Shoo, this is such a lovely shoot.
A few suppliers in the wedding industry came together and organized a styled shoot.
When we scouted the venue a few days before, the sun was shining and we were super excited about the weather. However, the day we arrived, it was freezing, windy and rainy!
At one point we thought we would have to give in and go home.
The clouds gave us a slight break and we endured the cold weather. The poor models were ice cold, but that didn’t stop them from looking amazing and pulling off stunning looks in dresses supplied by The Wedding Boutique.
This is a story for future brides, ALWAYS have a back up plan when it comes to the weather. We live in Cape Town, one of the most amazing places in the world, but we can never predict the weather. So if you are wanting an outdoor wedding, then always make sure that there is another option, just incase the rain God’s aren’t in the best of moods. A Plan B is always a good idea.
Abigail Klopper and Christine Watters are the masterminds behind The Nuptial Network. They bring wedding suppliers together, we meet, talk, chat, laugh and swop stories about our work. Essentially, we network! Which is such a great thing.
Below is a list of the amazing suppliers that helped make this shoot possible.
Thank you!
This wedding is one for the books!
I was super excited when I got an email from the bride, Valery.
You see, Valery is also a wedding planner in Cape Town, and a well established one at that.
She runs and owns Agape, Wedding and Event Design.
So I was hugely honoured when she asked to meet me, and once we met, she hired me! I did a little happy dance, I won’t lie.
I basically came in to help with the odds and ends and bring everything together on the day of their wedding. She organized all of the providers for her day and wanted me there to make sure everything went according to plan. She couldn’t help going into ‘planner mode’ while getting dressed on the day, and I had to usher her out of the reception area while we were setting up, more than once
Valery knew exactly what she wanted and I was totally in love with every aspect of the day.
There wasn’t one thing that I would have done differently if it were my day.
Catherine Mac was the chosen photographer for the day. She brought in Wesley and Claire to help assist and second shoot – and with a team like this one, you just can’t go wrong. The photos are incredible! Catherine is amazing at what she does and I am one of her biggest fans. I have a feeling that Valery & Art are going to have a hard time deciding which ones belong in frames!
Tanglewood was the venue, and what a venue it is! It is just perfect for a wedding. The garden and the views are stunning and the reception area is a dream. Valery opted for hanging naked bulbs and orchids from the long white beams that carry through the whole reception area. You really can go wild with ideas at this venue!
DJ Rene was in charge of the music. I had never worked with him before, but I sincerely hope I get to work with him again. He doesn’t just arrive with the good ol’ sound system and some speakers, oh no, he arrives with all the bells and whistles, literally! Drums, saxaphones and the most awesome vibe is what he brings to a wedding. The guests loved him and his team, and I can see why he is so good at what he does, he 100% loves his job!
To be honest, I could be here all day writing about every single provider that worked on this wedding, but that would land up being the longest blog post of all time!
To sum up, this was a dream come true for me.
To Valery & Art, you have got to be the most lovely couple! I wish you only the good things that life has to offer and I just know that little Max will grow up to be an amazing young man one day.
Thank you for putting your trust in me, I will be forever grateful.
As usual, you can’t plan a wedding without a bunch of seriously talented people:
This amazing & bubbly couple said their vows on December 15th 2012 at the gorgeous Eensgezind in Durbanville.
When Shana called me to come and meet her and her fiancé Ricardo, I was excited. They were a young couple and needed a helping hand in putting their wedding together. It became a small world when I realized I went to Primary School with Ricardo!
They hired me a few days after our first meeting and I set straight to work. Shana was a very determined bride with lots of ideas, so I had lots to work with. We sent emails back and forth and my inbox quickly filled with quotes, ideas and plans for what was set to be a stunning wedding!
Shana & Ricardo settled on Roxy Laker Photography for their photographer. Their choice was spot on, and as usual, Roxy delivered some amazing photos! She is a lot of fun to work with and you can see how much she loves her job. I follow her on Twitter and her sense of humour is hilarious, which is think it very important in this industry. The couple were delighted with their photographs, and I can see why!
Eensgezind is really a lovely place for a wedding, the staff are unbelievable and so helpful. They have a passion for what they do and they really work hard to deliver a 100% perfect wedding for the couple. Not only do they cater for the food, their amazing chef whips up the most divine looking cakes! What a score!
Shana had a specific idea when it came to the candy table, they both love sweet things, so Lianne from Petite Bouchee was called in and once again outdid herself. Everything looked (and tasted) delicious!
Sue from Weddings by Sue arrived bright and early and did what she does best. The venue looked magnificent and Shana’s bouquet was simply stunning!
All in all, this wedding was a lot of hard work, but it paid off in the end. The couple looked so great and their smiles were truly infectious.
To Shana & Ricardo, thank you for allowing me to help plan such a special day in your lives. I loved working with you and I wish you all the best for your future together as husband and wife!
Last but not least, a special thanks to my service providers:
Sian & Tom got married on February 16th.
It was a perfect day for a wedding.
Sian was almost full term in her pregnancy, but you wouldn’t have said so. She carried beautifully and looked so pretty on her wedding day. Tom looked dashing in his suit and he looked super happy once he saw Sian walking down the aisle.
They chose Plattleklip Wash House to exhange their vows.
They had a lovely spiritual ceremony and their family & close friends looked on as they said “I Do”
It was just perfect!
This wedding had a lot of logistics involved and it took an entire day before the wedding to set up the lighting in the trees, we changed the colour of the bulbs and moved large amounts of furniture. The team from Decor4u did a great job as usual and once the sun set, the lanterns and candles looked really stunning.
