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Die Woud Wedding – Chrisna & Phillip

By WeddingOne Comment

Die Woud.

~’n Afrikaanse Hoofstuk.

Die Ontmoeting:

Ek en Phillip het mekaar einde Februarie ontmoet, 6 April het hy my uitgevra en 27 Desember het hy my gevra om sy vrou te word. Hy en my ma het saam gekonkel terwyl ek niks vermoed het nie. Ons gesin het die dag besluit om almal wit aan te trek, n piekniekmandjie te pak en die sonsondergang oor die Vrystaatse vlaktes te geniet op my ouers se plaas. Min weet ek dat Phillip my om die hand gaan vra!  Hy en my Ma het alles haarfyn beplan.

Die geduldige man:

Ek was oorspronklik aangetrokke tot my man se vermoeë om my te laat skaterlag tot die trane loop.  Vandag waardeer ek sy sagtheid, deernis en geduld waarmee hy my hanteer.

Die spontane vrou:

My Chrisi-pop se onmenslike mooi aura wat sy uitstraal het my totaal en al tot haar aangetrek.  Dit is so heerlik om saam met haar te wees en sy is altyd so gelukkig en spontaan.

Die Rok:

My Ma het eendag vir my gesê, “Sussie, kom ons kyk trourokke as jy die vakansie Vrystaat toe kom.”  Ek het op ‘n bruidswinkel se webtuiste na rokke gaan kyk en dadelik verlief geraak op n rok. Ek het die rok gaan “stalk” op pinterest en daardie vakansie toe ek die rok gaan pas, toe pas hy perfek! Die rok word toe bestel en 5 maande later, toe die rok uiteindelik in Suid-Afrika arriveer, is die rok hopeloos te groot en heeltemal die verkeerde kleur! Dit was 2 weke voor die troue en almal het namens my gestress.  Ek was egter rustig! Hoe opwindend?! Shopping so kort voor jou troue! Ek het n paar afsprake gaan maak, en op die tweede dag van my soektoeg by Cindy Bam opgeëindig.  Daar hang my rok! Amper presies soos my oorspronklike rok, net nog mooier!  Die rok het my boonop soos ‘n handskoen gepas!

Haarstyl:

Sanmarie Botha se talent het my droom vir die perfekste haarstyl laat waar word.  Ek is versot op die haarstyle in die rolprent, “Gone with the Wind.” en wou graag my troue se styl daar by laat in val.  My hare het heel dag gehou en mooi gelyk en a.g.v Sanmarie se handewerk was ek glad nie bekommerd dat dit sal uitsak nie.

 

Formele Troudag:

Ons troue was formeel. Ons wou n regte ouwêreldse, spoggerige troue hê, waarop almal hul blinkste skoene kon afgestof. Ons wou gehad hê ons gaste moet mooi voel en die aand se mooi geniet.  Om vir ‘n dag in ‘n ander wêreld in te stap en jou mooiste uitrusting te kan aantrek. Baie troues is deesdae baie informeel en mense het nie so gereeld die geleentheid om spoggerig aan te trek nie en dus wou ons vir ons gaste die geleentheid gee daarvoor. Ons troue was kristal, Swart en Wit. Wat anders pas tog beter by n “black tie event” as swart en wit? Ek het my hele lewe gedroom om eendag onder bome te trou en laaaaang tafels te hê! Toe ek Die Woud sien, toe weet ek net; Dis waar ons gaan trou! Dit was die eerste en laaste venue wat ons gaan kyk het.

 

Spesiale oomblik:

Die oomblik wanneer jy mekaar vir die eerste keer sien is onbeskryflik mooi en intiem.  Om mekaar se hande te vat voor jou naaste vriende en familie wanneer die rustigheid oor jou neer daal en jy besef – die oomblik en person vir wie jy jou lewe lank gewag het, is hier.

Die Fotograaf:

Landi Groenewald van Organictales het so baie moeite ingesit.  Sy het ure se beplanning aan ons tydlyn verleen en ek kon altyd op haar knoppie druk as ek raad nodig gehad het.  Sy het soveel geduld gehad en ons op ons gemaak laat voel, wat vir ons baie belangrik was.

