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Senele is a girl after my own heart, she loves flowers, cake and shoes and to top it all off she gave us complete creative license to put together her much anticipated love celebration. One thing I cherished about this process was that it showed me that when you have a bride that is open minded, you definitely are inspired more and more right through the process . Let’s begin at the top! I asked Senele and Kgotso what they wanted for their day and both didn’t mince their words. A good time for friends and family, because they have waited for so long to celebrate this day. So we set out to create magic! Senele wore a bespoke Biji La Maison gown that made her feel like royalty. While Kgotso wore a Versace suit and paired it with a shirt from Billionaire.

As guests entered the Zunguness, they walked through the rose garden which led to the ceremony area. A classical ensemble played listening to a string orchestra. The ceremony aisle was lined with white flooring which led to the constructed stage and chuppah lined with alternating blooms of cream florals (hydrangea, roses, orchids and lilies) and lush greenery. The vision of the forest enveloping our bride and groom as they exchanged their vows, was simply breathtaking.

When the ceremony was finished, there was singing and ululation as the couple existed to take photos and bask in the moment. The guests were treated to delicious canapes and champagne in the garden. At the end of the cocktail hour, guests were lead to the reception room, where they gasped at the sight. In-between the glittering chandeliers were rows of tassels that swiftly swayed from side to side. The custom dance floor was covered with a decal print of the monogram including the floral botanical print which ran through all of the reception stationery

The tables were styled with mass arrangement centerpieces made up of a variety of roses, orchids, tulips and hydrangea in shades of cream, pink and touches of greenery. The choice of a bronze linen allowed the luxury infinity chair to complement the overall look and detail of the place setting. Still allowing the linen to shine, each setting was an adorned with a clear baseplate, which gave way for the gold foiled nude napkin sleeve to standout in all it’s glory. This was all paired with stylish slim gold and white tableware and uncut crystal glassware.

For the reception, Senele changed into a figure hugging gown of Milano satin, with a touch of Hollywood glamour. The heavily embellished piece was draped on a corseted bodice to highlight her small waist. To soften the look, soft mesh was strategically draped over the skirt so that it did not detract from the feminine silhouette. As the speeches were delivered, a sumptuous meal was served and guests were entertained by the well thought out words that were delivered so eloquently. The evening culminated with a cake cutting ceremony, that wowed the guests even further as a pyro-fireworks display captured the mood of this magical evening

Senele & Kgotso, thank you for choosing Meletlo to walk this journey with you and may God bless your union!

Enchanted Garden Celebration in the Midlands

A sophisticated and elegant affair

Kelly and Chad got married at the picturesque Memoire wedding venue on a rainy Friday afternoon. The heavens blessed this couple with rain, and even though it threw the garden ceremony plans out completely, this did not take away from the beauty of this sophisticated wedding. Having planned everything down to every exquisite detail, this promised to be a totally glam wedding

The groom was ever so calm as he got ready with his groomsmen. Kelly surprised him with a precious gift, to begin their happily ever after There was so much love in the bridal suite as the girls were getting ready with hair and makeup. Kelly’s beauty team was all sorts of levels, with Saadique on hair and Precious Xaba on make-up. End result – she was a vision!

Kelly wore a gorgeous Milla Nova gown from Vonve bridal couture. As we prepped her to walk down the aisle with her father, the most natural thing happened. Dad sobbed uncontrollably and as you would have it, tears just welled up in all our eyes. It was a surreal moment. With dad being a pastor, he quickly changed gears at the altar and stood on the other side to take care of officiating duties. Needless to say, it’s not the same when your own father is the one to says – “you may kiss the Bride”

The rain held up long enough, for Estilo Photography to capture the most heartfelt moments. Guests were treated to a gin bar, delicious canape and jazz sounds from Langa and the band.

