andrea & leo “our first date was an epic...

R E A L W E D D I N G

92 | SEPTEMBER 2013 | TRUE LOVE BRIDE

Andrea & Leo“Our first date was

an epic fail”

Andrea Mparadzi (31, Lawyer) and Leo Mhlanga (32, Chartered Accountant)

PHOTOGRAPHY WESLEY VORSTER

We loveAndrea’s magnificent

Vera Wang gown!

My husband and I met…We met in 2001 in Harare, Zimbabwe, and went on a date at the urging of our best friends. The date was an epic fail, and left us estranged for a period of six years. We reconnected in New York in 2008 (thank you, Facebook!), and the rest is history...

We got married in (town) and we live in (town)…We got married in Stellenbosch and currently live in New York City.

How did you break the news to your friends and family? Leo proposed while we were on holiday in Mexico, and we broke the news to our families over the phone almost immediately. Shortly upon our return to New York, we surprised our friends (who were incidentally all gathered for general weekend festivities) with the news... and bottles of Prosecco.

“Savour every moment of

your special day; it only

happens once. Don’t get too bogged down by the details. Rather revel in every moment, be it good or bad!” – Wesley Vorster, photographer

TRUE LOVE BRIDE | SEPTEMBER 2013 | 93

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R E A L W E D D I N GR E A L W E D D I N G

Leading up to the wedding, I felt…Leading up to the wedding day, we felt both excited and anxious that the fruition of all our planning was imminent. But, mostly, we felt overwhelmed by the joyous prospect of finally getting married.

I chose a… theme as...We chose a summer theme as it lends itself to infusions of colour, playfulness and an easy-going, relaxed feel.

My favourite part of my wedding was…The ceremony: cementing our bond before God, surrounded by our loved ones, perfectly contented. We also loved all the speeches – they were extremely heartfelt, sincere and emotional. It was a perfectly honest time.

Describe your dress/suit...I wore a blush-pink Vera Wang gown and Leo wore a light-grey, slim-fit suit with a purple Geoffrey Beene tie.

We chose… as our honeymoon destination because...We chose Cape Town for a mini-moon immediately after the wedding; London for a family-moon for a few days after that, and we have chosen Anguilla for our honeymoon later this year – because each of these destinations is so characterful!


A special scent can act as a reminder of your

special day for years to come. Test

new perfumes a couple of weeks before the wedding in case of an allergic reaction.

BRIDEtip

Arrange for a member of your family or a friend to say grace should your pastor not stay for the reception.

The most touching speech was from my… as...It seemed as though every speech was the most touching speech! At some point during each one, there was barely a dry eye in the house.

On the menuGuests were able to select their menu choices be-forehand, and had customised place settings on the day.

Did you face any challenges while putting your wedding together?The challenges of wedding size and date/timing determinations aside, the most fundamental challenge we faced was deciding on where to have the wedding – given that our families are spread across the globe – while being mindful of the logistical challenges in planning a wedding remotely.

BRIDEtip



SUPPLIERS Venue Dornier Homestead,

www.dornier.co.za/accommodation, 021 880 0557

Caterer Bodega, www.dornier.co.za/restaurant, 021 880 0557

Wedding Co-ordinator Kim Werner, Wedding Concepts, www.weddingconcepts.

co.za, 021 426 5783Décor Leipzig, www.leipzig.co.za,

021 865 2736Photography Wesley Vorster,

www.wesleyvorster.co.za, [email protected]

Cake Kanya Hunt, www.kanyahunt.co.za, 021 553 0440

Dress/suit Very Wang, www.verawang.comHair and Make-up Anneline Black Studios,

www.annelineblackstudios.com, 082 481 9150

What tipped the balance in favour of Cape Town/Stellenbosch, apart from the gorgeous vistas, was that we discovered the Wedding Concepts team, whose creative vision and professionalism gave us the confidence to relinquish frenzied control, and which allowed for the seamless co-ordination of our wedding across an ocean.




