“The future for me is already a thing of the past – You were my first love and you will be my last”
― Bob Dylan
How It All Began!
Childhood sweethearts Thato and Nomaswazi have known each other for 24 years. They attended the same primary school and shared conversations full of banter/bickering as they commuted to and from on the local school bus. However, it clearly wasn’t always a bed of roses, as it took Thato a lot of convincing to get in Nomaswazi’s good books.
As their friendship blossomed, they shared their innermost secrets. As Thato reveals; “At the tender age of ten years, I was already love struck. One fine day we promised each other that we would get married and have a family together”.
As time evolved, their journeys separated due to the fact that they were both career driven individuals. Nonetheless, they made sure to keep in touch via phone calls and writing lengthy love letters to each other regardless of the distance apart.
And We Meet Again!
In 2013 the lovely couple revived their love story as Thato had an epiphany of sorts when he saw the love of his life at a church back at his hometown.
“Her beautiful big brown eyes sparkled, and my heart raced with excitement as I finally saw her after such a long time, but I was also incredibly anxious to talk to her”. – Thato
The Happily Ever After!
“I had promised myself that I am not going to let her out of my sight ever again. As fate would have it, she was back in Johannesburg and this meant we could be together. I knew that she is the only one for me, my soulmate. Few years down the line, I proposed marriage to her and I cannot wait to start this exciting chapter of life with my gorgeous wife Nomaswazi”. – Thato
The Harlequin Nuptials
The grand wedding took place at Bona Dea Private Estate, an award-winning wedding venue in Overberg, South Africa. The sprawling property is hailed as one of the most quixotic and picturesque locations in South Africa owing to its breathtaking vineyards along with the natural landscape beyond the spectacular terraces designed to perfection.
The dazzling ceremony was organised by Yes! Exclusive Weddings & Events founded by Sylvia and Elfi Bösinger who are German-born wedding and event planners and their ultimate goal is to ‘take you on an inspiring journey with an exclusive and customized concept’.
Operating since 2010, Sylvia and Elfi are known as trendsetters in the events industry. Yes! Exclusive Weddings & Events create the most original ideas with a memorable set-up and craft an atmosphere that will last an eternity. Providing the highest quality standards and services to our prestigious clientele is their main priority.
As stated by Elfi Bösinger; “Previously, we have been incorporating ombré colour palettes in different ways. However, for Thato and Nomaswazi’s vibrant wedding we chose not to opt for a soft blend colour palette for a reason. The special pair were truly a happy and cheerful couple who did not shy away from incorporating vivacious colours within their wedding décor. Since the couple could not decide on a statement colour, we suggested using an electric set of colors to bring out their jovial personalities as we believe that every wedding has to reflect the unique traits of the bride and groom. We also draped the vast walls and ceilings with eucalyptus twigs, fragrant garden roses and created tinted ombré table centerpieces. Organising a local South African dance group to perform its heart out for the beautiful couple and their family and friends was a difficult task at hand, but as luck would have it, it went smoothly and even turned out to be the highlight of the night!”.
Vendors List:
Bride’s receptions dress: Anna Georgina by Kobus Dippenaar
Bride’s Ceremony dress: Quiteria and George
Bride’s headpiece: Pearl headdress
Bride’s shoes: Call it Spring
Bridesmaids dresses: Quiteria and George
Cakes/desserts: Krummels Sugar Art
Catering: Two Chefs Catering
Ceremony venue: Bona Dea Private Estate
Event decor/design: Yes! Exclusive Weddings & Events
Entertainment: Event Music Solutions
Florals: Yes! Exclusive Flowers
Groom’s attire: Quiteria and George
Groomsmen attire: Quiteria and George
Hair: Leoume Vos
Lighting: Event Music Solution
Linens: Bona Dea Private Estate
Makeup: Leoume Vos
Photography: Schwede-Photodesign
Reception venue: Bona Dea Private Estate
Stationery: Trunk Events
Videography: This Is Epitome
