Olga and Nic’s South African wedding was absolutely breathtaking! From the bride’s stunning Stella York pink ballgown wedding dress to the gorgeous vineyard where they said I Do, this couple really knew how to throw a wedding. Small, intimate and heartfelt, Olga said she wanted her wedding to have a feeling of informality so friends and family could really relax and enjoy the day.
From the bride: Nic took me on a weekend away to a place called Jan Harmsgat, a guest house a few hours away from Cape Town. I had no expectations of anything and was looking forward to spending time together. When we arrived, we went on a spontaneous bike ride through the vineyards. Keep in mind, we haven’t ridden bikes in years so we were a bit wobbly. Nic brought his drone to fly over the area as it is filled with stunning vineyards and orchards. He began flying his drone after our bike ride but then set down the controller as it hovered in the air above us. I became very suspicious and asked him why he wasn’t landing the drone. Seconds later he was on his knee proposing to me. I couldn’t believe it! He had to hide the ring in the drone carrying case, a place I would never look. He knows me so well.
The bridal style I was looking for was either mermaid or A-line. As my degree is in fashion, I was very particular about what I was looking for. In fact, I originally purchased another dress but then changed my mind the next day. Bellevue Bridal was amazing when it came to me changing dresses. After trying on what felt like hundreds, I found style #6243 by Stella York. It was the most perfect whimsical pink shade, covered in feminine lace. A ballgown style was not originally what I wanted, but this dress made me feel like a princess and I was won over. Bellevue Bridal was extremely accommodating when it came to adding off the shoulder sleeves. This wasn’t an easy task and required Dana, the owner, to special order pieces of lace with the same pink shade as the dress. Bellevue Bridal went above and beyond to ensure my dress was exactly what I wanted. I couldn’t be happier with how I felt and looked on my wedding day. Everyone couldn’t stop complimenting me and telling me how beautiful I looked.
It was a morning garden themed wedding. Everything was outdoors or in a big glass building. The whole venue felt relaxing and airy. Our ceremony beginning at 9 am and everyone was gone by 1 pm. It was short and sweet, exactly what I wanted. I wanted my wedding to feel effortless and comfortable. I didn’t want people to feel it was so fancy that they couldn’t enjoy themselves. We had an area for appetizers underneath the trees and also a coffee truck from a local roaster. After appetizers, guests moved into the reception area and enjoyed a delicious breakfast buffet. All completed with a donut wedding cake and mimosas. The decor was mainly fresh greenery and flowers with blush and gold accents. My husband and I are huge foodies and coffee lovers, so our wedding definitely reflected that.
The most special memory from the day was our ceremony. We had a small morning wedding with about 42 guests. I felt so connected to my husband at the moment, I couldn’t stop crying. I walked down the aisle to a song called “Turning Page by Sleeping At Last.” As cheesy as it is, I copied this from the Twilight series, Breaking Dawn. This is the same song Bella walked down to marry Edward. It was lovely to have all our closest family and friends there to witness our marriage.
