiful town of Somerset West, with the Helderberg mountain as our backdrop. The weather was perfect, clear skies and sunshine.
Ryan and I both agreed we didn’t want to share our private vows in front of our guests, so we decided to write letters to each other that we would read and exchange before the ceremony.
The most emotional and special part of the day would have to be the bridal entrance, I had my youngest sister play the violin while I walked down the aisle and watched as Ryan teared up (a few times) as I walked towards him.
After a year of being in a pandemic it was so special to be around our family and friends and share in such a joyous occasion. We laughed, cried, ate, drank, danced the night away - it was so much fun.
We went on a mini moon straight after the wedding, we stayed at La Residence in Franschoek for 4 nights, and it was absolutely amazing. We relaxed, went wine tasting and dined at some of the most amazing restaurants in the country.
We are planning our honeymoon for 2022, if all goes well.
My look was modern elegance but minimalistic.
I knew I wanted a dress by the designer Enzoani. The first dress I tried on at Wedding Boutique in Sandton, I knew was the one. It was a mermaid style gown, with a detailed lace bodice and sweetheart neckline with detachable off-the-shoulder sleeves. The rest of the dress was a soft stretch georgette with the most elegant train. it was perfect.
The dress set the tone for hair, which I decided to wear up, so it didn’t cover the beautiful lace bodice of the dress. My hair was a simple style - a low bun, with some loose pieces in front.
Make-up - was done by the incredibly talented Lindy Lin. I didn’t opt for the “natural” makeup look … I hardly wear makeup, so wanted something extra beautiful using nudes, browns, and a touch of gold for sparkle.
Shoes were almost ivory in colour, open-toe stiletto style, but not too high. It had a pretty white bow that clipped onto the back of the shoe. I loved this, as I can wear them for other occasions too.
Accessories - I didn’t want to take the attention away from my dress and my wedding ring, so had minimal accessories. I wore white crystal earrings from Swarovski and a silver diamanté headband from Lovisa.
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.
Our studios based in Cape Town and Johannesburg are fresh, vibrant and above all modern.
Laurent - Somerset West, Cape Town
The venue didn’t have accommodation on site, so we shared some recommendations close to the venue on our wedding website that guests could stay at.
Fitness: 3-4 times per week alongside a healthy eating plan and drank lots of water for good hydration.
I have a pretty good skincare regime already, so 2 months prior to the wedding, added a twice weekly at-home chemical peel to my nighttime routine.
I went for my routine teeth cleaning 3 weeks before the wedding at Go Oral Care in Nicolway, Bryanston. A few days before the wedding, I used my Zoom Whitening kit to brighten my smile as well as daily usage of my whitening toothpaste called AP24.
Our wedding style was modern minimalist with a touch of romance. Our wedding planner Kelly from Kelly Sadie Weddings, went above and beyond to transform our vision into reality. Decor was white and black with some greenery and a touch of gold.
We had naked wooden tables with clear ghost chairs and white chiffon table runners. Lots of Vases and candles with different heights, placed across the tables. The candles helped contribute to most of the lighting as well as the fairy lights that hung above us. The DJ also had some stage lighting that he setup that worked well for when we started dancing. We had some beautiful flower arrangements on every table. It looked like a romantic dinner, except on a larger scale, being a wedding and all. It was simple, yet strikingly beautiful.
All the groomsmen wore black suits and the groom wore a black tux. All tailor made from Trublu Tailor.
All the bridesmaids wore dresses from YDE, dresses were beige in colour.
Joseph Lee
Photographer: Ryan Graham Photography
Ryan is extremely talented, he focuses a lot on the couple, and he has a really good eye when it comes to lightning. He’s style is very romantic, which we loved.
Videographer: Gustav Franke Cinematography
We preferred a “movie” styled wedding film so when we looked at Gustav’s portfolio we knew he was the one. Very down to earth and friendly person and amazing filming skills.
We also had a photobooth during cocktail hour, which the guests really enjoyed.
I create authentic wedding films, and would be honoured to bring your love story to life.
For the groom, groomsmen and bridal party, we made use of the hotel’s shuttle service.
Myself and my dad used Ryan’s car to get to the venue
The caterers at Laurent prepared the food for cocktail hour and the reception.
Our 3-tiered black wedding cake was created by the lovely Mareli from Cake Me Happy.
We used some ideas and templates from Etsy and our wedding planner arranged with her designer to get them printed.
No dance lessons. We free-styled all the way. We wanted to be our natural and awkward selves.
Our sound and lighting was done by Tashy the DJ.
During cocktail hour we had a live band, Sarah Jane and her guitarist Ariana. They do covers and they have a very jazzy, soulful style.
During the reception, we used a DJ (Tashy the DJ)
Our studios based in Cape Town and Johannesburg are fresh, vibrant and above all modern.
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.
I create authentic wedding films, and would be honoured to bring your love story to life.
