Saturday, February 23, 2013

Congratulations & Celebrations

My brother and his beautiful bride cutting the cake
If only all weddings were as fun as South African ones! If you've ever been lucky enough to attend one, you know that there are usually more laughing than talking and more dancing than walking, and it's impossible to go home before the early hours of the morning. After being engaged for four years, my brother and his stunning wife, Yelena, got hitched in Bredasdorp, the small town I'm from at the southern tip of Africa. And what a wonderful day it was!

Justin Alexander wedding dress
It was my first time being a bridesmaid, which involved getting up really really early and getting my hair and makeup did at eleven in the morning. It was fun though, and we had wonderful people beautifying us. After that we got dressed in our blue bridesmaid dresses, drank champagne, and helped the bride get ready, all whilst being snapped by two lovely photographers.

Bredasdorp Dutch Reformed Church
My brother and Yelena decided to get married in the big and beautiful Dutch Reformed Chuch in Bredasdorp, as that's the church we've been attending with our parents ever since 1987, when we moved there. The guests arrived and it was great seeing family that I haven't seen in forever, because I live in Taiwan.

Me and the lovely bride
It was awesome that Yelena's parents and her sister were able to attend the wedding, as they live in Ukraine and they don't speak a word of English. Somehow we all managed to communicate though. It was beautiful and overwhelming when the huge church organ started playing the wedding march and the gorgeous bride's dad walked her down the aisle. It was hard not shedding a tear of joy, especially when I saw my brother, his best man and my parents tear up.

Dancing with my man
The sermon was absolutely beautiful and nobody could stop talking about it afterwards. The minister did an amazing job, and the message was so touching because he knows my brother and our family personally.

The Boyfriend caught the garter, and my sister caught the bouquet
After the "I do's", the exchanging of rings, and the "you may kiss the bride", all the guests made the journey to L'Agulhas, the most southern town on the continent of Africa, where the reception was being held.

All the guest dancing and enjoying the wedding
The reception hall looked like a fairyland and it wasn't long before everyone started dancing to the music of the live band. The speeches were touching, hilarious and filled with love and well-wishes. 

Left to right: My sister, The Boyfriend, me and my dad. Enjoying the delicious food.
Of course, the absolute best thing about a proper South African wedding is the food. The caterer did a fantastic job and everyone went back for seconds and thirds. No pretentious small portions here! Our plates were filled with mouthwatering gammon, salads, pumpkin fritters and roasted potatoes. If that weren't enough, the dessert table made us drool, too. There was a chocolate fountain, fruit, tiramisu and, of course, the beautiful wedding cake, which tasted just as good as it looked.

The dessert table
I had a great time catching up with my grandmother, all my uncles, aunts, cousins and our friends. I didn't manage to catch the bouquet, which my sister snagged out from right under my nose, but The Boyfriend did catch the garter, which means we're next in line. No problem, because I'm all for another unforgettable wedding in South Africa.

Everyone having a ball on the dance floor
We haven't received the official photos of the wedding yet, but I'll definitely post some when they are ready.

10 comments:

  1. This looks like it was a lot of fun! Not as high-pressure as some USA weddings.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We're all about having a good time with friends and family! There's nothing worse than a pretentious, boring wedding.

      Delete
  2. South African seems so much fun! :)
    It was a great wedding, as I can see.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yip this is what South-African weddings look like LoL! Jou skoonsussie is pragtig! Sy lyk soos Shashi Naidoo ;) Baie geluk aan hulle :-) xoxo

    www.dressedinthecity.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. Looks like a perfect night!! I love your dress. You look stunning! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Kristen! We had such a good time :-)

      Delete

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...