Bruce & Leandi's Garden Wedding - Wedding Friends

Bruce & Leandi's Garden Wedding - Wedding Friends

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Bruce & Leandi is sharing with us their special garden wedding. This wedding is the perfect example of how to create a wonderland in your own back yard. Leandi always wanted to get married in her aunts garden and her dream came true. The wedding had a vintage flair to it and Leandi looked spectacular in her Gatsby inspired dress. Their day was captured by the team from Figure of 8 Photography and the images speak for themselves. Enjoy this post on the blog today.

We met at a backpackers in Cape Town December 2012 on the last night of my trip. He was a sailing student, and I went to Cape Town to do some basic sailing courses, but returned to Johannesburg as I got a fantastic job offer. At the time, I was also involved with someone else so as great as it was meeting him, I never thought I would see him again. Little did I know the following day, he told his best friend that he met his wife.

We kept in touch and in January 2013 we were both in Durban on holiday and spent a day on the beach. I then realised i felt way more for him then what i should (as I was still involved) and broke contact with him to sort through my feelings. This was it, the start of our epic adventure between Pretoria and Cape Town.

When we just met, we had a discussion about marriage and I told him if I was to ever tie the knot, I would want to do it in my aunt's garden. The Saturday morning he asked if we could go see the garden as he loves nature and being outside. As we were walking around in the garden, he asked if this is really where I would want to get married. As I said yes, he went down on one knee and said: "Well, then I think it is also the perfect place to ask you".

Bride & Prejudice | Express some memorable experiences you had during the planning.

My mother and sister made my dress. My sister is a designer and my mom is just an absolute legend with a sowing machine. The only problem was that the I was in Cape Town doing my Skippers ticket in the months leading up to the wedding and they were in Pretoria. I sent some measurements but after two months of sailing around the Cape Town coast, I lost a few kg's and the whole process was undone. I ended up going to Pretoria for a week in the beginning of March so they could work on the dress and fit me in it. It actually ended up being great to spend some extra time with my family before getting married and going traveling.

I also wanted to surprise Bruce with the fish on the tables as he originally wanted them. What a mission to keep 36 fish hidden, alive and well!

My Fair Wedding | Describe an event that you feel was unique.

We are sailors, not dancers...I am Afrikaans and can sokkie, Bruce on the other hand spent most of his childhood in England grinding booties (or whatever it is that high school kids in the UK does) on the dance floor. This does not make for a good combination, it was probably the funniest and most ridiculous first dance I have ever seen. When you do the chicken move in your first dance, you know it was a memorable one...

Don't Tell The Bride | Reveal something that happened behind the scenes.

Bruce has dual citizenship meaning two passports, but no South African Identity book. He is entitled to one but as he was not in the country when he was sixteen and has been using his passport for all the legal documents he has been signing the last year and a half since being back, he just never got round to getting one. Wednesday afternoon, 3 days before the wedding, our minister calls and says that he needs an ID document for the marriage to be lawful. Thursday after spending an entire day at the Department of home affairs, he finally got a temporary ID. Round about the same time, we get a call to say we need to go for an interview at the Department of Home Affairs on Friday morning, to determine if our marriage is not a marriage of convenience as his British passport trumps his South African passport. Long story short, after queuing on Friday morning, we get the thumbs up! What a mission and extra stress that you really do not need the day before your wedding.

No More Wedding Woes | Share your wedding advice for future brides.

Let everyone involved and helping, have fun and be creative, then it becomes a masterpiece! Breath, laugh and do not get caught up in the small things.

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