Helette Photography submitted this breathtaking apple themed wedding. It was a DIY filled wedding by bride and groom, Reynier en Natasha de Jager that took place at Fruitways – Eykenhof Farm at Eykenhof Dam in Elgin in the Western Cape. They organised the whole wedding in 6 months and then took a break. Just before the wedding all the building, breaking and creating started. That was the real fun part. The groom was the one responsible for most of the planning from the start and was also the one who did most of the building right up to the last minute.
We live on a farm and wanted to portray the calmness and serenity of that in our wedding décor. We got our colour palette from the natural elements of that area and brought in a touch of gold on the apples (which also forms an intricate part of the Elgin area).
They used 340 wooden create walls on an open cement slab, thereby “building” their venue with a eating area, bar, dance floor and extra casual seating areas. There was absolutely nothing before they started, just the cement slab and the gorgeous view over the dam. No electricity, toilets, nothing. They planted poles, hung thousands of fairy lights, spray painted apples and her mom made the serviettes. The rest of the décor were chairs and couches from their living room and old suitcases and hat boxes and lamps etc, that normally adorn their home.
Tell us about the engagement
The couple, who met through an online dating website got engaged at the Walkerbay Nature Reserve on 30 Nov 2014. Reynier hid the ring in a secret compartment in his car for over a month, waiting for the right moment. They went for a picnic on a warm sunny day. Everything was perfect, love was in the air. They were on their own on a little secluded beach. He went back to the car at some point, pretending to have to go and check on the map at what time they had to be out of the reserve. He got out the ring, wrapped it in toilet paper and when he got back, immediately fell to his knees and asked her to marry him. There were tears and laughter, everything was perfect!
Do you have any advice for DIY brides?
When doing your own DIY wedding from scratch and not having a set price for a venue that is already there with everything you need included in the price, you have to budget very carefully. It is a challenge to stick to that budget because there are always unexpected surprises that come up, right until the last minute. So make sure that you have a little extra money saved for all the unforseen expenses that do come up when you do something completely unique and from scratch. Only invite people that are really close to you and that you see on a regular basis, then you know that everyone will show up and that they will have a great time. When using hiring companies, make sure that you do your research and homework properly.
Other lovilees that made the day possible include
Catering: Bodemloos Kombuis
Hiring: Goeters
Toilets: Boland Toilet Hire
Generator: GPH Generator Hire
Dress: Shades of White Bridal Boutique
Make-up: Lika {072 474 3649}
Hair: Bride did her own, she’s a hairdresser at Orange Eleven Hair and Skincare
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