Charming Country Wedding by welovepictures

You could say this wedding had me at hello. Although actually, it was more like, it had me at ‘You & Me Kiddo’ because OMG how adorable is the ceremony signage that Lee-Ann and Mark chose for their charming country fete? This gorgeous wedding (photographed by the insanely talented welovepictures) took place in small-town Western Cape, with just a touch of vintagey French flair. I love the laid back feel of the day, and the way that whimsical elements (paper flowers, yay!) mix seamlessly with soft, romantic elements (how much do I heart those mint bridesmaid dresses?). As I write this, the adventurous couple are on a year-long round the world trip, but they found time (and internet access) amid the jetsetting to send us some of the behind-the-scenes info!

Love Story
We met at our agency’s office Christmas party. I had just started working at Ogilvy and Lee-Ann had just started her internship – it was all sparks from the start. We dated for eight years before getting hitched.

The Proposal
Lee-Ann awoke one Friday morning in December (the date of our seven year anniversary) to a room filled with proteas, with her husband-to-be suited up and on one knee. I then whisked her off to a long weekend away at Grootbos nature reserve (I had pre-arranged that Lee-Ann had the day off work on the Friday, so it was a complete surprise).

The Venue
We always wanted to get married in a small town in Cape Town. Karen at Roodezand, Tulbagh, was absolutely amazing from the start and we felt very comfortable with her hands-on and “motherly” approach in helping us co-ordinate all of the finer details for our big day.

Wedding Style
We wanted to keep things natural and rustic, with classic vintage feel. Our colors were soft greens, shades of natural brown, yellow, off whites and creams to go with the French theme of the venue.

The Wedding in Three Words
Unforgettable. Love-filled. Want-to-do-it-all-over-again.

DIY Elements
Pretty much everything. From the invites to paper flower table decorations and wooden signage, we were very hands on.

The Flowers
Vintage fresh.

The Dress
Super simple – one of the bridesmaids was out from London. She booked four appointments with various dressmakers on one Saturday morning and the final dress was one of the first ones Lee-Ann tried on. After one week of thinking about it, we bought it.

Memorable Moment
When our wedding rings (that were tied to a protea from our engagement) were passed around from guest to guest during the ceremony for all our friends and family to each offer their own blessings, before the rings made their way back up to the minister.