Anja & Rudolph {Countryside Wedding}

Posted on August 8, 2011 by Nicola in Pretty Weddings, Real Love

To all our South African readers, we hope you are having a wonderful long weekend. For the rest of you who have to work today, or spend time in front of the computor, we have this delightful countryside wedding.

Anja and Rudolph Wiggett tied the knot on a perfect, sunny day in April. They chose the sleepy Free State town, Frankfort, to have their big celebration. Yes, getting married in a small town has its limitations, but we think the sandstone houses and church made such a stunning backdrop. We also love the blue vintage wedding car, Anja’s classic dress and the beautiful long bridesmaid dresses. I could go on… Thank you Anja for a sharing your big day with us.

Tell us your love story…

The first time we saw each other was at university. We both attended the North-West University, Potchefstroom campus (Pukke). I was a 1^st year and he was in his last year of university. We did not take notice of each other. He knew my sister, so we both knew who the other one was. The “real meeting” was in 2007 in Johannesburg. We saw each other at a mutual friend’s birthday party. At that time I still had a boyfriend. The next time we saw each other we were both single. After that we went on a few dates, but it was only 2 months later when we officially started dating.

So how did he pop the question?

We were planning to go to Uvongo for the long weekend in September 2010 with Rudolph’s sister and her husband. My parents live in Durban, so part of our weekend plan was to also spend some time with them. A few weeks before our trip, Rudolph mentioned that one of their clients offered us his timeshare in Zimbali lodge in Ballito for that weekend. It sounded a bit suspicious, so I thought that maybe he was going to pop the question that weekend. Or I just thought, maybe he’s going to ask my dad that weekend. So, I wasn’t sure. When we were on the plane on our way to Durban, I was paging through a magazine, and there was a picture of a ring. So, he asked: “Would you like a ring like that one day?” I was so disgusted; I could not believe that he has not even thought about buying a ring yet. But obviously, that was all part of his plan. We went straight to Zimbali from the airport. We received 5-star treatment. Late afternoon we went for a picnic on the beach. We drank champagne, and just chilled. Rudolph was very nervous and he was talking a lot! Then all of a sudden, he got down on his knees, and popped the question with a beautiful ring. And the rest is history…

What were the highlights of your wedding day?

The entire day was a highlight! It was perfect. My dad was very sick before my wedding, and on the day he was so strong! It was very special that he walked me down the aisle. And then seeing my husband – It was a feeling I cannot explain. The ceremony was also very special. One of our friends led the sermon. And it was very special. He talked about God’s dream for our lives. The singing in the church was also a highlight. 4 of my cousins and 3 of Rudolph’s cousins sang beautiful gospel songs.

Our photo session was also a highlight. It was fun, just the two of us and Schantel (the photographer). It was quick and really a lot of fun. Schantel was great! We entered the reception with “Raise your glass” from Pink – you could feel the party vibe in the air! The speeches were also very personal and special. Then we partied until 02:30 that morning!

Any advice for brides-to-be?

I know this is what every bride says, but REALLY, take everything in during your big day! Smile and enjoy! Have a shooter with your friends and party the night away! You don’t have to stress on the day. Just enjoy this special day with your husband!

Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently?

Not really, everything really went according to plan. Maybe not stress too much about the guests and focus more on myself. I worried about the guests’ accommodation and if everyone else was happy.

Where did you get most of your ideas and inspiration from?

Definitely “The Pretty Blog”, I visited this blog everyday!

What was the biggest obstacle you had to overcome while organizing your dream wedding?

Frankfort is a very small town. There are only so many guesthouses. So, being the control freak that I am, I placed every single guest in a specific guesthouse so that all the family and our parents friends would have nice accommodation. The younger people had to sleep in the river lodge, hostels, etc. Luckily most of the young people only slept a few hours. To place every single guest in a specific guesthouse took up a lot of my time.

Any time saving or organizing tips?

Excel was my best friend during the time I organized my wedding. I had spreadsheets for everything (To-do list, budget, guest list). I am a bit of a control freak, but at the end of the day everything was very well organized. I got a time-frame to-do list out of the Sarie Bruid and I followed that. I had an entire file with everything. This really helped to keep track of everything.

Any hints for other brides on how to keep your wedding budget friendly? Getting married in the country! The people from Frankfort were lovely. Everyone was so helpful. The lady that did my flowers was excellent and professional! So we had the quality of the city, but country prices!

We did not have printed menus – I felt it was unnecessary. I hired my dress, so there we saved. And I bought beautiful bridesmaid dresses at The Space for a very good price.

What song did you choose for your opening dance ?

We chose “Dreams” from the Cranberries. This is my ultimate favourite song of all time. Luckily Rudolph also likes the song, so it was the obvious choice! It was very special!

Were any of your family members or friends involved in the wedding and what were their contributions?

Yes! A friend of ours married us. One did the ceremony and another friend did the legal part. It was so special. Seven of our cousins sang in the church. One cousin played the organ and the other the violin. They were amazing! We are so lucky to have such musical family members. My sister-in-law made the seating plan.

How does your wedding reflect your personalities?

It was a fun night! We had a lot of laughs! Rudolph and I love spending time with family and friends, and this was a perfect family and friend celebration! A huge party!

What are you looking forward to now that you are married? What’s next for you as a couple?

It is so special to be married, having your best friend with you all the time! Building a life together! Exciting stuff!