The day started off by waking up to a beautiful vineyard view on a gloriously sunny morning. My sister,and maid of honour, who had stayed with me the previous night, proceeded to put the kettle on, play some of our favourite songs and shed a brief tear at the enormity of the occasion.
The whole "build up" of the day was in fact a highlight, having my 6 bridesmaids as well as my moms get ready in the honeymoon suite of the venue. There were plenty laughs all around, and I was left at ease as my girls handled last-minute tasks and helped me to get ready.
Our ceremony was kept short and sweet and was held in the chapel on the roof of the venue. Having my dad walk me down the aisle was an absolute highlight on its own.
Pre-drinks consisted of a help-yourself gin bar and a vast variety of canapes served in a "harvest table" style, which received massive compliments from guests. This was all laid out on the outside area of the venue, accompanied by lawn games and a beer pong table made by Darryl.
The special moments experienced on the day are far too many to share each one, from the speeches to the delicious food to the dancing of the night away and being the last guests to leave... I can truly conclude that we had a great celebration and reminisce about it daily. We cannot thank our fun family and friends enough for making our day so truly wonderful.
We left the very next day to Bali. What a treat.
The holiday was really welcomed as we were actually quite exhausted following all the planning leading up to the big day.
We first went to Ubud and stayed in a jungle-retreat environment which was great for some peace and relaxation. We then proceeded to Seminyak, an upbeat beach village that offers a big range of restaurants, spas and activities.
The weather was kind to us, but not nearly as kind as the people. :)
"Simple Elegance"
I would describe my look as classic and simple.
- My dress contained long lace sleeves and bodice, with an A-line chiffon skirt from the waist down.
- My make-up ( by Peach Cronje) was glowy and natural with a pink lip.
- My hair ( by Peach Cronje) was curled, and pinned back low into my neck.
- Accessories:
* My veil was my aunts in 1997 (something old)
* My earrings were crystal bought at Lovisa ( something new)
* I continuously had to borrow lipstick from my bridesmaids on the night (something borrowed)
* I had a blue ribbon garter made by my Ouma (something blue)
Bridal Manor is an exclusive bridal shop that specialises in selling imported couture designer wedding dresses.
401 Rozendal, Stellenbosch.
The venue is what made our wedding what it was. It truly is where rustic meets elegance and is the most beautifully transformed farm building nestled among the vineyards, with a beautiful rolling lawn.
There are 5 chalets on the farm, in which some of our guests stayed. A large majority of the guests stayed at Skilpadvlei across the road, which offers accommodation too.
Leading up to the wedding I tried to drink more water, eat more veg and went to bed earlier.
I was also lucky to be gifted with teeth whitening from my friend who is a dentist.
I truly believe less is more, and tried to incorporate this into our wedding look.
The venue itself is a mix of rustic and modern, combining elements such as a raw plastered face brick wall, and chandeliers. This allowed for the use of the hanging gold hula-hoops covered in greenery, and multiple jars collected over the months and used as vases.
- Dinique Emporium were responsible for our beautiful pink and burgandy snapdragons, carnations and roses.
- We hired the gorgeous lounge-pieces and fairy lights from Sitting Pretty.
- Cape Tents provided the marquee for our outside area.
- Basilei Confectionary provided the hand crafted fudge as a party favour for our guests.
Cape Tents is a small but dynamic Bedouin tent rental company located in the northern suburbs of Cape Town
Darryl, the groom wore a navy tailor made suit from The Tailor Shop in Kloof Street, Cape Town.
The shoes were from Basic Thread.
Darryl provided his groomsmen with sage green jerseys from Old Khaki and navy bow-ties from Woolworths. Each groomsman was also provided a personalized, wooden laser-carved badge.
My bridesmaids wore sage green dresses custom-made by Gelique. The pattern was also simple and A-line.
I loved the contrast of the dress, which looked grey in some light, with the brightness of their bouquets and lipstick.
Willie Viljoen from Cape Marriages was our marriage officer. He was extremely professional and delivered a beautiful message on the day.
Our photographers were Justin and Simone Photography.
Choosing Justin & Simone was nothing short of serendipitous- their combined personalities not only blend to make for the perfect photos, but also the perfect experience. Whilst capturing images in their individually unique ways, they made us feel relaxed and at ease to be ourselves in front of the camera. We will forever be grateful for having chosen this formidable husband-and-wife duo.
We had a venue co-ordinator, Elandi who was beyond friendly, helpful and accommodating. She dealt directly with all our service providers to ensure all was on track.
She is a true asset to 401 Rozendal as she brought everything together, both leading up to and on the day.
Janneman Lee was our caterer.
He created the most delectable dishes for during the pre-drinks, with a harvest table and braai station. He then went on to wow the guests with a divine main course of ribeye steak and pork belly duet.
Later in the evening, he ensured there were bite-sized "braai-broodtjies" to continue the party.
Our variety of cakes, including carrot, chocolate, rainbow and caramel were provided by The Velvet Cake Co.
Herman Ferreira from "Music that Moves You" was our DJ. The party had plenty of energy, laughs and some interesting photos later in the evening.
It was the perfect get-together with friends and family that came from all corners of South Africa, as well as a few good friends that made the trip from the USA and the UK.
Cape Tents is a small but dynamic Bedouin tent rental company located in the northern suburbs of Cape Town
Be unforgettable! If you are in search of a unique wedding venue that will make your special day unforgettable, 401 Rozendal is definitely for you…
Bridal Manor is an exclusive bridal shop that specialises in selling imported couture designer wedding dresses.
