Real Brides - The Sherwood Wedding
“What a pleasure it was doing this wedding for such a special couple at the end of 2019, please see this truly fabulous piece in REAL BRIDES magazine. We look forward to doing many more weddings and making your day extra special when this is all possible again. Do make contact to book your space.”
The Wedding of Elana & Jed Sherwood
Getting married in the magnificent garden where she grew up was a dream come true for this lovely bride.
Home garden wedding?
Jed and I decided during August 2019 that the time was right to make a commitment to each other before God, our family and friends. A search commenced to find a venue in the Natal Midlands that could accommodate our dates but, none were available in December 2019 or January 2020.
The only dates available were during April 2020 and it didn’t take me long to realise that the location of my dream venue was in fact the spectacular garden where I had grown up – a haven nourished by my mother’s passion. In secret, I had always imagined and hoped that I would one day be able to get married there. My parents were very excited and welcomed the idea and my mother immediately began assisting me to plan our garden wedding - inside of 3 months.
My fairy tale come true on 14 December 2019 and, in hindsight, we were lucky to have selected December and not April as it would have been devastating to have had to postpone our day due to the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown.
What had to be done in the garden?
My mother worked exceptionally hard to ensure that all the roses bloomed. Sweeping staircases, bridges over the stream and a deck over the pool area for the ceremony were specially built. A clear marquee was erected on the tennis court and many lights were installed around the garden to capture that magic and romance. We are extremely grateful for our parents’ endless hours of hard work spent making our dream day come true.
You used many local vendors?
Having grown up in Pietermaritzburg our family have made so many acquaintances, who became friends and who I wanted to be part of my day. Music has played a huge part in my life and I wanted my day to portray that. “It is always important to support local businesses.’’
Venue: Bride’s family home, Pietermaritzburg
Décor, tables, arch and flowers: Kerry’s Flowers
Caterer, Chef, Waiters, Cake: Jackie Cameron School of Food and Wine
Choir: Midlands Chamber Choir
Musician: James Freedman
The Midlands Chamber Choir, which I have been part of for many years, sang at my ceremony and brought me to tears. I used local suppliers, where possible, as it is always important to support local businesses. By using local suppliers, who in all probability have worked together before, ensures that all the planning on the day will run smoothly.
Some suppliers went above and beyond?
Kerry Dinkelman of Kerry’s Flowers assisted in creating an elegant, classical and romantic wedding. She took all my requests into account and gladly offered advice to ensure that the flowers and the ambiance of the garden would be incorporated into all aspects of the décor. This included many visits to visualise my dream to ensure that my ideal garden wedding would materialise. The other supplier who played a major part was Jackie Cameron. She gave exceptional advice on all aspects of planning a wedding. She incorporated all my ideas into the food and her professionalism was put to the test under difficult circumstances. Her food was exceptional and a real 5-star eating experience.
“It was such a pleasure working with you and your team, it only came naturally to mention all your hard work and honest advice to us. I still get people raving about the food on the day!!”
Pros, cons and advice for a home wedding?
Sentiments and fond memories created by a home wedding do not come without stress. You need to be extremely organised. Having trustworthy professionals to assist is key. If your ideas are not stressed, it may lead to disappointment. Normally conventional wedding venues have various conditions and regulations to be followed but with a home wedding there are no time constraints. This gave our suppliers sufficient time to ensure creativity and us time to ensure that the various elements such as the clear marquee, the kitchen marquee, the decking, the fairly lights and the draping could be installed and that all the tables and chairs were delivered in good time. Ensure that you have sufficient plans in place to accommodate your main ideas and take all uncontrollable elements into account. If you are planning to have more than 100 guests, it’s advisable to have a professional wedding planner for the day before and on the day to take charge of the remaining preparations to alleviate any stress for you and your family. This will give you time to relax and make memories. To avoid any unnecessary complaints, inform your neighbours as a courtesy.
The weather toyed with your emotions?
When we chose our date we never dreamed that the Spring rains would come so late; they started in November and continued into December. This made us very anxious as the ceremony was to take place in the garden. You can plan every detail but not the weather! It rained all week leading up to our big day and Plan B had to be put in place. It is said that if it rains on your wedding day, your marriage would be blessed, so we looked upon it as a blessing from God. Despite the anxiety caused by the continuous rain, our wedding day dawned a miracle and was one of the hottest days in Pietermaritzburg. Hallelujah!
Your dream dress?
Believe it or not, finding the dress that you have been dreaming about, and wear to make one of the most important promises of your life, within 3 months is possible. Finding that bridal boutique to accommodate your circumstances, take your wedding theme and feel into account and offer professional advice is very important. I found my bespoke wedding dress within a month. This was achieved by not having any preconceived ideas, by being open-minded and by trusting my own emotions and intuition. My dress is exquisite and made me feel beautiful and elegant.
Your entourage?
My US-based sister was my Maid of Honour; my best friend and “other sister” was my bridesmaid and my husband’s beautiful sister was my flower girl. I knew that my bridal entourage would include those whom I love dearly, who would be honest and ensure that my day was filled with happiness. They all worked extremely hard, stood by me and celebrated with me, for which I shall be forever grateful.
How many guests?
180.
The highlights of your big day?
The whole day was exquisite, emotional, sentimental and one that I would repeat in a heartbeat. Highlights include the wedding planning, the bridal preparations (in my parents’ picturesque home), the photographs taken in special locations around the house and garden, the kiss on the Romeo and Juliet balcony, sharing memories with our family and friends in a beautiful and happy surrounding and, most important, marrying my soulmate.
Honeymoon?
We sailed to Mauritius and Reunion Island on the MSC’s New Year’s cruise.