Our Dreamy Destination Wedding (in the Cape Winelands)
After five long years of waiting, we finally celebrated our much anticipated white wedding. We chose the exquisite Cape Winelands as a nod to my heritage, and it was the perfect destination to wow our guests and introduce them to stunning South Africa. It was quite something to have so many loved ones fly in from all parts of the globe to celebrate us, and seeing my home country through the eyes of foreigners is a feeling I won’t forget. The beauty of South Africa blew people away and it doubled up as a once in a lifetime holiday. The arduous wait and painstaking process of planning a destination wedding was so worth it, and my heart is so full that we finally got to have our special day.
We said our “I do’s” at the magnificent Zorgvliet Wine Estate, nestled in the Banhoek valley and right at the foot of the drastic Stellenbosch mountain range. I have always dreamed of getting married here and consider it one of the hidden gems of the cape winelands. In fact, most locals don’t know about it, despite it’s close proximity to Boschendal etc. The venue is absolutely exquisite and takes you on a breathtaking journey (quite literally) via tractor or vintage bus, from it’s gorgeous cape dutch entrance up to it’s quaint chapel via a picturesque palm-tree lined road, accompanied by rolling fields, majestic mountains and a lake. The professionalism of our wedding planner, Bernie, who lives and breathes weddings, as well as the friendliness of the staff – made this a five star experience for all.
We were very intentional about our wedding being as personal as possible. We had handwritten cards, and gave out local delicacies of biltong and amarula to our guests who stayed with us on site. We also wanted to have a build up to our big day and so we hosted a braai (SA version of a BBQ) the night before, for all our wedding guests. The sunset was extraordinary and the al-fresca dining was a novelty. especially for many of us that had come straight from a gruelling UK winter. We had jam-packed the week leading up the wedding with lots of tourist activities in the spirit of getting everyone connected. Come the wedding day itself, and folks were firm friends and very comfortable with one another. It was just what we envisioned and hoped our destination wedding would look like.
Our suppliers were chosen with such purpose, and there’s a beautiful story behind them. Our florist Vasti (Forever Blossom) and photographer Britt (Tuhi Photography), were actually booked for our originally planned 2020 wedding in the UK, but both moved to SA during the pandemic. They walked the journey with us throughout our planning process from 2020 to 2024. They doubled up not just as vendors, but guests on our big day – several years later than originally planned!
My make-up artist Mana-Zita, made me feel my absolute best, despite a cold sore that cropped up a few days beforehand (did I mention how stressful wedding planning can be?) She was so patient with me, especially when I threw her a curveball on the morning of the wedding and asked for a different style to my trial! Hers is another serendipitous story as my original HMAU double booked me and sent Mana-Zita our way. I couldn’t have dreamed of not having her there. I felt like a princess. My bridesmaids: Jess, Kaela and Alex were also incredibly happy with how theirs turned out. They looked so elegant in their Coast sequins gowns. Special shout out to Alex, who was a trooper at 9 months pregnant, and kindly waited until the Tuesday to give birth. I had my other two bridesmaids Kim and Bex get ready with me virtually as they sadly weren’t able to fly to South Africa. Nevertheless they were dialled into several parts of our day thanks to modern tech. Cue lots of dancing, bubbles and cute photos and it was almost time to walk down the aisle!
I wore my original wedding dress that I had bought five years beforehand from Whittington Bridal in Texas. It was a heavily beaded Calla Blanche tulle ball gown that had been boxed away above my cupboard for half a decade. I altered the neckline to suit my current style and removed a layer as it was originally three tiered. I couldn’t dream of wearing any other dress on my special day as she told such a glorious story.
Although “legally” married for a few years, it was important for me to marry Michael in a church and have a God-honouring ceremony in keeping with my Christian faith. My dad acted as our officiant and it was incredibly special having him play such an important role. I will never forget the moment of walking down the aisle, and laying eyes on my dashing husband in his white tuxedo, with our two year old son proudly holding his hand and beaming. He too was wearing a white tuxedo and the pair of them truly looked sensational. Our vows were so meaningful and hearing the congregation sing “All Things Bright and Beautiful” was music to my ears. It was around this moment that my aunt accidentally fell off the pew and our son (who was sitting on her lap) went flying, but it wouldn’t have been my wedding without something dramatic happening. I was so excited for our confetti moment, and leaving the chapel arm in arm with my official husband, having our family and friends cheering us on, is a memory I will forever cherish. Cue the famous Zorgvliet wedding bells echoing across the valley!
No canape hour is complete without jazz to create that romantic ambience. We used Shout MC to do just that. I stole a little dance with Michael and smiled as the sun shone down at a scorching 35 degrees! I remember having a quiet moment to just drink it all in and I recall so vividly our guests just beaming. Everyone was having such a good time and laughter, music and excited chatter filled the atmosphere. Our champagne coupe was a special touch and I’m glad we decided to splurge on it, and I’m so grateful to my bridesmaid for running around last minute and buying cute fans for our guests to use in the heat.
