Real Wedding at Waverley Hills {Anneke & Dawie}

Time for another beautiful real wedding, folks. And even though the sun has (finally) come out to play in SA, this is a winter wedding through and through. What I love most about it is how the bride and groom tried to make sure that there was a cosy contrast between the chilly outdoors and the warmth inside – kind of a ‘weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful’ vibe. With bright and cheerful shades of pink and protea everywhere, and lots of lovely handmade craft details, the glow doesn’t just come from the Waverley Hills fireside, but from the love of friends and family, as they gathered to craft and then enjoy this happy day. Coba Engelbrecht was there to document every hand-warming heart-melting moment.

From lovely bride, Anneke:
Our fairytale story began in the snow covered Ceres mountains, where Dawie and I met. I was a law student in my first year and Dawie was an Agriculture student. Not many moons later we shared our first kiss on Melkbosstrand, the exact same beach where Dawie went down on one knee, to ask me to spend the rest of my life with him. Six years later we exchanged our vows, at the foot of the same snow covered Ceres Mountains where we had met.

Dawie’s work in grape export keeps him very busy in summer, when the grapes are harvested, so be had to get married in winter. It was not my first choice, because the Western Cape can be very cold, wet and miserable during the season. On our search for the ideal venue, we eventually discovered Waverley Hills, situated on a mountain slope, near the small town of Ceres. The venue had a warm, cosy feeling with wooden finishes and lovely open fireplaces. Perfect for a winter wedding!

I am a farm girl who loves pink, so naturally these things had to be included in my wedding theme. The urban side of me made me decide to have everything handmade, with a touch of pink. Fortunately my whole family helped getting everything ready – fom my dress to the table and chair decorations, everything was made by us and my family.

In spite of the snow covered mountains and the constant showers, the Lord made my wedding day perfect. Whilst the ceremony took place in the little chapel beneath the venue, the heavens opened and the rain poured down, but when we came out of the chapel for the confetti, the rain stopped. We were even blessed with a magnificent rainbow while we were busy with the photoshoot. I loved my little pink umbrella, my gumboots and the cosy polo fleece blanket that we used for the pictures. I cannot describe how wonderful the atmosphere was, when we came out of the freezing cold into the warm venue. The guests’ high spirits and the blazing fires in the hearths ‘defrosted’ me immediately!

We felt so blessed to share our wedding day with the most special people in our lives, in front of a fireplace in a warm and cosy Waverley Hills. The contrast between the cold outside and the warm atmosphere inside was very special. It was wonderful to look around the beautifully decorated room, just seeing all our friends and beloved ones, being so happy and really celebrating our big day with us. I felt more blessed then ever.

Even if you plan your wedding into the finest detail, the odds are always there that something might happen, which is completely out of your control. You must however decide before your wedding that your wedding day will be perfect, no matter what happens. It is your decision whether it is the best day of your life. Never worry about the weather, just make sure that you are prepared. Remember that your marriage is a gift from God, but the success of it, will be your gift to God.

Thank you Anneke and Dawie! And thanks so much to Coba – head over to the Coba Photography blog for even more from Anneke and Dawie’s big day.

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