Super excited to share the bright bohemian festival themed wedding of Henrico & Nicola with you. This easy-going couple decided to have their wedding on their family farm in Robertson in the Western-Cape, South-Africa. A cheerful wedding surrounded by friends and family. We know you will be crazy about this couple’s wedding. They had food trucks! Yes, real food trucks to the catering for their wedding guests. How cool is that! It gives the wedding a vibe and guests get to mingle with one another. Did we mention that Nicola’s wedding ring resembles a sunflower! Enjoy this special wedding and remember to share it with your friends.
Engagement Story:
We had been dating for 3 and a half years when we moved to Cape Town. Once we settled in at our new location, we decided to take our relationship further and got engaged. I knew Henrico had been up to something as he was acting suspicious for about a week. He finally popped the question on a Saturday afternoon, while we were surrounded by our families (some of them who flew down to Cape Town, especially, to celebrate the moment with us)
As per every other special moment in our relationship (asking me out, dating anniversaries, birthdays) he gave me a big bunch of sunflowers on the day we got engaged. A tradition he has maintained throughout our relationship, and even on our wedding day. The design of my wedding band was inspired by this tradition, as it resembles a sunflower.
Wedding color scheme:
We went for a Bright Bohemian Festival theme. Then we decided to let our personalities be the inspiration behind our colorful theme. Both of us are very joyous people and lovers of life. We are very easy going, and never allow anything to stress us too much. We did not want to be bound by one or two colors – so we decided to use all of them.
Favorite Wedding Memories:
Henrico: When the pastor asked Nicola to declare her vows to me, she became pale as she quietly whispered to me that she had forgotten her vows in her dressing room. After two failed attempts at bridesmaids running to go look for the vows, Nicola grabbed the microphone and said that she promises she is not a runaway bride, but she will have to go look for her vows herself! She gracefully ran to her room, which was luckily not very far, as our guests laughed out loud about the comical event. It was a moment that we will remember for the rest of our lives!
Nicola: Henrico and I decided to ditch the usual walking in while being announced as Mr & Mrs, and opted for a fun Grease tribute dance to “We go together” (like rama lama lama, ka dinga da dinga dong?) as our guests welcomed us into the reception hall with confetti poppers and cheerful claps.
Another of our most memorable moments at our wedding was seeing our guests socialize as they stood around the Food Trucks ordering their choice of dinner from the different options available, from burgers and tacos to Espetadas and butter chicken. We loved the feeling it created, as we could see our guests enjoying the moment and being entertained by the quirky chefs serving up gourmet meals.
Wedding Cake:
Initially, we did not want to have a wedding cake, as we were not fans of traditional wedding customs. However, a special family member offered to do our wedding cake as a gift to us, and we do not regret it one bit for allowing her to bless us with our one-of-a-kind wedding cake. Jana made the most delicious death-by-chocolate naked cake and decorated it beautifully with all kinds of flowers in season. Our guests could not believe that she was no professional baker, just a willing and kind-hearted creative cousin who blessed us with a very delicious gift!
Your venue choice:
In August of 2017, my (Nicola) family moved to Robertson to pursue a lifelong dream of farming in the Western Cape. Wederom Boutique Winery soon became home to us. We always felt there was something more that we wanted to offer on the farm. Aside from creating boutique wines and offering countryside hospitality in the Hanepoot Huisies guesthouse.
We decided to build and launch a wedding venue, and it just seemed right to start such a business on the farm as it already had all the potential.
With me (Nicola) being the wedding coordinator at the wedding venue, I knew exactly what a wedding at Wederom would entail. I wanted to be able to tell other prospective bride’s first hand, what it’s like to get married at Wederom. It was very easy for the two of us (Nicola & Henrico) to decide to get married on the farm, and our families were thrilled at the decision.
Wedding Decor Inspiration:
We decided to go for mismatched and colorful decor elements, all gathered from different places. Some had been family ornaments, passed on through generations, and others were hired by local suppliers in the area. We wanted our decor to communicate the festive look and feel that we desired for our wedding day.
I tried to be as original with our decor planning, by staying away from the usual rose gold, crystal, and glass. Trends that have featured in the wedding industry for the last couple of years. Then we made use of different height elements, and colorful candles, which lit up the reception venue at night.
The story behind your wedding dress:
Being tall, I was quite nervous about getting a wedding dress that would fit me well. I thought that it might be a good idea to fit as many dresses as possible at different bridal boutiques, to determine what I like, and would then go to see a designer to custom make a gown for me. To my surprise, I walked out with my dress after the first fitting at a bridal store. My dress was perfect for our farm wedding.
I did not want to go for a formal or tight-fitting gown, and I found just the right fairytale bohemian dress at Bride&Co in Canal Walk. I opted for an ivory gown with layers of tulle, and the minimal beadwork along the bodice brought the perfect amount of femininity to the dress. Then I finished my look off with a customized leather jacket, handmade by my aunt, and a pair of cowboy boots straight from Texas!
Nicola: My advice to any bride who is deciding on her wedding dress, is to fit as many dresses as possible before making any decisions regarding your dress. Most brides have never seen themselves in a wedding dress. Our modern technological era allows us access to a gazillion images of wedding dresses via Pinterest and social media, so our scope of choice is SO wide. However, my suggestion is that you walk into an actual bridal store and fit a variety of different dresses to see if the dress you are eyeing from an image, fits your body type.
Advice to other couples:
Our advice to couples planning their wedding would be to remain true to who you are as a couple when planning your big day. There is NO right or wrong at a wedding, there is only the two of you, and that is all that matters. Talk, and that includes you; men, about what your expectations are for your wedding day. If you are privileged to have a loving family that is involved in helping you plan your wedding.
Communicate from the start what your desires are as a couple. This is to avoid any possible differences. Most importantly, take it all in. It goes by so quickly. Take a moment at your wedding and simply observe. See your guests laughing and enjoying themselves and remember the moment because before you know it it’s all over.
Honeymoon:
For our honeymoon, we went to the island of Mauritius. We had the most amazing time there. Came back understanding full and well why so many couples choose Mauritius as a honeymoon destination. The tropical weather, ice-cold cocktails, and sandy white beaches. All contributed to make Mauritius an ideal honeymoon destination for South Africans.
Musical Choices:
We wanted to use songs that describe our journey as a couple, who we were and what we believe in. Our first dance song was a Hebrew love song, about finding your beloved and being solely theirs. The words from the chorus sing; “Ani, V’dodi V’dodili” which translates to “I am my Beloveds, and my Beloved is mine”. The words are from the scripture in Song of Solomons 6:3.
Wedding Service Provider Credits:
Photographer: Who’s Annah Photography
Venue: Wederom Boutique Winery
Food Trucks: Jack Rabbit Food Truck and Boulevard 82 Food Truck
Florist: AlsMoi
Decor Hire: Flamboijant Wedding Décor & Events
Marquee Lights: Lekker Trou! Letters & Lights
Craft Beer Station: Saggy Stone Brewing Co.
Canape’s: Ronel Smuts
Caricaturist: Peter Mascher
Bride’s Dress: Bride&co
Groom’s Suit: EuroSuit
Bridesmaids jumpsuits: Ciska Barnard Couture
Hair & Make-up: Anne Mart Strydom
Stationery & Wedding Cake: Jana van Dalen
