Walking down the aisle and looking at my soon to be husband waiting under the arch he had built for us (yes, our very own hand built arch, constructed with love). Surrounded by our family and friends, wrapped in their adoration and love and being able to have our parents and grandparent present, was a blessing far more than words could describe. The rain that poured down as we were about to take our couple photos was magical, as if it came down from heaven itself! The smell of the earth as the water hit the ground and to have rain droplets dripping down the sides of the marquee as we stepped onto the dancefloor for our first dance - showered with love, literally!
Unfortunately we had no time to arrange one just after the wedding but were blessed with a wonderful stay at Nima Lodge where we will be celebrating our union in February.
Inspired by the classics but with a modern flair, the look that I created for the day drew inspiration from 1950s glam but with a touch of royalty. My hair, while shoulder length, was beautifully tucked away to resemble a faux bob in classic Hollywood waves, styled by the gifted Kimlyn Sisam who also did my makeup, inspired too by the same era. My wedding dress, a collaboration with Mia Metcalfe who understood the assignment and delivered my vision within only 3 visits, was a beautiful bridal satin gown with a detachable skirt; a cape with shoulder detail that later in the night was removed to display a figure hugging draped dress, featuring a square neckline and a long slit. The back - exposed corseting that carried the draped styling over from the front, creating a seamless transition and giving the illusion of a low backline.
To compliment the look, I wore transparent shoes from Aldo with an added rhinestone shoe clip, simple diamond simulant earrings and necklace from Lovisa (to not distract from the real jewel) and a handcrafted feathered fan to replace the traditional bouquet.
We got married at the Parliamentary Sports Club Gardens in Newlands, Cape Town.
Our guests flew in from all over South Africa, therefore staying in different parts of the mother city, making a vacation out of the event. The bridal party stayed at the Panorama Guest House in Newlands which was private and pretty, perfect for a charming wedding day breakfast by the pool, while enjoying the panoramic, summery views of the city before the preparations commenced.
Being a person who's obsessed with all things natural, most of my beauty regime consisted of natural skincare, naturally. I made sure to drink lots of water, hitting my water goals everyday! I started my mornings with collagen which helped with muscle recovery and toning as I started taking boxing classes that helped me get into shape, fast! (Helped with the wedding planning stress too!) I alternated between Inuka, Fenty Beauty and REN when I washed and moisturised my skin. For those occasions when I really needed my skin to look and feel plump and healthy, I applied the Skoon ruby marine overnight hydrating mask. I also did this the day before the wedding and spent a good amount of time with an iced eye mask the morning of. Mastering homemade avocado oil just in time for the big day also helped with that natural bridal glow on the day.
The decor was inspired by the natural elements that surrounded us on the day, which included glass pillars with floating candles, greenery in water, mini succulent plants as “thank you” gifts for our guests and touches of black cutlery to ground the look on exposed wooden tables. The natural wooden feel was extended onto a wooden couches within a “chill spot”, stools and the bar area. Indigenous plant features were created at key places within the tent, including the main table. We really wanted to feel as if we were in nature, even though we were inside the marquee and therefore requested the side panels be transparent so we were able to invite nature in, making the transition between the marquee and the outside, seamless. The dance floor was lit up by a combination of the fairy lights (EC lightings) and lighting from the DJ (Hashtag AV Entertainment). We kept the lighting white to allow for the reflection of light, replicating the natural light from outside.
We, at Candles 4U, pride ourselves in giving helpful and friendly service that will make your event that much more Special.
The groom wore a tailor made suit (Taloired4u) - a 3 piece straight leg forest green suit with a black shirt and tie. The lapel pin was custom made by the groom himself and he wore a tie clip (something old) that was gifted to him by me on our 1 year anniversary, 11 years ago.
To compliment the groom, our groomsmen wore black tuxes (hired from Mr. Suit Hire) with a black shirt and tie and a simpler lapel pin design, featuring their initials and an emerald green jewel to compliment the groom’s suit, customised for each groomsmen by the groom
In keeping with the royal theme, we decided that everyone should wear power suits. The bridesmaids selected a suit style that they felt comfortable with and had it custom made to their preferred style, guided by a moodboard i created for them that assisted in the choice and styling to portray the desired end look.
Charmaine from I DO weddings was the official officer that dealt with all the legalities but my brother inlaw led the ceremony, which added an extra special touch.
Our day was beautifully captured by the talented, kind and patient photographer - Alecia Kotzé from StudioA. Her professionalism from the start was so refreshing and her guides and wealth of knowledge that she provided was so helpful for preparing for the big day. I truly felt as if this was so much more than just pre-prep for the pics but helped immensely too in preparing our hearts for entering into a marriage. On the day, her calm demeanour put us at ease, reminded us to stay present in the moment and helped us relax in front of the camera. The pictures she captured were exactly what we had desired. No unnecessary filters or staged poses, just pure happiness captured in single moments of time, to be cherished forever.
It was an honour to have a long time friend who recently started her own wedding planning business, bring my vision to life.
With our closest family and friends present on the day, we were looking to create a wholesome family gathering feel, with homely and hearty food served and therefore opted for a spit with more-ish accompaniments. To really add to that authentic touch, the spit was prepared at the venue by yoyo spitbraais and served hot “off the spit” at dinner time. My mom baked and decorated our cake which she thoughtfully tied back to the natural succulent theme. To add height to the treats station we also included tiers of glazed donuts that were stacked on slats of tree trunks for guests to enjoy between the dancefloor and the bar!
We were paperless! All invitations were designed and sent out digitally. Table seatings were given to our co-ordinator who escorted everyone to their seats. Mini succulents pot plants served as “thank you” gifts for our guests and were individually planted by Elohim Hortculture with stickers showcasing our initials, created and applied by Belle en Rose.
We hosted our reception in a transparent marquee, in the middle of the forest which was lit up by fairy lights supplied and set up by EC lightings. This created a beautiful atmosphere complimented by floating candles. We are a more an impromptu kind of couple so dance lessons were the last thing on our minds at the time. On the night we simply let our favourite song (Unconditional by Sinead Harnett ) lead us. We added a slight twist to the song, starting with the acoustic version as we took our first steps together as Mr & Mrs and soon after, the DJ remixed the original more vibier and party version that prompted our family and friends to join us on the dance floor in celebration. Sound and smoke machine was supplied by Hashtag AV Entertainment
We, at Candles 4U, pride ourselves in giving helpful and friendly service that will make your event that much more Special.
