When someone in the wedding industry ties the knot, you know it will be something special. Today’s beautiful bride Annelize works at Leipzig, one of our favourite floral design companies. She married her groom Carl on a rainy day in August at Kleinevalleij Estate in Wellington.

The bride looked feminine and timeless in her beautiful strapless gown. Annelize is a self-confessed glitter addict, so it was no surprise that she added a touch of sparkle to her big day. We can’t get enough of all the beautiful decor. From the stationery to the table numbers, all gorgeous. And lets take a moment to talk about the incredible flowers. The girls from Leipzig did a wonderful job with all the early spring flowers. Everything looked so cheerful and fresh!

Kate from Storybook Photography took these amazing images.

Tell us your love story?

We met in church about 4 years ago. I was on the worship team and he was the sound engineer at that time. Our friendship grew without any interest from my side but he (like any guy) had his eyes on the prize (as they would say). The friendship just developed into something deeper I denied for a year. However, as time went on I realized what true love is and that I might have found all God knew I needed. We just woke up one day and decided we want to get married. We immediately booked our venue. Then 5 month after we booked Kleinevalleij, he proposed. He just came back from Qatar for work and took me away for the weekend. We went to a nature reserve in Ceres. On the Saturday night, he gave me this love storybook that he had illustrated for me. The storybook told our story and even had the weekend’s plans in it, on the last page of the book the ring was placed and the question was asked. I obviously said YES immediately.

What were the highlights of your wedding day?

Seeing the whole evening pull together, guests having fun and friends and family brought together. Most importantly starting the new adventure with my husband.

Any advice for brides-to-be?

Enjoy the process. For the DIY brides, enjoy your day and don’t let the little things that doesn’t work out perfectly spoil your day!
Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently?

The only thing I would’ve have done differently was not to actually go to the venue on the wedding day. I just realized how much still needed to happen and that I didn’t have time to do it myself so it stressed me out probably the rest of the day. So if I had to do it over I would have just relaxed and enjoyed the day.

Did anything unexpected happen?

The weather just interfered with some of our plans but  the end of the day still worked out. We had balloons as confetti and the morning the sun was still shining but by 1 it was pouring with rain and I’ve wanted balloons ever since the day we booked the venue, but in the end the weather played along for that bit and I still had that element in our day.

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

I have been in love with weddings ever since I could remember and I am such an research addict. From Pinterest to The Pretty Blog to Style me Pretty. Mention the site and I have probably been on it (everyday of my life)! I also work alongside very creative colleagues and together with them pulled all my ideas together into one day.

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

For us the most daunting thing was our guest list. You have so many people you want at your wedding but realistically you cant! Make a decision about whom is important to you and your future husband.
Any time saving or organising tips?

Make use of your bridesmaids! Make use of those creative friends! I know whenever I hear of a friend getting married I’m always dying inside just to get asked to help :) Don’t be afraid to ask for help!

Any hints for other brides on how to keep your wedding budget friendly?

Every person has got some sense of creativity inside of them and if you really don’t have, ask a few friends, go on blogs. There is so many amazing inspiration sites! You can cut some costs by doing some things yourself! So many sites have DIY blogs. I would also say make a list of the most important things to you. What do you really want on your special day and make a way to make it happen! Think creative. Cut things that will really take chunks out of your budget.

What song did you choose for your opening dance and why?

We picked a song from Jack De Priester called ‘Wedewee se kruik’. Seeing I’m Afrikaans and he is English we decided to open it with an Afrikaans song. The song’s lyrics are very beautiful and speaks about how our love for each other will never run dry and how we maybe still love each other will stay even if the world says it wont last.

Did your wedding preparations include any DIY projects?

I love DIY :) From the stationery to vinyls to coca cola crate, wooden message boards, newspaper, frames with love quotes and this all added to the detail of our day.

What was the “theme” of your wedding, and why?

A whimsical pastel festival