I wanted to get married outside, under a canopy of trees for as long as I can remember. No fuss, no decorations - just nature, as pure as possible. We had our service in the most stunning avenue of trees. Nothing but the chirping of birds could be heard.
My husband always wanted a big party. He wanted to truly celebrate getting married and the life that we had just stepped up to.
We were fortunate enough to both have our dreams come true. We got married on a real, working farm close to my new parents-in-law on the highveld. Our reception was in a big barn. This did mean a lot of extra work as it is not a recognized wedding venue, and we had to bring in everything ourselves. Tables, chairs, cutlery you name it.
The real magic of our wedding was how the farming community, family, and friends all pulled together to help us create our vision. One of our very best friends baked our wedding cake. An aunt designed and produced our thank you gifts (coasters). A neighbor's daughter is a hairdresser and she did my and all my girls hair. Two of the neighbors did all our canape's. All of this was done out of love and as a contribution to our big day.
We were so blessed and felt so much love building up to our wedding. Love for each other, but also love for every person that joined us on this journey.
Both my husband and I love scuba diving, so for our honeymoon, we decided to go to one of the best dive sites in the world - Bali. Bali is everything you see in the amazing photos and more. It is a great cultural experience combined with breathtaking scenery and incredible ocean life.
We also visited the island of Lombok for a couple of days. Lombok is the epitome of lazy beach days. It's miles and miles of beach, with fantastic cocktail bars and live entertainment. You can also do some shore-entry snorkeling from just about anywhere.
Our third stop was the world city of Hong Kong. After the relaxing Island vibe, it was quite something to see the hustle and bustle of a city that plays home to 7 million people. My highlights were visiting Disney World and seeing the Symphony of Lights (an astonishing 12-minute light show done by 66 skyscrapers!)
We ended our honeymoon on local shores and the beauty of Hermanus and Gansbaai. This was also where my husband decided that we needed some more adrenaline, so we went Great White Shark Cage Diving.
My dress was from the Enzoani Blue collection and called "Hollywood". I was looking for something classic and timeless.
We got married at Balmoral farm just outside of Amersfoort, Mpumalanga. My parents-in-law are farmers in this region. We decided to make it a weekend wedding, and started off with a Spitbraai on Friday.
Stroopsoet Fotografie took our photos, while 1988films captured our day on video. The amazing husband and wife team were our number one choice from the start. True artists, and probably some of the nicest people you will ever meet.
