Ellen & Willem / Webersburg Wedding Video
How did you guys meet?
We met on the dating app Hinge during the height of the pandemic in May 2020. Despite living an hour away from each other at the time and coming from different parts of the world (Willem is from South Africa and immigrated to Canada in 2019.
Ellen is Canadian, the app’s algorithm connected us. After a few weeks of long talks on the phone we decided to meet in person at Willem’s flat in Toronto. Even though everything was closed due to the pandemic, we had an amazing time just spending time together in the flat, telling stories and listening to music. We felt a really strong pull toward one another.
Why did you want us to capture your wedding day? How do you think you’ll feel watching everything back in years to come?
We already had an idea of the kind of wedding video we wanted in the early stages of the planning process. The moment we saw Gustav’s work we knew he would be the perfect videographer to capture our wedding day. We were so impressed with his ability to tell a story through his videos and his talent at capturing such beautiful shots and little details. We are so happy that we will have this video to look back on and remind ourselves of the vows we made before God and our all our loved ones.
Tell me about the proposal
Willem proposed while we were on holiday visiting his family in Yzerfontein. It was such a surprise! He proposed with the most beautiful ring on the beach on New Year’s Eve 2022. We had so much to celebrate that night!
What do you guys do for a living? How do spend your free time?
Willem works in software sales and Ellen works in public relations. Willem is very active and loves to run and cycle. He also sang choir in university and continues to explore music in his spare time.
Ellen is an avid baker and reader. We love to host friends for a braai on the weekends as well as explore new places, enjoy the outdoors and listen to music.
Why did you choose the wedding venue? What was special about it when you saw it for the first time?
We chose Webersburg Wine Estate with the help of our amazing wedding planner Cara from Mosaic Wedding Company. It had everything we were looking for: delicious food, spectacular views of the mountains and an old world elegance from the Cape Dutch buildings throughout the estate.
Since we live in Canada we didn’t see our venue in person until the day before our wedding! It was even more beautiful than the photos and video calls with family members. We had the most incredible experience celebrating our wedding at Webersburg. The staff were so attentive and accommodating. Thanks to them and our wedding planner Cara the whole weekend of celebrations went perfectly.
Tell me about the vision you have for your wedding. What experience do you wish to give your guests?
When planning the wedding, we wanted a day that was both romantic and traditional. Willem’s reverend from university came to officiate our ceremony and some of Willem’s friends helped with arranging live music for our ceremony. Those two elements made our ceremony so special to us. We really wanted our guests to have an unforgettable experience.
Many of them travelled from overseas (Canada, the UK, the US, Austria, Demark) and from across South Africa to attend our wedding. For many of our guests this was also their first time in South Africa. We wanted them to experience the beautiful nature, the incredible food and hospitality that South Africa has to offer.
Where do you see yourselves in 10 years time?
We see ourselves continuing to love each other and have a big family.
VENUE Webersburg Wine Estate
PLANNER The Mosaic Wedding Company
VIDEOGRAPHY Gustav Franke Cinematography
PHOTOGRAPHER Lauren Pretorius Photography