Lol & Johno

Get ready for a sunny coastal wedding in South Africa that exudes love & happiness, and an abundance of style. Both the decor and fashion were minimal, but oh my did they have maximum impact. Bride Lol's bespoke backless gown in particular is the epitome of chic and proves the statement 'less is more' sometimes couldn't be more appropriate. The bridesmaids looked just as elegant in their white gowns, with their bouquets of foliage popping against the crisp hue. Starting with a gorgeous woodland ceremony with a fabulous geometric altar framing this wonderful couple as they say their vows and culminating in what looks like 'the most' beautiful and fun reception EVER in a glass marquee, with all the emotion captured perfectly by Michigan Behn Photography.

Dress

Lol the Bride: I decided to have a dress made by the incredible Julia Ferrandi who had just finished one of my best friends wedding dresses which turned out absolutely insane. When I met with Julia, I explained how I didn’t want any lace and that I wanted quite a clean, minimalistic, sleek dress. There was an image that I got on pinterest of a back of a dress that I loved, so the whole dress was basically designed around the back which is what I loved most about the dress. In the end it was everything I imagined and more. Nothing too fussy just plain, simple and most importantly comfortable.

The Groom

Johno wore a classic light Grey Suit which he searched high and low for from Woolworths and had it slightly tailored. His tie and shoes were also from Woolworths.

The Venue

From the beginning Johno and I knew that we wanted to get married on the coast, relatively close to where we live. We went to see a few venues but we knew we wanted to get married at Jex Estate (Umvoti beach house) right from the beginning ... Well at least I did. Friends of ours got married there 2 years before and it is the most incredible venue. What more could we have asked for, beach and forest, our absolute ultimate. One thing about the venue is that it only has 2 old farm houses and therefore we had to bring in everything which in the end isn’t as much of a hack as everyone makes it out to be. Ntonhle from Jex Estate was so helpful that it just made everything so easy.

The Decor

When it came to the décor we knew that we wanted a modern, botanical and simple vibe but as time went on things slowly started changing slightly. We both love doing some DIY so a lot of the décor we did. I am also a designer so I was lucky enough to be able to do all of our stationery which is a big help. We made the following: - The champagne Bar - Wedding Invites, menus, name tags etc. - The Ceremony arch - All of the wooden signs- ‘Welcome’ ‘Photo op’ and ‘Reception’ - The main Bar - The J & L light sign - The Donut Bar - The place mat Boards - The Napkins and Blankets - Speech podium Another big help was the fact that we bought a lot of our vases and candle holders ourselves because they ended up being the same price as hiring them. We also used a few bits and bobs from our home which helped with the décor.

The Flowers

Because our venue was in the forest and by the sea we felt that there was no need for too much, so we kept the flowers very minimal and loose. Lots of greenery with touches of white.

Bridesmaids

Too be honest this was the toughest part about our wedding, for me. To try and find a dress that suits 6 different girls is not easy. Especially when only one of them lives in the same town as you. I searched and searched and searched. I eventually decided to have them made by a little tailor in Joburg the week before the wedding. Two of the girls only tried on their dresses for the first time, the morning of the wedding. Man oh man it was risky! But in the end it worked out so well and they all looked so incredibly gorgeous!

Groomsmen

The groomsmen wore Grey pants from Woolworths and they hired the suit jackets from Euro Suit. The Groom, Groomsmen, Father of the Bride and Father of the Groom all wore matching ties from Woolworths so they all tied in together.

The Ceremony

One of the best decisions we made was to have a family friend of ours, Paolo, conduct the ceremony. We wanted someone who actually knew us and not a stranger marry us. He has such a sense of humour which just made it so relaxed and easy. Having it in the forest was just amazing.

The Entertainment

The pro’s about going to so many weddings before yours is that when it comes to choosing suppliers, you can just decide what you liked from all the different weddings. It makes life a lot easier. One of the suppliers that we were certain on was the band we chose, The Black Lapels. This 3 man band played at our reception and they just create such a vibe and definitely got everyone on the dance floor. For the ceremony and the canapes we had created a playlist and when the band was done we had a DJ till the end.

The Food

Our caterers were Olive Twist, who made the whole process very easy. We knew that we didn’t want a plated meal so as soon as Ros from Olive Twist suggested family style we knew that was it. We wanted the food experience to be casual and social, which is exactly what it was. The only tough part was deciding which options to choose as they all sounded so delicious. They also did little gammon rolls for mid night snacks which is always a good idea. For the dessert we decided to do a donut wall as I am completely obsessed with Krispy Kreme and you cannot go wrong with an original glazed donut.

The Photography

The first thing that we booked was our photographer and we knew that Michigan was it! She has shot two of our friends weddings and her pictures are just completely epic. Not only are her pics insane but it helps when you have someone who is just cool, calm and collected and makes the day go extremely smoothly. We wanted our pictures to be as natural as possible and that’s exactly what we got. The best part about it, and I think that it shows how great a photographer she is, is that not once did we feel that there was a camera around or in our faces. An absolute talent.

The Videographer

We were so lucky to have Andre from Haze Film help us out last minute. We gave him a call the week before and he was able to help us. All we wanted was the raw footage so that we could just relive the day, as the day goes by so quickly. We got such an awesome surprise when he emailed us a link to a short video that he did as a gift to us which was just so incredible.

Advice

Our advice is just go with it and enjoy it. It only happens once so get involved. Do as much DIY as you can and make it something that the the two of you can do together. If your perfect supplier is booked, move onto the next. We booked so many things only the week or two weeks before and it all worked out, so don’t stress about it. In the end your wedding day is a day where the most important people in your life come together to celebrate the two of you, and too be honest that’s the most important and amazing part of it all.