cape town engagement Archives

Diamant Estate Wedding – Sara & Morgan

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Diamant Estate Wedding.

~The Manor House Chapter

The Meeting.

Morgan:
Sara and I met on flight BD772 on Saturday the 17th October 2009. We were each returning to London from Cairo after separately travelling to Egypt with different friends.

My trip had been slightly traumatic and included being scammed into buying fake perfume in Cairo, unnecessarily riding camels (instead of taking a bus!) to the pyramids, being detained by the Egyptian army for several hours at a military base in Suez, getting lost and arriving at the Israeli border during the night and bursting an ear drum whilst diving in Dahab. Sara has been far wiser (as usual) and booked a guided holiday that went fantastically.

Sara found me speaking to a friend in the aisle and the three of us sparked up a conversation. She had only recently arrived in Europe and was eager to share her contiki adventures whilst we tried to impress her with our own recent stories from Egypt. We chatted for the entire flight before sharing contact details when it was time to return to our seats for landing.

I was initially drawn to Sara since she was always up for an adventure. Over time I realised that she was an extremely kind and compassionate person which makes her a wonderful companion. It also doesn’t hurt that we have many similar tastes in terms of food, travel, music etc.

Sara:

Morgan’s story about how we met is 100% true! It was one of the most interesting flights ever. I remember thinking these guys were really funny, and their misadventures in Egypt sounded like something out of fiction, so very impressive! Morgan did well despite being barely able to hear me with his burst ear drum. When it was time to leave them, I remember watching them walk through the border together, and hoping that I would get the chance to see him again. He has said he was doing the same thing, and hearing him say that on our wedding night made me realise how lucky we are.

Over our years together I have been constantly drawn to Morgan, and as our time grew, he has pulled me closer. He is kind, loving, and respects me for who I am. He says I’m up for adventure and that’s true, but he has always been the one searching for our next little trip, and sometimes I can take some convincing to go along for the ride. It is because of him that have I learnt to ski, scuba dive, drive a car, climb a mountain, ride around Asia on a scooter, and perhaps most exotic of all, go to Cuba on whim without really knowing what to expect. I have him to thank for bringing out the best in me, and I love that we are going to have a whole lifetime together to keep adventuring. He is my best friend.

The Proposal.

Morgan:
The proposal went down terribly! I had known for several years that I wanted to propose to Sara and despite usually being impatient I planned it thoroughly. On a holiday home over Christmas I discussed my plans with my parents and my father very kindly gave me the stone from his mother’s engagement ring. I returned to London and found a jeweler to commission a bespoke ring in time for our summer holiday to Corfu. Unfortunately the ring wasn’t quite ready on time but it was our final trip for the summer and after consulting a few of my female friends I decided to proceed without the ring! After arriving in Corfu I planned to pop the question at a romantic little restaurant on a jetty over the ocean. On the afternoon that we were due to have dinner there we found ourselves sitting alone at a restaurant overlooking a beautiful beach called Agios Gordios. Sara commented on how perfect the setting was and I spontaneously decided to do it then and there! Unfortunately I didn’t drop a knee and had no ring so she initially thought that I was joking! It wasn’t exactly smooth sailing but she said yes and shortly after we had a celebratory drink with my brother and his fiance.

Sara:
The proposal was not a fairy tale! I had no idea Morgan was planning to propose. I had for years (despite not thinking it would happen) prepared what I would say if he ever proposed to me and I can say that I said none of that!

The beach was beautiful. Turquoise water, steep cliffs and it was virtually empty apart from us, perched on a sand dune watching the sun set. I can see why he threw caution to the wind! After I said yes and apologised for not taking him seriously, I thought about everything I wished I said, and later, I said it all. I think we both felt better after that. The next few days were surreal, and spending those times with Damian and Thomas made it even more special. When we got back to London, many of our friends also shared their own proposal stories… as it turns out, it NEVER goes to plan!

The Rings.

Morgan:
Sara’s engagement ring is a bespoke design that uses my grandmother’s diamond as it’s main feature. We decided to get matching wedding bands that were made from the same material as the engagement ring. We found a local jeweler in London to provide these but when we went to visit Sara thought that I looked stressed out about the process. When we left I admitted that I had had a terrible headache in the shop explained my facial expressions. Nevertheless the rings turned out perfectly!

