A Beautiful love chapter in the wide landscapes of the Karoo. Situated between Colesberg and Hanover, the New Holmes Karoo Gariep wedding took place where sunsets come together and open skies wave at you.
How did you meet and what drew you to each other?
We met 2010 in Bloemfontein while studying at Olive Chef School afterwards we worked together on cruise ships after 9 years of friendship Michael finally decided that it is time to change the “friendship status”
How did you experience the services of your Photographer?
Landi was excellent and made us feel so comfortable.
All of our guests can’t stop talking about the beautiful photos. We really enjoyed Landi’s company it really felt like She was part of the family and friends who we wanted to share our special day with.
What was the most memorable moment of the day?
The moment we saw everything come together as planned since we basically arranged the whole wedding by ourselves except for the food, thank goodness!
Tell us something funny from the day?
As I came down the aisle, I felt a tuck on my head and realized my veil just got stuck on a rose bush! I first had to take a moment, unstuck it and then continue down the aisle to Michael! Haha!
De Uijlenes Forest Weddings have that special touch of magic to them. A popular venue and for good reason! The service delivery is top quality, and let’s not even get started on the amazing food! The day before the wedding, torrential rain poured down with heavy clouds filling the skies. Despite the weather forecast predicting more cloudy weather and rain for the next day, in my heart I knew that some miracle will happen and so it did! Not even one single cloud on the day of the wedding! Joadri and Jacques Matthee chose the most perfect day at the most perfect place. Here is their story.
A Pearly Beach Braai.
In a small town named Pearly Beach, we were both invited to a braai with friends of ours. Believe it or not, but at the start of the evening we really did not like each other very much. But as the night progressed it turned out as we never could have guessed. The evening turned in to a night of dancing on the beach and chatting to each other all through the night. What pulled Joadri to Jacques was the fact that he was such a fun person, a good listener and definitely his attractive and beautiful eyes! Jacques on the other hand was drawn by Joadri’s beautiful smile and how that smile can just light up everyone around her with her beautiful personality. She is such a warm and beautiful woman with an even more beautiful heart.
A Proposal in the Sand.
After 3 years of love and laughter, we planned a picnic at Pearly Beach together. The same beach where we danced all night long that very first time. At the end of the picnic, right before we were ready to go home, Jacques told me to turn around and come see what he wrote in the sand. Joadri turned around only to find Jacques down on one knee with a ring. In the sand he wrote, “SAL JY MET MY TROU.”
After crying for almost 10 minutes, Joadri finally said yes! Completely taken by surprised, especially since they planned the picnic together!
Rose Molteno Creations.
I went to a bridal expo and received a free fitting from Molteno Creations based in Woodstock. I absolutely loved her dresses. After my second fitting with her I found my dress. She also made my veil and garter.
The most memorable moment!
We didn’t see each other for 4 days prior to the big day. So naturally the moment I walked down the aisle and saw Jacques standing at the front, waiting for me, was such a highlight moment of the day. Jacques felt like everything around us just disappeared and that we were the only two people there between 150 guests.
Honeymoon Surprise!
Joadri had no idea where they were going for the honeymoon. She only found out at the airport that they were embarking on a journey to Thailand! They visited Phuket, Phi Phi, Koh Samui and Koh Toa. They also spent a day in Dubai on the way back. Definitely the best holiday ever!
Growing up as a Freestate farm girl, I would always wonder about a shore-side lifestyle in Jeffreys Bay. Little did I know that a love story would be the reason for me to drive hundreds of kilometers to visit this part of our country.
Since moving to Cape Town, wind has become a big part of my daily life and experience. I am sure that all other shore-side dwellers will agree that strong stormy winds are regular visitors. The day before Karla & Martin’s wedding, we all silently hoped for a windless celebration. But as the day quietly woke, the leaves started to softly rustle in the trees – keeping up the rhythm with the guinea fowl song. After breakfast it was clear that the wind had no intention of turning down its song, and why should it?! It was a day to celebrate love and even the wind wanted to sing its greatest love song! And oh! What a song it was!
