Tag: Real Weddings

Real Wedding at Vrede en Lust {Sohini & Kieran}

by gaby

There’s a quote I’ve always liked, from one of South Africa’s fathers, Desmond Tutu. “We are made” he says, “for complimentarity. I have gifts you do not; and you have gifts that I do not. So we need each other to become fully human.” I think that’s something that could be true of all good relationships, but it’s never more obvious than when you see a wedding that blends two very different cultures, whether that’s a bride and groom from two different countries, faiths, whatever. It reminds us of the beauty that is all marriages – two complete individuals forging their lives together to create something new. And so it is with today’s bride and groom. South African Sohini not only chose to marry her Scottish groom in a colourful, joyful and superchic Indian-Caledonian fusion wedding at Vrede en Lust, but this girl can rock a sari! I adore her citrus colour choices, and the way that bright flowers were incorporated with birdcages throughout the decor. It’s just so gosh darn purdy. As always, I’m delighted to feature photographer Annemari Ruthven, who totally captured the joy on everyone’s faces, and all the movement and magic of this family-filled celebration.Read More

Real Wedding at Kirstenbosch {Naz & Mohammed}

by gaby

Today is very exciting for me, because we’re featuring our very first Muslim wedding here on Cap Classique! One of the things I am beyond proud of about being a South African is the huge number of different kinds of heritage, cultures, languages and religions that we have in our country – overseas folks may not know that we have: 11 national languages, 3 capital cities and 2 national anthems. Diversity is our thing. So I love welcoming all Cape brides and grooms. Islamic weddings are particularly spectacular, usually beginning with a Mehndi ceremony for the bride beforehand (and who doesn’t want to wear multiple dresses!). I absolutely fell in love with these gorgeous pics of Naz and Mohammed’s wedding sent over by Alan Browne – aren’t they just the most beautiful looking couple? Their wedding was full of colour and laughter from their friends and families, combined with Naz’s modern vintage vision. It’s a feast for the eyes – enjoy!Read More

Real Farm Wedding {Marietjie & Andre}

by gaby

Back to the grindstone this week! But I can’t complain too much since it’s only a couple of months now until I’ve worked out my notice and become my own boss. My new little office is coming along nicely (thanks to a helping hand from my amazing housemates, who painted the base coats while I was away – how nice are they?) and soon Cap Classique will have a brand new command centre. And that’s not the only reason I’m so chirpy this morning – just wait until you have a look at this wedding I have been bursting to share with you! I dare you not to get a big grin on your face as you look at Cari Eksteen’s scrumptious pictures and read Andre and Marietjie’s super cute his ‘n hers commentary! They are so adorable. I love love love their grey and red colour scheme (how amazing are the red pincushion proteas with the brunia?), and the amazing attention to detail they put into the accessories for their pictures – those little pops of red that keep showing up and making me smile. And let’s not forget the shoes! Those little beauties first caught my attention and I still heart them madly. Not to mention the cake… Oh, everything! This is one example of a farm wedding done just right – enjoy! PS Fun fact: Andre’s parents are also called Andre and Marietjie – talk about meant to be!Read More

Real Wedding at Windmill Beach {Wiehan & Hananje}

by gaby

You know what, I’m just going to say this (even though I know one day I may totally regret it). I love involved grooms. Yes, I know it’s tempting to be all “You know what honey, I’ll just organise everything because you don’t care about what colour flowers we go for, do you? You just pay.” In fact, I know this works for a lot of grooms, as well as brides, who already feel like they need to please their moms and moms-in-law and a variable army of aunts, uncles, friends and suppliers who have big fat opinions on your big fat wedding that you simply must take on board. I used to think the best system was for the groom to just have the power of veto. But writing this blog, I’ve been surprised and delighted at how keen some of the grooms are. (Keen as sleen, as my friend Abigail would say.) Admittedly, it’s often the most creative grooms who get most involved, and today’s is one of them. He kicked things off with one of the most creative, handmade, and truly South African two-part proposals I’ve ever seen, and then he and his talented bride designed and made everything for their Simon’s Town beach wedding. And you guys, it is beautiful. So heartfelt, and with such attention to detail – my best kind of wedding basically. Plus, Lizelle Lotter has absolutely triumphed with these photos, so light and airy and romantic that I could look at them all day. So grabba cuppa, and prepare to swoon.Read More

Real Wedding at Skilpadvlei {Joy & Alex}

by gaby

Welcome back folks! You will no doubt have seen what’s been going on in London, and yesterday I just didn’t feel right talking about wedding prettiness when my home town had been under attack just a few hours before. It’s been a horrible couple of days, but I won’t go into it except to say what a relief it was to see it under control last night (and let’s hope the same for the rest of the country too from now on), and how grateful we all were for the police and emergency services, and for the spirit of community that sprang up amongst Londoners. I feel proud of that. ANYWAY. Today’s wedding is the complete antithesis of anything scary or dark or sinister. It is, quite literally, filled with Joy! Beautiful bride Joy and her husband Alex wanted a great celebration filled with colour, and that’s exactly what they got. I loved the brights they contrasted with charcoal throughout (how clever was it to use pops of colour on the bridesmaids’ sashes?), and super fun touches like groomsmen’s socks embroidered with their role as best man, etc., balloons, a crafty DIY guest book and my favourite, a getaway moped! Ooh, and don’t you just adore the little pink petticoat Joy has peeping out from under her dress? But I think my favourite pics are the ones at the end of Alex singing to Joy and the couple embracing – there’s so much love in these stunning pictures (by fab photographer Bernard Bravenboer). Altogether now: aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!Read More

