REAL WEDDING: Megan and Brent’s rustic fairy-tale wedding

Megan and Brent celebrated the first day of the rest of their lives at the picturesque and romantic Het Vlock Casteel in Riebeek Kasteel – the venue perfect for what Megan describes as a fairy tale.

This beautiful couple dated for 11 years before saying ‘I do’, and they have spent many hours planning their wedding. When their special day finally came, it was even better than they had planned. It was a celebration of love, family and friends. It was a day on which they celebrated their roots and created their own new ones.

Megan & Brent

Megan and Brent got engaged on 14 December 2014. Megan thought she was going for photo shoot at Kirstenbosch with her best friends, but little did she know what Brent had in store for her. Megan and her friends arrived at the location of the shoot when she ‘accidentally’ ran into an old friend from Johannesburg. Her friend insisted that she come with her to say hello to her husband. Megan agreed, and they proceeded to walk down a path towards a big grass landing. That’s when Megan saw their closest friends and family holding up letters spelling out ‘Megs will you marry me?’

Megan & Brent

‘Despite the many people who had gathered to see the proposal, I saw nothing else but Brent, who came walking across the grass with a single rose and the ring. He went down on one knee, told me he loved me and asked me to marry him. I managed to say yes through tears of joy and spent the rest of the day picnicking and celebrating with our friends and family, who were there to share the day with us,’ says Megan, excitedly recounting the special moment.

It’s no surprise that Megan and Brent won a competition for the best wedding proposal!

Megan & Brent

Megan and Brent tried to incorporate as much of their parents’ wedding day as possible, as their heritage is very important to both of them. When the ceremony began, the bridesmaids walked in to a song that played at Megan’s parents’ wedding. Megan wore her mother’s wedding dress and Brent chose a grey suit almost identical to the one his father wore at his wedding. The groom also wore a pin that belonged to his late grandfather.

‘We love our heritage and it’s so important to us, but we also based the wedding planning on what we enjoy, what brings up special memories and definitely the positives and strengths that we want to take forward in our marriage as we build our own family,’ Megan said about planning the special day.

Megan & Brent

The fact that Megan was wearing her wedding dress made the day extra special for the mother of the bride. That, and seeing the expressions on the faces of her husband and now son-in-law when they saw Megan in that dress for the first time.

Megan & Brent

The couple wanted a country weekend affair and they chose the beautiful town of Riebeek Kasteel to celebrate. The chandeliers and high ceilings provided the elegant, vintage look and feel that the couple were looking for. The castle, with its uninterrupted views of the vineyards and mountains, was the perfect venue for the fairy-tale wedding.

Megan & Brent

For the décor, the bride wanted soft, subtle colours, and a vintage, rustic look with a touch of elegance. The lighting was romantic, with lots of candles and naked light bulbs and fairy lights by Goeters in Wellington.

Megan & Brent

‘I loved every moment of our wedding, but if I had to choose a highlight I think it would be our first dance. Brent and I were both really nervous about the dance, but when it was time, we both enjoyed it so much. It set the tone for the rest of the evening’s festivities. Once all the formalities were over, we could just party the night away!’

Megan & Brent

Megan’s décor advice for future brides:

1. Start with a mood board with a general feel. This will allow you to have a central point from which to build on as you start to decide on specific looks.

2. Lots of subtle lighting like naked bulbs is great. It looks amazing and creates a lovely atmosphere.

3. Less is more. Always!

4. Keep your venue in mind and let that guide you as to what will work best given your particular venue.

5. This is Megan’s most important piece of advice: the day should be a celebration and representation of you as a couple, so choose the décor that you like most, not based on popular trends or others’ opinions.