Touched by the sea
Wedding in South Africa
Did you ever dream of a wedding in South Africa? Last year November I travelled to Cape Town and attended to a wonderful workshop organized by Portfolio Bootcamp. We shot a styled beach wedding at Noordhoek Beach, located below Chapman’s Peak on Cape Peninsula’s west coast: an amazing landscape illuminated by a warm and magical light.
Are you planning to get married on the beach? Have a look at this inspirational styled shoot and we’ll give you some tips here below how to plan the perfect beach wedding.
Skip the big dress. It can be difficult and uncomfortable to walk with. If a large dress is a must then make sure that is easily “foldable”.
Think light. Choose a lightweight fabric dress like chiffon or charmeuse so your gown can flow with the ocean breeze.
High heels. Sand and high heels just don’t mix. Think of wearing flat sandals, espadrilles or wedges — Choose for shoes that won’t sink into sand. Have your gown hemmed with and without shoes, depending on which option you choose. Remember, sand can get pretty hot. Have an aisle runner made of fabric or thick flower petals to help keep your feet cool.
Avoid tan lines. Be very careful of sunburn and unwanted tan lines. This goes for the bride, but also all women at the wedding. Aside from the wedding dress, it could be a good idea to prepare the female invitees accordingly with bathing suits in order to avoid tan lines.
Informal. Although many brides propose their bridegroom in a tuxedo, black wool is a no-no in a tropical climate. Lightweight cotton trousers or even bermudas are great options for the beach.
Right timing. When dealing with beach wedding photos, lighting is very important. We suggest ending the ceremony an hour before the sunset. That way, you’ll still get great action shots in natural light, as well you will get warm and beautiful portraits. The sea, beach and dunes are a great backdrop for the photoshoot. We take plenty of time here so make sure that your guests are entertained during that time.
Have a backup plan. Unfortunately, weather has a mind of its own, so be ready with a solid plan B. We recommend having a tent ready or a beach pavilion where the wedding can take place whenever the weather is bad. Is there sunshine? Lucky you! But it can also become too hot. So make sure you have enough sunglasses, sunscreen and bottles of water for your guests. And don’t forget to create enough shady corners in order to protect you and your guest from the sun. Even small parasols will do the job.
Wedding planning. Lief vir jou wedding & events (meaning in South African: I love you) is a specialized wedding planner and stylist for weddings in South Africa! Theriza was born there. After moving back to The Netherlands she still feels like a South African. After traveling a lot during the years to South Africa she decided to specialize herself in the South-African wedding industry to help couples plan their wedding there.
Some tips of the wedding planner and stylist herself:
Why getting married in South-Africa? There are a lot of reasons and I will tell you a few. A lot of couples who has family all over the world decide to marry in South-Africa because it’s more central. The hospitality, food, florists and a lot of other aspects are really good and not that expensive comparing to Europe or the USA. Another advantage, if you want an intimate wedding only your loved ones will fly over, because of the distance they make an effort to be there.
South- Africa offers a lot of various landscapes so if you want to get married on a beautiful wine estate, a Bosveld (it is most of the time on a beautiful reserve for wild animals), the beautiful highland belongs to the Drakensberg nearby Durban or on the beautiful beaches nearby Cape town it is all possible. As you can see a lot of choices and I did didn’t even tell you all of the possibilities.
If you decide to get married in South-Africa and want to book a honeymoon you can also book it there. You’ll find a lot of beautiful road trips, resorts and a lot more to enjoy this beautiful country.