As ons iets kon verander:

Hou by jou program en vergeet van die gaste wat laat opdaag.  Dis jou dag en onnodig om vir hulle koms te wag.  Dit sit jou hele program agter en veroorsaak ‘n groot gejaag.  Doen jou ding en bogger die res!  Moenie dat iemand jou grootste en spesiaalste dag bederf nie, net jy kan dit toelaat.

Advies:

Geniet elke oomblik!  Mens beplan soveel maande aan die groot dag en in ‘n oogwink is dit alles verby!  Kry ‘n goeie fotograaf en videograaf – die visuele oomblikke is als wat jy oor hou van jou spesiale dag.  Belangrikste van als – hou by jou tydskedule!

Kalahari DJ:

Phillip is versot op musiek! Van toeka af vertel hy my van die Kalahari DJ wat die gehoor so goed kan lees.  Musiek maak of breek beslis jou troue!  Jy kan nie net ‘n playlist aanmekaar sit en laat waai nie. ‘n Goeie DJ het die talent en vermoeë om te sien hoe die gaste reageer en wat om te speel om almal op hul tone en op die dansvloer en gelukkig te hou.
Daleen word toe ingevoer al die pad van Upington af! En glo my, die partytjie was vuur en vlam tot op die laaste nippertjie!

Gedig:

Dit was begin Februarie toe my hart terug roep Wes-Kaap toe. 
Ek het al vergeet hoeveel beter wyn in die Boland proe.
Een somersaand bevind ek my op my vriendin se plaas, 
my hart was weer rustig en onstlae van die geraas. 
Die buurman nooi ons toe na ‘n plaasbraai by die dam. 
Die samesyn was sonskyn en ‘n vuurtjie vat toe vlam.
 
Aanvanklik het ek die vuur probeer vermy, 
want die seun van die plaas was nogal arrogant volgens my. 
Die seun van die plaas het ‘n boodskap op Facebook gestuur. 
Ek het steeds niks daarvan gemaak nie, 
maar die geselskap was ‘n plesier. 

Kort daarna was ek oppad na die Vrystaat. 
Twee vriende het getrou. 
Ek het gedink ek gaan saam met die man wat my hart vir jare vas kon hou.
Min wetend dat hy op die nippertjie sou laat weet hy kan dit nie maak. 
Die seun van die plaas, het my toe by die lughawe kom haal.
Nooit het ek geweet dat ek eendag sy vrou sou raak. 
Hy het my hart gevat en hom stywer vasgehou, 
en kort voor lank, op my ouers se plaas, het hy my gevra om met hom te trou.

~C. Mouton Burger

 

Diensverskaffers:

Liewe Diensverskaffers.  Vreeslik baie dankie vir julle elkeen se bydrae tot Phillip en Chrisna se huweliksbevestiging.  Sonder julle kennis en talent sou ek nie hierdie mooi foto’s kon vasvang nie.  Daar sal binnekort ‘n webskakel beskikbaar gestel word om foto’s af te laai vir gebruik.  Vir nou, deel asb hierdie blog skakel op sosiale media tot die aflaai skakel beskikbaar is.  Liefde, Landi.

Fotograaf: Organictales

Rok: Cindy Bam

Venue: Die Woud

Grimering: Mariette Conradie

Hare: Sanmarie Botha

Videograaf: Alleta Francina

Troukoek:  Birdcage

Skryfbehoeftes:  Rob Signs

Tafeldoek:  Bloomprints

Blomme: Marlize Mouton, Maria Delgardo en Chrisna Mouton Burger

Dekor: Chrisna Mouton Burger

Papier blomme tydens Seremonie: Moody Affair

Blomme van onthaal, handruikers en blommekranse: Maria Delgardo en Marlize Mouyon

Blommemeisies se rokke: Hezanne Viljoen

DJ: Daleen Burger

Spyseniers: Die Woud

April 23, 2019
Love4
peppertree wedding

The Time Grandma Caught the Bouquet!

By Wedding2 Comments

Pepper Tree Wedding.

~A Classic but Timeless Chapter.

I first met Carla & Janco about a year ago when I photographed another unique wedding in the heart of the Karoo.  If there is one thing I always single out as my favourite part of my photography journey, it is the fact that I meet so many amazing people at my weddings.  Cara and Janco are just some more proof of that.  So I was pretty excited when Carla contacted me a few months later to say they got engaged and that she needed to book me as soon as possible!  I knew this would be a unique journey and even their engagement images were a treat!  Scroll down to read their story from how they met to how they abseiled down a cliff on Honeymoon!