Real Wedding at Vrede en Lust {Clare & Andrew}

by gaby

It’s Friday, Friday, ge’in down on Friday… well, maybe not, but it is Friday. It’s been a bit week for me, and I can’t think of a better way to end it off than with this beautiful wedding from the Aleit Group. All you brides looking for something soft and slightly vintage? You are going to LOVE this! Clare and Andrew were married at one of my favourite venues (Vrede en Lust – check out our feature here), and complemented the sunny weather and spectacular views with quirky vintage touches that really made their guests feel at home. Everything about this wedding is so classic, and yet it has a really fun feeling to it – I have a feeling this is going to end up on lots of your bookmarks! Oh, and look out for a Grade A for Adorable escort card table using sweet postage detailing and old suitcases. Love it! Pictures are by the spectacular Sybrand Cillie – check out more on his blog here. Happy weekend everyone, and we have a jam packed week next week for you, so see you back here on Monday!

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Real Wedding at The Foodbarn {Amy & James}

by gaby

One of the best pieces of advice that I’ve heard, and that I always pass on to couples in the early stages of wedding planning, is to pick three priorities together. Three things you want to make sure are exactly as you want them on your big day, no compromises, spare no expense. And then – this is the important part – let the other stuff go. If it’s not going 100% according to plan, let it go. If you can’t afford it, find a cheaper alternative. If you don’t have time to DIY it, let someone do it for you, or buy it, or do without. Prioritisation keeps you sane. I don’t know if anyone passed this little nugget on to today’s bride and groom, but they seemed to get it anyway. They’re foodies, so they chose a venue with incredible food (The Foodbarn in Noordhoek). They didn’t have time to go crazy with the decor, so they found a place that already had lots of unique and lovely design details and just added special, personal touches. They wanted to spend time with their guests, so they did a pre-ceremony shoot with photographer Nielen Bottomley. It all comes together into a beautiful, intimate wedding with a pretty pink and grey colour palette, that feels completely unforced and unhurried. I love it. And of course, I especially love that Amy used Cap Classique in her planning. We inspired her – and now she’s inspiring us!Read More

Real Backyard Wedding {Alida & Etienne}

by gaby

So the other day there I am watching Glee, and that Mercedes chick is singing – really singing, not just wailing at the end of the song – and it’s Aretha and she’s nailing it and I’m thinking what must that be like? You know, to just open your mouth and God comes out. Because when I open my mouth to sing, it’s more like dog comes out. But that’s what makes talents special. Not everyone has them. And watching someone do that one thing that only they can do, and love, is just magic. I’m getting to the point here. Today’s bride is one of those magic, talented people. I have no idea if she can sing, but what she can definitely do, is flowers. I’ve been dying over the weddings she’s worked on through her company, Flowers in the Foyer, for a long time now, so you can imagine how insanely excited I was when Mandie from Joe Photography told me about her wedding. And as soon as I saw Joe’s stunning photos, I was obsessed. Read More

Real Wedding at South Hill {Ciska & Warren}

by gaby

I don’t know if all of you know this about me, but I’m half Italian. And although my dad mostly grew up in SA, my grandparents were full blood, full throttle Italian. My Nonna was also the most incredible cook, so early on I learnt to appreciate the beauty of  Mediterranean cooking – not just the taste, or the amazing ingredients, but the way Italians cook and eat. Everything is generous: the quantities, the portions (the calories!), the time spent eating (never ever rushed), the sense of sharing and abundance celebrated at every meal. It’s the best. So when I see that in a wedding, I am hooked. Then add that to sunny rustic florals and details (especially in love with the wooden block place settings), a glowing bride and groom who are clearly having the best time, a sunny day and a gorgeous setting and it’s an official swoonfest. So in love with Ciska and Warren’s South Hill luncheon wedding was I, that I shot off an email to photographer Catherine Mac begging her to let me feature it. And because she’s lovely, she said yes! What really struck me about this one was how Ciska wanted the food itself to be the key part of the decor and mood – just like a kitchen is the heart of the home, the meal really was the heart of this incredible wedding. (Oh, and this is also the first wedding I’ve featured that has a ‘first look’ – something I think I like more every time I see it. What do you think?)Read More

Real Wedding at Firlane House {Sone & Andre}

by gaby

As a wedding blogger, it’s an understatement to say that I see a LOT of weddings. And sometimes, they start to sort of blend into one another like one long, pretty dream sequence. But some weddings just kind of stick out in the memory, and today’s in one of those. I first spotted it on the ZaraZoo blog a while back, and I just had to ask photographer Stefan Steenkamp if I could feature it. Lucky for me, lucky for you, he said yes. So why do I love it so much? First of all, I have a total venue crush on Firlane House, where it was held (the bride’s brother owns it – win!). Secondly, a HAMBURGER station? What’s not to love? And finally, I’m a big fan of the laid back French feeling, and the use of ultra modern grey – even the bride is in a gorgeous silver gown (how much are we hearting silver gowns right now?). I fall to the floor ADORE their bunting – is it not one of the most creative and gorgeous ways of using photographs you have ever seen? Go on, you know it is. And it’s no wonder the bride got it so right – she is, after all, the owner of gift shop Rhubarb Room in Cape Town. Some people have all the taste!Read More