You know, some of my favourite stories about weddings are about the way that a community (even in our modern age) responds to a bride and groom - for example, the way all the neighbours came out to wave my friend Lee off to her ceremony, for example, or the spontaneous applause that can greet a couple during a city photo shoot. It reminds me of the way that in a European village wedding, the bride and groom might walk from church to reception with their guests following behind and strangers cheering them on - a happy and triumphant parade. Today's wedding reminds me of that spirit a lot - you can almost feel the sense of community at Sarah and Kyle's wedding in these lovely pictures by Marli Koen, as well as the couple's togetherness as they see each other for the first look and couple shoot, greet their guests, collect their waiting retinue, and walk down the aisle together. Their friends and family surround them, leaning in to hear their words of love, and afterwards, under the leafy shade on South Africa's oldest wine estate, there's the fluttering of fans, the drinking of wine, and the joy of a love story long in the making come to fruition. I also have to mention how much I love the lasercut pincushion proteas in coloured bottles on each table - such a sweet and fun South African detail!

Kyle and I have the same godfather. His mom and my mom were both bridesmaids at my Aunt's wedding in Fish Hoek, Cape Town, back in the day before either of us were even born. Although we had always lived in separate cities and countries, we were treated like distant cousins. Wedding Details
Proudly South African Details
We asked for fynbos to be included in our table flower boxes and pincushion protea designs made out of plastic by my friend Adam were used for table decoration. The pincushions were designed by my friend Ariane who also designed our invitations, menus and thank you cards. Kyle and I love the rustic look, so we had rustic flower boxes and lanterns made by Goozeberry (an eco-centric furniture company) to match our furniture at home, and we also LOVE Asian style. We added Chinese lanterns, fans and a few parasols, not because they are cliché at weddings, but because we wanted to bring the Chinese element into our wedding. Kyle's Dad, Norman, made a cake stand for us in a 'Zen' style that we love and Kyle's Sister, Tamsen, made our rustic cake in peachy tones.
Although born in Cape Town, I'd been living in the UK since 1987, and in 2007, on one of Kyle's family visits to England, we shared a kiss or two and went on a date to the Tate Modern Art Gallery in London. Kyle returned to South Africa a week later, and our romance only picked up again in April 2013 when I was invited to his sister's wedding near Durban. The day I arrived at Durban airport, Kyle asked if he could kiss me outside a bar in Salt Rock. We wanted to spend more time together, so we spent the following week together in Cape Town with friends and my cousin who I was traveling with. By the end of that week we had said we loved each other and agreed that I would move from London, and he would move from KZN to Cape Town where we would be together. Three months later, I had quit my job in London, found a new job in Cape Town, rented out my London studio flat and flown to South Africa to be with the man I wanted to be with forever. A month after that, Kyle proposed!

You can see more from this wedding on Marli Koen's blog.

SERVICE PROVIDERS
Venue & catering: Jonkershuis at Groot Constantia | Photography: Marli Koen | Flowers: Bittersweet | Stationery: Ariane Illustration | Ceremony venue: Groot Constantia Manor House Herb Garden | Bride's accessories: Kathleen's Bead Studio | Hair & makeup: Cindy Horton | Flower Boxes and lanterns: Goozeberry