 

Tell us about how you met and the attributes that drew you to each other?

We met in September 2011 on the dance floor of a Bloemfontein hang-out spot.  A bunch of friends and I wanted to dance, but sadly we didn’t know any men to dance with us!  As fate had it, I bumped in to an old friend who introduced us to a bunch of men in the same dilemma.  A perfect match!  Before I knew it, there was a tall, brown-haired man with a flowerprint shirt standing in front of me asking if I wanted to dance.  To my own astonishment, I jumped up and yelled “Yippee!!”
We started dancing and talking that night and we just never stopped again.  It was the start to the dance of the rest of our lives together.

Some of the attributes that draw us to each other is most definitely the fact that we find the other extremely attractive!  Janco describes it as an “internal happiness” he can see in my eyes.  Janco on the other hand can literally talk to me about any topic you can think of!  Even flower arrangements!

The Proposal.

One afternoon after work, we drove through to Kimberley for a bit of shopping.  On our way back to Boshof we decided to pop in at KFC which made the day feel like a hot summer holiday from the movies.  I told Janco that I feel like painting my nails just because I can!  He immediately agreed that we should do that later!

When we got back home, my neighbour and I took my bulldog pup for a walk and by the time we returned it was already quite dark, only to find ourselves in a moment of infamous Load Shedding without electricity.  Janco already had the house set up with a bunch of candles, a bottle of wine, music and the nail polish ready.

After my nails were dry, Janco gave me a hug and I could hear his heart beating right out of his chest!  I became so concerned that something was wrong and kept asking if he was okay.  The next moment the man went down on his knee, holding a ring towards me.  He was the most beautiful picture framed through that ring! I became so excited that I started running around in the house from excitement.  He had to bring me back and calm me down to give him my answer.  But I only gave him my “YES” after he reassured me that he had my parents’ permission! Haha!

Pepper Tree Wedding Venue.

The style of the wedding was only confirmed once I had my dress.  Classic and Timeless.  The flowers had to be different colours and there had to be a hint of rose gold.  In the end I decided that nothing matched, but overall it still made a beautiful image together.  My inspiration of course came from Instagram and Pinterest.

We only looked at one venue in person and then decided to just look further online.  I only had one request which was that the chapel should not have a thatched roof and that there needs to be a lot of natural light available.  Janco also only had one request and that was that everything needs to happen inside since we did not want to stress ourselves in regards to the weather.  We saw Pepper Tree Wedding Venue online and booked our date and a viewing.  We fell in love with the garden, the timeless feel and how welcoming everything was.

How did you decide on the dress and where did you find it?

One morning during the June Winter Holidays, my mother and I went to Bloemfontein to go dress shopping.  We went to 3 different stores, yet I had no idea what I was looking for.  They say the dress first needs to fit your body and second your taste! Haha!  At the third shop I probably fitted about 13 dresses in 5 minutes!  In that pile of dresses there was one that just kept talking to me and eventually stole my heart.  Bridal Emporium in Bloemfontein really helped me so much!

Is there any special story behind the rings.

Janco designed and drew pictures of my ring while he worked in America for a year.  I never really showed him what I liked, but I did tell him that if a ring is rose gold, I would like the diamond to be a clear white diamond, but if the ring was white gold then the diamond had to be pink!  He clearly did listen to me and when he returned to South Africa, he had it made by Philip in Kimberley.

His ring, on the other hand, is completely the opposite.  It is rough and something very different.  He is a farmer and works with his hands a lot and well… Janco himself is also very different.  His ring is oxidized silver with a golden rif welded on top.  It is also bruised and hammered to give it its rough look.  It represents the fact that not everything is perfect but in the great picture everything still remains beautiful and unique.

 

Who made sure your make up and hair looked beautiful.

Vanilla Moon in Bloemfontein is a bride’s one stop shop!  They definitely made sure I looked absolutely gorgeous and knew exactly what I wanted.

Most memorable moment.

I really want to say that the whole day was a memorable moment!  But there definitely were highlights!  One of the moments I will cherish was when I walked down the aisle with my dad, and seeing Janco waiting for me in front.  I felt so excited and yet so calm!
Another highlight was walking through the confetti and all the special dances that followed that evening with my husband and then also with my  dad.  A favourite moment was indeed when my grandmother caught the bouquet!  We joked with her before the wedding that we will set her up with a handsome hunk for the night, and what do you know! There she caught the bouquet!

