cederberg wedding Archives

Cederberg Mountain Wedding

By ORGANICTALESWedding5 Comments

Cederberg Mountain Wedding

A mountainside chapter.

I have struggled to hold back my excitement to blog this Cederberg Mounting Wedding. Not only was it breathtakingly beautiful, but also the magnificent bond between family and friends that were present during this weekend celebration. There is one thing that stood out over and above all, and that was the very evidence of the beauty inside Tanya and Stephan’s hearts. The evidence lay in all the tasks, favours and love from every single family member and friend present on the day. One could really tell that this couple were not just any couple – they are loved, adored and respected by everyone in their lives. Oh what fantastic event to be a part of! Here follows there story:

A Tale as old as Time

We met in Primary school when Stephan was in Grade 7 & I was in Grade 6. I remember he told me that I was the coolest girl in Grade 6 and I was instantly in love. He then went to high school and we lost contact – not that we were friends or anything as he never knew I had a crush on him! We went to different High schools and never thought of one another again until my cousin, who were in the same High scool as Stephan, invited me to a house party to finally meet this best friend of hers that she kept telling me about. That’s where we met again 2 years later and the spark was back! He asked my cousin for my number and we started chatting- I even ended up switching High schools and that was that! We were together ever since and married today 13 years later! He understands me like nobody else and it feels like I learn something new everyday when we’re together. There’s literally never a dull moment with him and I love that! He’s the best person I know and my very best friend! I’m the luckiest girl alive!

The Spontaneous Proposal

Apparently Stephan had this whole romantic proposal with the most perfect location planned but it didn’t go down like that…. He went to the jeweller that designed my ring and wanted to go and show my dad how it looked before he asked me – the diamond is my late mom’s and he thought my dad would like to see the final result. So…we planned a day out with my brother and his fiance and Stephan had the ring in this pocket the whole time since he didn’t get a chance to put it away!
Later that night we went out dancing and Stephan started getting weird and I couldn’t understand what was going on with him! We then got home and I was busy getting a bed ready for my brother and his fiancée when Stephan got down on one knee and proposed at 3:30am in the morning! I thought he was joking at first but realized it was for real! He kept apologizing because he never wanted it to be unplanned or not romantic but he said he couldn’t wait any longer and wanted me to be his wife ASAP!! I don’t mind how it should have happened it was perfect for us!!

Check out their engagement photos by clicking HERE

Pineapples and Pinterest

We had our own style for our Cederberg Mountain Wedding and didn’t really go with set colours or palettes. I found lots of inspiration on Pinterest- obviously! We got married on a farm called Suikerbossie Guest Farm in Ceres and to be honest we didn’t really need much to make it look like something! We had raw wooden tables with flowers and leaves as runners and golden spray painted pineapples as décor! It was a mix of my vintage modern style and Stephan’s minimalistic and easygoing personality. It worked out perfectly and we loved how everything turned out!

Cederberg Mountain Wedding

I don’t know why everyone wouldn’t choose Suikerbossie Guest Farm! Although not everyone has the guts to do a DIY wedding! Honestly it was quite challenging at times, but that’s what we wanted and it was absolutely perfect! This venue is so unique, beautiful and was accommodating to our every need! It was the exact vibe we wanted as we had a weekend wedding and everyone had accommodation and so much fun together! We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect wedding venue ever!

A Farmgirl Wedding Planner

Natasha Hunter is the daughter of Suikerbossie Guest Farm owner and knows the farm like the palm of her hand. She was our wedding planner and helped in so many ways. She made her services available to us and guided us in the right direction. When our ideas got too crazy she kept us grounded, but most of all she gave us sound advice and was present, which is all we really needed.

Make-up by Mariaan

Mariaan Louw was excellent! She made me feel like a million bucks. Mariaan is so easy to get along with and really understands what her clients want. She’s very talented and made sure I was done, ready and beautiful on time for the big celebration.

