Rupert & Charné

It really was the perfect day. We could not ask for anything more.

How did you meet?

We were in the same high school but never really noticed each other. A few years after school we met in the ‘Pienk Gym’. I was busy cycling when he walked in. It was almost like everything and everybody froze. We looked at each other, and then he passed me by towards the weights.

How did the Mr propose?

He is very romantic. For our two month anniversary he took me for a picnic in the beautiful red dunes. So of course it’s only logical that the big question would be much more romantic.

We were having dinner with family friends, when their son had to go and deliver ice for the casino. My now sister-in-law went with him to help and of course I did not think anything of it. A while later my husband also went to help them (he explained that the ice bags were very heavy and that they needed an extra hand).

I was still enjoying time with the family and friends when my husband returned and said that we were leaving. While getting into the car he said that he just wanted to go and make sure that my sister-in-law and family friend were managing with the ice delivery. While we were driving to the casino I did not think that anything would happen, only that we were going to help. Just before you drive through the entry at the casino we suddenly turned right, through a pathway into the dunes. That is when the suspense began, because why were we turning into the dunes? We went on driving past the dunes and then made a turn to the left…looking out to a huge candle-made heart in the sand. Immediately a whirlwind of emotions went through me. We got out the car (with me already in tears), and walked towards the centre of the heart. Everything was so perfect – the champaigne, glasses, roses, candles…and then he got down on one knee, pulled out the most beautiful ring ever, and said: “Charné Kraft, sal jy vir ewig my stukkieding wees?” (His weird, but very cute pet name for me). And of course I said Yes! It was so special, because he did it in the same spot where we had our first romantic date.

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The planning process?

Right after he popped the big question, I went and bought bridal magazines to get some inspiration and advice for the planning process. I am a very thorough planner and start planning things way ahead of time. I got a book and wrote everything down, from different venue options we liked, to colour schemes. The planning process was so much fun for me, everything went smoothly. I immediately knew what look we wanted to go for, and luckily for me, Rupert was very involved in the process. We worked well as a team, deciding on what colours, flowers, and food we wanted. The finer details I decided. The most fun for me was going to decide on what we wanted for décor. Picking out everything to come together as one beautiful picture.

The day you envisioned

Our original hope and dream for the day was just that everybody would enjoy the day with us and that they would have a good time. Everything went so smoothly and fell into place like it should have. It really was the perfect day. We could not ask for anything more.

Colour schemes, decor, flowers & style

The colour scheme for our wedding was: a dusty rose pink, mint green and crème with white and hessian accents. We chose a vintage – rustic style for the wedding. Rupert is a ‘boerseun,’ and my style is very vintage as well, so the two complimented each other well. The flowers were very minimalistic – gip, pink roses, and desert roses. The flowers together with the vintage décor went so well together. It created such a romantic atmosphere.

DIY projects

We had a few DIY projects, from creating and designing the wedding invitations, to planting and decorating the gifts for the guests. The gifts for the guests were succulents, decorated with hessian around the pot. The flower girl dresses were also made by my aunt.

The dress

This was the fun part of planning a wedding – going dress shopping! I saw a dress in the window at the dress shop next to Pick n Pay. At first I was hesitant about the dress (sometimes a dress looks different on the mannequin than on you). I asked Cerina, whom I bought my dress from, whether I could try on the dress in the window as well.

So one Saturday I went to try on dresses with my sister. Cerina was bringing out all of these beautiful dresses one by one and laying them on the bed for me to choose from, but the ‘window dress’ was still in the back of my mind. I asked her to try on the window dress first, only to fall in love with it completely. The shape was so perfect, it fitted like a glove. When she put on the veil I started tearing up, knowing that this was it. This was my wedding dress. I did not even try on any other dresses. It was like love at first sight, just like Rupert and I.

The dress is a beautiful white colour, mermaid style dress, with a full bottom and sweet heart neckline. The entire bodice is lace, with small beads and crystals, and an embellished belt sewn onto the lace. The bottom is a combination of layers of mesh, chiffon, organza and lace. The detail work on the lace cut-outs on the bottom layers is so beautiful.

The wedding day

I think that every woman would say that the favourite parts of her wedding day was when her father walked her down the aisle, and when she and her husband said ‘I do’ and exchanged vows, declaring your unconditional and absolute love for your best friend. And for me it was exactly that. Every part of it was so special, from the beginning of the day, until the end. Looking back on our wedding photos, everything was captured so perfectly. Some of the moments I can’t even remember.

The unexpected

I can honestly say that we did not have any bad experiences. I think the only thing that was a bit unexpected was the fact that my sister-in-law was a great master of ceremony. It was her first time doing anything in that line, and she really surprised us in a good way.

Advice for future brides

I would say that budgeting is most important when planning your big day. Get quotations from as many vendors as possible, and pick the price most comfortable for your budget. Planning your big day, you must have a vision of what you want and also know if it’s in your price range. I know that every bride has this picture in her mind, and I urge you to make that dream and picture a reality, but sometimes just as in a marriage, you have to compromise.

Tips for the actual day is to just relax, don’t stress or work yourself up. If the flowers are not standing on the placement you discussed with your vendor – it’s alright. The guests are not even going to know how it was supposed to look, they are just going to see the beautiful picture. A second tip is not to worry about criticism. Not everyone is going to say nice things about everything, and that’s alright, because it is your day and it’s what you wanted.

Anything extra

Just enjoy the journey. This is one of the most special things a woman can go through, so enjoy the planning, enjoy the day of the wedding, and just enjoy your married life with your husband, because that is what matters most.