How did you experience your photographers services….

WOW WOW WOW! When Landi Groenewald walked in to my room that morning while we were getting ready, everything started feeling real!  She was great!  I figured that if I book Landi for the photos I wouldn’t need a videographer! Haha!  She made us feel so at ease and she literally gets along with everyone and every guest on the day!

Who were the caterers.

Pepper Tree Wedding Venue was in charge of the catering.  The food was unbelievably delicious! My mother baked the cake and cupcakes and two friends helped her to decorate it all.

We also had a gin bar that was open during the Canapes.  A cash bar with extra cooldrinks and water were available during the canapes time, and later for everyone else’s hard tac.  We provided the Sparkling Wine for the toasts and enough wine for everyone who wanted to give the bar a skip.

 

Who made sure there was good music and sound?

Our DJ was Gert Deysel.  A man of many talents!  He is a dairy farmer as well as a DJ!! How awesome is that!  The chap lives right around the corner from Petrusburg and he had all our guests dancing and moving to the beat!

Is there anything about the day you wish you could change?

I actually never thought about that question!  I wouldn’t change a thing, come to think of it.  Even though it rained, the day still turned out perfectly magical!

Any advice to couples still in the planning process.

ENJOY the planning process and… MAKE LISTS.  My mother was the one who suggested and enforced the plan to make lists because I more often than not have the attitude of “let’s just wing it!”

Tell us about the Honeymoon….

We don’t kiss and tell….
Haha! We went to Clarence for 1 night, then 4 nights in Uvongo at Pebble Beach and lastly we spent 2 nights in the Drakensberg mountains at Berghouse Cottages. It was so unbelievable!  I don’t think we have ever laughed or ate as much!

Janco also had me abseil down a 160m high cliff at Oribigorge in Kwazulu-Natal!  The man is testing my limits! Haha!  But as a result I received my first certificate with my new surname on it!

Describe your wedding day in one sentence.

“Classy with a twist, friends,  music, fun, love, happiness, flowers, family and LOVE.”

 

SERVICE PROVIDERS:

(Please do not screenshot or copy images from this webpage.  A download link will be made available to the bride soon)

VENUE: PEPPER TREE WEDDING VENUE

PHOTOGRAPHY: ORGANICTALES

DRESS: BRIDAL EMPORIUM

FLOWERS: WALDORF

DECOR: HARTSLIEF

STATIONARY: TROULANTYNTJIES

HAIR AND MAKE UP: VANILLA MOON

DJ: GERT DEYSEL

ASSISTANT: ANGELA BUTLER

 

January 19, 2019
Love2

Buitenverwachting Wedding

By WeddingNo Comments

Buitenverwachting Wedding

– Ein Deutches Kapitel

Constantia. South Africa’s oldest Vinelands.  Nestled at the foot of mountains with hectares of the finest grapes, sought after dutch architecture and beautiful sunsets.
As I first met Anna & James in a hip coffee bar in Cape Town, I simply knew that it was the start to a beautiful friendship.
James, (who unmistakably resembles a more handsome version of Prince William) is an easy-going and relaxed chap.  While Anna, is a fun, outspoken dame who truly lights up any room she walk in to.  Her joyful laughs are dangerously contagious.
The build-up to this 3 day wedding celebration has been one filled with excitement and very detailed planning.  So grab a glass of your best wine while you read their story.

 

A Restaurant Visit that led to the next chapter:

Anna and James met in September 2014. Anna was in South Africa on holiday at the time, visiting her cousin in Johannesburg. While in Johannesburg, Anna and her cousin’s wife came down to Cape Town and while exploring, found this wonderful restaurant in Camps Bay. By sheer co-incidence, James was sitting at the very next table, having just returned to SA from living abroad. At some stage the two tables got talking and by the end of the night, James had Anna’s phone number. The very next day, they went on their first date. By the time Anna returned to Germany, she was in a long distance relationship with this South African boy.

“That was the beginning of a 13 month long-distance relationship in which we traveled between Germany and South Africa. After finally sorting out Anna’s visa situation and after finding a job, Anna made the move to Cape Town. And that was the beginning of our life together.”

