Real Weddings - Hein and Mia

Photographs by Annelize Langeveldt Photography

Tell us your love story, how did it all begin?

We grew up in the same town, but we’d never actually met each other. Then one day my sister in-law set us up on a date. We ended up meeting for a drink in Stellenbosch and clicked immediately, we just couldn’t stop talking. We had so much fun and it felt like we had known each other for years.



Hein had a work opportunity in Johannesburg at the time, but by our second date he had decided that he could not leave Cape Town; we both knew that what we had was too special. Three months later we were engaged.

How did he propose?

We went to spend the weekend at my parents’ beach house. We spent the day with my family, who I found out later knew all about Hein’s plan. That evening as the day was coming to a close, Hein suggested we take a bottle of wine down to the beach to enjoy the beautiful sunset.



I sensed Hein was a little nervous, but had no idea what was happening. We walked hand in hand towards the shoreline and stared out at the horizon. I had never felt so in love with Hein, or so lucky. At that point Hein started telling me how much he loves me and that he wants to spend the rest of his life with me.



I was very emotional and full of hope and excitement for our life together. He gave me the perfect ring and I knew I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

How did you go about your planning process?

I hired a wedding planner, (Antoinette events – they were BRILLIANT!) but also spent a lot of time browsing through wedding websites and bridal magazines. It was very exciting to combine all the elements to make our perfect day.

Where did you draw your planning inspiration from?

We got our inspiration from magazines and of course the internet. We also drew inspiration from previous weddings that we had been to.

What was the most memorable and special part of your wedding day?

This is a difficult one; I spent the morning getting ready. I felt nervous and excited, but the moment I saw Hein waiting for me at the end of the aisle all my nervousness disappeared and I couldn’t wait to be his wife. At that moment I knew I was the luckiest person in the world. Knowing how safe and happy I felt walking towards Hein made that the most special moment.

What song did you choose for your opening dance and why?

‘David Grey – The One I Love’, the lyrics hold special meaning for both of us. The song reflects our love and commitment to each other for eternity.

Anything you would like to tell other brides-to-be who are busy planning their big day?

Before beginning with the planning process decide as a couple the sort of day you would like it to be. And then stick to the things that are important to you. As long as you do that your wedding day will be PERFECT for you.

Is there something extra you would like to add?

Try not to get worked up about the small things that can go wrong on the day and enjoy every part of your special day as it goes by so quickly.

Did you make use of any entertainment at your wedding reception?

We decided to use a DJ for the reception rather than a band. The DJ was able to quickly pick up the mood of the guests and kept them dancing all night. While we were having our photos taken, the guests enjoyed refreshments and a trio of instrumentalists performed.

Your décor and flowers: Do you have any specific reason why you chose what you did? Colours etc.

Hein and I had a very clear idea what we wanted for our wedding day, we chose a very neutral colour palette, which included whites, creams and greens. We wanted very simplistic décor which included beautiful silver candelabras as centrepieces that made a statement. We wanted our wedding to reflect tradition, elegance and simplicity. The colour scheme was well suited to our personalities.

Event planner/ Caters

Antoinettes Events

Dresses

Didi Couture

Make-up

Annelize Bester

Photography

Annelize Langeveldt Photography