Almost there folks – Friday tomorrow! I’m easing you into the second half of the week with a wedding that’s all kinds of pretty and sweet. Shot by our new friends Carolien + Ben at Riverside Castle near Pretoria, it’s got all those dreamy South African wedding elements: soft vintage pastels, protea bouquets, warm neutrals and a touch of lace. But I also absolutely love the tiny little bird details – the origami cranes made of book pages and the beautiful hand-drawn stationery. It’s just the right mix of whimsical and romantic, and I know that you will love it!

From the bride, Jana:
Pieter and I met as first year students at Tuks, in a blood donation queue of all places! However, we only started dating about two years later. I’m a brand new doctor and he’s a TV producer and aspiring film maker.
He proposed while we were on a hiking trip, on top of the Drakensberg at Cathedral Peak, literally in the clouds.

We are both nature lovers and we fell in love with the venue because of the chapel, with its high ceilings and windows open to the trees and breeze. It was almost like getting married outside in a forest. After the ceremony we walked out to everyone we loved, which was one of my favourite moments of the day. All my friends from med school had driven or flown from all over the country to be there, which was incredibly touching.

I wanted a very simple, elegant day, with light colours and minimal décor. I didn’t have a specific colour scheme, but we ended up having bird-themed décor with lots of proteas and lace. It had a very vintage feel with a lovely relaxed reception. We used recycled glass vases and tons of tealight candles on the tables, and beautiful glass hearts with white roses in them for the chapel.

One of my sisters is an artist and designed all our invitations and stationery, painting the designs herself. Both my sisters (who were my bridesmaids) and other family members also folded hundreds of origami paper cranes for us – we started folding them about two days before the wedding and it ended up being such a fun, bonding activity. Some of the other highlights for me were the excellent band and the AMAZING chocolate wedding cake!

My advice to future brides would be to think simple and striking, rather than over the top. Get your family and friends involved and don’t stress too much about the small stuff. I had wonderful support from all my friends, prospective in-laws and my mom’s friends, who pitched in to decorate and help out. Above all, enjoy every second of your wedding day and everything leading up to it. It should be one of the best times of your life.

Thank you so much, Jana and Pieter! Wishing you a wonderful life together. And let’s welcome the lovely Carolien + Ben – you can of course head over to their site to see even more.

SERVICE PROVIDERS
Venue, catering & co-ordination: Riverside Castle | Photography: Carolien + Ben | Proteas: Pretoria Farmer’s Market | Cake: Carlton Café, Menlopark