The Wedding Album Magazine

Matt proposed to Chessie in Kenton while the two were on holiday with her family attending a friend’s wedding. They didn’t know it at the time, but it all came full circle when they chose Kenton for their own wedding day five months later.
Matt had arrived with a ‘carful’ of Champagne, which went unnoticed since it was Chessie’s mum’s birthday that week. After proposing on Shelly Beach – one of Chessie’s lifelong favourite spots – they went home and popped the Champagne with her family. ‘Having them close by to celebrate with us was truly the best way he could have proposed.’
It was only after looking at Johannesburg venues that they realised how much Kenton had stood out. ‘We have been going to Kenton for family holidays for as long as I can remember, so it just made sense to have our wedding day there,’ says Chessie.
‘Being out of town allowed us to break the mould in what we would have done for a city wedding. I wanted the whole thing to seem whipped up from the village, just quirky and handmade and effortless but charm-
ing and reflective of our playful personalities,’ she adds.
When they were planning, the idea of arriving by donkey cart became ‘a bit of a joke’, but closer to the time they were told that a friend of a friend had a donkey cart. ‘The next thing I knew I was on my way to our wedding with flower girls and pageboys by donkey and cart,’ Chessie laughs. The flower girls had their names embroidered on their dresses and Chessie made tiny braces for her pageboys to mimic the grooms-
men’s yellow braces, which matched the bridesmaids’ dresses. Chessie’s dress was made by Abigail Betz. ‘She really is an inspirational designer and I loved every minute of my dress fittings with her.’
The ceremony took place at the only church in town and the reception was in a marquee on the lawn overlooking the Kariega River.
Banqueting tables were dressed in simple white tablecloths and candelabra, but the wedding’s true personality shone through in the rustic details. Chessie and her mum made bunting out of liberty prints to string from the ceiling and commissioned a wire weaver to make birdcages, which were stuffed with fynbos to match Chessie’s bouquet.
Guests were treated to a delicious, hearty meal featuring Eastern Cape lamb and carpaccio, followed by red velvet cupcakes. Then
the two opened the dance floor with ‘All I Want Is You’ by Barry Louis Polisar, before the unofficial break-dancing competition got under way – which proved a memorable interlude. ‘It even came equipped with
its own sign,’ they laugh.
‘There were many favourite moments ... becoming husband and wife, being with all our mates, having the quiet time together on the beach during photos. There’s only one word to describe the feeling. Magic.’

ADDRESS BOOK

Cake: Jenna May Food
+27 (0)78 340 6684
Catering: Naartjie and Cheryl Moss +27 (0)82 578 2737
Photography: Shanna Jones
+27 (0)79 945 9014
Stationery: Paulie Irvine
+27 (0)82 788 5699