Carmen + Edwin

Wedding date: December 28, 2021

Dress: Customized Ella Rose

How did you and your Husband meet?

We met on Tinder, interestingly. It’s the only clichéd part of our story and I honestly forget that we did because it feels as if we’ve known each other. As soon as we started talking, it was the easiest and most natural thing. We soon realized how much we had in common and how similar our upbringings and families were. Not only that, we actually lived less than 3km away from one another! It wasn’t long before we met on our first date, both of us a little skeptical. He wanted to show me around town as I moved to Cape Town right before lockdown hit and I felt really comfortable and safe with him. That turned into a few amazing dates, the best I ever had. Our courtship lasted 3 months, and by then we knew it was all God-ordained and that we were going to get married. We fell in love December 2020, had an amazing 6 months of dating, and by June 2021 he proposed!

Tell me about your proposal story?

For our proposal, my husband tried his utmost to keep it a well-kept secret, I knew it was going to happen soon, but he did manage to surprise me on the day! A big accomplishment on his part – I’m pretty good at sniffing out a situation. Although, looking back all his weird behavior leading up to it all made sense. He took me back to our favorite wine farm, Jordan Wine Estate, where we had our third date. That date was a real turning point in our relationship, so it held a great significance for us. He had organized it all with the staff and had staged a fake wine cellar tour, which really threw me off of my suspicion up until then.

As we got to where the big wine tanks were there was this beautiful brick area with arches and wine barrels and I wanted to see the inside. Both him and the guide told me I can go have a look (being the curious lady that I am) but there was an event set up for other people. I saw flower petals on the ground and then fairy lights and a beautiful display. I felt like I was invading someone else’s space, until I saw our close friend hiding behind a wall giggling with a camera, and starting to take photos. I was in disbelief for a couple of minutes and couldn’t stop asking questions! Then he got on his knee and nervously said a few words and popped the question. Of course I was equally nervous, said YES! I had a list of requests for the day, he managed to get most of them organized, even flying my mom in from out of town, and his mom and the rest of my family joined us soon after. It’s a day that I will cherish in my memories as one of the top 5 of my entire life!

What was most important to you when planning your wedding?

The most important thing for both my husband and I, was to only have the most significant people, closest to us as guests. For me, I wanted to create a day that framed our love story, with an intimate and God- filled atmosphere. We also wanted to have as low stress level as possible during the planning phase and on the day. We managed it for the most part, but as a tiny bit of a perfectionist myself, I experienced a bit more stress than he did. However the way he was able to stay strong and calm really helped me and showed me what an incredible man that I was about to marry.

How did you feel when you first stepped into your wedding dress?

Wedding dress shopping was such a special experience for me, all because of Jo from Sheer bride. I was nervous finding a dress and the right bridal boutique and I was grateful to find someone like her. She made the experience so positive for me. When I first stepped into my very first wedding dress I tried on I couldn’t believe my eyes. I looked better that I thought I could. It took a while to sink in that I was going to be a real bride. I tried on quite a few, and it was a process deciding exactly what I wanted.

How did you know it was ‘the One’/ what did you love most about it?

The dress I decided on was a work in progress and was tailormade for me, and when it finally arrived I was even more nervous, but completely overjoyed and in awe of how perfectly it fit me and I felt like a complete princess and so, so beautiful! I loved the neckline and fit and flare style the most. The fabric layers were so light and romantic and I loved the subtle lace detail that shone through. It was very flattering on my body and made me feel very confident and beautiful. When the completed dress arrived, both Jo and screeched together like teenagers for a whole 30 seconds when we both saw me in the mirror, in THE dress. It was a perfect creation.

Did you have a specific theme for your wedding? If so, please tell me about it.

We didn’t have a very specific theme. But the goal was intimate, romantic and relaxed. I wanted as much natural elements as possible, soft and flowing fabric and flowers. A draped ceiling of fairy lights, candlelights and a beautiful circular arch to get married in front of were my top must haves.

Where was your wedding and who was your photographer? Why did you choose them?

Our wedding happened at Mcpherson’s Restaurant and Venue on the vlei in Table View. We chose the venue as it was unpretentious, had the atmosphere we wanted, beautiful Table Mountain views, as well as very helpful staff and reasonable prices.
Our photographers were Garland Photography. We chose them for their exquisite quality in their photographs. Their wedding photos captured the feel of the wedding and that’s what we wanted.

Describe the essence of your wedding day, and what you experienced?

The first half of our day was unfortunately quite frantic and stressful. I had been feeling ill leading up to the day and few unexpected things went wrong. I was a ball of stress, because I was so determined to have everything well planned out. Funny enough, my husband who normally is the timeous one between the two of us, was very relaxed and waited very patiently for me to arrive. All of the unexpected mishaps led to the ceremony starting much later than expected, but once it did, thankfully we forgot all about what went wrong. Our ceremony was so special and felt like a dream, we both decided early on we would not rush the proceedings and really be present in those moments. We did have to rush our other proceedings slightly. But all in all it was a very special day, and for the wedding itself, everything went pretty perfectly.

Do you have any words of wisdom for newly engaged couples planning their wedding?

It’s very important to have a clear understanding of what you want for your day, what the compromises will be and what the non-negotiables are. However it’s also important to remain flexible in your plans, because it is a process and you’re not always going to get what you want. Especially if you have a set budget. Set a realistic budget, spend the most on whatever is most important to you both, not what will impress your guests the most. Remember it’s your day. It is about the beauty of matrimony, two becoming one. Everything else really is just the trimmings. Don’t allow the bells and whistles to take over or take away from the main thing.

Anything else about your experience at Sheer Bride you would like to share

Sheer bride and Jo is such a special place and she is such a treasure of a person.
She is so invested in you as a bride and your experience, not just about a dress.
She commits herself to helping find what makes you feel the most beautiful. She became a friend and confidant through the process and we still stay in contact.

Wedding Vendors
Décor: The Décor Queen – Marsha Arendse
Flowers : Pure Flowers – Monja Kholberg
Signage: Lilly Leigh.co
Photpgraphy : Garland photography
Venue: Mcphersons Wedding Venue