Wedding Day Prep:

We started our day at 9am. Kimlyn Sisam came all the way from Cape Town to do our makeup and the girls did their own hair so we had to start early in order to be ready for the photographers who were arriving at 2pm.

I got the girls pretty robes & “bride tribe” socks from Cotton On so that we were all comfortable and cool – also matching robes look great in the photos. We had snacks and bubbles to enjoy throughout the day. Getting ready is the strangest feeling, it only feels real when you are IN your wedding dress, looking in the mirror…

My beautiful bouquet by Bouwer Flowers…  I made the ring pillows from left over material from the bridesmaid dresses, it went well with the theme of the wedding and no material was left to waste. Taryn’s Closet made the Maid of Honour dress. She also altered & made the bridesmaid dresses with the excess material, she then made the ring pillows for me. I loved how the girls were all very similar but chose tops to suit their style and comfort. I wanted everyone to be happy with their dresses and super comfortable! The girls were so helpful in making sure I had everything I needed and they worked so well together as a team.   The ring bearer’s bow ties were made along with the groom and groomsmen bowties. They were made by “My Brotie”. We also had the same bow ties made for our fathers so all the men in the bridal party matched. My Brotie was very accommodating and super efficient ! We ordered from them quite close to the wedding date and they dealt with our urgency extremely well!

Taryn’s Closet  also made my Mom’s dress. She had a very trendy and specific idea in mind and Taryn created her exact vision! So much talent!The beautiful Maid of Honour  Our cute little nephew getting ready for the ceremony – his bowtie was also made by My Brotie.  He looked just like the groomsmen and ring bearers – adorable!I gave our mom’s a gift to wear on the day – a tennis bracelet from American Swiss. It was something that I knew both would love and use in future.  

Time to get ready!! My dress was from The Wedding Boutique, but as we were getting married on a farm I wanted to go for a second hand dress/sale dress so that I did not have to worry when my dress got dirty or hooked on anything (it literally hooked and ripped on a door as I entered the ceremony!!)

I bought two pairs of shoes for options on the day, both from Steve Madden. I swear by their extreme comfort! I had the option of one pair of heels and one pair of flats. Both were super sparkly and on the day I opted for flats – I called these my “Cinderella shoes” — so much sparkle!  

For my garter I chose something pretty to wear and then something more reasonable to throw later on. It’s nice to keep these special details and throw away a smaller, more reasonable one. 

The bridesmaid’s gifts were super special! A close friend had just launched her gem accessory line and I knew she was the one I needed to buy from. I tried to support as many local suppliers as possible and when I saw Edelstone Jewels release their raw aquamarine stones I knew I had to buy them for the girls. Hanna literally sits for hours at the factory, choosing the perfect gems and makes sure the chosen ones have an indentation so that they can have a loop fitted around them – she does not cut or alter the gems at all, they are completely raw. I chose aquamarine because it was the gem stone for March (my wedding month) and also the raw version of my wedding ring stone. I loved them so much I had to buy myself one to wear after the wedding. Thank you Hanna ❤ 

My sister was an emotional wreck (lol). How beautiful did she look? She started crying before I even took my dress out of it’s bag… and then I gave them all a gift and a personal card… 

Off we went for photos before leaving for the ceremony…

Bouwer Flowers completely outdid themselves with my bouquet. They dusted it with gold to match my wedding theme which they did on their own accord – it was a beautiful surprise. My bouquet dried so beautifully I have it hung up on my wall at home. It has now become a piece of art. 

The men got ready just next door. I loved being able to hear them every now and then and it made me excited to walk down the aisle and finally see my husband. Getting ready and knowing he was right there made the wedding day so exciting !    We opted for shirts and braces so that they were all cool – it can get extremely hot in Caledon in March… I loved how my husband stood out from the rest – being the only one in a suit.  

Off to the ceremony ….!

PT 3 coming soon… ceremony & couples photos (my favourite part of all weddings!) Also, some drama as my sister got stung by a bee IN the shuttle on the way to the ceremony ! TBC….

Photography by Lauren Pretorius