Embark on tales from local brides that encapsulate the joy, resilience and surprises that come with the journey to “I do”.
Micaela & John Kim
HOW DID YOU AND YOUR HUSBAND MEET?
John and I met online during lockdown in 2020. He lives in New Zealand and I live in SA, so we were long-distance until we got married. We would fly back and forth to spend as much time together as possible, but now that we’re married, we’ll never have to say goodbye again!
WHICH VENUE DID YOU CHOOSE AND WHY?
We chose the Orchid House at Collisheen Estate for our wedding venue. It was perfect for us as it’s close to home, small-wedding friendly, and absolutely beautiful! The staff were so kind and helpful, especially Tae Marie who went above and beyond to make sure our special day went smoothly.
TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR DECOR
I wanted my wedding to feel like a fairytale. I wanted lots of pink, flowers, candles and fairy lights. Alexis from Weddings By Jackie made my dream come to life! She handled all the decor and made sure I had the most beautiful flowers in all the shades of pink I love.
HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT PLANNING YOUR WEDDING?
We planned our wedding in about four months! I got engaged while I was in NZ with John in the middle of July, came home at the end of July, and started planning our wedding for November. Since John and I were apart for most of the planning process, I got a lot of help from my parents. They came with me to all the meetings with the vendors and reminded me not to stress about the little things. The time difference made things difficult but we still managed to make every decision together and made our dream wedding a reality.
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE MOMENT?
I always said I wanted it to rain on my wedding day, and we had a whole thunderstorm – rain, wind, thunder, lighting and hail! I know it sounds like most brides’ worst nightmare but I loved every second of it. Another favourite moment would be the first looks with John and my dad. It was so special to have a moment alone with each of them before walking down the aisle.
IS THERE SOMETHING YOU WISH YOU KNEW BEFORE THE BIG DAY?
Just how quickly it’s over! You plan for months and suddenly your wedding day is over in the blink of an eye. It’s so important to slow down and enjoy the whole thing, from the planning to the actual wedding day. Be in the moment with the love of your life and remember that this is just the beginning of a lifetime of happiness together.
Shonelle & Adheer Basudev
HOW DID YOU AND YOUR HUSBAND MEET?
Adheer and I studied at the same institution. We would occasionally glance at each other in the hallway but never spoke to each other. He plucked up the courage to DM me on Instagram after we had completed our final semester. We began chatting and he asked me to be his girlfriend on our first date. The rest is history!
WHICH VENUE DID YOU CHOOSE AND WHY?
Our story is a unique one. Our wedding initially took place at Olwandle Estate. However, the weather gods had other plans! The wedding took place on the weekend of the April 2022 floods. Despite checking the weather forecast several times leading up to the day, there was no sign of rain. We were taken by complete surprise. We recreated our special day a year later at Seaton Manor House. My heart is so happy that we were able to create beautiful memories of our special day. This is proof that there is always a rainbow after a storm (literally!).
TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR DECOR
The theme of our wedding was modern romance. This was a blend of soft pastel shades and florals which also matched my bridal lehenga.
HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT PLANNING YOUR WEDDING?
I was overly confident and decided to do the planning myself. In retrospect, I should’ve hired a planner!
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE MOMENT?
My favourite moment was when we were announced as Mr and Mrs. At the end of the day, I was happy to have married the love of my life despite the challenges we faced.
IS THERE SOMETHING YOU WISH YOU KNEW BEFORE THE BIG DAY?
Weather can make or break your day. I would advise other couples to have backup plans in case something unpredictable happens, especially if they’re having an outdoor event. I also wish I was a bit more firm with certain service providers because some of my requests got lost in transition.
It always helps to read reviews because social media pages only display the good.
Catherine & Brad TomlinÂ
HOW DID YOU AND YOUR HUSBAND MEET?
We first met over 15 years ago at a church youth camp. For the following 12 years, Brad tried his luck by confessing his undying love for me. I wasn’t too interested in him (in that way), however, we remained best of friends (#friendzoned). I moved to the UAE to teach, and it was over there that I realised Brad, back in South Africa, was truly “the one” all along!
WHICH VENUE DID YOU CHOOSE AND WHY?
As our Catholic faith is important to both of us, we wanted to get married sacramentally in the church that we both grew up in, Our Lady of Fatima Parish. From there, we went directly to Maroupi Wedding & Functions. While the 35-minute drive was slightly out of the way, we wanted an open, outdoor and “countryside” vibe.
TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR DECOR
Our colours were green and white, with a touch of dusty blue. This came through in the flower arrangements, table decor and linen. Our favourite decor piece was our cake topper – a Beauty and the Beast ornament which I bought while at Disneyland Paris! Fittingly, this was the song for our first dance.
HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT PLANNING YOUR WEDDING?
With us both based in the UAE in the two years leading up to the big day, a few challenges were certainly experienced!
While we chose and booked the big ticket items a full two years before, most of the planning was done by ourselves while abroad. Visits home were crammed with dress fittings, decor meetings and the like.
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE MOMENT?
Exchanging our vows together in front of our God, our church community and our loved ones was exceptionally special. However, my favourite moment was taking five minutes to take a step back and take it all in, together.
IS THERE SOMETHING YOU WISH YOU KNEW BEFORE THE BIG DAY?
We can’t say that we weren’t told it before, but that the big day flies by so very fast! Thankfully, we have all the videos and photos to help us remember all the thousands of special moments contained within those very quick, yet dream-come-true, 10 hours.
CATHERINE’S PHOTOS CONWAY PHOTO & FILM SA
SHONELLE’S PHOTOS ELANA SCHILZ
MICAELA’S PHOTOS AIMY LOUISE PHOTOGRAPHY