I asked Karla & Martin to express their emotions from the day. Scroll down and read their story:
Where it began – A Romantic Proposal:
My friend sent me a message asking if we wanted to go for sundowners in Bean se Bos (in Patensie) after work. Obviously, we said yes! Five o’clock I was dressed and ready for Sundowners. Martin called and said he is going to be a bit late as he is still working. I called my friend and wanted to ask her if I can join them while Martin can come when he’s done. She didn’t answer because she was on her way to Port Elizabeth to her boyfriend and Martin and Jeanie (who was my maid of honor) were lighting up Bean se Bos… literally. Eventually Martin picked me up and off we went. We walked through the woods and eventually we came to a little spot next to the river. I saw a fire, fairy lights EVERYWHERE, flowers, a carpet, champagne and two champagne glasses. Everything happened in slow motion. He was on his knees and I cried while saying YES!!
A Minimalistic Classic Atmosphere:
The style of our wedding was minimalistic… chic but classic.
I am not someone who likes “tierlantyntjies” so I always knew I wanted white and lots of candles and fairy lights. I ended up choosing white and the tones of gold/copper/rose gold with a touch of black. Pinterest was my inspiration! I don’t know how people did it before Pinterest LOL!
A Splendid Venue!
We got married at The Rose Barn, Jeffreys Bay. It was love at first sight!
We were at a friend’s wedding at The Rose Barn, when I saw the venue for the first time. I told Martin that if we get married one day I want to get married there. So that is what we did! It was the number one venue for the both of us.
The Perfect Rings to Seal the Deal:
I looked on Pinterest for ring inspiration. I found five designs that I really liked, but couldn’t choose one. Martin ended up choosing the one he liked best and sent it to Marnic Tait, who is a goldsmith and a very close friend. It was incredibly special to have a friend make my ring.
Martin’s ring is from Dear Rae. He tried a lot of rings but couldn’t find the one. A friend suggested that we look on Dear Rea’s website and there we found his gorgeous ring.
Bring the Make Up! Bring the Brushes! Let’s make those lips luscious!
Samuel Beck and one of his stylist, Mia, did our hair. Samuel Beck has his own hair salon in Jeffreys Bay but is originally from England. What an amazing, kind and creative team!
Rose Bruins from St. Francis Bay (originally from Cape Town) did our makeup. She has years of experience and worked with some of the top magazines in South Africa. She is such a sweetheart! She did everything I asked for and surely has a special touch with makeup. I am extremely satisfied with all three of them and thankful that they made sure that we look beautiful.
Lace adorned with love – a Dress to die for!
I had so many ideas for my dress! I eventually decided to go for a few fittings, just to get a better idea of what looks good on me and what doesn’t. I combined a dress and skirt that fit me like a glove. It was not what I thought would look good on me. I didn’t want to buy a dress, I wanted someone to make it. I was told to go to Carina le Roux (in Jeffreys Bay), because she is the best. And WOW!!! She truly is the best! I love my ‘classy and dreamy’ vibe dress.
The Start of Future Nostalgia:
The most memorable moment of the day was walking down the aisle with my dad and having him marry us. I will cherish that forever and a day! For Martin the most memorable moment of the day was seeing me walking down the aisle. Having a night photo session was also very special to the both of us. At the very end of the night we danced on top of the bar while our very dear friends sang “Time of my life”. We will never forget that!
A Down to Earth Photographer:
I love photos! It is such an important part of my life and on our wedding day it was no different. Our photographer is funny, loving, talented and very professional. We had a blast! We feel blessed to have had ORGANICTALES as our photographer. Landi, You captured the most important day of our lives.
Thank you, Annerie Myburgh for assisting on the day.
We wouldn’t change a thing!