A Proposal for movie scenes:

For Anna’s birthday present in 2016, James took Anna horseriding on Noordhoek beach. After jumping from the horses and walking up the dunes, James got on one knee and proposed. ‘I always wanted to see you like this’ was Anna’s cheeky answer – and the rest was just a screaming ‘yes’.

As is typical in the German tradition, we decided to do a small and intimate civil wedding that year. The following year, we planned to have our big wedding, with guests from overseas and family & friends from South Africa.  We ended up having THREE wedding ceremonies in total!

View their engagement photos by clicking here

 

 

A Priest from Germany:

A Priest from Germany who is living in South Africa  was officiating our ceremonies. As we split our wedding into two days, we had a German mass in church and an English blessing on the lawns of the day of the reception. We wanted all of our guests to have an emotional connection to the wedding. And because not everybody could speak English, we decided to have a priest who is able to speak both languages. Priest Wim Lindeque was the very first person we found for our wedding program. He is the most fantastic human being; he helped us to have very personal and memorable ceremonies. After this, some of our friends chose him as the priest on their wedding.

 

Two Ceremonies to Celebrate Love:

We wanted a wedding which wasn’t too far outside Cape Town as we had many guests flying in from Europe. Besides that, we really love the wine farms in Constantia with their stunning natural beauty. In the end we decided to split the ceremonies into two – The first ceremony being a mass at the Nazareth House Church (with an amazing view over Table Mountain), followed by a lunch at Silvermist, in Constantia Nek with a view over the 12 Apostles.

 

The Second Ceremony:

The second blessing and the big reception was to follow on Saturday at Buitenverwachting in Constantia.
Buitenverwachting is a stunningly beautiful award winning wine farm and is well known for its wine and cuisine. It is run by a German couple and has an incredible team – the service is really outstanding. We planned to have our blessing on the beautiful lawns with its really old oak trees and could already start dancing in the courtyard to our band. Further it was just the right size for the number of our guests. The wine farm has been newly renovated and the interior is also beautiful. We really liked the idea of not bringing in too much decoration and relying on the natural beauty of our venue; the wine farm really makes a statement on its own.

Silvermist views:

Anna & James decided to do their pre wedding prep at Silvermist Mountain Estate in Constantia.  A beautiful mountainous estate overlooking the Apostles.  The views were breathtaking and the crisp mountain air added a fresh breeze to the hot day.  The estate boasts with beautiful wooden featured decor and impeccable wine for the taste buds.

 

A relaxed and talented Makeup Artist:

The brides makeup was done by Derdre, the owner of  Derdre’s face & body care. Anna found it rather difficult to find a reliable, young make-up artist in CT. After some disappointing experiences with other suppliers, she finally (and thankfully) met Derdre. Deirdre is an awesome talent who was super relaxed to help out in a last-minute situation. She exactly understood what Anna wanted and fulfilled her every wish. Anna called her ‘a brides dream’. She also did the mothers’ make-up and some of the other girls. After the makeup was done she joined the party and socialized while everyone finished getting dressed. We were getting ready, having champagne with the girls and when it came to the photo shoot, Derdre even assisted with one of the bridesmaid’s babies. She is an extremely caring, wonderful person.

 

Red Carpet Wedding Couture:

When Anna started looking for her wedding dress, her initial feeling was one of unhappiness with what the market in Cape Town with regards to bridal couture offered.  That was however before she found Viktor K in Claremont. He exactly understood her style and taste. Anna didn’t necessarily want a typical wedding dress, and rather wanted an atypical wedding dress style – more of a red carpet kind of look. Viktor did a brilliant job by producing the most stunning wedding dress – everything was exactly what Anna had wanted and he provided huge amounts of support and professional advice.  In the end Viktor K produced two dresses, a white one for the church wedding and another one for the Saturday reception. Viktor was truly amazing and comes highly recommended – and he really lived up to it, with the final outcome far better than what Anna could have wished for.

 

A Moment to Cherish Forever:

James and Anna found it very special walking down the aisle on the lawns of Buitenverwachting. Anna walked in with her bridesmaids, while James was waiting at the start of the aisle. He took Anna’s hand and together they walked up to the priest.  The guests were applauding once they saw Anna coming around in her dress. ‘Fields of gold’ from Sting was played by a Saxophonist and a double bass which really pushed the emotions up a notch.

