The most memorable moment had to be seeing my husband's face the first time he saw me coming down the isle. He looked so happy. I vowed to try my best to keep that look on his face forever.
My dad's face was priceless when I finished getting ready and he saw his youngest daughter all pretty and ready to be given away.
Some of the highlights of our wedding day included dancing with our friends late into the night, to see the absolute fun the little kids had dancing and playing, the fun we had taking photos.
Looking back we saw the a photo where all the guests stretched out their hands as the Pastor blessed our marriage, this just highlighted to us the absolute love and support, great family and friends we were surrounded by.
Yes, a few short weeks after our wedding (my husband is a farmer and it was harvest time, thus straight after the wedding was not an option) we imbarked on a sight seeing trip like true tourist. From Dullstroom, Bourke Luck Potholes, God's Window, The Kruger National Park, Moloholo Rehab Centre, Echo Caves to the Elephant Sanctuary it was a week to remember.
I am a real farm girl, plane Jane!
I dread dressing up to much and am not fond of high heels. I live in my boots. Thus my wedding look needed to be plain, stunning but easy to enjoy the day.
I got married in a pair of real leather hand made vellies (something I can wear after the wedding everyday) and a comfy dress, an up style hair do that didn't make me look to dolled up. But BRIGHT lips, just because. And to finish off the look by the end of the day I would be wearing my Grandma's ring left to me by her.
Dress: Brides Choice Ermelo
Hair: Art of Hair Ermelo
Make up: Esperanzi Makeup Artist Kriel
Lingerie: La senza Lingerie Menlyn
Jewellery: Pandora Menlyn
Shoes: Te Fraai Diena (Facebook)
I am a real farm girl, plane Jane!
I dread dressing up to much and am not fond of high heels. I live in my boots. Thus my wedding look needed to be plain, stunning but easy to enjoy the day.
I got married in a pair of real leather hand made vellies (something I can wear after the wedding everyday) and a comfy dress, an up style hair do that didn't make me look to dolled up. But BRIGHT lips, just because. And to finish off the look by the end of the day I would be wearing my Grandma's ring left to me by her.
Dress: Brides Choice Ermelo
Hair: Art of Hart Ermelo
Make up: Esperanzi Makeup Artist Kriel
Lingerie: La senza Lingerie Menlyn
Jewellery: Pandora Menlyn
Maid of honour dress: The Maiden (onnline store)
Shoes: Te Fraai Diena (Facebook)
We got married on a long time friend of my Husband's family. Their farm has been equipped with a wedding and conference venue that perfectly suited who we are and provided accommodation right there at the venue for all our guests. We were surrounded by open fields (just like on our farm) and game to finish off the farmy feeling.
Venue: Silver Water Game Lodge
I changed nothing, I kept doing what i normally did (except I probably ate to much biltong)
I kept jogging with my 3 boerboels on our farm just as I did before we got engaged. I kept horse riding every Saturday just as i did before.
I wanted to look back at my wedding photos and recognize the women in the photos
Our entire wedding was aimed at being a representation of us and our relationship. We are simple and like simple things.
Our decor and Venue showed that.
The inside of the venue had a rustic feel with soft lighting. The tables were set with navy table cloths and hessian runners, glass under plates, navy serviettes and 1 straw of wheat on each place setting. The centerpiece was wooden square box filled with desert roses (Crassulaceae Echeveria Elegant) and a wooden windmill.
Each guest received a wooden key ring with a Tractor or Windmill laser printed on it.
The seating chart was made by hanging each tables guest names by a wooden peg on a rope against an old rusted steel roof sheeting we found on our farm.
I am not a girly girl and do not like flowers, Thus my bouquet was made of hessian and white lace roses. Something that is now a keepsake of that wonderful day.
The grooms wore navy suits purchased at Woolworths in Menlyn Mall.
Groom: Navy Suite with Jacket with his "Boer boots" as we call them. It is the boots he works and farms in daily.
Bestman: Navy suite pants with a matching waist coat and wooden bo tie
Both work Tractor wooden cut out badges with their titles laser printed on it.
Suites: Woolworths
Shoes: Major Steel Ermelo
Wooeden badges: Epic Designs
Choosing my Maid of Honour was an easy choice, my sister. She never wears dresses, make up, jewellery or make up but on my special day she pulled out all the stops. She made more effort than I did. She grew her hair and looked for a dress that would perfectly suit her and my dream for the wedding:
She wore a navy soft dress with vellies. Her jewellery I had custom made with her name to just finish off the look.
Maid of honour dress: The Maiden (onnline store)
Shoes: Te Fraai Diena (Facebook)
Our marriage was officiated by one of the lead pastors in our Church Unite180. This church and the views and teachings of these Pastors have changed and built our lives and faith individually and in our relationship.
Pastor: Ps Wilbert Kinnear
Church: Unite 180
I always looked at the photos taken of weddings by a girl that attended high school with me. When it came to organise the wedding she was the first person I contacted to take our photos BUT her little boy was so ill. I just could not ask of her to attend my wedding when she could be missing the last hours her little guy was on this earth.
By sheer accident a day after I cancelled her services we found Karl. A photographer from Secunda taking photos as more of his passion than a job.
He was a little crazy, loud, funny and would run, jump, lie down and do pretty much anything to ensure he captured the moment and photo he needed you to see. Him and his assistant Gina created such stunning memories of our couple shoot and wedding day we still stand in awe of the photos.
They absolutely caught on camera the core of our relationship and the tipe of people we are.
His comment after our wedding also made my smile so much. He said "I have never attended a wedding where there was more real love, real smiles and real joy than yours"
As a true horse lover I would have loved to be brought to my wedding on my horse Maximus but due to my husbands bad experience on horses it was a no go. Not even a carriage was an option.
The vehicle most accociated with a farmer has to be a Toyota Landcruiser. So that was my next best option. I asked our neighbor, Leon, if he would do me the honour of driving me to my wedding in his Toyota Landcruiser Pick up.
We made jokes on the way there and it truly was a wonderful choice
The venue where we got married is run by the Farmer who owns the land's daughters. He is a sheep farmer and thus mutton on the spit was the obvious choice.
We love meat, especially red meat. And again we wanted our food to represent us. The food was made by the farmer, his daughters and their significant others. It was truly home cooked food. Perfect.
The wedding cake and cupcakes were baked by a sweet old lady who does it at home. It all had that truly made with love home made feel. Delicious.
Food: Silver Water Game Lodge
Cake: Tannie Magda Ermelo
All our stationery was basically designed by us but the final touches and printing was done by Nikki at Nashua in Ermelo
Our reception was held at the Silver Water Game Lodge where the ceremony was held.
The dance floor was surrounded by hay bales to finish off the rustic effect.
We had danced together at other weddings and events and decided that "Sokkie/ Lang arm" was exactly what we wanted our first dance to be like.
2 mutual friends of ours thought us to dance separately at very different times in our lives, but when we started dancing together it worked out.
I am not a touchy feely person and thus the father daughter dance felt so mushy and cliché to me. We decided to mix it up and create something more in line with who my father and I are. It was a mix of some really fun songs and moves. It was so much fun. I am not sure who enjoyed it more, My dad and I or the guests.
The sound and lightning was done by 2 of my brothers as a gift to me and o how they aced that. Perfect.
Our master of ceremonies was a friend of mine I met in a time of my life I felt beyond lost. He was an honest true person and since day 1 I looked up at him. If it wasn't for a bible verse he quoted and hard words he spoke I would have never taken the plunge to date my husband. He was the obvious choice for the job and the guests enjoyed him. It all went off without a hitch.
