The Wedding Album Magazine

There were no histrionics when Gavin asked Lynne to marry him after 10 years of dating, while the pair were visiting her parents in Johannesburg. The potency of the setting – Lynne’s child-
hood bedroom – and being able to celebrate immediately with her parents and her gran who happened to be visiting from the UK, made it that much more special.
Although there was no specific theme, Lynne and Gavin knew they wanted their day to be relaxed and casual with a vintage undertone. ‘We really wanted people to have a good time. Everything we did had this filter applied to it.’ The pair did away with wedding conventions that didn’t resonate with them, choosing only the rituals that felt appropriate.
‘We wanted to have a slightly different wedding, yet we still wanted
it to be a wedding and not just a random party, so we took out the things we didn’t like about weddings and added the things we felt
were lacking,’ explains Lynne. That’s how traditional elements like a four-tier white wedding cake, white flowers and elegant Delft crockery were combined with rustic details such as hay-bale seating for the ceremony and home-made lemonade.
Beer on tap for the pint lovers was another distinctive touch, as
was grappa for after dinner.
Gavin wore a quirky shirt and converse sneakers with his suit.
‘I never wear formal shoes so it didn’t make sense to start on our wedding day.’ In contrast to the tendency to have colours determined by the bride and bridesmaids’ dresses, it was Gavin’s shirt that inspired the palette for this wedding (although Lynne did choose it).
‘We really made the most of what Hawksmoor House had to offer. We used both the front and back of the house to good effect and the barn was the perfect setting for dinner,’ they say.
‘The ceremony was really special, but walking up to the house after our photographs and seeing all our friends and family having a great time was a highlight for me,’ adds Gavin.
Formality was done away with for the meal too, with hearty canapés replacing plated starters. Once seated, guests were served a platter-
style main course consisting of the likes of rosemary-marinated beef fillet with salsa verde, roasted free-range chicken with fresh sage, origanum and lemon, as well as a feast of artisanal breads and salads.
Dessert was an array of sweet treats as well as cheese and preserves served on a barrel top for the more savoury inclined.
‘I love Lynne’s sense of style. Our wedding was really an example of her unique design taste and my impeccable choice of partner,’ he smiles. ‘And what better way to spend your life than laughing,’ says Lynne of her new husband, whom she describes as ‘the funniest guy around’.
‘It really was a fun day.’ 

ADDRESS BOOK

Catering: Zest Catering
+27 (0)83 720 2202
Photography: Gavin Casey
+27 (0)82 499 5545
Venue: Hawksmoor House
+27 (0)21 884 4815
Wedding management and co-ordination: Kim Werner
from Wedding Concepts
+27 (0)21 426 5783