At first I thought I wanted to change the weather, if I could. The wind was insane! But looking back now I wouldn’t change the weather because the photo’s are breathtaking. The wind kept it interesting. So, no I wouldn’t change the weather. If I could, though, I would probably make time stand still from time to time. The day went by too fast. I had so much fun and want to do it again! BEST.DAY.EVER!
Food Fit for Kings & Queens!
Aqua Food and Catering from St. Francis Bay oversaw the delicious food for the night and made sure that we ate like kings.
The Harvest Table: After the ceremony, the guests were treated with flutes of sparkling wine with berries and a harvest table – from stacked cheeses with fruit, a variety of stuffed olives, freshly baked breads, relishes, pesto etc. to a tray service with tempura fish, calamari and fresh onion soup with toasted cheese sandwiches.
The Main: The main course was plated with tender slow cooked lamb served on rosemary mash potato and ratatouille.
Something for the sweet tooth: The dessert table and wedding cake were made by Kiosk, situated in Patensie and owned by Jeanie du Preez. Kiosk believes in a balanced approach to life… the 80/20 approach. 80% of the food is wholesome, natural and good for the body. The other 20% is good for the soul! For our wedding, Kiosk wanted indulgence in abundance. The guest feasted on macarons (not macaroons), salted caramel popcorn bedazzled with gold and rose gold edible glitter, baked cheesecakes, brownies, cranberry blondies, and chocolate pretzel cookies. The wedding cake was significant! The top tier: Almond, lemon and raspberry torte; bottom tier: good ol’red velvet cake. All slathered in Italian Meringue Buttercream. I know, right! The best of the best. And yes, we did have a bar.
Boogy on the dance floor!
Collin Nance was our DJ. He did everything, and more, that we asked for. He played a big variety of songs and read the crowd like a boss. The atmosphere was amazing. He knows how to celebrate… we couldn’t stop dancing… hence, we ended up on the bar with the last song.
Karla & Martin’s advice:
To couples who are still planning their wedding: Do not be afraid to ask people to help. Hand out tasks, do not try to do everything yourself. Take care of yourself and your fiancé. Rest and when the day comes relax, breathe and take a good look at everything and everyone every now and again.
The most difficult part was the guest list and table seating. What helped? Keep it close to your heart… You do not have to invite everyone you know. People know that. And the table seating… again, keep it close to your heart.
Budgeting advice:
The budget it always a difficult question. What is your budget for your dress? What is your budget for food? I hated those questions because we didn’t have a fixed budget. We just knew what we could afford and what we couldn’t, and so will you. If it wasn’t affordable I simply had to let it go and you know what? It’s fine! I still had my perfect wedding regardless.
We are off to BALI!!!
Excited to the max! Martin and I couldn’t leave for honeymoon straight after the wedding due to work related reasons – so we still have that to look forward to.
The day in One Sentence:
We had the time of our lives and we owe it all to You! – “I have found the one whom my soul loves.” Song of Solomon 3:4
A Karoo Street Wedding that will tickle your emotions.
As a farm girl, I have grown to love the vast horizons of the Karoo. The absolute quiet of nights with a big blanket of stars stretched over the skies.
When I first met Pieter & Clarise to talk about their wedding, I knew that our paths didn’t just cross briefly. Instead I was convinced that it was the start of a journey of friendship and laughter.
I traveled through the vast Karoo landscapes, from Cape Town to the little town called Hanover. The hospitality and welcoming nature of the family and friends will forever stay engraved in my memories. I asked Clarise & Pieter to tell me a little more about the big day and how they experienced it from their point of view. Here follows their story:
A Karoo Inspired Celebration!
Our dream was to have something out of the ordinary that displays the spirit of the Karoo. The street venue also extends the symbolism of the path that we have been walking together.