“We were incredibly lucky with the weather; we were standing under massive trees on this beautiful lawn with our family & friends surrounded while we were exchanging our vows. It was just too pretty.”

Duke & Dutch Wedding Rings:

Our rings are produced by Rolf Werndle. Rolf is a jewellery designer and the owner of  Duke & Dutch. It is much more personal and exclusive to get your rings done individually. You can choose your exact style and source the right stones. Rolf is the most reliable, talented and professional jewellery designer a couple could wish for. He is highly recommended and he did a brilliant job.

 

A Dose of Moonshine:

Our highlight of the wedding day was definitely our band Moonshine – a five piece vibe sensation led by Dan Shout. These guys are truly unbelievable and are guaranteed to get everyone in the right mood with their blend of jazz and 50’s rock’n’roll songs. The first time we saw these guys play was at Barristers in Newlands on a Sunday afternoon – and even then, mid-afternoon they had the whole place dancing. If you’re having people from different generations and different countries at your wedding, with 50’s rock and jazz, you want to make sure everybody will love the music. You will not find a more cool, talented and vibey band – guaranteed. Not only that, Dan is so helpful and professional in ensuring everything sound-related for the wedding is a success. We opened the dance floor by having our first dance to their live music. The family followed and so it happened that we were dancing outside in the courtyard, under the sky and we had the most amazing time. We got plenty of compliments for our band & hope that they got some more customers this evening.

 

A Photographer | Coordinator | Videographer on board:

Landi Groenewald from Organictales was far and away the best service provider we could ever have wished for. Anna saw her work for the first time in Viktor K’s studio, where she had done some of the bridal photography. Anna immediately fell in love with her images. What we saw in Landi‘s images was not just someone who is able to capture the right moments, but someone who would really understand light and landscapes and furthermore not just a wedding photographer but a super talented artist. After contacting and meeting her, we discovered what a wonderful, caring, professional & ambitious young person she was. The market in Cape Town for wedding photographers is probably a rather big one, but after seeing Landi’s images and meeting her, it was the biggest wish to have her for the job. She did a beautiful engagement shoot for us in Kalk Bay and has been with us on our whole wedding weekend. We really cannot thank Landi enough and the entire journey would have been different had we not had her.

Landi was able to help us with plenty of recommendations for other service providers and did so generously. As Anna is not from Cape Town it was a great help to find other excellent & ambitious suppliers. So it happened that we met our videographer, Johann Latsky, from Latsky Multimedia and Amo from ‘Amo Creative’, our coordinator for the day via Landi. Exactly the kind of highly professional people a wedding couple wants to work with. Johann does a lot of corporate and wedding videography and is clearly an expert in his field. Amo, an event management talent, is a young & very ambitious person who makes a wedding day run smoothly. Both take their job very serious which is very important for someone who thinks in German standards.

 

 

Anna & Jame’s Advice to planning a Destination Wedding:

“We wouldn’t change  anything about the wedding!”

We knew that we were expecting plenty of guests from overseas. This is quite an intense project if you plan a wedding for so many foreign people and having more than just one day & location. Anyways, Anna didn’t want to book a wedding planner because she wanted to find & meet every supplier on her own. We do not believe in packages that are being offered to you. Every wedding should be as individual as the couple is. If you want to avoid any disappointment, it makes sense to invest some time into your own wedding research.  And the guests feel it and this creates a big vibe in the end. We have been extremely happy all around, we have been blessed with our very good friends in helping in quite some tasks and we wouldn’t change anything about the wedding. We think it’s important for a couple to simply do what the both are dreaming of.

After having our three ceremonies done we can say it was the most exciting time in our lives and something we would love to repeat in 5 years’ time 😀

 

Service providers:
Photography:  ORGANICTALES 
Coordinator: Amo Creative
Videography: Latsky Multimedia
Dress: Victor Kok
Make up: Derdre’s Face & Body Care
Ceremony 1: Nazareth House Church
Ceremony 2: Buitenverwachting Wine Estate
Prep Venues:  Silvermist Mountain Lodge
Music & Sound: Moonshine

December 14, 2017
Love4

Warm Karoo Wedding

By WeddingOne Comment

Warm Karoo Wedding

A Hot Summer’s Chapter

I will always enjoy weddings in the Free State.  Not only do I get to visit my parents, but I also get to reminisce on my childhood.  The smells, the sounds and even the skies – it all comes together in to one past dream.  The warm weather on this wedding day truly emphasized all those senses which all led to a wedding I am unlikely to ever forget.  Here follows the story of Ilze & Jacques’s tale.

