This Elegant Destination Wedding Just Outside of Johannesburg Was All About the Breathtaking Views

A Chapel with a View

Tebogo and Simon tied the knot in Muldersdrift, on a farm just west of Johannesburg. "We loved the farm with beautiful horizons and wildlife, including giraffes!" says the bride, noting that the venue offered a chapel with a beautiful view of the landscape, plus on-site accommodations for their international guests.

• Destination Wedding Etiquette Dos and Don'ts

Friends and Family

On the morning of the wedding, Tebogo got ready for the day ahead with her closest female friends. "My bridesmaids really hyped me up—it was really beautiful," she says.

Tiers of Joy

Tebogo wore into a tiered silver beaded lace wedding dress with sequins and embroidery; the two-in-one garment (she took off the tulle skirt to switch up her look for the reception!) was designed by Thabo Maserumule of Thunderstorm. As for how she knew it was the one? "It was all in the details and feeling," she explains.

Suspended

Simon went the custom route, donning a champagne-hued linen suit, complete with brown suspenders, for the occasion. His getup featured a sweet personal touch: The couple's wedding date and initials were embroidered on one of his jacket's pockets.

• Cool Accessories for Your Groom

All Together Now

Tebogo culled the groomsmen's casual ensembles after seeing a similar look on Pinterest ("It was young and fresh!" she says) and gave her bridesmaids plenty of freedom when sourcing their dresses. "I was very flexible about this," she shares, adding that her singular requirement was that the dresses be white. "I wanted my silver-beaded, champagne dress with white tulle to match the white in their dresses."

Elegant Ensembles

The bridesmaids' dresses nodded to the bride's own in another way—all of the women's ensembles featured a romantic sweetheart neckline.

Little Attendants

Tebogo and Simon's flower girl and ring bearer wore miniature versions of the adults' looks; the former donned a sweet white frock, while the latter dressed in a white shirt and slacks, brown suspenders and all (though he appears to have lost one along the way!).

• How to Keep Your Flower Girl and Ring Bearer Happy

Here Come the Guests

Guests filed into the open-air chapel, where flowers were placed along every pew and rose petals defined the aisle.

Veiled

The bride's stepfather escorted her down the aisle as their DJ played gospel music—including the song that was playing when Simon asked Tebogo to marry him.

With These Vows

"My husband's vows were unbeatable," Tebogo says of Simon's hand-written promises that brought her to tears. "The guests were impressed that he added in some Pedi, my mother's tongue."

• Who Traditionally Says Their Wedding Vows First?

Finally Married

The couple recessed back up the aisle—as husband and wife!—to a "praise gospel song, to show our gratitude to God," notes Tebogo. "But my African people were ready with their own African wedding songs and dances, which was absolutely beautiful. There was no need for a DJ in that moment!"

Field of Dreams

As guests moved on to the cocktail hour, where they mingled over gin and mimosa bars and dined on several canapés, including biltong (a form of dried, cured meat—the couple's favorite), cheeseboards, and a chocolate fountain, the couple took to the fields surrounding the venue, where they posed for portraits in the grass.

Party Time

Tebogo wanted a "classic and elegant" reception—and originally thought she'd execute that vision with an all-white color palette. That dream evolved during the planning phase, when she realized that touches of gold and light blue only enhanced the décor. Mood lighting, including the venue's built-in orb pendants and fairy lights, which they draped across the ceiling, completed the aesthetic, casting a romantic glow over the space.

• Our Favorite Wedding Color Palettes

The Little Details

Classic rectangular white tables were left undressed and topped with an assortment of bud vases and lanterns. Pale blue pillar candles were placed on top of large holders and arranged asymmetrically down each tabletop.

L-O-V-E

As for the reception's focal point? The sweetheart table—the base of which spelled out L-O-V-E (the "O" was filled with eucalyptus).

• Beautiful Sweetheart Table Ideas

First Married Spin

Romantic smoke filled the dance floor as Tebogo and Simon took their first married spin to "Why I Love You" by Major. "It's our favorite song—we loved it the first time we heard it," says the bride.

Cutting the Cake

After dinner—during which an array of South African stews and meat, fish, and vegetable dishes were served—the newlyweds cut into their three-tier confection, composed of salted caramel, chocolate, and lemon-and-blueberry flavors. Following the celebration, the couple spent some time traveling throughout South Africa with their loved ones before jetting off to Dubai for a few days on their own.

Sources

Photography and Videography, Margaux Cronje
Flowers, Paper Products, Lighting, and Photo Booth Frame, Taryn Weare
Officiant, Pastor Jan Pretorius
Bride's Gown and Veil, Thunderstorm by Thabo Maserumule
Bride's Shoes, Aldo
Hair, The San Hair
Groom's Attire, Hirmer
Groom's Shoes, Shoe Passion Munich
Engagement Ring and Wedding Bands, Triebel Juwelier