From the moment we met South African model and fashion icon Sarah & her entrepreneur fiancé Jehan; this couple oozed luxury and style. It was up to our creative team to translate their traditional African vision and their joining of two different cultures into an exciting modern celebration of love. With 200 guests attending this traditional wedding was truly the talk of the town for its unique modern Afro-chic twist – and a bride who stole the show in her two colourful African couture gowns.

Sarah set the scene with her stunning Swazi wedding dress by South African couturier Tuelo Nguyuza made exclusively for the occasion – perfectly complemented with locally made, bold neckpieces & accessories by the talented Pichulik. The fashionable bride then later changed into her second couture dress – an exquisite Gert-Johan Coetzee crimson floor length gown! 

The décor also brought together their two different African cultures with a perfect blend of Swazi & Zulu traditional elements.  Glass beads, vibrant colours and hand-woven baskets that were used as décor pieces and traditional vessels for the couple’s gifts. The Swaziland flag too was translated into the décor and as a bespoke prominent feature on the dance floor.

The dinner table tops were customised with a traditional African print running along the centre, together with uniquely styled wooden elements, King Proteas and soft florals.

Sarah & Jehan’s African wedding was a unique take on a traditional occasion, a perfect fusion of their two cultures, with no detail overlooked – once again a bespoke Wedding Concepts celebration in Johannesburg!

Photography by: Tyme Photography

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Gretchen and Gabe wanted their intimate celebration to be a true representation of them as a couple with the focus to be on family, friends, incredible food and wine! Our design and coordination team set out to capture the simplicity and relaxed setting that the couple had in mind and perfectly complimented this with the romantic and elegant farm styled evening that we envisioned for their summer festivity!

The beautiful ceremony area was set in the lush gardens on the farm, which offered the perfect location for this intimate gathering! The bride left not only her groom, but all the guests breathless when she gracefully walked down the aisle in her bespoke Israeli Haute Couture Designer, Inbal Dror wedding dress!

The simplicity and uniqueness of the reception setting offered a platform that perfectly complemented the guest’s experience of ‘dinning under the stars’! The natural colour palette was carried through to the reception space, with the focal feature being a lavish floral band that ran along the center of the tables, tasteful elements of gold were brought through on dinner tables – adding a touch of elegance to the table tops!

Acting as a canopy of stars for the evening and a simple, yet striking lighting feature the ambient combination of fairy lights with exposed light bulbs perfectly brought this look together – truly a unique elegant farm styled celebration!

Images by: Kikitography

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For the ceremony, our team created an incredible built-in 8-meter long aisle that extended from the stairs of the Palm Terrace to the raised platform over looking the Rose Garden. This aisle was custom-made and had an average height of 1 ½ meters.  Truly an aisle fit for Cinderella! Lined with a carpet of ombre cream and pink petals, the aisle finished with a beautifully adorned gazebo covered in pink roses and fragrant pennygum.

The bride, dressed in a wedding dress covered with gleaming pearls and Swarovski crystals, arrived in style in a white Rolls Royce, whilst Thabo, also looking very dapper in a white tuxedo jacket and bow tie, waited patiently for his brides arrival. The weather played along on the day as it looked like it would rain at any moment! But it served to create a dramatic backdrop to an emotional ceremony.

During pre-drinks, guests were entertained by local jazz trio Chilli ‘n Lime whilst they sipping on a selection of both French Champagne and South African Cap Classique. Before guests were able to enter the reception, Nombuso and Thabo were able to walk around the reception space, quietly taking in all the dazzling detailed touches our team had created for them. Each table was a masterpiece and no sparkling detail was spared. A variety of Perspex and mirror boxes filled with rose petals provided the perfect platform for a variety of striking arrangements on each table. Tall arrangements consisting of pink roses, tulips and orchids with pin-spotted to ensure that they were lit up at night, and bejeweled candelabra and vases reflected the candle light beautifully. Pink and purple intelligent lighting flooded the usually cream and white room to really enhance the colour scheme, and a gobo of the couples’ cupid from the invitations, moved across the dance floor throughout the evening. The bridal table sat proudly in front of an antique mirror installation and 2 exquisitely large rose and pennygym mass arrangements. Cut crystal charger plates and glassware added the right amount of sparkle to the table settings, and a customised diamante band around each napkin was the final glistening detail to each place setting.

The last 2 show stoppers for the evening was the 4-tier cake, which had cake tiers separated by 2 hanging crystal layers. And finally, the magnificent dessert station which filled an entire room was adorned with a variety of mini glass pots of Vanilla pod infused crème brûlée, lemon curd syllabub and shortbread biscuits, duo of dark and white chocolate mousse and mini Eaton mess pots filled with vanilla bean meringues and plump berries. Edible flowers and strawberries gave the final elegant detail.

The delighted Nombuso had this to say after the wedding, “Thank you so, so much! I really felt like a real-life Cinderella on the day and you made all my weddings dream a reality!”

Images by Ryan Graham

The post Glittering Elegance and Classic Style Find their Perfect Match – Nombuso & Thabo’s Real Life Wedding appeared first on Wedding Concepts.

Anna had never visited South Africa but wholeheartedly trusted David when he suggested getting married in the Franschhoek Winelands at the exclusive Vrede en Lust Wine Estate. Having lived in Australia, Texas and now Singapore, Anna & David’s guest list of 85 would consist of guests from all over the world. This celebration had to be on par with international design and wedding trends, all whilst show-casing the best of what Franschhoek has to over: incredible cuisine and award winning wines!

The look and feel we settled on was to be elegant, modern, sophisticated and above all – stylish. During the months of planning, the emphasis grew on modern contrasts with a distinct return to opulence and a by-gone era of glamour. This would be highlighted with an abundance of flowers, masses of crystal chandeliers, variations of height on the tables, pure silver cutlery and cut crystal glassware. Customised dark wood reception tables were specially designed and made for this celebration. The contrast between the white and cream florals and the crystal table features was striking and we kept the look clean and modern by excluding table linen. Stationery was kept classic but did not disappoint in elegance. Each menu received gold foiling features with a delicate touch of water colouring to bring through a hint of pink. This was finished off with a real orchid flower for every single place setting. With Anna soon to become known as “Mrs Bird”, guests where shown to their seats by the means of petite lazar cut Swallows delicately placed onto the edge of each crystal wine glass with their names printed on the Swallows wings.

Entertainment highlights included amazing performances for the ceremony and pre-dinner drinks by acclaimed jazz group Breakfast Included; and a surprise to guests, a vibrant performance of traditional Zulu warriors right. A decadent sweet and candy station ended an expertly prepared 4 course menu which consisted of only the best locally sourced produce in the Franschhoek Valley. 80 beautifully handcrafted mini cakes substituted a traditional tiered wedding cake and large cheese boards and gourmet Polish-style hotdogs made for delicious late night snacks.

With the reception exuding a sense of old-world glamour, the dance floor and party space was kept slick and contemporary! A modern extension to the reception venue was added on by means of a Bedouin tent, which was then completely floored and completed with a hi-tech LED dance floor taking centre stage! An 8 piece band and DJ had a beautiful ABS stage built for them and brand new customised lounge furniture created stunning pockets which framed the dance floor. Intelligent lighting filled this space and the marquee to create the perfect party atmosphere for guests to literally feel like they were dancing the night away on stars.

To finish off a magnificent wedding weekend, Anna & David had a Trash the Dress shoot to really add a different look and feel to their memories in South Africa. The various locations at this particular farm really provide incredible backdrops for some beautiful photographs.

Photographs by Jean-Pierre Uys

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