Shane and Bianca officially met at the end of 2011 and they knew that they had an instant connection when they discovered that they had a mutual hatred of mushrooms and seafood – the perfect foundation for the beginning of a fabulous relationship! After dating for 3 years, Shane Swept Bianca off her feet with an unbelievable proposal which involved the 12 Apostles, a helicopter flight to Franschoek and a private picnic on the mountain at La Motte wine farm (those are just the brief highlights) and almost exactly 4 months later they tied-the-knot.
Bianca says that planning the wedding was fairly easy because they knew exactly what they wanted from their wedding day: a day wedding, outside, hamburger lunch, games and above all…fun! “All we wanted was to create a different setting, that relaxed our guests, gave them things to do which made a solid foundation for the best day ever”, explains Bianca.
Finding the perfect venue was a slight challenge, especially in such a short space of time. The couple stumbled upon de Uijlenes in Gansbaai. The forest chapel and rolling lawn for the reception was exactly what they were searching for and accommodation on the farm was an extra bonus.
The couple decided to DIY their big-day from start to finish (brave!). We made the carnival booths, bunting, cushions, blankets and hand-painted all the signs. “We found this more exciting than making invitations and table settings – my advice is to do what you enjoy and the stress doesn’t really come at all and don’t take yourself to seriously,” says Bianca.
Bianca admits that she’s a fussy shopper, and knew that dress shopping was going to drive her bridesmaids and mother crazy. After preparing herself for an uphill battle she found ‘the one’ at the second bridal shop she walked into (Bride & Co.). Her prerequisite for her wedding gown? “It needed to be strapless, but tight enough so that I didn’t have to worry about a ‘wardrobe malfunction’. This dress ticked all the right boxes and made me feel like a princess,” explains Bianca.
To see more of Bianca and Shane’s big-day snaps, check out the gallery below.
Service providers: Venue: De Uijlenes, Gansbaai; Photography: Cameron Stuart
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For more photography by Cameron Stuart, click here.
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