Richard and I studied physiotherapy together but were never very good friends. We met up again a few years after varsity at a rugby fesitval. I looked completely different but he recognised me. We ended up chatting for a long time but he never took my number :). he kicked himself the whole way home apparently. Thankfully my sister-in-law pushed me into using facebook, which i had only just joined 2 months prior, to contact him. We chatted for a couple days, after which he was very straight forward, told me he had enough friends and wanted to date me. It was the best thing he could have done because I had reached a point in my life where i was happy with who i was and was ready for him. He officially asked me to be his girlfriend on a cold day in the hot air balloon at Monte. Wasnt sure if he just knew i couldnt go anywhere :) haha
It's just over 2 and half years later. His family has a holiday house at Marloth Park near the Kruger. We decide to go on a family holiday with both sets of parents. A patient of his points out to him that he has unwittingly planned the best time to propose.
I find out later that he went back to the jeweller 3 times to get the ring perfect and has had it hidden under my nose in his cupboard for 3 months. I am not a morning person. At all. So when I'm the one that wakes up before 05:00 and wants to get up and do something, he thinks, ha, it's now or never. He takes me to a lookout point that overlooks Crocodile river to look at the sunrise. On the way there, there is an enormous herd or flock of male ostriches running in front of us. It was something special to see and remember. We get to the lookout point and try to spot some animals while watching the sunrise.
He then pulls out a piece of board. On the board, he has laser cut a photo of us from Christmas in Germany the previous year with, Will you marry me on it? He had to repeat the proposal to me afterwards because I couldnt remember everything he has said. Basically, we are perfect for each other. He asked me to marry him at sunrise to signify new beginnings, which was perfect. We then went back for a champagne breakfast. I find out that both the fathers new what was happening, but neither of the mothers did as the fathers had said they couldnt keep a secret :)
The entire day went far too quickly for my liking and I've already told Richard I want to do it again, but only if someone else plans it :) A highlight would be finding out that when they say you dont see anyone but your future husband standing there in the church is the truth. Watching your husband sing to you in the chapel with love and tears in his eyes. Having the most amazing time finally doing a dance that we had received lessons for and rehearsed. A major highlight would have been the strength and patience he had with me and gave me that day. My grandmother had passed away the day before the wedding so the day was both happy and sad but Richard managed to make sure that he gave me some of his strength to still enjoy and remember the day.
We left for Bali, Indonesia the next day and had a wonderful time
The whole day had a very elegant vintage country feel to it.
My wedding dress was an ivory vintage style dress from De La Vida Bridal in Sandton. The skirt was satin with fun pockets that i could keep tissues and my vows in. Very handy. The top was made of lace that dipped low for classy cleavage and the back dipped low as well.
My shoes were ivory wedges with some bling. My mother had sewn some ribbons on in a ballet style.
Jewellery consisted of pearls my husband and in-laws had bought me for my birthday and pearl earrings my mom and I had found. I wore a vintage style pearl and leaf head piece in a very vintage curly up-do.
I wore a garter that my grandmother had made me with thigh high lace edged stockings and matching underwear.
My makeup was also a vintage look done to accenutate my eyes, which are green along with amazing false eyelashes.
Casablanca Manor in Pretoria/Cullinan. The family anf bridal party stayed the night before and the venue organsied a braai for us. Our guests stayed the next night as well.
The accomdation was at Casa-Lee Country lodge and Die Skaapkraal guest house.
Increased activity to stay the same size i was, which included working more in the hospital which is very physical :) and some exercise classes. I'm lucky to have good skin from my mom so i went for a revitalising and brightening facial the monday before the wedding. My lady gave me some of the same products to put on the night before the wedding to enhance brightness and moisturise. I had pedicures and manicures done as well as a full body massage. My eyebrows and eyelashes were also tinted and threaded.
We had decorated all different sized and shapes of glass bottles to use as flower vases. These were put on the tables with half the tables having long cylindrical vases on with long twigs coming out. There was moss on the table with cut logs with the table numbers on. There were gel candles everywhere with fairy lights coming from the exposed beam of the roof along with white draping. The enitre theme had an almost "A Midsummer Night's Dream" feel to it. The flowers were all pastel and bright purple wild flowers with thick bunches of lavender. The cake and starters of a soup bar were set up outside in the rose garden with fountains around and bottles with flowers hanging from the trees. My bouquet was made with a laarge bunch of fresh lavender, beautiful purple tulips, babys breath and eucalyptus leaves and greenery. Our table seatings were beautifully printed and placed on a mirror with some mirror shining through.
My husband had a suit tailor made for him. It was a very dark choclate brown with a wasitcoat. He wore matching brown leather dress shoes and a tie that was the same colour that the bridesmaids wore, sage. The groomsmen wore black suits with dark brown waistcoats the same as my husbands along with the ties. My husbands lapel pin was made from sage coloured rock roses.
My bridesmaids wore sage full length dresses from Gelique.
The dresses are made out of the same material that the infinty dresses are but it is a fixed design. They had lace 3/4 sleeves and tulle over the skirt. They each wore their hair down and curled and each wore different types of necklaces to match them.
Alistair Westcott
Our photographer was Laura Moore from BellaMoore photography. She is a finalist in the Top Vendors awards. She was brilliant and had done our engagement shoot as well as part of the package we took.
Our videographer was Adrian Loader. He was very friendly and professional and went the extra mile to get all the footage.
No, we did everything ourselves along with help from friends and family
The bridal suit was very near the chapel which was apart of the venue so I could walk there.
The chapel was beautiful with exposed dark wooden beams and wooden benches
The food was done by the venue. The chef was the venue owners daughter and did a marvelous job
Our wedding cake was a four tier cake with each layer a different flavour.
The bottom layer was champagne flavoured with champagne icing. The 3rd layer was chocolate with nougat type filling, the 2nd layer was pumplin with cream cheese icing and the tope layer was a white chocolate musd cake with white chococlate ganache and chocolate pieces in between. It was a naked cake with fresh wild flower arrange on it. It was done by L's Creations in pretoria
My father in law owns a printing company in Florida and printed all our invites, menus and table seatings for us. They designed a logo as well made out of our initials which were on the invites.
My mother in law owns a scrapbooking company and has a laser machine which she used to cut all decorations for our invites which consisted of lace patterns and bees (my husband calls me Bee becasue I hum when I'm happy). She also cut our cake toppers from brown and purple coard in the shape of the logo above. This created a shadowing effect on the cake
We danced the night away.
We took dance lessons at Five6Seven8 Dance studios on the westrand.
They were brilliant and helped choreograph a dance perfectly for us. We had Starry Nights as our DJ who did a brilliant job with lighting and music.
As you start the final phases of the preparation of your wedding day, wedding dance lessons come to mind. At Five6seven8 our focus is Your Wedding Dance, from bridal party...
