Unique Autumn Wedding that’s all about color! We see beautiful deep greens, pumpkin oranges and dark yellows spreading over the bland sidewalks and roadways. Autumn brings a balance between summer excitement and winter warmth – the perfect theme for a wedding! With Simoné being an autumn lover, this couple decided to embrace everything about the autumn season and incorporate this beautiful time of the year into their decor.
Andries and Simoné moved away from the traditional wedding ‘must-haves’ and included elements true to them as a couple. Their wedding day was rich in color, texture and endless love.
All the elements of their wedding represented them as a couple; Simoné even made her own wedding dress! Their ceremony was held at one of the oldest churches in Potchefstroom, which contributed to the overall look and feel of their special day. Browse through the photos below for unique autumn wedding inspiration!
Engagement Story:
Looking back at where it all started, it is wonderful to see God’s master plan; How people seem to meet by chance and find love.
Although our paths crossed many times before, it was the gallery opening, on August 31, 2017, where we fell in love. We were introduced to each other for the very first time. A coffee after church, a whiskey at River Café and a month and a half of courting and cooking together, it was tied up. We made it official on December 4, while having a picnic along the Mooi River.
Andries has the nasty habit to enter into bets with me. He is always very confident, but seldom right. In most cases, the loser of the bet had to make dinner or organize a picnic for the other one. It was under this disguise that Andries suggested an idea to me. In 2018 we were lucky enough to get a spot on the famous Otter hiking trail and Andries suggested that we should plan a picnic for one of the days. On the third day of the Otter Hike, the 12th of November, we had a picnic on the rocks. With whales, dolphins, and fellow hikers as spectators in the background, Andries popped the question.
Number 23:
For years, I saw the number 23, especially in terms of time. After a while, I realized there may be a deeper meaning behind it. Since we met, the same thing happened to Andries. It was inexplicable until our engagement. Simoné’s uncle, Duard, shared with good luck a Bible text: Psalm 23. We immediately connected it to number 23. Little did we know to live the Psalm within the next few days.
On the way back from Pretoria to Potchefstroom, we landed by grace, in a “light” car accident. That night during prayer before dinner, Abiya (Simoné’s two-year-old niece) anointed us with oil out of her own will. So from the Otter to the car accident and then a meal with anointing, we lived out Psalm 23. We believe the marriage choice carries God’s favor and that we are now living in verse 6.
The story behind your wedding dress:
The classic fashion style, associated with the 1920’s and 1950’s have always been a source of inspiration for me, especially the craftsmanship and techniques related to it. The difficult choice at first was not necessary to decide on a style, but rather if I’m up to the challenge to design and make my own wedding dress. After thorough brainstorming and finally finding the perfect material to complete the look, I decided to make my own wedding dress.
Of course, this is something that will remain a precious reminder of our wedding day. The style of the dress changed a few times throughout the designing process. There were three core features I wanted to include in the final look: covered buttons, open shoulders and of course vintage pin-curls for her hairstyle. I’m someone who makes most decisions logically and creatively, so with the design process of the dress, I looked for classical and timeless styles for inspiration to complete my dream dress.
Advice to couples planning their wedding:
Less is more. You don’t have to do all the traditional wedding gimmicks that everyone else does. Make it your own as a couple. Decide what is important to you. We (and none of our guests) missed the time-consuming gimmicks related to a wedding.
You don’t have to use a dedicated wedding venue. Our ceremony was in a church and the reception at a venue that allows you to use your own caterers. This saved us a lot of money.
Food:
Weddings are synonymous with food, but don’t feel pressured to have a three-course meal. Canapés will keep your guests busy while you take photos, but don’t feel reluctant to give your guests a starter. This saves time and money. We decided to go with a plated main course.
Doing so, food is not wasted and your guests choose their meal. Our wedding invitation was a Wix website. On the website, each guest had to choose one of four main meals; Lamb shank, grilled salmon, crumbed chicken breasts or vegetarian pasta. Depending on your caterers, a plated dinner might be cheaper than a buffet.
Photographer and Videographer:
Photos and videos are one of the only memorabilia you will have. Each photographer and videographer has their own style. Choose one that suits you best. If you can afford it, get a dedicated videographer to create a cinematography video of the wedding day. We can testify that this is a very good investment.
Decor:
If you do your own decor, you can save a lot of money! This is however dependent on your wedding venue’s rules. We had family and friends to help make table runners and other wood and greenery features. We sourced candles at the Candle factory store in Edenvale. They had the best value for money and a wide range of options. We bought all our flowers at the flower market in Johannesburg. If you visit them after valentine’s day, some shops will base their quote on the sale’s price if you put down a deposit; Everything is on special after Valentine’s Day!
