Featured image: Behn Photography
We might have been in a lockdown, but these couples still enjoyed gorgeous, intimate weddings.
Ashleigh and Dylan Gouws
This wonderful couple managed to get married on the day the lockdown started, after changing their plans at the last minute! We found out how they planned a wedding in 48 hours.
When was your wedding supposed to be and when did you end up getting married?
We were supposed to get married on 18 July 2020, and instead ended up getting married on the day of the start of the lockdown: 26 March 2020.
What were the main changes you needed to make to comply with the lockdown regulations (or in your case make it happen before the lockdown)?
We changed absolutely everything! Aside from my dress and Dyl’s attire, it didn’t look anything like we had planned.
Was it difficult to downsize?
Not really – only because we didn’t really have a choice, so we only had immediate family members and another couple who are great friends/mentors to us that prayed for us during our ceremony.
If you could sum up your day in three words, what would they be?
Spontaneous, rollercoaster and heavenly.
What are the benefits of having a smaller wedding?
I think having such an intimate wedding really focused us on keeping “the main thing, the main thing”. Everyone was there for one reason, the most important reason: the union of Dyl and I. I describe it as heavenly because it truly was a moment like I’ve never experienced before. Despite all of the chaos leading up to it (and continuing after), in that moment, as we made our vows to each other, it felt as if heaven was touching earth and no amount of disappointment of cancelled dreams could take that away from us.
Did your décor, food or any other elements change much from your original plan?
It was completely different. Because we were only able to have a ceremony, all we could do was flowers, and a true miracle was having help from Rowena and Jo from Oh Happy Day. The flowers were spectacular and we only have them to thank. It 100% wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for those two power women!
What is your advice for future brides based on your experience?
Go with the flow! Trust your gut, and don’t let people around you make decisions for you. Stay true to yourself in this process, and remember it isn’t about the wedding, it is about the marriage.
Shannon and Wade Rynhoud
Shannon and Wade planned a spectacular, intimate wedding at Seaton Manor Estate, where they celebrated their union with close family and friends. It may have been different to what they had originally planned but it was just as special.
When was your wedding supposed to be and when did you end up getting married?
My fiancé and I worked on cruise ships overseas in America and we were set to end our contract and head home in June 2020 to get married with everything planned and ready, but obviously by March most of the world was in lockdown including us on a cruise ship. We were stuck there and struggling to get home. Everything was getting cancelled at home and SA was in Alert Level 5, making it even harder to get home, so we made a decision to postpone our wedding to March 2021. Eventually, we got home in the middle of June and, after quarantine, we were still happy about our decision to move the wedding to the following year.
We have family that lives and works all over the world that also had to come home. For once, we had all of the important people at home at the same time. With the lockdown easing to Alert Level 3 (when events and functions could take place again with restrictions), one day, out of the blue, my fiancé said, “Let’s just get married!” Most of the details were already sorted out, so we set a date and finalised everything in two weeks and got married on 12 September 2020.
What were the main changes you needed to make to comply with the lockdown regulations?
We had to cut our guest list to comply with the venue and obviously a few relatives couldn’t make it because they live overseas, so they joined in via Zoom. We had to move the whole day’s events earlier so that we could fit everything in by 9 p.m. as that was the curfew at the time.
Was it difficult to downsize?
Yes, it was! However, the borders being closed made our decision easier as there was nothing we could do about certain family members not being able to attend, no matter how much we wanted them to be there.
If you could sum up your day in three words, what would they be?
Finally! Family and thankful.
What are the benefits of having a smaller wedding?
I would say that having a big wedding actually isn’t worth it. The smaller and more intimate it is the better. You get to spend time with everyone. You can also save money! Yay!
Did your décor, food or any other elements change much from your original plan?
Luckily, our décor and food didn’t change at all as those were details that we had planned already, and we could easily adjust it to the guest count with no problem at all. The flowers and décor were done by Love Laugh by Cindy Rynhoud.