Jade & Luke

A wow factor white wedding filled with lights and florals. The bride tells all...

How did he propose?

Luke had booked a romantic weekend away in Stellenbosch and treated us to a relaxing full day at Lanzerac SPA on Saturday 27.11.2021. We were told that we would be treated to lunch, so after our treatments I was privately driven by the friendly staff to a beautiful room in the venue, which I assumed was the restaurant. As I walked in my heart stopped and the tears started – the room was perfect for the beautiful rainy day, there was a fire place burning, a picnic basket set up in front of the fire place with Champagne on ice and flowers scattered around the room. Then he got down on one knee, my heart melted, and I said I do!

What dress did you wear and where did you buy it?

Looking for my dream dress was not an easy task, however once I found Elbeth Gillis Couture everything fell into place. She was simply amazing and so professional.

My experience was one that I will always remember. The dress that I chose was the Tina & Alice dress. To this day people are still complimenting me on the elegant dress that made me feel so confident and poised.

What accessories did you wear and where were they from?

My custom made veil by Elbeth Gillis was my main feature, so I kept accessories to the minimum. I wore pearl dropped earrings that I was gifted by my very special Grandmother, Verity.

What did the groom wear?

Luke wore a custom suit from Italy by Spaghetti Mafia. The suit was deep black with a slight sheer.

How did you feel when you saw him up the aisle?

As I stepped out and saw Luke standing at the magnificent chapel, my heart stopped and I was overwhelmed with the feeling of love and gratitude. Everything felt so perfect and it truly was the happiest I have ever felt in my lifetime. I married the man of my dreams and was surrounded by all our loved ones; in that moment I knew this was my life plan.

Who were your bridesmaids and where were their dresses from?

My bridesmaids were my beautiful sister Kelsey and my two best friends that I could not get through life without; Amy and Lauren. I wanted my bridesmaids to feel confident and elegant, and therefore I wanted to find a dress that would suit all three body shapes (not always an easy task). I came across a local designer in Cape Town who owns the brand Rosey and Vittori, and she kindly agreed to make my bridesmaids’ dresses. We went with the colour Emerald Green, the material fell perfectly and my bridesmaids looked just amazing.

What was your wedding theme and how did you create it?

I did not have a specific theme but when I thought of my day, I wanted to bring a sense of nature into it and the feeling of closeness. Therefore the venue was perfect as it had the beautiful garden, the glass house and a room that I could fill to bring the day to life. I went with the theme of glass, white and sage green, with lots of greenery, white

Vendors

Venue - Ivy Chapel, SA

Photographer - Coba Photography

Dress: Elbeth Gillis flowers and lots of lights and candles scattered across the table and room. The theme worked out perfectly and the venue looked extremely modern, classy, and elegant.

What was the highlight of your day?

There is no specific moment of the day that was my highlight, the day was everything I dreamed of and more. When I was planning my wedding, everyone told me, the day goes so fast and after the wedding you may feel a bit lost and down coming off such an exciting time, however I felt the complete opposite. I Have never felt so present in the moments throughout the day, from getting ready, to the emotional reveal to my parents, to seeing the man of my dreams, saying I do in front of my loved ones, to the heart felt speeches and then dancing the night away and finding myself watching everyone and being reminded how lucky I am to be living in my dream moment, overwhelmed with gratitude.

What was your best buy?

My best buy was my dress. Your dress is what is going to make you feel like a princess on your day. Ensuring you choose a designer that makes you feel good, confident and gives you personalised service is so important, as so many people have sleepless nights over the dress. I had a seamless experience with Elbeth and honestly it was the best value for money.

What’s your saving tip?

My first step would be deciding on what you want for your day, what are the three most important things that you want to remember, and you want your guests to remember, once you have that get your quotes and make those three your biggest budgets. Weddings cost a good lump sum and certainly can be a big stretch for some, so my tip would be to focus on one or two things per month that you want to cover, so that you are paying deposits over various months and not all at once. The last month is where it really hits, as you must often pay the remaining amounts, so ensure that you are putting money away each month for each vendor.