A Dress named Vera

I was very indecisive about a dress and went to quite a few different stores. I had a specific style in mind. After my Bridesmaids and I decided on one specific fitted dress, my decision was final. Until…..my maid of honour made an appointment at Smoorverlief Bridal in Somerset West and kept it secret from me. We got there the next day and she said “because you found the dress you wanted yesterday, let’s just fit dresses for fun today”. We then went on to look at every dress they had and she asked me to choose my favourites, I tried all of them and chose my Favourite three. Eventually I had to choose only one and had to put it on again! Everyone in the room got emotional and I felt like a real life princess!! I knew that she was the one!! Cindy Bam is the designer and every dress she makes has a name. Mine is called Vera! She is absolutely beautiful!

A Ring to remember Her by

My ring was made from my late mother’s wedding ring diamond. She passed away 2 years ago and it has a lot of sentimental value! It is a complete unique design made by Hettie, at Studio 46 in Blouberg. She is super talented and Stephan knew exactly what I wanted and guided her perfectly! I had Stephan’s ring made by her as well and had it engraved which was a huge surprise to him!

Words for our Hearts

We were married by Ds Franky from Ceres NGK. Stephan’s aunt introduced us to him as she knew him for years. He knew the exact words to say and felt like we knew each other for years. I know Stephan looks up to him and that means a lot!

A Photographer who blends in.

When we were starting to plan our wedding the first thing we agreed on is that we need an excellent photographer since the photos- besides the memories- are the only thing you have left to look at after the wedding. We found Landi from ORGANICTALES on Facebook and contacted her ASAP after we looked at her portfolio and saw that her work is ridiculously good!! She is amazing and I will recommend her to anyone! She is not just a photographer she blends in with your friends and family and she becomes a part of the pack!

Memories we won’t forget!

It’s hard to say what part of the day was the most memorable. The whole day was exactly how we dreamed of. For me, the most memorable was probably when we went to take photos with Landi and with the help of Jaco Hunter as guide, we climbed up a cliff to take the best pictures of the sunset at the top! For Stephan the best part was when I walked down the aisle, as well as the photos on the cliff.

A Scandalous Foodtruck!

Scandalous Foodtruck was one of the talking points of the weekend. Everyone loved their food and their vibe. We made the best choice when we decided on getting them at the wedding.
We had baskets for starters that contained; rosemary potato wedges, deep fried calamari, pork riblets and chicken wings with a spicy mayo.

There was a choice between 3 mains;
– 150g Homemade beef burger with biltong and cheese sauce with fries and salad.
– Lamb rolls wrapped in a homemade italian flatbread & mild chilly mint dressing.
– Steak baguette with homemade pickled onions, topped with melted cheddar cheese.

It was amazing and everyone could help themselves to more than enough. We had a cash bar with our own currency (Van Schalkwyk Dollar from the Pineapple Republic) we liked the idea of having a proper bar area and it was a nice meeting area for everyone to mingle and chat.

Music and Friends!

Our good friend Amoré offered to be our DJ on the day as her wedding gift to us. She provided all the music and equipment needed and everyone enjoyed her! She kept the party going until everyone’s feet hurt! She is a professional singer/ entertainer with a beautiful voice and awesome stage presence. She wrote a song for us and sang it for the first time as we stepped out as Mr & Mrs Van Schalkwyk.

Tanya & Stephan’s Advice to other couples:

Book your venue, photographer and other big stuff ASAP and get that out of the way and secured!
Girls get your dress first! I got mine 8 months before the wedding and it was the best decision I have ever made!! Then just talk to your partner and help each other. It’s supposed to be a day that portrays the both of you, so keep communicating and pitch in.

Honeymoon plans?

Our sole focus was on the wedding and we paid for it ourselves. We decided to go to Knysna for a temporary honeymoon this December and save save save next year to go on an ultimate honeymoon somewhere overseas. Neither of us has ever been on a plane or anywhere overseas so we are very excited to travel the world together for the first time!!

Tanya & Stephan’s Description of the day:

BEST DAY EVERRRR!!!

Service Providers at this stunning Cederberg Mountain Wedding:

Photography: ORGANICTALES
Venue: SUIKERBOSSIE GUEST FARM
Wedding Planner: Natasha Hunter
Photo Location Guide: Jaco Hunter
Make-up and Hair: Mariaan Louw
Wedding Dress: Cindy Bam
Rings: Studio 46
Catering: Scandalous Food
Sound: Amoré

January 7, 2018

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