Sara:
My engagement ring is important to me. Morgan’s family gave him the diamond from his grandmother’s ring, which is very sentimental. From that moment, I felt like I had been trusted with an important responsibility. On top of that, Morgan had designed the ring in secret, and I admire him for his resolve to do that. It ring is beautiful, I love it, and it’s an honour to wear a family heirloom. Our wedding bands are very simple, owing to Morgan having a very bad headache while we were in the shop, so designs were decided swiftly. Ultimately, the simplicity is exactly what we both wanted

Diamant Estate Wedding.

We fell in love with Diamant Estate on our first visit. The whole venue is fantastic but we were drawn to the Manor House and the lovely lawn overlooking Paarl. We couldn’t have been happier with our choice and it would seem that our guests agreed since many commented on the venue during the wedding day.

Peter Smallbones, a priest from the Claremont Baptist Church, officiated. Peter’s wife works with my mother who suggested that we consider him. We chose him because he was known to the family and also because of his very relaxed and friendly demeanor.

Mon Amour Events – Jessica Thiart.

Morgan:
We found Jessica Thiart of Mon Amour Events through our friends Mike and Antonia. They had a lovely wedding in Stellenbosch and couldn’t stop raving about Jessica so we asked for her details and met to discuss our plans a few days later. We really couldn’t rate this service highly enough! Jessica was instrumental in every aspect of the event and we never could have done it without her. It was especially useful since we are based overseas. We especially liked her consistently calm demeanor which allowed us to enjoy the day to the fullest!

Sara:
We approached Jessica from Mon Amour Events for her business card at our friends, Mike and Antonia’s wedding. We loved the wedding in Stellenbosch, and after months of indecision on where we would be married, we finally knew it be possible in South Africa. From the very beginning Jessica was perfect for us. Extremely organised, and patient with us being far away, she did an amazing job of organising our wedding. People always say things go wrong on your wedding day…that is not an option if Jessica is on your team!

Cape Town Wedding Photographer.

Morgan:
We found Landi and Organictales through a recommendation from my dad after he had seen some of her work online. We really liked her style and thought that it might be a small way that we could include my dad in our planning. We met Landi for a coffee and her service ever since has been absolutely phenomenal. She is incredibly professional, responsive, organised, relaxed and passionate. We knew that the photos would form an import part of our memories of the day and are so pleased with the beautiful pictures from Organictales!

Sara:
Morgan’s dad suggested Organictales after his love of horses led him to gorgeous shot of girl and horse which was taken by Landi. We had already been offered a list of photographers from our wedding planner, but we both liked the creativity of Landi’s photographs and also thought we could include Morgan’s dad in the planning by choosing his suggestion. It was the right decision. Landi is a professional. I loved her commitment to getting a shot right, and importantly as someone who is by default uncomfortable in front of a camera, she did her best to make me feel comfortable and beautiful. I’m sure our wedding photos will capture the happiness of the day

Service Providers:
(Please do not copy, lift or download images from this site. A Downloadable Link will be made available to service providers to download images soon)

Venue: Diamant Estate

Photography: Organictales
Assistants: Anje van Dalen & Graham Richardson

Coordination and Planning: Mon Amour Events

Catering: Red Pepper Catering

Lighting: Authentic Planning

Flowers: Bouwer Flowers

Live Entertainment: Angelo and Jane

DJ and Sound: Music 2 the Max

March 6, 2019

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Cape Town Anniversary Holiday

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Dennis & Mikayla.

~The 5 year Chapter.

Couple Goals. A term we hear very often. And this pair has 100% set the bar high and achieved all those goals and so much more. Mikayla and Dennis from Orlando Florida, decided to make their fifth wedding anniversary one for the books by booking an adventure filled, unforgettable Cape Town Anniversary Holiday.

Half way through their visit, they also decided to work in a special photoshoot that showcases the beautiful vineyards lining the Stellenbosch mountains. Enjoy their visual story below.

November 13, 2018

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This groom went all the way to Dubai to pop the question!

By ORGANICTALESWedding2 Comments

Weltevreden Estate Wedding.

~The Secret Garden Chapter.

