Romantic Barn Wedding by Ginger Ale Photography

DIY details are always pretty awesome, but some of my favourite weddings are those where the bride or groom apply their particular creative talents to the big day, resulting in something that’s not just personal and special, but truly one of a kind. Today’s wedding is one of these – bride Christa is a ceramic artist and textile designer, and she created a series of absolutely gorgeous, unique fabric elements for her rustic chic wedding to Jaco. And speaking of Jaco, I love when we get to hear from our SouthBound grooms, and today’s wedding story is all in his words. Enjoy reading them, in between sighing over the breathtakingly romantic pictures by Ginger Ale Photography!

The Proposal
There were two proposals… In 2008, I proposed to Christa on the banks of Lake Leman in Zurich, with the sun setting over the Alps in the distance, and church bells ringing across the water. It was perfect. She said no. So I waited a bit and asked her again in a small South African mining town in 2014. She said yes!

The Venue
We loved Rosemary Hill the instant we saw it, and we were pretty discouraged when we saw that they were fully booked for the next two years. When we heard that they had a cancellation, we drove through on the same day and made the booking. The Barn area they have for the reception is the coolest one in Gauteng.

DIY Elements
Christa made almost everything herself (it really helps when the bride is a ceramic artist and textile designer). She even grew and cultivated the lovely little succulents that were scattered everywhere. She designed, printed and sewed the napkins. She made all of the pottery. It was DIY defined.

The Shoes
The shoes were an even better story than Christa’s dress! Made in Spain, imported from England, they spent a month in some holding warehouse in a complicated customs-buggerup involving hundreds of emails and phone calls and hidden costs, all of this while Christa had not even been able to fit the shoes for size. Fortunately, and somewhat incredibly, they were a perfect fit, even for dancing, and looked amazing.

Memorable Moments
The photo shoot right after the ceremony was special, and the reception was a blast – all our favourite people in one beautiful room. All the musical items by our friends were also incredible.

The Honeymoon
Namibia