To achieve the romantic fairy tale look the reception tables were lined with candles from end to end and accentuated with a luxurious tightly structured rose ball arrangement. Every detail was carefully thought out, from the rose dripping chandeliers to the gold stencil cut out of each guests name. The candle holders and glass votives on the mirror table tops gave a reflection that flickered the candlelight long after the guests gasped at the splendour of this reception

I have organised many dance classes for past couples before but never have a couple chosen to do the rumba before, and what a performance. Kelly and Chad looked like they straight off a movie set. A perfect end to a well-planned and memorable day

Pretty in Pink Wedding Celebration

Natures Haven Wedding Celebration

Summer Love at The Zunguness

When looking to get married in a country location, but with the bells and whistles of a stylish city wedding – then look no further than the Zunguness in the KZN Midlands. From the moment you step out of the beautifully styled Makoti House you are surrounded by a forest and the rolling hills of the Midlands. This was to be the perfect location for Lindo & Tshediso’s wedding. Friends and family enjoyed a feast, a ray of musical performances and dancing into the early hours of the Sunday morning.

The reception hall was adorned with blush flowers, rose gold candles, and garden greens. The couple have traveled extensively having studied in Europe and South America, so all the tables were named after the places they had lived. One element that stood out for me and gives a glimpse into the brides character, was the edible diamond encrusted cake with a single magnolia on the top tier to reflect her beauty and gentleness. This wedding was nothing short of classic, elegant, and timeless!

“When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it” Paulo Coelho This surely applies to Lefentse.
Ketletso & Lefentse met in university while studying for their International Relations degree. Ketleetso says, “ We met in University (4th year/honours) We were in the same classes for a year but we hardly spoke to each other. Then we graduated and went our separate ways. About 3 years later we met again when we both started working at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) We remembered each other because our class in university was small. He asked me out a few times and I always turned him down because I did not want to date someone at my place of work. We only started dating 6 months after working at DIRCO. "He was very persistent in a very sweet way." says Ketleetso

I love that every couple I get to work with is so different. These two love birds were a breath of fresh air. So many brides come to us with a Pinterest filled mind set and then we work their ideas, to give them a wedding of their dreams. Ketleetso was not this bride. So together we looked through many images to arrive at what resonated with both of them. Ketleetso had wanted to get married in the wine lands but her brother beat her to it, so the plan changed. The wedding was hosted at the beautiful Red Ivory Lodge in Magaliesburg. They booked the venue from only seeing it online.

The two are stationed on mission in different countries in East & West Africa, so we brought in a bit of their love of African into the wedding. This was done by naming the tables after the cities that they have visited. I loved the canvas of the map of Africa, that we used as the seating chart. To also bring in the Cape Winelands, we placed name cards on wine corks. The decor had hints of subtle peach and loads of candles.

The song for the grand entrance to the reception was Dorobucci by Tiwa Savage, right there and then we knew that West Africa was in the house. I have to admit that this was to bring in Lefentse’s personality. Ketleetso went for the more subtle classical music on arrival at the ceremony. Their families adore them, and this was evident from the speeches as the guests had a real good laugh over anecdotes shared. It is clear to see that their friends have a deep admiration for what the couple share. It was an honour to walk the journey to the isle with you. May God bless your union

Modern Bushveld Wedding – Red Ivory Lodge

Timeless Elegance at Val de Vie

Thembi and Josh made me believe in a fairy tale story in an era where you hear very few of such encounters. Their love story is a real chance meeting in a foreign land, when the odds were stacked on the side of love.

In August 2016, Josh was on vacation with family and friends in Miami South Beach, for the Summer. As fate would have it, Thembi was also in town on a one-woman tour to Florida’s most popular beach. This girl is a trooper! Josh had decided to have some alone time on the beach when Thembi, (recovering from 2 days of being cooped up in a hotel room after an operation), both decided to walk the beach front. As she stepped onto the beach sand and looked up, their eyes locked and within minutes, they were side by side and the beautiful South African asked him to please take a picture of her using her mobile phone. The South African accent that sounded British to the Houstonian at the time, seemed to have halted time for him as he could only gaze and smile at her. With the excitement in the air, Josh was more than happy to oblige to the request. So much so, that he went the extra mile with the impromptu photo shoot. Not wanting the moment to end, Josh introduced himself formerly and asked Thembi out for a drink. She was initially hesitant but eventually agreed. Well As they say…. The rest is history

Thembi and Josh had an intimate wedding for 60 of their family and friends in the Cape winelands. Rain and wind threatened to derail plans at the beautiful Val de Vie estate however the heavens held their showers until after the polo match. This wedding had all the bells and whistles of a true whirlwind romance, from helicopter rides to a polo match as part of the cocktail hour entertainment. You know how they say the devil is in the detail, the couple’s monogram featured in all wedding elements including the edible chocolate monogram on the dessert buffet! It was truly a celebration fitting this whirlwind romance. Thembi & Josh, may God bless your union!

