Wesley and Nicolaas: Inside The Wedding Of A Wedding Photographer
At a boutique Cape Town private members' club, a wedding photographer marries the love of his life in an intimate yet lavish wedding celebration.
Photographer We Love Pictures | Venue The Stack
-
When and how did you meet?
We first met very briefly through a mutual friend, and then, 3 years later, we met again online.
Tell us a little about the first time you met?
Nic: After a few weeks of chatting online, we decided to meet ‘in the real world’. Our first date was at a very popular bar in Cape Town. I got there a bit earlier than Wes and was still doing some work on my computer when I saw him enter in the corner of my eye. He was even more handsome in real life. We chatted for hours, and it felt like we had known each other forever. Later in the evening, I looked around, and the bar was packed, and I didn’t even notice how full it got during the time we sat there.
Who proposed, and how?
Nic: I proposed to Wes, and he had no idea. We were alone on our family farm, and it was the day before New Years Eve 2017. We had plans to spend NYE alone together and then the idea was to propose just before midnight, but when we woke up the morning of the 31st, Wes was very sick. I got up and went to the kitchen to make coffee and secretly placed the wedding ring box on the coffee tray after I fetched it from the safe. My mom hid the key of the safe in a freezer bag in the freezer, with a note in it that said: “The key to happiness” (my parents knew I was going to propose). I walked into the room and asked Wes how he felt. He replied with a very sad, “not well”. I replied, “Well, I made you some coffee, and I brought you something that might make you feel better”. His face dropped when he saw the ring, and I sat on the bed next to him and asked if he would marry me. We both cried. It was a big YES from him.
What does marriage mean to you?
An equal partnership between the person you love, care for and vow to love and protect no matter what.
When did you get married?
We got married in winter of 2019 at The Stack on the 27th of July 2019.
What was the primary influence behind your wedding day?
We live and work in the city and loved the idea of an intimate formal winter wedding at one of our favourite places to visit in Cape Town called The Stack. It is a private members club with off the wall interior and very much our taste.
What was the most important thing to you surrounding your wedding?
To enjoy every moment and try and take it all in, and we made sure that we had everything we wanted and not compromise.
Where did you find the bulk of your inspiration?
Nic: Wes is a wedding photographer, so he has seen it ALL. Our inspiration came mainly from The Stack, which was the venue, and tried to theme the décor, stationery and flowers around it.
How did you choose your suppliers?
Nic: Because Wes is in the wedding industry, we had suppliers that wanted to partner with us to make our day as amazing as possible. Wes has built up great relationships with all of them and selected to work with the ones that would get the brief and deliver what we envisioned.
Any standout suppliers?
They all were amazing and exceeded our expectations. The Stack's staff was amazing, taking into account that they don't really do weddings at the venue, they were attentive, friendly and made the day run seamlessly. Our two wedding planners made the day super easy; we did not have to worry about a single thing. Highly recommended and well worth the money to get a wedding planner.
Because Wes is a wedding photographer, it was a debate for almost a year as to who would photograph our wedding. We looked at a few options but went with our first choice – Travis McNeil from We Love Pictures, and it was the best decision we made. He knew exactly what we like and don't like and made the day so easy and delivered the most amazing images.
We selected the date around the availability of our Officiant – Patrick Boucher. He was amazing, and people still talk about how great he was at our wedding. He made it intimate and funny at the same time.
Did you find it difficult to translate more common traditions into a 'same-sex' wedding?
Nic: Wes chose to walk down the aisle with my sister, and I chose to walk down the aisle with my mom. The first dance was a bit of a debate about who leads who, but we got it sorted in the end.
Any surprises on your wedding day?
Nic: Just as we were about to walk down the aisle, I stood and waited for the wedding planner to indicate when we could walk, and I could hear live music and a singer, singing 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow' (which is my favourite song). Wes secretly got a singer and a band to play the song, and I had NO idea.
We planned our first dance on an agreed song, but just as we cut the cake and got ready for our first dance, I saw from the corner of my eye a string quartet and singer getting prepared. Wes and I stood in the middle of the dance floor, and they started playing and singing 'The Way You Look Tonight' by Frank Sinatra. Again, I had NO idea. It was the best surprise ever. It was beyond beautiful.
To get the party started we arranged for a burlesque dancer that reveals herself from a cake, and we knew it could have gone either way, people wouldn't get it, or they would love it. It was a huge hit and kicked off the party section of the wedding amazingly.
What was the most challenging thing about planning your wedding?
Staying on budget. We had to make sure we were not going overboard, but towards the end, we just decided, it's our day, and we want it the way we want it.
Any advice for other couples planning their day and finding it challenging to navigate the journey?
Our top tip would be getting a wedding planner that you find a connection with and listens to what you want and understands your taste and needs.
Enjoy the day and don't stress about anything.
Suppliers
Photographer We Love Pictures
Videographer FJS Productions
Venue The Stack
Suits Frank Bespoke
Planner Mosaic Weddings
Flowers Botanical Flowers
Cake Sweet Lionheart
Stationery Secret Diary Stationery
Celebrant Patrick Boucher
Furniture & Decor Happinest Hire, Simplicite, The Hirehaus
Performer Mischa Smith
Burlesque Dancer
More For You
