LOVE IS A QUIET WHISPER THAT SPEAKS SOFTLY

When Gavin asked René to marry him, he wrote a tender poem which he read under a moonlight sky. He had prepared a telescope, and later that night they selected a special star which they would always think of as their own. On their wedding day, this pair of true romantics said their vows in a heartfelt ceremony at the Diamond Hill Country Estate, twenty minutes outside of Pretoria. The day was filled with uncomplicated natural beauty in palette of olive, dusty pink and cream. To honour the environment's quiet splendour, wedding guests were asked to wear neutral colours so as not to take away from the surroundings. Kikitography 's dreamy wedding photographs portrays the deep emotion and sincere mood of Gavin and René's special day.

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Their Proposal:
It was on a clear star filled night in November 2011 that Gavin asked Rene to marry him. Gavin bought a telescope in secret and set it up along with a couch and a table on the balcony of their holiday home overlooking a dam where the sunsets are nothing but magical. On the table was a bottle of wine, wine glasses and a poem that was tightly banded with ribbon that read: Our Love is Eternal. Gavin asked René to open the poem (she did not yet know what was inside) during the wondrous sunset. The poem that was inside was written on the ribbon as well, as she unravelled the ribbon the poem revealed itself line for line. The last line read: "Will you marry me?" and revealed a solitaire diamond ring. René said yes and after enjoying a glass of wine together and Gavin reciting the poem to René again they looked up at the stars through the telescope and picked out their star that night "Canopus".

Wedding Dress & Accessories:
The bodice of René's dress had a sweetheart neckline and was made of exquisite Chantilly lace with pearls were stitched on. A layered silk and mesh skirt with a silk ribbon and natural waist finished off the composition. René wore a delicate flower crown made of flowers from her bouquet.

Bridesmaids Attire:
The bridesmaids wore mismatched dresses in the same styles and colour palette of olive, dusty pink and cream. Each bridesmaid had a different bouquet made up of individual flowers that featured in the bride's bouquet.

DIY bunting was hung on the patio roof as well as in front of the chapel. Small white lanterns hanging from ceiling in the church which helped convey a feeling of romance.

{The look of joy and excitement at seeing her groom? Priceless! x} To personalise the ceremony we wrote our own vows which we recited together and did a hand-binding ceremony.

Table numbers written with chalk on blackboards which were placed into glass jars along with the flower bunches.

Glass domes with small rose bunches which added depth to the tables. Instead of candles, glass lanterns were placed on the tables.

Wedding Gifts and Favours:
The women received glass bottles with succulent plants and lace ribbon tied around them. The men received customised drink vouchers that were redeemable at the bar.

The wedding programs contained the poem that Gavin wrote for René for their engagement, as well as a "He Said, She Said" section, thank you's, a crossword puzzle, menu, seating chart as well as the program for the day!

Real Bride Renee's Advice For Brides-To-Be

• Start planning early and pay attention to the small details as these often get overlooked.
• Collaborate with your service providers early on.
• Do as many DIY projects as possible. Get family and friends involved with the DIY projects, turn it into a fun event. Most of our DIY projects were fun to complete.

♥ ♥ ♥ CREDITS ♥ ♥ ♥

Photographer: Kikitography | Wedding Venue: Diamond Hill Country Venue | Cake: Walnut Grove | Flowers: Grooms Mother (Flowers by Maureen) | Dress: Brides Cousin (Melive Bridal Couture) | Brides Hair: Celeste Bron | Brides Make-up: Madeleine Botha | Pastor/Officiator: Jaco (Wed by Jaco) | DJ/Music: Delarey (Reys Music) | Dance Lessons: Hilla (Latin American & Ballroom Dance Studio) | Videographer: Dream a Little Dream | Live Band : The Shamrocks

Founding Editor: Storm Buckingham