Anina & Janlo

WOW. I am actually speechless. Where to start with this incredibly beautiful and intimate gold and white celebration in Cape Town...? I know the lighting. Have you ever seen such an incredible setting? The chandeliers are beautiful, the fairy lights magical and the atmosphere is. Just. Wonderful. Finished beautifully with an abundance of greenery and gold details. The whole look is so opulent and cosy, and just screams elegance. I absolutely adore the outdoor ceremony in the garden of the Winery too, conducted by the grooms father to give a personal touch, and culminating in clinking of champagne glasses with guests as the bride and groom walked back down the aisle as husband and wife. Fiona Clair Photography never fails to captured all the love and inspiration which is good for us as this destination wedding is PIN-tastic!

The Dress

Anina the Bride: Janita Toerien was the obvious choice as I wanted a bespoke wedding gown from a talent Capetonian. Janita has a keen eye for detail and the ability to capture beautifully a bride’s personality. Her designs demonstrate her flair to create a gown which is as unique as the bride who wears it without the need to conform to a specific or signature style.

Bridal Accessories

I liked the idea of a wedding band which would complement the engagement ring (which is set in a solitaire style) but may also be worn separately. I therefore have two beautiful, individual pieces which are statements in their own respective right. I found a beautiful pair of statement shoes which complements yet does not overshadow my gown. They also tie in with the sparkle of the wedding gown and fairy lights. I spotted a pair of earrings online and started the mammoth search to find a similar pair. Eventually I found them in a jewellery shop in Cape Town but, surprisingly discovered an even more beautiful pair at the same shop, which I just had to have as my wedding earrings. MY cathedral veil was also created by Janita Toerien and spanned approximately three metres. This ensured a very dramatic entrance to the wedding ceremony.

Grooms Attire

Janlo wanted a timeless look and opted for a custom-fitted, black suit (tuxedo inspired) from Cape Town based ZED Menswear. He loved the personal touch and professionalism shown during the fitting. His shoes were also picked at ZED Menswear and complemented his suit perfectly. As a gift to the Janlo on the wedding day, I had cuff links made by Talitha Oosthuizen Designs with the wedding date and our initials, “A ♥ J”, engraved on each respective cuff link. He also wore a traditional bow tie, which took quite a bit of practice to fold, and ensured an elegant finish to a classic look.

The Venue

We wanted a venue which would cater for an open air ceremony and reception. Lanzerac, a wine estate situated outside the beautiful Stellenbosch (a student town located in the heart of the Winelands) was the perfect choice as the couple fell in love as students at the University of Stellenbosch. In the summer, Stellenbosch is picturesque, very warm and with hardly any wind. We investigated the historic rain fall patterns and ascertained that January would be our best shot at ensuring a rainless evening, which was indeed the case. Lanzerac has a very colonial feel which added to our formal theme with its timeless and elegant characteristics.

Colour Scheme/Décor

We chose gold as our main colour with white, green and crystal (in the form of three huge chandeliers suspended from the open air ceiling). I wanted a ceiling of fairy lights to add a warm glow to the wedding reception. We ended up hiring possibly all of the fairy lights available in the greater Cape Town area which spanned approximately 1.8 km in length. It was a spectacular sight.

Flowers

I wanted a “statement bouquet” and chose a dramatic cascade style bouquet. The centerpieces consisted of table runners made of greenery, white hydrangeas and accents of gold and overflowed the ends of the tables. To add to the gold theme, I chose gold-sequined table cloths which reflected the ceiling of fairy light. (It was amusing that on the morning of the wedding the fairy light installers had to wear sunglasses because of the glare from the tablecloths!)

The Wedding Party Fashion

The bridesmaids wore elegant gold evening dresses and the groomsman had a black suit with a traditional bow tie.

Ceremony

The ceremony was held outside with a cabana with a spectacular chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Janlo's father (a former minister) conducted the ceremony which gave it a personal yet relaxed feel. Champagne was served just as we sealed our union with a kiss, which made for a very fun and unique exit as we clinked glasses with the guests on our way out.

Entertainment

We wanted an extended pre-reception event, which was held under the shade of a large oak tree. It was important for us to have good wine, copious amounts of floating canapés and a full live band (who was an absolute hit with the guests!).

Food

As foodies we wanted our taste to be reflected in the dishes served to their guests. The food consisted of the following:

Canapés:

• Whipped Camembert & Glazed Fig on Walnut Scones
• Peppered Cream Cheese & Minted Melon
• Mini Caprese Salad Skewers with Basil Pesto & Balsamic Jus
• Rare Roast Beef Roulade Filled with a Pecorino, Olive & Tomato Tapenade
• Beetroot Macaroons Filled with Smoked Aubergine & Goats Cheese Mousse
• Steak and Chip Bundles with Aioli & Spiced Tomato Glaze
• Courgette & Coconut Brûlée with Salted Caramel Shard & Crispy Enoki Mushrooms

Starter:

• Grilled Salmon Trout Crusted with Mustard Seeds & Dill on Crumbed Asparagus, Soft Poached Egg and Saffron Mayo

Main Course:

• Fillet of Beef Cooked with Brandy Butter with Olive Dauphinoise Potatoes, Fine Beans, Sautéed Mushrooms & Red Wine Jus

Dessert

• Three tier Gold Wedding Cake was served as dessert.
• Rich Chocolate Cake filled with chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream, covered with Dark Chocolate Ganache, covered in fondant and finished in edible gold pearl lustre. Secured to 14” cake board covered with fondant finished in edible gold pearl lustre with a gold ribbon border.

Midnight Snacks:

• Beef Burger Sliders with Onion Marmalade, Rocket & Tomato
• Mini Boerewors (local sausage) Rolls with Tomato & Onion Smoor (relish)
• Emmental Cheese, Gypsy Ham and Tomato Toasties

Photographer

We fell in love with Fiona Clair’s eye for detail and ability to capture intimate moments and emotions. Her incredible talent makes for dramatic yet tender imagery. She does not conform to the typical wedding photography recipe and is a breath of fresh air to the South African wedding scene. To top it all, she is a warm, kind-hearted person who is an absolute pleasure to have at one’s wedding day. Given more time, we would have succeeded in teaching her the local tongue!

Videographer

Our videographer FJS Productions is renowned for their unique and fearless style of capturing weddings. We wanted dramatic footage not limited to a stationary camera. The videographers were constantly moving with us and captured our special day from every angle possible.