Teboho & Anati

Photography by Patrick Furter

Deidre & Johannes - Florin Venue

Rene & Nico

Farthing Hall

Name of Bride:  Renè Villet

Age: 25

Occupation  Practice manager for a medical company

Name of Groom:  Nico Steenberg

Age:  26

Occupation:  Area manager for a retail company

How did you meet:   After matric, while studying I started working at the same place Nico did.  God had it planned that the same guy I had a crush on from the 1^st moment I laid eyes on him, was the one to be in charge of training me.  My knees went weak every time I saw him or had to be near him.  Never did I know that he would become my soul mate. The one thing led to another - we went for coffee, I met his friends and 7 years later we were engaged and standing on the verge of getting married.  The day we met each other, we just knew!!!!

The proposal: I have the MOST awesome man in the world!!!!  He planned a surprise weekend away in December 2009 to the Drakensburg at a place with the most amazing, breathtaking and exclusive lodges far away from our everyday life.  He had planned every little detail to the finest point.  The Saturday, we went out on the water with a little boat, just the 2 of us, for a nice and peaceful trip with a magazine each and nothing insight other than the mountains, birds chirping and the sound of serenity.  At dusk, we went back to the lodge where he prepared a beautiful candle lit foam bath with rose pedals and candles leading from the deck up to the bathroom.  While I was ordered to relax and freshen up, he was downstairs preparing the most AWESOME candle lit 3 course dinner with romantic music playing in the background and the mountains reflecting on the water and a fireplace burning as the view.  But I found it to be a bit strange why he was moving fairly fast from starters to dessert barely chewing his food.  Not knowing that his nerves were getting to him for the BIG question to come after dessert.  When we both were finished, he got up and started playing our song “Grow old with you” where he got down on one knee, took out this small little shiny box and proposed.  I was soooo excited and surprised that I started crying and jumped up and down in his arms (was so overwhelmed, I nearly gave the wrong hand)!  It was the most amazing weekend of our lives and the start of a beautiful new beginning in our relationship.  I was so relieved and pleased that the big moment had finally come because I was waiting anxiously for years.

What theme or atmosphere did you create on your Big Day:

Very elegant and formal damask theme with a warm magical feeling of love in the air.

What was unique about your wedding?

My husband and dad are serious bikers, so he and the groom’s men made a grand entrance on the bikes. 

The guests spent their time while waiting for us, engraving their messages on a silver antique tray so that we could use it for years thereafter and keep the memory.

Describe your Table Décor/flowers or Gifts to guests:

Gifts:  Every guest received a beautiful black crystal wine glass with a something sweet from Lindt 

           chocolate inside with a thank you wrapping on top.

The colors of our wedding were black and silver damask with cherish pink. 

The flowers were a mix of beautiful pink and white colors to brighten the room. 

We added a lot of bling elements to give a sparkle to the décor.  We wanted to create a modern yet romantic feeling.

Describe your Wedding Dress:

Wow, what a dream dress – a typical fairytale dress for my fairytale wedding.  I bought my dress at Euro bride and fell in love with it the 1^st moment I fitted it on.  It is a snow white ball gown dress with a strapless corset and a beautiful crystal diamante flower, her name “Henrietta”.  After fitting so many other dresses, I just knew that this was the one for me.  It felt like the dress was made especially just for me.  Everything I ever wanted it to be like and dreamed of.  The company that did our décor was Merav Events, Mari-Ni did a good job of taking our ideas and making it a reality.

Describe your Wedding Cake:

The Cake Genie designed our wedding cake.  The cake was designed personally with a hand crafted damask detail to match the décor theme with added diamante. We had a 5 layer  black and white wedding cake and each layer was a different flavor, syrup and cake. The 1st was a lovely moist vanilla cake with the most amazing vanilla syrup. The 2^nd was a decadent vanilla cake with a caramel sensation that melted in your mouth. The 3^rd layer was a tasty strawberry syrup with a delicious rainbow cake.  The 4^th layer was an amarula vanilla cake.  The 5^th layer had to be a dummy as the icing was black.  Their service was excellent and they were so helpful and assisted us to the best of their ability to design the cake to our own idea and requirements.  Would refer anyone and everyone to do their wedding cake with them.

The Best thing about being a Bride: Highlights/Special/Funny incidents of the day:

The day before the wedding I was a nervous wreck, I wasn’t feeling well at all and could feel the nerves were settling in.  But the day of our wedding, from the moment I opened my eyes, calmness came over me that words could not describe.  I felt so relaxed and ready for our big day.  Everyone around me, our mothers and the bridesmaids were crying and was so emotional, yet I seemed to be the calm one.  I knew God was in control of our day and He would make sure everything was perfect! What more could I have asked for – I was marrying the man of my dreams.

What have you learned from this experience?

All that planning and hard work definitely paid off and was so worth the end result!

In spite of the new commitments and hard work, for the 1^st time in my life, I feel COMPLETE!

Any advice you would like to give other bridal couples?

Do not wait for the last minute to start planning your wedding, even if it is the small things – those are the things that take up the most of your time.  Enjoy every moment while it lasts because it comes and goes so quickly. Do and experience everything together as a couple because it makes it so much more fun and easier.

Your photographer’s name and contact nr:

Patrick Furter  - he is the most amazing person to have as your photographer because not only is his work the BEST but the way he fits in the day of your wedding is just awesome.  Everyone loved Patrick on our wedding! His work is absolutely incredible.