 

A High School Sweetheart Promise:

Jacques and I are high school sweethearts. We met at a sweet-sixteen barefoot-and-headband-party. He fell in love first and I followed a few weeks later. Fast forward six years down the line and we’ve never been happier.

She: Since the moment I met him, he made me laugh. He was a rugby player with an obsession for all things nerdy. From the get-go he made me laugh. He’s a romantic at heart and from the first day we met, he made me feel special and valuable.

He: The moment I met her I could immediately see there was something different about this girl. I am normally indecisive about what I want and if, I in fact want anything. But I knew that I had to have her. Her beauty, her drive and her honesty are some of the many qualities that intrigued me from that first moment. She did not make it easy but I was determined to pursue her.

 

A Treasure Hunt to “I Do”

I’m a very intuitive person so it takes quite a lot to actually surprise me. He planned out every single detail like a Russian spy. Under false pretences, we flew down to Strand in Cape Town. I was under the impression that we were there to celebrate Jacques’ grandfathers’ birthday with the family. Everyone was in on it. My mother-in-law actually packed fake suitcases as they were supposedly driving from Bloemfontein to Cape Town just a few hours after us. I suspected something but convinced myself that it was selfish to think of my own engagement on Grandpa Kelly’s birthday.

When we got to their holiday home in the Strand, I was actually the one to suggest that we go and have a late lunch down the road. At the restaurant, Jacques got up and went to the restroom. A waiter brought me an envelope saying that I was supposed to go outside and get into a white car.

When I got outside, the whole street was full of white cars. I was confused for a moment and scared that I might get abducted if I got into a strangers car. Luckily I recognised one of our friends in a white car. I got in the car and received a second envelope. It was a treasure hunt. I had to figure out every clue on my own and every envelope had a puzzle piece with it. Eventually the clues led me back to their home. Once upstairs, I had to assemble the puzzle which turned out to say “Sal jy met my …”

The last clue asked me to go down to the beach and find him. When I got there, a small table with candles and champagne was set up. He was standing on the windy beach and first mocked me for taking so long to build the puzzle. He then asked me what the puzzle had said. I told him that the puzzle was incomplete and only said, “Sal jy met my…” He then opened up his jacket and he was wearing a black shirt that said “TROU?”  With not a single doubt in my mind I said yes!

Laid back Inspiration

From the start we wanted a wedding with a relaxed and laid back atmosphere. We lived and breathed the motto:  A beautiful wedding people might remember for a while, but a fun wedding they’ll remember forever.  I actually had the décor and venue figured out before we even got engaged (after six years a girls’ mind cannot help but wander).

I got inspiration form everything and everyone. Lots of older people actually had some very good ideas and some parts of the wedding just popped into my mind while I was at work. Lastly, I can honestly say that I am now a professional Pinterest guru.

 

A Venue that captured their hearts:

When we first started talking about marriage we drove around Bloemfontein and when we drove onto the Warm Karoo property. I told Jacques that this was where I was going to get married. After the engagement we viewed every other venue in and around Bloemfontein but my heart was already set on Warm Karoo and no other venue could match it.  I was especially drawn to the wooden beams in the chapel and in the main hall. I thought that it would make for great photos, and it did.

A Dress made to fit:

I never really tried on a lot of dresses. I knew what I liked and what I felt comfortable in. I’ve always said that I want a wedding dress that fits me and not a dress that I have to fit in to.  I’ve never heard a bad word uttered about Julie Wedderburn and I now know why. She made me feel so comfortable and confident. She is a perfectionist and really does go the extra mile. She was honest without being offensive and if I could do everything over, I would choose her time and time again.

 

Friends on Hair & Make-Up:

Long-time friend and my most trusted beautician, Lucinda Lombard from Almyhart was in charge of making my bridesmaids even prettier than they already were. Amy Olden did my own airbrush makeup and made me feel so good about myself. Even without the makeup. Jana Azar is also a friend of mine and I wouldn’t have trusted anyone else to do our hair on the big day.