We wanted to display the beauty and sincerity of the Karoo. Jan Sauer from Hanover Boutique Guest House proposed that we make use of his guest house across the church for the reception, it was however, too small and when we came up with the street wedding idea, our possibilities were endless. With the church and the guest house as backdrops, our street wedding was a dream! Alfred form Melikhaya Event Concepts beautifully decorated the street reception. We could only rely on each others’ imaginations and the reality was wonderful! As never seen before!
How did we meet? The moment two paths crossed.
It was a romantic day on Facebook while it was raining outside. An invite lead to a coffee date and a coffee date lead to a wedding date. We share a love for people and laughter.
The Proposal!
Extremely illegal, we climbed over the very high fence surrounding the water reservoir at Heuwelsig in Bloemfontein on my birthday. On top of the reservoir, we overlooked the city and Pieter said he wanted to pray for me. I put my ear against his chest and noticed that his heart was beating very fast. I assumed he suffered from a sudden fear of hights. But it was when he said “amen” and got down onto one knee when I also contracted a sudden fear of heights!
Since the majority of guests had to travel from across the country, most of them arrived the day before the big celebration. To make sure the weekend went down in the books of history, guests were invited to show off their wrist flicks on the local Bowling Fields. Everyone had fun and even Pieter showed his friends who was the real man of the match!
Suddenly I understood my grandparent’s deep obsession with this sport. A sport usually associated with today’s elderly – I can openly admit that there was nothing old fashioned about the day’s activity! The tension and laughter rang high!
A Wooden Ring From Prague!
Clarise’s ring was designed by Pieter and it fit her taste and character perfectly.
Pieter’s ring was a gift bought by Clarise in Prague. He loved it so much that he decided to wear it as a wedding ring.
The Wooden Ring was a key element to the wooden theme of Pieter’s attire. With a leather tie, wooden watch and light brown leather shoes, Pieter was a fitting picture of a Karoo Groom.
Pieter got dressed and prepped at his house in Hanover. Surrounded by his brothers and other key members of the family, Clarise could rest assure that her groom would not arrive ungroomed at the ceremony.
Family And Friends as Wedding Planners
Although we did not have a wedding planner, we had great service providers and family and friends who helped make the day a great success. Our wedding planner was our dreams!
The Karoo and it’s small towns have endless possibilities when it comes to finding inspiration and beauty.
The day most certainly fit the description of events you would read about in magazines. Beautifully depicted with Karoo beauty, it felt like stepping in to a Novel from the shelf of a book lover.
A Dress from Moda
My dress was a sale piece from Moda who imports dresses. It was much too big, but I fell in love with its lace. When my mom said that the dress displays myself I knew that this was it. It was altered in size and style, we replaced a lace-up back with small buttons, a straight neckline was turned into a sweetheart neckline and a white ribbon was replaced with a sparkling belt. A few pieces of lace were removed from the bottom of the dress to create a beautiful upper piece.
Clarise’s mom and younger sister were the two chosen ladies to spend the last precious moments together during the final preparation. It was a moment adorned with emotions and excitement when the veil got dropped and mother and daughter looked at each other tenderly. Goosebumps!
The Miracle of Prayer. An Emotional Moment to Cherish.
The most memorable moment of our day was the start to the end! Our favourite moment was when I walked down the aisle towards Pieter. Pieter was overwhelmed with emotion and I knew this was the best walk of my life. My dad was in a serious accident 14 months before our wedding, he was in a wheelchair when we got engaged. Ever since he had undergone various operations and he started practicing walking so that he could walk me down the aisle. What a privilege!
The cherry on top was also that he officiated the wedding and led a beautiful service. What an amazing privilege to hear God’s word spoken through the voice of a father to his daughter and new son.
Something had to give!
If there was one thing we could change?
The weather conditions were not the best since it was extremely windy. The caterers wanted to move the wedding to the city hall, however, we are thankful that we insisted on the open air street wedding and the wind only added character.
