“Taking a leap of faith, Paraguayan Jazmine, and her South African fiancé, Mike, decided to host their destination wedding in Cape Town. Little did they know that many family and friends from all over South America would use their celebration as the perfect reason to make the journey to South Africa for the first time. A summer fiesta in the Franschhoek Winelands is what soon followed!”

Jazmine is a rare gem. She is one of those quintessential brides that has been planning her wedding since she was a little girl, and in doing so could already envision what her wedding would look like – in intricate detail. That was all the challenge our team needed to make it their mission to exceed her expectations like never before!

Taking a leap of faith, Paraguayan Jazmine, and her South African fiancé, Mike, decided to host their destination wedding in Cape Town with the help of the Wedding Concepts team. Little did they know that many family and friends from all over South America would use their celebration as the perfect reason to make the journey to South Africa for the first time. The pressure was on!

The colour palette for the wedding was honey and wheat with a hint of lavender. Blush pinks, cream, and shades of green were used as secondary colours to bring the chic together. The overall look was elegant but most certainly Anthropologie-inspired – romantic, femine with eclectic features throughout. The couples celebration was held on the exclusive Franschhoek based estate, Vrede en Lust. For the ceremony, bohemian Kelim rugs adorned the alter floor, whilst a rich, dark wood table laden with florals and candles acted as the altar. For the reception space, soft dreamy cream and white draping was suspended low and loosely from the ceiling beams. This not only created a warm and inviting space, but once it was filled with wedding guests, a captivating ambience!

Luxurious blush pink tablecloths were covered with vintage lace overlays to add delicate texture. Floral vases and containers involved an assortment of embellished silver, copper goblets and trophies, antique wooden candlesticks, and pastel-coloured ceramic urns. The final touches of colour were antique China plates placed at each setting. The inspired lighting concepts above each table were striking extensions of the overall décor concept. Vintage birdcages that contained a small posy of flowers, silver lanterns with candles and crystal chandeliers ornamented with cascading ferns, orchids and tulips. The bridal table was the striking focal feature in the centre of the room that had only chandeliers suspended above it. The finishing touches on each table were the hand painted watercolour paintings of cities around the world that Jasmine and Mike had visited together that acted as the table names.

With the décor done, this gorgeous young couple wanted to ensure their guests were entertained from the very beginning. A marimba band during pre-drinks was followed by the sounds of Dj Rene and his Dream Team, who played some of the best in Latin music from South America. This was preceded by a salsa demonstration to ensure the South Africans were not left wanting on the dance floor! Once the dance floor was filled, hilarious props, wigs, hats, dress up and lumo-party paraphernalia were handed out to guests to wear to really get into the Latin Carnival spirit. When a few raindrops fell in the early hours of the morning, although outdoors and covered with street-party draping, this did nothing to dampen the fiery fiesta that was taking place on the dance floor.

Images by Gavin Casey