Wedding ceremonies range from absolute extravagance with the heaviest price tags, right to unorthodox options with Middle-Eastern influence on traditional themes. However, I find that the most memorable weddings are the ones filled with meaningful signatures, a relaxed bride, and a grateful groom…
The Dress
I had been to all the shops that I could think of and I couldn’t find anything that I liked, after setting my sights on a huge princess-style dress. I quickly fell in love with a slim-fit dress that was entirely outside my budget. However, I called on Lara Wood, the seamstress that made my matric dance dress way back when, and after bombarding her with all the images that I collected online, she started making magic. I drove to the South Coast a few times to do fittings and design, and I did end up with the dress of my dreams. It was a slim line design, with beautiful lace, and then more delicate lace on the bodice with beading to add some soft glam.
The Venue
Ours was the very first wedding that was held at the Ballito Cable Ski Park, and they cleverly transformed the space into the perfect wedding venue! Located a mere 7 km from Ballito, the venue is surrounded by sugarcane and overlooks a magnificent dam. It is a blank canvas to transform in any way that you could possibly imagine, and it is the most beautiful location to watch the most exquisite sunsets over the dam and surrounding hills. When I walked in, I couldn’t recognize the place I’d been visiting over the years, and my guests were truly wowed. The banks were cut back, and the marquee was erected to create a beautiful haven for my big day!
The Photographer
I could truly have not asked for a more committed and passionate photographer than Jade Taylor of Haze Photography. Kyle and I have had a professional photo shoot before, and it was nothing like what we experienced on our wedding day. She encouraged us to be naturally ourselves, and her presence was so comforting that we didn’t feel like we were being photographed at all – there was no awkwardness! Also, she managed to capture a defining moment of the day, when my bridesmaids and I were running in the rain – so spontaneous and special!
The Catering
Our catering was done by the brilliant Belinda of Simply B Foods in Ballito. We had the concept of a harvest table where the delectable food was laid out, and our guests could help themselves to the mouth-watering spread. The display of cheese, biscuits and fruit had everyone anticipating the food to come. We had cheese platters and small starters, with rustic pizzas (which were the perfect combination of crispy and melt-in-your-mouth!) and burger sliders for mains. The crispy chicken wings were an absolute winner with my guests, with Kyle’s boss coaxing others at his table to bring a few more for him! We continued to receive compliments on the food well after our big day – a massive well done to Belinda and her team for food that was nothing short of magical. My aunt provided the most indulgent desserts – custard slices, cheesecakes and all things chocolaty!
The Decor
The transformation of the Cable Ski Park was done by Guy of Extreme Events – he provided the marquee, the tables and chairs. And his mom, Jo, did the actual decor – she developed and carried out the theme of the wedding. She was amazing to work with because I sent her pictures of the things I liked, and she was given creative license to do what she is best at. The venue itself is rustic, so Jo added glamour with chandeliers, larger bouquets of flowers, hanging lanterns with candles and a beautiful backdrop for our photo-booth photos. The venue looked better than anything I could have imagined – it was truly breathtaking.
My Fondest Memories Of The Day
- Seeing Kyle’s eyes well up with tears when he saw me walking down the aisle to him – he had no idea what my wedding dress was going to look like, so that was a surprise too.
- Dancing with my Dad to a Dire Straits song that reminds me most of him. My Dad isn’t a dancer at all, but we had such a great dance together!
- Wearing my wedding shoes that I had found the day before in my shoe closet. I wore them when I was a bridesmaid and they ended up being my “something old”.
- Standing on a questionable wooden jetty imagining my beautiful white dress after falling into the water (we didn’t!)