 

When hearts collide – The most memorable moment:

Her: The most memorable moment of the day was when I touched his arm at the end of the aisle. I was nervous as my Dad and I walked down the aisle. When my Dad handed me over to him and I got to put my arm through his, my whole body relaxed and my heart felt at home. I knew that what we were doing on this day was straight out of the hand of God.

His: My most memorable moment is captured in the moment right before she walked in and the moment I saw her as she walked in. I am normally not an emotional person and I was not sure if I was going to shed a tear at the moment she walked in. But before her song started playing, a bag piper named Mark played a beautiful song to celebrate her Scottish heritage and that was when the waterworks started.

An officiant with soul:

Pastor Leon Fourie officiated the ceremony. He and his wife have been married for 25 years and we wanted someone dear to our hearts to marry us. We also did our pre-marital counselling with Pastor Leon and his wife so he knows us on a personal and individual level as well.  I would recommend pre-marital counselling to every newly engaged couple as it keeps your mind on what’s actually important during wedding planning and helps with what comes after it.

 

A Photographer who walks the journey:

Just after our engagement, Jacques and I discussed three things that we wanted from our photographer. We wanted someone with experience, someone who would be committed to us and with whom we could form a comfortable and relaxed friendship. And lastly, we wanted great results.  Organictales ticked all the boxes and then included a few more. Her service before, on and after the day was impeccable.

The importance of our wedding photos came down to this: After spending months and months planning the cake and décor and dress and shoes and venue and food and wine and vows and speeches, we wanted it all captured in time in a creative and artistic way. We want to look back in 40 years’ time and still feel the same emotions that we experienced on our wedding day. We wanted photos that would last a lifetime because that’s what we want out of our marriage.

 

 

A professional and creative videographer:

A wedding video was one of the few things my new husband just wouldn’t budge on. After realizing what a wedding costs in real life we desperately tried to cut down on a few things. I immediately thought that cutting the wedding video would help. Luckily, Jacques wouldn’t hear any of it. It was one of the few things about the wedding that he wouldn’t compromise on. Today I can only thank him for that.

Raisingflags is as good as it gets. We decided to get wedding videographers as well as a photographer because we wanted every single moment, every laugh and every cry captured in time. A photo captures a moment in time, but we wanted to capture the atmosphere of the day as well. Francois and his team delivered professional and friendly service, both before on and after our wedding day.  It was great to hear that our photographer and videographer actually organized to meet each other before the wedding, just to plan how, when and where they would be shooting.

The Rings:

I wanted a yellow gold ring because I wanted to do things differently. I originally chose a design that, Pinterest recommended. Jacques received two of the three diamonds from his parents and bought the third one himself. My sister designed the ring according to the three diamonds and included some of the original design as well.

We chose Jacques’ ring while walking around in jewellery shops. I wanted his ring to also have some gold tones to match mine. He wears his rubber wedding ring most days but puts on his real one every chance he gets.

A Coordinator included:

Warm Karoo includes its own wedding coordinator. She comes in a small and friendly but dynamite package that is Tammy.  Tammy was there to guide and advice from the beginning to the end. I trusted her with literally EVERYTHING. It was because of her that I could rest easy the night before the wedding.

 

Music to bring the feet out to dance:

Starsound delivered exactly what we asked for. It was great that they knew the venue and that the venue knew them. From the entrance until the last song, the DJ’s were great. We could not have asked for better.

 

A Perfect day to cherish:

I wouldn’t change anything about the day. It was perfect from the beginning to the end. If I could, I would make the day a few hours longer. Just to celebrate our perfect day for as long as I could.

 

Ilze & Jacques’s Advice to Other Couples:

To any couples still in the whirlwind that is planning a wedding, I would advise that you make time for your better half without all the wedding mojo. It’s really important to try and switch off from wedding planning and to remind yourself why and for whom, you are doing it all. Remember that your wedding is just one day in the rest of your life. Try and soak up all the little details, capture every moment in your mind. Make time for your guests, but do spend a few moments alone with the most important person there.

 

 

Thank you to all the service providers who contributed to the day:

Venue:  Warm Karoo
Videography: Raising flags
Decor hire: Grand Room Design
Dress: Julie Wedderburn
Make-up: Amy Olden

November 21, 2017
Love4
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