By Cherise Vermeulen

The Dream

I didn’t spend too much time thinking of my wedding while growing up. I spent much more time thinking about the man I would marry and the kind of man I would be able to call my soul mate. I prayed for my husband from the age of 16. I prayed that he would become a man of wisdom and greatness; a man who loved God; and a man I would both respect and enjoy a lot of laughter with. I am a blessed woman, to have found him and as King Solomon said many years before: “I have found the one my soul loves.” He is a man I look up to and respect, someone I appreciate and admire. I will treasure him and our marriage with my whole heart.

The Proposal

Because Danie travels extensively and I am often busy on weekends doing wedding co-ordination or make up, we had to discuss the main details of our engagement. We each shared what we did and didn’t want our engagement to be, and although I didn’t know when it would happen, I knew this special occasion would come. On Thursday 7th October 2009, Danie suggested that we go to the Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens to wind down what had been a busy work week for both of us. He packed a very non-descript backpack and we headed out. The weather was perfect. There were no sirens and traffic; just the symphony created by the birds and the waterfall. And there just before sunset, we got engaged.

The Ring

When I saw my engagement ring in the window of the jewellery shop, I knew that if it were to be mine, it would forever represent the uniqueness of our love for and relationship with one another. An engagement ring is a very personal choice and Danie had asked me before the time whether I wanted to choose one, or have him make the selection. I wanted to choose the ring, and when we went in to see the ring, he asked me to keep looking around. This was, of course, just a ploy to confuse me, and lead me to believe that he didn’t like it. He secretly went back to the jewellery store and paid the deposit. He swore the owners to secrecy and, because he knew I’d go back, told them to tell me it was sold. Of course, when he proposed, there it was! This stunning combination of white and yellow gold diamond engagement ring with its matching wedding band represented our relationship; our differences and how beautifully the two came together.

The Planning:
Invitations

We decided that we wanted to have our wedding invitations designed electronically as we wanted our something a little more practical, yet stylish and quick to deliver. The added benefit of being able to track all our RSVP’s on line was a major advantage for us. So we had a website designed which would reflect our personalities and the theme of our wedding. The designers from Canvas Events Media got to work and they came up with examples for the web design, based on what we suggested. We were overjoyed with the result and were able to send out our invitations electronically. Our guests could RSVP online and download the details and map to the wedding with ease.

Theme

The African Harvest and Sunset theme represented the love we both have for the people of this continent. We loved the way the colours complimented each other. Our theme allowed us to incorporate elements which represent the harvest field, such as wheat and hay, as well as the warmth of the sunset.

Bridesmaids & Best Man

When I invited my sister Chris-Mari, who lives in London to be my Maid of Honour, knowing full well what the costs were, she replied saying: “I’m not missing my only sister’s wedding for anything in the world!” Her excitement and her love for both of us helped to fill the days prior to the wedding with precious memories. My friend Cindy stood in for Chris-Mari in the months preceding the wedding, and accompanied me to wedding dress fittings and the like. Danie and Michael had shared many fun moments in the months before the wedding and as Danie’s son was unable to attend the wedding until a few days before, he had decided to ask Michael to fill the shoes as his best man. Michael’s sense of humour and servant heart made an incredible difference on the day and he ensured that the Groom was well taken care of.

The Destination

Our ultimate destination would have been a venue hidden in the heart of the bush, a Game Lodge with the wildlife right at our doorstep, but considering that our guests would have to travel long distances, we both agreed that a venue closer to home would be more considerate to them, and also more practical. We visited a few venues and after Denise welcomed us to Oakfield Farm, we knew we had found our wedding venue. Every staff member at Oakfield Farm was accommodating, professional, prompt and utterly calm and collected. We knew from the word go, that we were in the hands of professionals. As a result, we were able to enjoy the planning phase as much as we enjoyed the wedding day. If we had to do it all over again, we would again choose Oakfield Farm without a moment’s doubt.

The Décor and other elements

Our décor wasn’t elaborate because we tried to focus more on creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere than placing unnecessary emphasis (and costs) on the chairs and tables. Because Oakfield’s meals are so absolutely delicious and well-prepared by Charlise, we knew that our guests would not leave our wedding hungry.

Highlights of the day

Our wedding day will always remain one of our most treasured memories. It was such a beautiful, relaxing day, and both Danie and I took in the smallest of details and really enjoyed the day. There were so many precious moments and there is nothing we would have changed. When we started our photo session, storm clouds were hanging very low and I remember Danie telling me that when they walked out from the Oak Suite, he said to Michael: “Look at these clouds ….there’s a major storm about to break.” Michael looked up at the clouds and simply said: “Jesus, please take the rain away…” and He did! We enjoyed two hours of fun photography, with the majestic sounds of thunder right above our heads, but not a drop of rain fell. This is one of the many highlights.

The Décor and other elements

Our décor wasn’t elaborate because we tried to focus more on creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere than placing unnecessary emphasis (and costs) on the chairs and tables. Because Oakfield’s meals are so absolutely delicious and well-prepared by Charlise, we knew that our guests would not leave our wedding hungry.

The Difference

It was important to us that our family and friends were considered from the moment they arrived. We didn’t want them to spend hours waiting while we had photos taken, so we decided to have our photographs taken before the actual wedding ceremony. Looking back, this was one of the best decisions we made, because it allowed us to enjoy two full hours of photography, knowing that we weren’t keeping anyone waiting. We still had our ‘moment’ where we saw each other for the first time and it was a joyful and emotional moment which still lingers in our memories. The difference was that we were able to take so many relaxing and fun photographs and we loved the freedom this gave us. Our wedding ceremony was a little different too. I walked into the Conservatory on my own, and when I was halfway, Danie walked towards me, and met me there. There was a lot of meaning in that moment, and it is our prayer, in every situation that we face, that we will always meet each other halfway and walk together to the end of our lives.

Advice

One thing both Danie and I will treasure for the rest of our lives, it’s that we were able to enjoy the planning process together. We decided ahead of time, that we were not going to allow the details to rule us or our lives, and instead to rule over our arrangements. This enabled us to always see things in perspective, not allowing the wedding preparations to take over our lives. We still enjoyed a relaxed breakfast on the morning of our wedding and although our hearts were filled with eager anticipation for our wedding ceremony, there was no fear and anxiety; just joy and peace. Our advice to couples planning their wedding would be this: Rule over your wedding plans, never allow the preparations to take over who you are as a couple, because the wedding plans will fade, but who and what you become in the process will remain forever. Our heartfelt gratitude is extended to the wonderful staff at Oakfield Farm, our suppliers, family and friends for your love, support and encouragement throughout our engagement. You are an integral part of our lives and our memories!

	Photographer:	Danie Bester
	Assistant Photographer:	Jaco Janse van Vuuren & Tarina Reyneke
	VideoGrapher:	Danie Reyneke
	Invitations:	Canvas Events Media
	Décor & Flowers:	Flower Creations
	DJ:	Moby’s Magic Music
	Hair:	Suzaan – VIP Stylists
	Make Up:	Lizaan Spangenberg (Art of Makeup)
	Dress:	Bridal Boutique, Heathway
	Minister:	Johan Minnaar, Church Alive
	Violinist:	Willem van der Walt
	Cellist:	Katja Sokolova
	Soloist:	Milani Becker