Honeymoon:
For the honeymoon, we went to Howick in the Midlands. We live in such a beautiful country filled with rich culture, color, and landscapes! Don’t feel pressured to go somewhere extravagant. One of the unique spots we visited was Swissland Cheese. With a beautiful view, plenty of shade and green grass, it is the perfect spot to enjoy a picnic with their goat milk cheese and locally sourced craft beer.
The Wedding Venue:
From the start, we decided to make the day special for us and not follow the traditional template of a wedding. We got married in one of the most beautiful churches in Potchefstroom. The Dutch Reformed Church in Potchefstroom is the oldest NG congregation in Transvaal. In 2007, a fire destroyed the historic building.
It took over three years of restoration work to make the church look like it did in 1894. The reception was held at an old Snowflake factory. Our wedding theme was rustic, bohemian with a touch of 1920 speakeasy. The natural fall palette, as well as the venue, was our inspiration for the color scheme. The colors were copper, plum, mauve, pink, pale blue and olive.
Wedding Colour Inspiration:
Where many have a love of spring with its blossoms, grassy green leaves and a wealth of other colors and scents, I have always been in love with the colors of autumn. The palette of various red, purple, green, orange, yellow and brown is a source of creative stimulation for me.
From childhood, it was my dream to get married in the fall. Therefore, autumn was the inspiration for our theme and colors. On the day of our wedding, we were blessed with the most beautiful wall of ivy in the fall with red and green leaves. It was the most beautiful backdrop to capture our day on wedding photos.
Decor Inspiration:
We wanted to keep the decor simple. We did not need exotic flowers to create a beautiful image. With wood features, candles, eucalyptus leaves, olive leaves, and inexpensive flowers, we created our desired look. The look and feel of the venue complimented our style.
We made a few wood elements, including wood circles with eucalyptus and olive tree leaves hanging from the roof. We also made our own table runners out of eucalyptus leaves, olive leaves, and gip. The candles completed the image.
Wedding Cake:
We decided to skip some of the traditional wedding features, including a dedicated cake, a wedding book, and the garter. Instead, we had a dessert table of which the main dessert was Crista Gallis’s infamous pecan nut pie. The caterers had to supply a second batch due to popular demand! Ask any Potchefstroom local where you can buy the best pecan nut pie!
Musical choices for your wedding:
We opened the dance floor with a song from Josh Garrels, named Heaven’s Knife. It is a song about Adam and Eve, when Adam had a rib taken out – the first wedding in the history of humankind. Gen 2:23, “This is one of my bones, the flesh of my flesh, she is of me. The first verse’s lyrics touch the heart and reminds us about life before and life during a marriage filled with God’s love.
“Take my hand I won’t let go we’ve waited so long. And all my life I walked alone. To you, my heart, my home.”
We asked one of our friends to sing the song with the backtrack and we choreographed the Waltz ourselves. This was an experience (and challenge) that we will cherish for the rest of our lives.
Favorite Wedding Memory:
One of the highlights that stood out was the first dance. The ceremony is also one of the highlights, but it felt like the dance was the epicenter of the entire wedding. Everything led to that moment of us dancing our first dance in the presence of family and friends.
Andries is somewhat of a perfectionist and wanted to execute the waltz perfectly, but during the dance, he made a mistake and was immediately derailed. At that moment we found each other and decided to enjoy the dance. It was very special.
Words of wisdom: Just like the dance that didn’t turn out perfectly as we planned and practiced, marriage is also a dance that can sometimes be derailed. The secret is to then find each other and make the most of those moments.
Wedding Service Providers:
Photographer: Carolien and Ben Photography
Videographer: Reel Emotiv
Catering: Crista Galli
Jeweler: Eternity Enterprise
Bride earrings and the vintage mink fur coat: Mona Lisa Garment Gallery
Venue: Snowflake Venue
Flowers: The Groom’s project
Decor: Behou CNC
Live Music: Wikus van Aswegen and Wesley Conradie
Hair: Mareike Vionel Oosthuizen
Make-up: Viné Judd
Stationary: Nonna Ney
Wedding Dress: Bride
Bridesmaids’ dresses, flower girls’ dresses, bridal robes: Bride and Bride’s Mother
Simoné getting ready location: Hill Manor
Andries getting ready location: Ancient Copper Shed
