Erinvale Estate Hotel & Spa / Wedding Video

How did you guys meet?

Justin and I met at Waterford Estate while I was doing an internship and he was working in the tasting room. It was a summer fling that turned into a forever love.

Why did you want us to capture your wedding day?

We wanted Gustav and his team to capture our wedding day because we felt his work was authentic. Justin and I originally were only going to hire a photographer but soon came to the conclusion that although photographs are amazing, a video truly encompasses the entire atmosphere and raw emotions of the day.

How do you think you’ll feel watching everything back in years to come?

Watching this day back in years to come will bring tears of joy and goosebumps. It will allow us to relive one of the most special days of our life and rejuvenate our love for each other. Hopefully one day we will be able to show our kids the love and happiness that ushered us into our marriage on September 24, 2022.

Tell me about the proposal – I love hearing these stories

Justin proposed to me on the beach in Amelia Island, FL. It was a complete surprise. He told me he wanted to go for a walk on the beach because his back was hurting and he needed to stretch it out. I was reluctant to join him because the weather was cold and dreary but he somehow convinced me. In my PJs with no makeup, he got down on one knee and asked me to spend the rest of my life with him.
Of course, I said yes, with ugly tears and all! My friends were right around the corner, capturing the entire occasion on their camera and my family were upstairs cheering us on from the balcony. Justin planned a surprise engagement party with friends and family and a photoshoot the following day that he disguised to me as a “family photo shoot.” It was the most magical day that was raw and authentic.

When you’re not in full wedding mode, what do you guys do for a living? What makes you tick? 

How do spend your free time? What’s your ideal day?
We spend our days together, exploring new restaurants or towns or going on runs with our dog, Millie. Our ideal day (that is not so realistic on a daily basis) is coffee and a nice breakfast, a day at the beach – Justin fishing and me relaxing – and a yummy Seafood dinner with a nice bottle of crisp white wine.

Why did you choose the wedding venue? What was special about it when you seen it for the rst time?

We chose the Erinvale Estate Hotel & Spa as our wedding venue because I grew up visiting my grandparents in Erinvale Estate. The hotel was recently renovated with stunning rooms and exceptional dining. It was a perfect place to connect my past with my present. The venue also was very functional since more than half of our guests were traveling from both within South Africa and overseas. Another requirement I had when looking at venues was that there was a chapel. I have always dreamed of getting married in a little white chapel and that is exactly what we did! Erinvale Estate will always hold a special place in our hearts!

Tell me about the vision you had for your wedding, and if the experience you both had met or exceeded your expectations.

The vision we had for our wedding was modern, eloquent, and timeless. It was exactly that. It exceeded all of our expectations. Our wedding combined the traditional with the modern. We didn’t want our wedding to be “trendy” because we didn’t want to look back in 10+ years and have regrets. We wanted to include fun and unique aspects at the reception but also keep the traditional elements.
For example, we had an ice cream cart for dessert but also kept a small cake for the traditional cake cutting. Another vision we had was to combine our two lives and make them one – intertwining South African and American culture. We did this through our own choices, the groomsmen socks, the song choices, etc. It was small touches that made a big difference. We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect wedding and we are so happy we were able to share our vision with our friends and family.

Where do you see yourselves in 10 years time?

Justin and I see ourselves living in America but visiting South Africa freuently. We imagine ourselves with children in a house we have purchased ourselves that we have made a home. We see ourselves working jobs in the wine industry in sectors that we are passionate about. We would have hoped to travel to many countries before 10 years elapses and we hope to continue to be deeply in love or even more so than we are in this very moment.