Darryn and Elize’s wedding at AA Badenhorst Wines

Real Wedding Feature

Darryn and Elize tied the knot at the breathtaking AA Badenhorst Wines in May 2021. Their wedding was filled with whimsy and that personal touch, 1000 origami cranes made by the bride and groom, set their wedding apart from the rest.

OUR FIRST MEETING

Ever since our first meeting in De Waal Park, and a “The Notebook” worthy first kiss in the falling water standing in the middle of the park’s fountain, we have been inseparable. A beautifully natural and organic relationship from the very first second.

After getting engaged in March 2019, we originally planned a two-year engagement with our wedding booked for May 2021. And thank goodness we did! A pro-tip in case anyone was thinking about it: don’t organise a wedding in the middle of a global pandemic! Zero stars! Do not recommend. In the end, we thankfully didn’t need to change any dates, venues or suppliers, and the various restrictions in place allowed us to have a smaller wedding without the guilt of not inviting everyone.

Our suppliers were all incredibly responsive and supportive and made our special day unforgettable.

STYLE INSPIRATION

The decor was inspired by the venue itself (and the reason we chose it in the first place – aside from Adi Badenhorst making the best wines in the country!). Kalmoesfontein is a beautifully quirky old farm in the Swartland with modern touches. Elize wanted to take advantage of all the dried grasses and plants in the area. With that vision (and a strict instruction for no flowers!) Michelle Smith and Helena Sheridan foraged foliage on the farm and in the Swartland and created simple table settings as well as incredible installations that hung above the guests.

We spent our lockdown folding 1000 paper cranes that were hung throughout the intimate reception area, as well as above the dance floor. We also created all of our own stationery, as well as the wedding website. All the coordinating and planning leading up to the big day was handled by Elize.

In the end, it looked better than we could ever have imagined!

THE SUPPLIERS

The very first supplier we booked was our photographer, Chantel and May. We felt that was the most important element as no matter where you get married, you’ll want to capture the day as you remembered it.

Semma, who coordinates everything at the venue, was an absolute blessing. She was so accommodating and happy to answer any questions or concerns we may have had, and coordinated the on-the-day madness perfectly. The venue also catered all the hearty farm-fresh food, and Semma’s husband, Charl, put together the harvest table of dreams for pre-reception snacks and drinks.

Sound and vibes were supplied by Southern Sound (another amazing supplier who were constantly in touch before the wedding. You could swear they were as excited about our wedding as we were!).

THE DRESS

After months of searching online and at boutiques across Cape Town with no luck in finding ‘the one’ Elize decided to have a dress designed by Chanelle Cindy Bridal. As fate would have it the perfect dress was hanging in Chanelle’s studio when Elize went for her first fitting. It was love at first sight, and all thoughts of having a dress designed went out the door.

The incredible cape is from Blackeyed Susan and was added as a last-minute detail as the weather on the wedding day was looking less than ideal.

The headpiece and earrings are by our incredibly talented friend, Tiffany Marx.