Wades Cakes didn’t disappoint. He made the most divine red velvet cupcakes you have ever tasted. I am thinking of just sending him a weekly order
Veronique did a great job with the photos and captured everything beautifully.
The lighting was amazing and a good few of these belong in a frame!
Grant and his team from Urban Tonic were totally amazing. They helped far more than they needed to, which I think speaks volumes for the type of company that they are.
Kate from the Food Room did an outstanding job with the food. Mouths were watering by just smelling it, let alone seeing what the spread looked like.
All in all, the day worked out wonderfully and their guests had a great time.
Sian & Tom, I wish you years and years of love & happiness and good luck with your new baby boy!
Last but not least, a HUGE thank you to the providers:
I am a little excited about today! Not for me really, as I don’t have a Valentine to express my undying love to, but I guess that because I am in the industry of Love, I just like the idea of the day.
I think the main thing that I am excited about is the fact that I am going to dress my puppy up in a cape like cloth with hearts on it and put it on Instagram! Ha – no, well…… I will probably do that, but that’s not the only reason why I like this day!
I did some research on the net last night and according to Wikapedia, www.weau.com and the History Channel site, there are some seriously interesting traditions & facts that stem from Valentines Day… take a read below:
1. In Japan, men are expected to return gifts that are at least two or three times more valuable than the gifts received on Valentine’s Day from their partners.
2. In South Korea, women give chocolate to men on February 14, and men give non-chocolate candy to women on March 14. On April 14, those who did not receive anything on 14 February or March go to a Korean restaurant to eat black noodles and “mourn” their single life <– Wow is all I can say, chin up ladies!
3. Approximately 150 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged annually, making Valentine’s Day the second most popular card-sending holiday after Christmas.
4. There are 119 single men (never married, widowed or divorced) who are in their 20s for every 100 single women of the same ages.
5. 2.2 million marriages take place in the United States annually. That breaks down to more than 6,000 a day.
6. More than 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate are sold for Valentine’s Day each year
7. Worldwide, over 50 million roses are given for Valentine’s Day each year
8. In order of popularity, Valentine’s Day cards are given to teachers, children, mothers, wives, sweethearts and pets <– Cant say I thought of buying my pup Maya a card…guess there is always next year
9. In Medieval times, girls ate unusual foods on St Valentine’s Day to make them dream of their future husband
Ok, enough facts for now.
During the weeks leading up to this day I heard how excited people were and I heard how annoyed people were. Everyone is different when it comes to the soppy type holidays, some love them, some do not love them.
So many people get upset by this particular day, mainly because they don’t have a Valentine, and believe me, I am the first to say something about a loved up couple “ok you two, get a room” “really, did you really find it necessary to proclaim your love to your girlfriend after 2 weeks all over facebook”
But let’s be serious, love is cool people! Everyone wants to be happy and in love, especially when you get presents for just having a boyfriend! C’mon! Who wouldn’t want that?
I don’t have a Valentine this year, and there were days a few years back where I thought that would be the worst thing, but guess what? It really isn’t!
It is totally ok to be single (and fabulous) on this very romantic day.
So Happy Valentines Day to all the loved up couples, the ones who have recently gotten engaged, the ones who are about to be proposed to and the ones that are about to say “I Do”
BUT – Happy Valentines Day to those that do not have a partner to! Enjoy the day and be happy, but if you are really finding it difficult, then pour yourself a glass of red wine, run yourself a bath and get stuck into 50 Shades of Grey.
However you are celebrating this day, I hope you are doing it with love and kindness, if not, please refer to Fact Number 2, your local café might serve you some black noodles
“All I can saw is WOW, I really didn’t expect all the help you gave us, and you gave us so much more than we could have asked for, I could never repay you for what you did for us!! I can definitely recommend your services to my friends and family and anybody really, and not only for wedding planning, but all function planning in general, you are fantastic to work with.” ~ Mary-Anne & Gordon
I loved this wedding so much! I know I say I love all my weddings, but this one was extra special for me. I met Mary-Anne in June of last year and we connected immediately! I just loved that she was so bold in choosing not one, but lots of different colours for her wedding.
Mary-Anne was very involved in the planning and knew exactly what she wanted, even down to the Candy display. It looked so beautiful. Lianne from Petite Bouchee did exactly what Mary-Anne asked, and while I helped to set everything up, Lianne just came in and knew exactly what to do. The cake was AMAZING, not that I would have expected anything less from the one and only Charly’s Bakery! They are a seriously talented bunch of people! I got to take some of it home & needless to say, it did not last in my house for very long!
As usual, Greg Lumley took the most gorgeous photographs of Mary-Anne and Gordon. He really is amazing and is so passionate about what he does. He had them on the floor at one stage next to a stunning LOVE sign supplied my My Pretty Vintage. I even had to run around them (with no shoes on) with these massive sparklers so that he could get a specific shot. He is great to work with and makes everyone, especially the couple, feel relaxed. I totally fall in love with his photographs every time I see them.
PURE in Hout Bay is one amazing venue to get married at. The food, staff, service and ambiance all work together to create a stunning atmosphere for the guests. Alexa was an enormous help throughout the planning and was always on hand when something was needed.
I just love it when a venue goes over and above what they were asked to do. Everyone was helpful towards myself, the couple and the guests. We even all had a little dance at the end of the night!
Ok, I am going on and on now…to sum up this day, well, I can only say WOW! It looked lovely and the couple were happy and in love! So… if I can blow my own horn here – This is one wedding I can add to my list of Legendary Weddings!
Mary-Anne and Gordon, thank you for choosing me to help plan such an amazing day. I hope your day was everything that you imagined it would be. You are so amazing together and your love for each other is wonderful to see. May your life together be filled with love, laughter and positivity.
