Last week, an impressive little envelope landed in my postbox. The kind of paper you want to run your fingers over, with an old-school wax seal on the back. Inside was a thick letterpress invitation, an extra that today's lovely bride Sandra shared with me ahead of our feature today. The dress code: strictly black tie - full length dresses for the ladies, tuxedos for the men, and white frocks and flower crowns for the little madams. That invitation really set the tone for Sandra and Murray's chic wedding, introducing their guests to a world of ballroom formal and Out of Africa safari style that took place right on the couple's farm in the Free State. I just adore everything about this look, from Sandra's red-lipped mantilla-ed bridal style to the orchid laden tables, all with the most incredible bush backdrop (all captured beautifully by photographer Wil Punt). And today, we're extending the invitation to you too. The pleasure of your company is requested...

Marriage" had come up in many veiled discussions over eight years of dating, always with us putting it off for a time when we'd be less busy with our careers, so the proposal itself was still a big surprise! Murray and I were in yet another stint of long distance - myself in Joburg and he on the farm - and I was visiting him for the weekend. I was feeling pretty knackered and so spent most of the Saturday on the couch watching Masterchef. Under the guise of doing farm work, Murray was in fact out and about setting up an "Out of Africa" dream dinner in the veld. With everything complete, he came back to fetch me for our usual drive and sun-downer drinks on the farm. We drove up to the hill behind the house, and there, under a specially chosen tree, was a white tablecloth, the family silverware and a champagne bucket set up. I thought for a while it may just be a romantic dinner date on the farm (there aren't any restaurants in sight!) - but after much chatting, he eventually got down on one knee and the rest is history. The perfect setting for what was to become the new and big chapter in our lives! Wedding StyleWedding Details Proudly South African Details
The farm we live on is a cattle farm and my folks have a cattle farm as well, so we just had to include a little lobola transaction in our wedding ceremony! For our first dance song, we had "Great Heart" by Johnny Clegg. Perfect for the setting, and the lyrics were extremely meaningful :)

The biggest detail was that we decided to host our own wedding ceremony. This was a high risk move, but we had a long history behind us and we had such fun writing our own vows and making the occasion personal. A bridesmaid played the cello as an entrance piece, another bridesmaid sang a hymn, our parents performed a hand-tying blessing, there were readings from friends and family, and of course, even a little lobola transaction! We had absolutely no regrets! Another personal touch was the secondhand books that we gave as wedding favours. We absolutely love books, especially secondhand or antique gems, and this was a nice way to write a personal thank you note onto the front cover for each of our guests. The guests also got a little mini pocket of potatoes - our venue being a potato farm and all.
I confess that I wasn't a big wedding day dreamer, but when it came to the wedding style , we both immediately knew that it would be "Out of Africa," or "Silk and Safari" as we called it. We both loved the idea of an elegant black tie evening in the veld, reminiscent of old world safari glamour. The colour palette was ebony and ivory, with fabulous hints of deep red - scarlet lipstick, red books as wedding favours, red masai kikois on the backs of the director's chairs, and so on. We were also determined that the event should feel less like a structured wedding and more like a wonderful gathering of friends and family at what was to be our new home. Here's a link to my pinterest board where I gathered all my thoughts:)

You can see more from this wedding on Peartree Photography's blog.

SERVICE PROVIDERS
Ceremony & reception venue: & catering: Private farm | Cake and catering: Vicki from Freshfoods Catering | Photographer: Wil Punt of Peartree Photography | Co-ordinator: Bruce at Loudfire | Stationery: DIY design and paper from The Paper Café, Rosebank | Bride's dress: Malcolm Kluk and Christiaan Gabriel du Toit | Bride's accessories: Headpieces from Helena's Crown | Hair & makeup: Charmaine and Marie in Christiana | Hiring: Table décor from Funxion Fusion, tablecloth hire from The Tablecloth Hiring Company, portable luxury loos from Comfort Loos | DJ: Optimus Acoustic, Bloemfontein