A Fearless Photographer
Organictales was not only our photographer, she became a lifetime friend! Landi went through trouble to join our wedding party early and with her friendliness she got on with our guests in a comfortable manner. She even went the extra mile and took honeymoon pictures of us when we met up for a cocktail in Mosselbay a few days after! Photography is a priority for us and Landi professionally photographed every aspect of our wedding and beyond that, made our dreams came true when she captured heart warming moments.
A Creative Videographer!
Videography was done by Carl Viloria from The Spiffy Chap. A daring videographer who makes 200% sure he has the shot.
We Enjoyed Every Moment being part of Carl Jan’s creative Process! Being able to relive every moment in motion is such a special gift.
A Menu with flavours from the vast corners of the landscapes.
On the Menu:
Starters: Canapés served by waiters on platters among the guests: vegetables and dips, biltong & droëwors, fruit skewers, cold meat selection.
Main: Sheep spit, chicken spit, beetroot and bacon salad, greek salad, meat and apricot skewers, pumpkin pie, roosterkoek.
Pudding: Warm chocolate pudding served with custard and ice cream. (We saved money by not having a wedding cake)
Dance Dance Dance!
DJ Brakkies all the way from De Aar made sure the celebration stayed on fire! With a fantastic variety of upbeat music, guests soon forgot about the Karoo Evening Chills from the lurking wind, and instead kept their feet warm on the dance floor.
Advice to other couples still planning their dream celebration
It is great to have your soon-to-be husband involved in the process, ask his opinion and make use of his ideas – you may be surprised! Don’t conform to traditions, add your own value and meaning to the wedding. Think outside the box, it is your one special day. Don’t waste money on things that are not of importance to you.
A Honeymoon never to forget!
What an enriching experience of traveling our beautiful country and meeting amazing people! We started with a one-street town Klaarstroom where we met Koos Roets (famous afrikaans director), went on to Boggomsbaai (near Mosselbay to a beach house we received as a gift for a few days from Hanover friends) and met up for cocktails with our awesome photographer which turned into a honeymoon shoot ? We then went to Waenhuiskrans and met amazing fishermen in Cassiesbaai. Then we went to Strand (also a gift from a Hanover friend) and explored the Cape, next we went to Paternoster a lovely West Coast town. Next we explored the Namakwaland with a sleepover on a Kamieskroon farm in a kliphuisie. Before we got there we nearly ran out of petrol and we met a farmer in Nuwerus who gave us a litre of petrol to get to Bitterfontein! Next up was Augrabies falls!
What a great adventure that we got to experience together!
Watch this awesome highlight video from this unique celebration, shot and compiled by The Spiffy Chap
List of Service Providers and Vendors who contributed to the day:
We took a lovely little road trip up to Villiersdorp for this fun session.
It was sad to see how empty the dam is and the wind was poking fun at us, ripping through our hair and down ours spines. But what it brought with it was gorgeous; The clouds formed a big blanket over the background mountains, and as the wind kept pushing through, the sun broke through those clouds for a few split seconds. This allowed the sun to cast its rays directly in to my lens only to create the most beautiful sunflare images yet.
I would most certainly want to return to this amazing landscape for some more amazing photos.
The Karoo. A place with real people, Genuine stories and vast dry landscapes. It is the canvas that Stanley and Elaine chose for their wedding vows.
As I pulled in to Rooiberg Lodge after a 4.5 hour drive from Cape Town, I could smell the rain hanging over the landscape in thick dark clouds. There were still a good 24 hours before the ceremony would take place and some rain would be very welcome in this dry, yet rich desert plain.
Stanley and Elaine’s story started 9 years ago. Both small town kids with a natural love for the big outdoors. They definitely chose a fantastic venue to express this part of their relationship with friends and family traveling wide and far to attend this one-of-a-kind celebration.
“But you can set sail to the west if you want to
And pass the horizon, ’til I can’t even see you
Far from here
Where the beaches are wide
Just leave me your wake to remember you by
If you’ll be my star
I’ll be your sky
You can hide underneath me and come out at night”
~Gregory and the Hawk