Brad & Tayla is the perfect example of fate bringing the right people together. A simple tweet to go hike Lion’s Head turned in to the most beautiful romance. Read their story below and get a glimpse of what I saw on their beautiful wedding day.

Destination – Fate.

Tayla and I both moved to Cape Town 5 and a half years ago. Tay from Durban and I from Johannesburg. We first started chatting on Twitter like real Millennials. I still remember the first time I saw Tayla in person and remember thinking – “She is way out of my league”. Luckily, she hasn’t realized this yet!

Dubai – The City of Gold, Diamond and Proposals.

In December 2016, we planned a cruise around the UAE, visiting Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Oman. Little did Tayla know, that’s not all that was planned! It was the 25^th of December and I needed to find a way to get Tay dressed up. I managed to convince her that it was family tradition to dress smart for Christmas which seemed to work and so, off we went, in 30+ degree weather, on a tourist bus and looking very out of place. We booked a trip up the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa. We wondered around and around, admiring the view (actually while I tried to find the perfect backdrop) and eventually I got down on one knee and proposed.

Weltevreden Estate Wedding.

We wanted the style of our wedding to reflect the abundance of natural beauty our venue, Weltevreden Estate had to offer. We decided to stick to a neutral colour palate of greens, whites, greys and silvers to compliment the Cape Dutch architecture.

We chose Weltevreden Estate as it encompassed everything we had envisioned for our day. The gardens at Weltevreden Estate are stunning, which allowed us to have a beautiful outdoor ceremony. The venue had a vintage-feel, due to its Cape Dutch architecture but still a hint of modernism, which was a perfect fit for the style of wedding we were planning.

Rose Moltena Couture.

When I first went dress shopping I wasn’t set on a particular style of dress. I did, however have a designer in mind. After trying on numerous dresses at various wedding boutiques across the Western Cape, I decided to book an appointment with Rose Molteno. From the minute I entered her show room I fell in love with the simple yet elegant bohemian style. All of her dresses were fascinating, and it was evident that she puts tons of love into each and every design.

Flawless Hair and Make-up.

Leandre van Rooyen was the hair and make-up artist for me and my bridesmaids on the day of our wedding. She was absolutely fantastic and far exceeded my expectations!

The moment.

Bride: The most memorable moment of the day for me, was walking down the aisle towards my future-husband. That is the moment when all the nerves and excitement started kicking in, and the moment when I realized that this is our day and the beginning of the rest of our lives together.
Groom: Taking Tayla’s hand at the altar. I was in complete disbelief that this was my wife standing in front of me and how lucky I was.

The harpist and flutist from Zest music complimented the serene environment. The duet played at our ceremony and canapés.

Our Marriage Officiant.

Our officiant was Basil Sparks from Durbanville Baptist Church. We choose Basil as we look up to his wisdom and his ideologies surrounding marriage. Basil delivered a very meaningful message during our ceremony that has really stuck with us.

Photographer Research.

We searched high and low for a photographer that suited the style of photography we were looking for, for our special day. Tayla has always had a great interest in photography so she knew exactly what she was and wasn’t looking for in a photographer. When we found Landi we knew she was the one! We booked our photographer before we booked our venue!

Rings are eternal and so are Tattoos!

Groom: I stalked Tayla’s Pinterest with the jeweller but already had 2 styles in mind. Eventually, with the help of Grand Diamonds, the perfect style and stone was chosen.

Bride: Brad wasn’t all that keen on wearing a traditional wedding band and even considered getting a tattoo! We found Brads ring at the Canal Walk Wedding Fair. Brads ring is made of black tungsten and rose gold.

Weltevreden Estate Caterers.

Weltevreden Estate did all of the catering for our wedding. For starters we had waldorf salad, caraway beetroot, crème fraiche & orange segments and Maple & pumpkin pie. Mains were served as a buffet and included a variety of catering options to suit everyone’s dietary needs. For dessert we had panna cotta, vanilla & roasted white chocolate sponge, strawberries & cream and our salted caramel wedding cupcakes from Tessa’s Bakery.

Alcoholic and non-alcoholic punch was served at the canapes. We ensured that there was enough champagne to go around during the speeches and each table was set with a bottle of red and a bottle of white wine from Somerbosch winery in Stellenbosch.