Candice & Bryan

The stunning and rustic setting of Lalapanzi Lodge in Somerset West was the chosen location for Candice and Bryan to celebrate the happiest day of their lives. The wedding party numbered 15 people in total, including the couple and their guests, hence the countryside surroundings lent itself well to the overall vision for their Big Day. The lodge is both elegant and cozy, with breath-taking views and scenery.

“Our choice of venue was determined by the fact that we set out to have a really small and intimate wedding, so we scouted a few boutique hotels and guest houses, but when we found Lalapanzi Lodge in Somerset West, we both knew it was perfect!”

The bride chose to have a neutral hessian theme as the backdrop, and incorporated pops of colour with pastel flowers. The venue had a relaxed and rustic feel, and the couple didn’t want to take away from the inherently enchanting atmosphere of the venue.    

“I wanted soft and natural colours for my make-up, and didn’t want to look too different on my wedding day. My hair was styled in a classic up-do inspired by Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge.”

The Dress

“I had envisioned having my dress made, and I had a very specific choice in mind, so booked a consultation at a bridal boutique just to try on a few different styles to determine the right style for my body type. After trying on a few dresses, therewas one that I fell in love with. It was a soft champagne coloured bohemian dress.  I landed up paying for it right there and then and going home with it that day! This was five months before the wedding, which I thought was perfect, since the dress plays a big part in setting the tone of the wedding, how you will do you hair and make-up etc.  Unfortunately, when it came time to have my dress altered, six weeks before the wedding, there was a fault in the dress that could not be fixed. So, there I was, six weeks before my big day with no dress. Luckily, my eye caught another dress that I liked, it was a completely different style to my initial dress, it was more of a princess dress, quite unlike me (I had thought).  When I slipped it on, it fit like a glove, absolutely no alterations were needed.  It just felt right, and I thought, this is my big day, so why not go full princess!I even bought an exquisite long lacey veil to go with it. My advice to brides is to keep an open mind with the dress, you may land up going a very different route, so don’t be afraid to explore it. Also, if you jump up and down and squeal with excitement when you put a dress on, that’s usually a good indication that it’s the one for you! Don’t settle for anything less than utter elation when choosing your dress.”

Special Wedding Elements

Bryan and I have always referred to ourselves as ‘Team Breece.’ This is a combination of both our pet  names, and a reminder that no matter what, we are always in things together. Bryan is a graphic designer, so he designed a custom ‘Team Breece’ logo for our wedding which incorporated both our thumb prints to make up the shape of a heart, that we had printed on various elements, e.g. menu’s, name tags etc.  

What advice would you would like to share with brides planning their wedding right now?

Don’t be afraid to ask for help! It’s loads of planning and it can be overwhelming. In fact, I got a lot of good advice and ideas, just by chatting to my friends. Choose your suppliers wisely, for me, it was important to be dealing with suppliers who I felt really cared and had my best interest at heart. Since the process is already overwhelming, finding great suppliers who make you feel comfortable and at ease, goes a long way. For example, my florist, Elmarie Bredell, was incredible. She just ran with things and since I couldn’t afford a full-on wedding planner, to have someone like this in my corner was a lifesaver.  The staff at Lalapanzi Lodge were also amazing, and their event-coordinator, Rose Welsh was always helpful and friendly; nothing was ever a hassle for her. For me, finding the right venue with staff that make you feel at ease, and a fabulous florist will put you steps ahead in your planning, since both are such an integral part of the day. I was thorough in my research and asked specific questions before finalising suppliers, as I knew that we were going to be spending lots of time liaising, so it had to be the right fit for both of us. Lastly, if a bride is interested in having a small and intimate wedding, I can say that it is such a rewarding route to go. For myself and Bryan personally, we felt that mingling with lots of people on the day, would be distracting for us. We wanted the time and space to really engage with each other and share these special moments with our close family.

We asked Candice if there is anything she would do differently if she could do it all over again.

“I wouldn’t change a thing!” was the happy reply.

Congratulations Candice and Bryan. May you enjoy a lifetime of marital bliss!

Venue: Lalapanzi Lodge, Somerset West

Photographer: Julene Muller Photography

Dress: Bride&co

Groom’s suiting: C Squared

Hair and Make up: Brenda Roebert

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