Colourful Traditional Wedding

Sthe was getting married into a Basotho family and she wanted her right of passage into her new family to be colourful and stylish. The couple agreed that they wanted a celebration on this day but not a western celebration at a venue. They took us back to the way our parents got married. Family and friends were welcome, neighbours and passer-by joined in on this celebration.

Sthe arrived on her fathers’ arm in her isiZulu outfit, with her family singing and bring with them gifts for her new family. Rudge’s family were also prepared for the singing challenge as they took their new bride. This sort of singing exchange between the families are an age old tradition. Once the gifting ceremony was completed and the bride had been given her new name (a symbol that she is now a part of her new family) she changed into a stylish modern seshweshwe outfit.

Sthe knew that friends and family would be dressed in loads of colourful African prints, so they opted for a clean all white look and feel for their decor. The guests stood out and indeed the day was characterised by lots of food, drink and dancing.

Roaring Great Gatsby
50 th Birthday

We had the honour of planning a special milestone in style with a grand theme of “The Roaring Great Gatsby” for a very special man Sandile Zungu. We took the challenge head on, planning this soiree by transporting the guests to the glamour of the 1920’s. The party embodied everything of a time when lavish parties, endless streams of champagne and dancing was the order of the day. It truly was beautiful, with ladies in their glitzy flappers adorned with sequins, beads and feathers and dandy men in stripped suits and tuxedos.

On arrival guests had an opportunity to take pictures with the celebrant in front of a bespoke art deco Gatsby photo-booth, while sipping on champagne. Thereafter they were ushered into the most beautiful glass marquee decorated to perfection with abundant florals, feathers, and luxury furniture. It is said the devil is in the details, and the gold foiled menus completed the beauty of these elegant birthday tables.

Guests were treated to a line-up of entertainment that is beyond extraordinary. This began with a robust and captivating perfomance from traditional dancers. During the speeches and four course meal a thrilling 50 member choir and the full KZN Philharmonic Orchestra shared the rhythm of jubilation through their musical talent. A quick location change and guests were transferred to a maze where a fashion show from the talented House of Ole took place. To end the evening a musical performance featuring songs from the celebrants youth was put together and guests danced until the early hours of the morning, with DJ Muntu on the decks

Beachside Wedding – Fairmont Zimbali

Sometimes, oddly enough we meet brides that are not into weddings and have not thought about the day’s details since they can remember. Penny was one such bride. She had few requests and let us run with the how of planning a memorable affair that would be spoken off, days to come. Her brief was simple, please make sure that we have a mother of all parties! She said “I am not a 22 year old bride who needs photos of her shoes, I would like to eat and dance with my friends and family”. So our photographer Jacqui, knew there would be no detail shots, no couple shoot but rather loads of images of people, dancing the night away. The ceremony was perhaps the highlight of the wedding with chandeliers adorning the pool side where a ramp was built over the swimming pool and created a walk way to the most lavish chuppa. Her second request was, to please ensure that the wedding was close enough to Durban so that her sickly father would not have to travel long distances. What struck me most about Penny’s father, was upon meeting him, he said to me “a gentleman should stand when a lady walks into a room however please forgive me as age is no longer on my side” which made my heart melt.

There was no traditional pre-reception with canapes. Instead we had a classic concert by the sea, with members of the Durban Philharmonic Orchestra and the Bala Brothers giving a charming performance. The weather was not on our side but this did not spoil what was the most stylish wedding yet. As the rain poured, the champagne continued to flow and we felt incredibly blessed as we celebrated the union of Penny and Khalil. The end result was a seamless wedding, where young and old danced the night away.