My vision for the reception was a foliage fairytale, with a touch of champagne. I wanted to create a space where we could bring the outdoors, in. I didn’t care much for flowers as I hoped to go all out with a breathtaking installation instead. What a sight it was! Bunches of eucalyptus and greenery hung effortlessly above our heads as we wined and dined the night away. One of my favourite things about this choice was the smell. The fresh foliage was absolutely sensational and something I will always remember as our wedding day scent. It lasted for a good few days and if I could bottle it up and take it with me, I would. I believe fairy lights are an essential and we absolutely went to town with ours, with the help of Happinest Hire. We opted for a tent like effect over our installation. The transformation of the twinkling lights and candles from day to night was stunning – as was the extraordinary view of the mountains just behind our sweetheart table. We even took a moment around midnight when everyone was dancing to just sit on a chair in the middle of the reception area to soak it all in. It was sensational.
Our cake was a three tier masterpiece created by Crumb, and our wedding food was some of the best we’ve ever eaten. Zorgvliet catered our day and we went for the luscious linefish and masterfully marinated beef fillet as meal choices. I believe the venison carpaccio starter went down a treat, too. The dishes were generously sized and we made sure we enjoyed our wedding meal, as it’s not often the bride and groom get to savour their food! Our first dance was so much fun and even though we messed up a few of our choreographed moves, I don’t think anybody noticed. It was just so happy. We chose Mumford and Sons “There will be Time” and I think it was so fitting, given our binational relationship and the years of waiting we did in order to have our big day. The final lift and the sweet kiss at the end of the dance was a crowd pleaser. I’m just relieved Michael didn’t drop me!
Our stationary was crafted by Charm and Perfection, and we chose a minimalist design that was classic and elegant. Our table names were meaningful to us, such as where we had our first date (The Blues Kitchen), or the place where Michael proposed (Umzolozolo). As a writer, I couldn’t resist and decided to pen a poem about our love story, which was displayed on an A1 board. We also created a beautiful “In memory of” section as an homage to our loved ones who had gone to heaven. Not having my brother there to share my day with me was always going to be painful, but his name was so honoured and we toasted to him a few times. It was special moments like these which truly meant the world to me and my family. At my kitchen tea a few days earlier, my mom presented my garter to me which was made up of my brother’s blue South African Water Polo Tie. I had no idea that they had kept it and it was incredibly meaningful to wear. I laughed out loud when my bestie Jess put it in brilliant words – “from his head, straight to your leg!” .
As parents ourselves, we very much wanted children to be involved in our wedding. Ask me this pre-motherhood and I would have glared at you. I’m now a firm believer that children add so much joy to weddings and I’m so glad we included them. We made sure to hire childcare on the day, and the kiddies were fantastically cared for by Wineland Nannies. Having parents let their hair down, knowing that their little ones were having a ball, and being babysat at bedtime, was so appreciated.
Our speeches will forever be one of the most special moments of our wedding. Our silk napkins didn’t do anyone any favours and the waiters dashed around with tissues, as grown men blubbered and people sobbed. It was unadulterated raw emotion. Brutiful, honest and full of hope. My dad’s speech was exceptional and instead of standing up at the plinth, he sat down next to me and spoke one to one (with the microphone). This intimate gesture had everyone in pieces and it set the tone of the rest of the speeches. My bridesmaid Kim sent through a heartfelt poem which made us all wail. They honestly just kept getting better and better. There was no roasting. It was just heartfelt joy, loyalty and gratefulness that made our hearts swell. As the bride, I of course had to take the mic too and I’m so glad I got to have my moment. A wedding guest said it was “3 years of therapy in just 30 minutes”.
In keeping with the planning process being akin to olympic hurdling, our original DJ double booked us with only a few weeks to spare. Cue dramatic eye roll. Thankfully That DJ Guy jumped right in to save the day, and quite literally kept us sweating and dancing until I begged him to play “Closing Time” so I could head to bed at 1am. At nearly every beat drop our guests would shout “THIS DJ IS SOOO GREAT” and run to the bar to get more shots, shots, shots! What a party! Another personal touch which I believe all weddings should have, is a basket of flip flops for when those heels become a bit too sore. This small touch kept guests feet comfy and jiving all night long. Another highlight was giving our guests sparklers at around 10pm, and having a sparkler tunnel. It was such fun and I think we ran back and forth four times!
I wish I could have slowed the day down, as it all went by so incredibly fast. Michael and I stuck together for most of it, so that the memories we had together could be shared for years to come. There’s something incredibly magical about having all your favourite people in one room and knowing that each person made such an effort to be there. And in our case it was a huge effort. Getting on a plane and busting out your passport kinda effort. It’s not often you get to marry your husband twice and we will forever remember our destination wedding as the happiest day of our lives! And we get to say that without hesitation because our precious son was very much apart of it.
What stands out most about our wedding day was the visceral joy that was felt and shared by all. Given the nature of our wedding being postponed so many times and having speed bump after speed bump, we knew it would be a day that would be fill of celebration, but we had no idea it would be SO happy.
The waiting, the trials, the loss. The hope, the restoration, the JOY!
I can’t wait to do it all again at our 10 year vow renewal. Just kidding. We couldn’t even try and top it!
You can read more about our 2020 London legals right here.
Suppliers:
Photography – Tuhi Photography
Videography – Big Day Symphony
Stationary – Charm and Perfection
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