We all know that us females of the species love looking at wedding photos! Whether for inspiration, to dole out harsh judgement or simply because they're pretty, since film had been able to capture those special moments, women have loved looking at them!
For this reason I have decided to start featuring real weddings on my blog. Since I'm hoping that you will share your special day with me, I thought it only fair I share my special day with you! So behold and enjoy! (And don't judge too harshly!)
{How We Met}
Rod and I met through mutual friends in mid-November of 2004 at The Doors Nightclub in Edenvale, Johannesburg. Both die-hard metal fans, the man with the "beautiful, long, dark hair" and the girl who "looked so fantastic in her jeans" hit it off immediately! By the end of February 2005 we were dating.
{The Proposal}
In February of 2010, we decided to slip away to one of our favourite hide-outs in the Natal Midlands - a quiet, self-catering place in Nottingham Road on the Lion River. On the morning of our fifth anniversary, Rod arranged a romantic picnic brunch down by the river. It was a perfect Midlands morning, the mist hanging in the crisp air, the sun just peeking out behind the clouds. We spread our blanket on the bank next to a waterfall, and before I could even reach for the basket, Rod pulled out a small, burgundy ring box and dropped to one knee. As he's so fond of telling people, I promptly burst into tears!
{The Ceremony}
We got married on Saturday, the 1st of October 2011 at Valverde Country Hotel, a small family-run venue in Muldersdrift. I had always had my heart set on an October wedding. The weather is warm but not sweltering, the trees green, the flowers just coming into bloom... We exchanged vows in the Jasmine Chapel, a perfect, thatched, open-air chapel, complete with traditional wooden pews and wrought iron chandelier.
I'm a shy person by nature, unaccustomed to attention, but when I entered the chapel, all I saw was Rod, dapper in his black suit and ivory waistcoat and cravat, with his hair pulled back into a ponytail. It is hard to describe the emotions a bride feels on her wedding day, so I won't even begin to try.
Our minister, Andrew Christie, spoke beautiful words and made even the most serious among us laugh at his wit and humour. Neither of us wanted to suffer through hours of a Catholic ceremony (Rod is Lebanese), and the short, inter-denominational service Andrew gave us was perfect!
Our reception was held in the King's Hall at Valverde - a beautiful stone and thatch hall with bare rafters and wrought iron fixtures. Wanting something a bit out of the ordinary whites and pastels, we opted for a black and pewter colour scheme, with just a few flowers adding a touch of purple. Our decor was entirely DIY and focused on candles, glass and homemade dry arrangements, with just a few small posies in clear glass vases.
As a tribute to our parents and grandparents, we sunk old wedding photos in vases and floated candles on the water. As a friend later pointed out, our wedding evolved into a bit of a pirate theme, with our sunken photos, mini treasure chest favours and thank you messages in bottles.
The bottles doubled up as seating cards - each tag had the guest's name and table number.
I chose to personalise our menus. The name of each guest headed a menu placed at their setting, to double up as a seating card. I'm a little bit of a hoarder when it comes to pretty things, so I wanted our guests to have a number of small keepsakes.
Rod's mom's best friend Wave made our delicious chocolate wedding cakes. I wanted something very simple that would match our theme, and so went for a plain white fondant cake with black embellishment. The rose toppers were a perfect finish. I also chose not to have a tiered cake, preferring to create layers by using various glass vases to tie into the theme.
Ask any bride about her wedding day, and she'll tell you it was a perfect day. I am no different!
{Supplier List}
Venue: Valverde Country Hotel
Minister: Andrew Christie
Photography: Clive Middlemas Photography
Videography: Mona Lisa Productions
DJ: Matt of DJs Incorporated
Bouquets: Dilightful Wedding Flowers
Flowers and decor: Jade & Jasmine
Cake: Friend
Favours: Jade & Jasmine
Bridal gown and Celtic tiara: Unique Boutique
Bridesmaids' dresses: Unique Boutique
Men's attire: Black Tie
Bridal hair: Pieter at Carlton Hair Concepts, Cresta
Makeup artist: Pamela Pierce at Makeup by Pam
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