Magical Forest Wedding of Michael & Maryna

Michael and Maryna’s Magical Forest Wedding was the beginning of their adventure together and a little glimpse of what the future holds for this lively couple. Their wedding day, on the 4th of May 2019, was a colorful explosion of love and laughter. The couple’s charisma and bold personalities lit up the Acorn Guest Farm in Carolina. What made their day even more interesting, was the Irish theme they incorporated into the wedding. Michael looked exceptionally good in his Irish costume while Maryna looked flawless in a traditional white wedding dress.

Thanks to the incredibly creative, Lik.a.girl photography, all the in-the-moment kisses, unplanned laughs and raw emotions of their wedding day could be captured and shared with the rest of us, hopeless romantics! If you can relate to this couples’ bold personalities and adventurous ideas, scroll down for magical forest wedding inspiration.

Favorite Wedding Memory:

Maryna: All of it was amazing, but walking down the aisle, towards the man of my dreams, to bagpipes in the forest was magical. The father-daughter dance was also a very special moment for me.

Michael: The overwhelming feeling that everyone there was there out of love and support for us, was a great start to our journey. Another extraordinary and memorable moment was the hand-binding ceremony.

The story behind the wedding dress:

I wanted something different and unique. It has always been my dream to look like a fairy, so the big bold look of the lacework immediately caught my eye! At first, I was against a big, “poofy” dress, but when I put this dress on, I fell in love.

Engagement Story:

Michael lived in Maboneng at the time of our engagement. He asked me to him on the roof of the building for a belated Valentine’s day. Not expecting anything, Mike greeted me at the lift with a bunch of roses, “here comes the sun” by The Beatles playing in the background and a breathtaking Johannesburg skyline sunset as a backdrop. That’s when he took a knee, and the rest is history.

After a few drinks alone on the rooftop and phone calls to family and close friends, we headed down to The Marabi Club to celebrate over jazz, whiskey, and great food.

Tell us more about the honeymoon:

For honeymoon we went to Santorini in Greece. It felt like a dream! Greece is amazing and even prettier in real life than in photos. It has always been one of my biggest dreams to go there and Mike made my dreams come true. If I can, I will go back in the blink of an eye!

Wedding Cake:

Our wedding cake was a gift from my eldest sister. We love naked cakes and she makes the best carrot cake in the world! It was definitely a no brainer.

Tips from a bride to a bride-to-be:

Don’t let the planning be all-consuming. Take breaks from planning and spend some quality time together. Enjoy it and try not to get too stressed out.

The reality is, if something goes wrong on the day, most people will either not notice, or really won’t mind.

Wedding Colour and Decor Inspiration:

Our wedding colours were maroon, navy & emerald green. These colours were inspired by the pattern of the Ferguson family tartan, which was used in Michael’s kilt.

We wanted it to be natural and full of flowers and leaves – almost fairy-like. We also tried to achieve a genuine and warm aesthetic, with personal touches like embossed leather coasters (doubling as wedding favors) and wine bottles with sketches of ourselves as the labels, commissioned from our arty friends.

The Venue:

First of all, the magical forest, it stole both of our hearts. Then the fact that we felt at home. Acorn is cozy, beautiful and comfortable. We fell in love with Acorn Guest farm the second we got there, and after being received so warmly by the owners, our minds were firmly made up.

Musical Choices:

Our first dance song was ‘Love song #1’ by White Buffalo. Mike played it to me years ago and we always said that if we get married one day, this will be our first dance song. We stuck to it and it was absolutely amazing! The Beatles also featured heavily as they are Maryna’s favorite band, and tolerated by Michael.