Zoe Karl (30, Management Consultant) and Robert Ngetha (33, Private Equity Investor) Waithaka

Zoe & Robert“Our wedding was a truly

global affair”PHOTOGRAPHY TYME PHOTOGRAPHY

My husband and I met…We met as MBA students at the Wharton School of Business in Philadelphia, USA.

We got married in (town) and we live in (town)…We live and got married in Johannesburg. We also had celebrations in Kenya and Pretoria.

How did you break the news to your friends and family?We were in the US when we got engaged. We called everyone as soon as we got over the excitement. And then, of course, there was the obligatory Facebook post!

Leading up to the wedding, I felt…I had lots of energy! As our guests had travelled in from so many places, we

“Great skin is the foundation of a beautiful bride (and gorgeous

groom!), so do whatever it takes to ensure that your skin is in super shape

before your wedding. Use good products and don’t have any harsh treatments or facials the week before your wedding.” – Faith Seuoe, make-up artist, sponsored by Dermalogica, [email protected]

BRIDEtip

114 | SEPTEMBER 2013 | TRUE LOVE BRIDE TRUE LOVE BRIDE | SEPTEMBER 2013 | 115


organised lots of events and outings in the days leading up to the ceremony. It was a lot of fun showing everyone around Jo’burg.

I chose a… theme as...We wanted our wedding to be elegant and classic, while still remaining simple with elements of modernity. It was also important to us that the wedding not be too serious, so we tried to incorporate fun elements into the events and the décor. I think we succeeded because our guests were ready to hit the dance floor even before the speeches had ended!

My favourite part of my wedding was…Having so many friends and family members from around

the world together in one place. We had guests from Nairobi, New York, Zurich, Philadelphia, Cape Town, Brussels, Beijing, Addis Ababa and many other cities. It was truly special that they’d all travelled so far to be with us on our big day.

Describe your dress/suit...My dress was Italian lace with a romantic train. I wanted something that was youthful, yet classic at the

“Try to make sure that there is no

background activity where

you are posing for your pictures – animals, pedestrians, etc. These may not be obvious on the day, but they will ruin your wedding pictures!” – Danny Kekana, photographer, 072 243 4777

BRIDEtip

same time. I had it altered to make it strapless and added an embellished black sash. My husband wore a tailored tuxedo.

We chose… as our honeymoon destination because...We chose the Maldives because it is quiet and remote. We spent all day swimming in the ocean and lounging on the deck of our water villa.

The most touching speech was from my… as...It’s difficult to choose the most touching speech – they were all so thoughtful and unique!

Did you face any challenges while putting your wedding together?The guest list – we wanted a small wedding, so it was

We lovethis great photo idea!


tricky to balance being able to invite all the important people in our lives with keeping the numbers low.

On the menuGuests were able to customise their menus ahead of time. So when they arrived, they had bespoke menus at their tables. Each menu was printed on the back of a name card, which was wrapped around the napkin at that particular guest’s seat.

SUPPLIERS Venue Summer Place,

www.summerplacesa.com, 011 447 9744

Catering By Word of Mouth, www.bywordofmouth.co.za,

011 553 7600 Wedding Co-ordinator

Wedding Concepts, www.weddingconcepts.co.za,

021 426 5783 Décor Okasie,

www.okasie.co.za, 021 887 9904Photography Tyme Photography,

www.tyme.co.za, 083 412 5847Cake Sugar ’n Ice,

www.sugar-n-ice.co.za, 011 788 1202

Dress/suit Levana Brides, www.levanabrides.co.za,

082 090 4444Hair Sandton Hair, Sandton City,

011 783 7327Make-up Amoré Make-Up, www.amoremakeup.co.za,

076 924 9578


MENU EXAMPLE

Starter New-age tart topped with

fresh rocket

Main Grilled citrus chicken

breasts served on a bed of sesame egg noodles

Pan-flashed tender-stem broccoli and mange tout, sprinkled with

black sesame seeds and garnished with baby rocket

Oven-dried orange chips

Dessert Wedding cake

andrea & leo “our first date was an epic...

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