Rosemary Hill wedding

After months of excitement and preparations it was Daniël & Anri’s big day. We were asked to be their wedding photographer & videographer. We had so much fun, these two are really unbelievable people, fun loving and friendly. We will always remember the fun times we had with them, their groomsmen, bridesmaids and friends and family.

Rosemary Hill is also an unbelievable place to photograph at, with some wedding venues nowadays you really have to look around where to photograph the couple, at Rosemary Hill it is totally the opposite, there are more places where you can take photos than what you as a photographer have time for.

I asked Daniël & Anri a couple of questions about their wedding and how they met.

How did you meet?

I met Anri while studying in Bloemfontein. She took my breath away when I first saw her. My cousin introduced us at a party and it was tickets from there on. I knew then and there I need to marry this girl. It was a real case of love at first (at least it was for me). We hit it off from the start and really connected that evening. We were head over heels in love and we still are to this day.

 

Tell us about the proposal

It was a Saturday afternoon. I was on my way back from work when I phoned Anri and asked her to pack a suit case for us. I told her we need to take a break from everything and get away for the weekend. I had already booked everything two weeks in advance, but she did not suspect anything. We went to Hartebeespoort dam and booked in at the guest house. I had arranged with the guest for flowers, chocolates and Champaign to be waiting for us in the room. After about an hour in the room the pre-arranged masseuse came to our room with their portabale massage tables and gave us a wonderful full body massage. After this the nerves started getting to me a bit. I had already booked dinner on top of the mountain and Anri was so slow getting ready we almost missed our booking. When we eventually arrived at the base of the cable cars my stomach was in knots, I also have a fear of heights to top everything of. As we arrived on top we were directed to our table. It was set away from everyone with a beautiful view of the dam and the sun setting over the dam. After we had dinner I waited for Anri to stop talking for long enough so I could ask the big question. This took a while as she loves to talk. Eventually I just took a knee and asked her. She burst into tears and said yes. The best decision I had ever made.

 

Describe your wedding day, anything specific that you will always remember

The week before the wedding a bad cold front came through. With strong winds carrying the cold air. But on the Saturday of our wedding the weather was perfect. It felt as if God blessed our marriage and wanted to make everything perfect for us. It was the most amazing day of our lives. Making the commitment to spend the rest of our lives together. Proofing our love and to marry our best friend.

 

The dress

Eloise from Beloved Bridal in Waverly designed and made the dress. She understood from the beginning exactly what Anri wanted and went through allot to delivered. She even came to our home most of the times for fittings. The dress looked amazing. I would really refer anyone to her. Very professional and excellent workmanship.

 

The Flowers

We decided to use only gyp and proteas for our wedding. We like the clean simple look. Ansie from Ansies Flower bought all the flowers for us and made Anri’s bouquet as well as the flower decorations for the main table.

 

Highlight of the wedding

Our first dance was a real highlight. We were nervous about it as I can’t really dance. We wanted to start practicing long before the wedding day but never got around to it. Luckily it went off well and I didn’t step on her toes. Another highlight was having the same dominee there that married Anri’s mother and stepfather years ago. Ds Nelis flew all the way from Cape Town just for our wedding. It made it really special and he gave such a beautiful message. I can’t imagine a different dominee marrying us.

 

Was there any drama

None what so ever. Everything went so smooth thanks to assistance from Rachelle at Rosemary Hill. Everything was perfectly organized.

 

 The Honeymoon

I kept it a surprise for as long as possible. Sunday morning after the wedding I told Anri to pack her bags for a warm beach holiday. When we arrived at the airport I handed her the tickets and told her we are going to Phuket. Was a honeymoon never to be forgotten. Everyone is so friendly and the hotel was amazing. I had never seen such a nice hotel. We rode on elephants and saw the most breath taking views imaginable. I was a really fun week and a great way to relax and rest after the wedding stress.

 

 Tell us about your photographer.

JC Crafford Photography & Videography is excellent. I am a shy guy and they managed to get me relaxed. The photos and the video looks amazing. At the end of the day is that all you have left along with the memories. They are really well organized and very professional as well as fun. I recommend them to anyone that wants the best possible service and the most beautiful and creative photos no one would ever even imagined taking. There use of light and surroundings takes a normal photo and transforms it into something spectacular.

 

 Who did your make-up and hair?

Leanda Du Plooy  did Anri’s make-up. She did an excellent job and Anri looked like an angel. Her email is: leanda.duplooy@gmail.com

Anri’s hair was done by Mari-Lize van der Merwe. One of our good friends. Email: marilizevandermerwe@gmail.com

 

 Any other suppliers that you want to mention?

The venue: Rosemary Hill. The way they arranged anything we asked for was really great. The took allot of stress of our shoulders. And the food was delicious.

 

 Where was your honeymoon?

Rawai Palm Resort; Phuket; Thailand

 

 Do you have any advice for other brides/grooms-to-be?

Don’t stress about the small stuff. The day is all about your commitment and promise in front of God to love, protect and honor each other. When you focus on this all the small stuff falls into place allot easier.

 

What was your inspiration behind your overall wedding decor and colour choices?

Our favorite color is red. So we wanted a red and white wedding. But we needed to be careful, because when you use to much red it can easily look like a party and not a wedding. So it was mostly white with a little of red. We wanted to make most of the décor ourselves as this makes it allot more special and memorable. We made the table settings clock ourselves as well as the flowerpots(big and small) and Anri’s uncle made the heart shaped underplates.

JC Crafford Photography & Videography

JC Crafford Photography are a specialist team of  wedding photographers and videographers. We are based in Pretoria & travel all over South africa to capture your memories.

Here are two videos, one with a slideshow of highlights of the wedding photos and one with highlights of the wedding video.

 

Photographer for this wedding: JC Crafford