Andre and I met at the university of Johannesburg in 2010. We had both applied to study civil engineering and so happened to sit next to each other :) We had no interest in one another romantically but soon became close friends. We partnered up for everything and had Sunday morning study sessions together every week, little did we know what we were getting ourselves into. Sparks started to fly and after 4 years we could not contain ourselves any longer. 2014 was the first year we were both single and before we knew it we started hooking up :) in October 2014 we decided to be exclusive and have been together ever since.
It was valentines day 2017 when Andre had bought me a photoshoot voucher. My love for the camera and modelling has always been something I have wanted to pursue but just never had the time to do so, and so this was really special. I had booked to do the shoot on the 25th of April 2018 and fought with Andre that morning for not being able to come watch me. He has "planned" to meet with his brother that day. Upset as I was, I decided to go on with the shoot and it was during that photoshoot (the last look) that Andre walked in and proposed. Can you imagine the surprise :)
WOW!
My whole wedding was just filled with memorable moments. I have never heard guests compliment a wedding as much as everyone did mine (If I may just blown my horn a little).
BUT... If I really had to choose there would be two that I couldn't choose between if I tried.
1. Walking down the isle to my husband to be. Before the ceremony and days before the wedding all I cared about was what people were going to think of me... could I do this? Could I walk down the isle and not trip, step on my dress, and get the timing to the song I chose just right? Well the answer is no, the music was all wrong and my veil fell off as I started to walk, YES I stood on it, nevertheless seeing Andre and feeling the way I did made the moment nothing short of perfect.
2. The dance Andre and his groomsman did during reception :) Talk about busting a move.
My Husband planned a trip to Greece for the both of us.... Wow is all I can say!
It was absolutely magical. Our first trip to Greece was an adventure through Athens, Mykonos and Santorini.
Our first stop Athens. What’s more romantic than exploring ancient ruins and finding yourselves in history? Imaging yourself as a couple thousands of years ago walking through the Acropolis can be quite a mood setter
For those of you traveling to Mykonos with your partner, we know you’ll want to escape the party and the crowds at times. Mykonos has an amazing party scene but that is not the only thing it has to offer. Mykonos is GORGEOUS. It is relaxing. It has a very “home-y” feel to it.
Lastly Santorini. Santorini is essentially a honeymoon island that emanates romance regardless where you are on the island. This was the perfect ending to a perfect honeymoon.
Greece in general is where volcanic cliffs meet the beautiful blue sea where you and your loved one meet some of the most hospitable people we have found in this world. The food makes for wonderfully romantic dinners and the culture will elevate your romance to new levels.
As a warning, if you visit Greece before you’re married, you’re definitely going to be asked by about 90% of the people you meet if you’re on your honeymoon
As a kid my dream was always to have a champagne and pink wedding, I had dreamed of this for years and when Andre proposed I was sure I was getting that champagne colored dress. A little glitch that most girls forget when dreaming about the day, is that its not just your special day, it happens to be his too. Andre persuaded me towards a white dress, which in hindsight I am really grateful as if I was only looking for champagne I would have never found what I thought was perfection.
I am not usually a girl who wears make-up... that's just way to much of a hassle. Choosing between an extra 10 minutes of sleep or waking up to look pretty, is definitely a no brainer. However this is a day that I will definitely say made me see things differently. My wonderful make-up artist Storm and my hairdresser Thelma made me feel without a doubt like the most beautiful person in the WORLD. They did a fantastic job keeping everything natural and focusing on my natural features.
We chose Lace on Timber as our wedding venue. This new and natural venue was just perfect!
Lace on Timber is a wedding and event venue just outside of Pretoria.
Our Wedding ceremonies was held among 100-year- old trees with gutted old doors as backdrop. The reception area is decorated with chandeliers and festive bulb lights for a touch of glamour.
Our Bridal party and family was able to stay the night at the venue, as the venue catered for about 22 people, however the other guests had to find outside accommodation in the area (This was a struggle)
Bridezilla..... That I thought I was going to be.
To my surprise I was quite calm about the wedding. Andre (My husband) and I lived our everyday lives not stressing about anything. I mean, I did get my hair and nails done, and waxed instead of shaved but most definitely nothing out of the ordinary.
The one thing that I was, was particular about the décor and colour scheme. It was extremely important to me to create a magical day with a unique touch. Everything had to be perfect and unlike the typical white wedding.
From ceremony to reception, it all has to stand our and leave MY guests in awe.
Our outdoor forest wedding chapel was unlike anything our guests had ever seen or experienced, the photo booth, self made wedding games and free gin during cocktail hour was an absolute hit and the open venue with glass cylinders and candles (nothing over the top) created a romantic yet relaxed touch that seemed to allows the guests to let there hair down
The groom... I got lucky!
I married the most generous person with a heart of gold. He is a very honest man and always looks out for every one around him.
We found his suite at the plaza, quite a surprise actually. He had a grey suite with a champagne tie and pocket square and the most amazing smile to top of the look.
His groomsmen looked quite dashing if I do say so myself, quite the quirky look (grey pants, brown shoes, suspenders and a bow tie that matched the girls dresses just perfectly). With the wedding theme being rustic vs glam, the were the perfect accessory to the whole wedding.
Having a bridesmaid on a different continent, made shopping for dresses a little difficult.
Luckily Bide&Co (Although not my favorite experience) had a catalogue with measuring guidelines, that made sure the dresses would fit. I chose a straight pleated sleeveless dress in champagne crossed pink (although it looks slightly peachy in the photos) with an accent ribbon around the waist and beautiful detail.
They wore their own nude shoes and all looked AMAZING!
Our officiant was Iain and he was great and so real.
My photographer was one of the very first three service providers I booked when we decided to get married.
I had the 27th & 28th of April 2018 in mind and asked the venue, Makeup Artist and Photographer which dates are available and I tied down all three the very same day.
Patrick Furter was my very first option and I was elated when I heard he was available!
Smith films was the first option videographer as well and it was all just meant to be when I could tie them down as well to join creative forces.
I strive to photograph everything with a fresh approach, to put my stamp on each project making sure it does my name justice and to give value to each client.
No. We enjoyed planning our service ourselves. This ensured that all our dreams for the day were captured exactly as we wanted.
The morning of the wedding felt unreal. Everything was a rush and I felt overwhelmed. I had no idea how the bridal party was even getting to the venue.
This was the one thing on my list of things to do I didn't manage to get to (or to be totally honest had forgotten about).
But.... to my surprise my mom had arranged a private limo with champagne celebrations to get us all there.
This amazing mother and daughter duo have been featured in many magazines and have won prestigious awards like 1st place in the 2014 Good Food And Wine Show Wedding Cake Challe...
Along with coordinating and planning our special day, we took it upon ourselves to create all stationary and invitations for the wedding.
This was not easy, but was some fun bonding time for me and my soon to be husband.
We took dance lessons from a great local company in Johannesburg, Stuart Hall Dance. Our instructors, Stuart and Vanessa, were incredible. It was such a great feeling when we got a photo from our first dance to send to them to show that it was all worth it - we'll definitely be going back after all has settled to jive some more!
4seasonsmobile disco was our DJ for the evening and also attended to the music for the ceremony, signing of register, confetti and Predrinks. There wasn't a person at the wedding that wasn't loving the music vibe.
I strive to photograph everything with a fresh approach, to put my stamp on each project making sure it does my name justice and to give value to each client.
This amazing mother and daughter duo have been featured in many magazines and have won prestigious awards like 1st place in the 2014 Good Food And Wine Show Wedding Cake Challe...
