Dillion Smit weds the woman of his dreams in a "village made in heaven ."

Professional Rugby player Dillon Smit spent his big day under the African Sun surrounded by friends and family and of course he wed the most gorgeous Bride. We sat down with the newly wed couple and spoke to them about their wedding day, the venue and more...

What makes your relationship so special?

Both our moral values start with God first. God is what brings us together and holds

us together and He is the key to any successful relationship. We treat our

relationship like a partnership and respect each other and each other’s ambitions

and dreams. From the start of our relationship we agreed that one of the most

important aspects of a successful relationship is time. We vowed to always make

time for each other and make the other person feel important especially during busy

and difficult days due to our respective careers. We are both selfless and always

place each other first no matter the situation or the circumstance.

How did you find the overall wedding planning? Did you have someone helping

you?

It was quite a lot of "wedmin". However we enjoyed every single minute of it, from start to

finish, and most importantly, through all the arrangements, anxiety and stress we

never lost sight of what this special day really was all about and that was getting to

spend our lives together as soul mates and best friends. Both our mothers had a big

hand in the planning and success of the day and we are endlessly grateful for them

stepping up and taking control.

Why did you decide on the venue you chose?

Searching for a venue was quite a journey. There were a lot of venues we looked at

which each had elements that we loved but both of us agreed that we had not yet

seen “THE ONE”.

When we arrived at Avianto we instantly knew. It was as though we had entered into another country – something like a little Italy. I do understand why they describe themselves as “a village made in heaven” as it emanates extraordinary beauty with its magnificent views and beautiful layouts. We could sense this place having been destined to bring people together in love and it is an absolute honour to start our journey together in such a magical place.

What look and feel were you going for with your décor and overall mood of the

wedding? Also what flowers did you use?

We chose our wedding colors and wedding style taking into consideration our

personalities and also what same must reflect, i.e. sophistication and elegance. We

decided upon a natural and rustic wedding theme with greenery. The décor that we

had chosen reflected our theme perfectly. All the tables were wooden tables which

were accompanied by beautiful wooden tiffany chairs.

The tables were decorated with a runner consisting of penny gum leaves and smallish flowers, intertwined together, with floating candles in medium and large glass vases placed in between the runners. Our table (bride and groom) was decorated in the exact same way save for the fact that our table had proteas. The protea flower represents diversity,

courage, change and hope and we knew it would make a great addition because of

its strong meaning. The chapel was also decorated with dried out leaves and petals, lanterns and candles (on the ground) alongside the church benches.

Are there any other special décor elements you used/created?

I wouldn’t say that we have added special décor elements but rather that we added

special items to make the wedding unique, i.e.:

- Photobooth: The photobooth will be a VW Kombi. (See Kiekiebooth)

- Flip Flops: For the ladies to wear when they kick off their heels.

- Donut Wall: Because who doesn’t LOVE donuts.

- Sparkles: To light up the wedding.

Tell us about picking out your dress?

Designer: Jacelyn Gozadinos from White Lilly Bridal.

The journey of the dress was quite serendipitous. I left the best part of the wedding

for last – looking for my perfect dress. I wanted the dress to be a true reflection of

who I was as a person and was looking for something modern, sophisticated and

elegant yet romantic and feminine. Having build such a big expectation for my dress,

each dress that I fitted left me wanting for more and I just could not find what I

envisaged myself in. I was coincidentally referred to Jacelyn and absolutely fell in

love with her boho-luxe inspired designs. Jacelyn designed a dress that captured all

the qualities that I wanted and more. With its low V-line in the front and

complimentary detailed lines at the back I was absolutely mesmerized in the striking,

yet simplistic design of the dress. I am absolutely in awe of this dress and can

confidently say that there is something like a “perfect dress”.

How did you get ideas for your wedding? Did you have a coordinator or was

Pinterest your best friend?

We have been to a number of weddings where we were able to get ideas from as

well as married friends which suggested some ideas. However, Pinterest did play the

BIGGEST role and was definitely our source of inspiration.

Tell us about your bridesmaids/groomsmen’s outfits?

Bridesmaids: (Suané)

I had the Bridesmaid’s dresses made from the Maiden. The top of the dress was

rosegold and the skirt was blush. The cut of the dresses complimented everyone's

body and they looked absolutely breathtaking. I believe there is elegance in

simplicity and that was the look I was going for.

Groomsmen: (Dillon)

As I was wearing a navy blue suit I wanted the groomsmen to reflect the same

elegant style. I therefore chose an outfit to accommodate everyone’s different

fashion styles and kept it very simplistic to give them both comfort and a classy look.

They wore navy pants, white shirts, brown shoes and a burgundy bow tie as it was

one of our wedding colors.

Tell us about the menu?

The wedding was not only about us but also about the people around us. We chose a

buffet option the reason being that it will offer our guests a full meal with the

benefit of them being able to choose which foods to eat. We served a variety of

meats during our reception ranging from duck, chicken, beef to fish allowing to cater

for all guests’ preferences. For the sweet-tooth guests, a variety of desserts was available.

See the Menu as set out on the last page. The food was absolutely incredible and we

honestly cannot pick a favourite dish or dessert. The only regret is not eating MORE

of EVERYTHING.

What did you do for a wedding cake?

Designer: Elli Saayman from the Turquoise Squirrel

The wedding cake had four tiers, each a different flavor, ranging from chocolate

buttercake with hazelnut flavoured buttercream, vanilla buttercake with vanilla

swiss merinque buttercream and salted caramel, and red velvet. The biggest tier was

of course the chocolate flavour which was our favourite. This was the best cake we

have ever tasted in our lives.

In respect of the design of the cake we wanted a design that would compliment the

style we had chosen for our wedding in that it should be “elegant”. The design

consisted of “soft” colors and a metallic accent decorated with blossoms and tiny

leaves and branches. The design also featured a geode effect which in essence gave

a glittering effect of tiny crystals.

Is there a particular moment that stands out from the day?

Suané: Absolutely. When I walked down the isle and saw Dillon’s expression and

emotion for the first time I knew that this was a man that was going to love me

forever.

Dillon: When I finally got to kiss my bride knowing that this is the person I will be

kissing for the rest of my life.

Dillon, how did you feel when you saw your wife for the first time walking down

the aisle?

When I saw Suané walking in I was totally overwhelmed with emotion. I was so

excited because I knew this was the beginning of the rest of our lives. (And of course

I thought she was the most beautiful person alive).

How would you describe your wedding day?

Suané: We have been to many weddings over the years, but nothing quite prepares

you for the overwhelming warm feeling you have at your own wedding. Knowing

that everyone you love and care about have come together to share your special

moment is beyond my ability to describe in words. This day was absolutely magical

and a day I will remember for the rest of my life.

Dillon: After months of preparation for the wedding and seeing all our ideas and

personal touches finally come together to create the vision we had was just the most

sensational feeling in this world. The day was exactly what we envisaged and was

absolutely perfect. It was not only the day itself, but the whole journey, which to me

was exciting from start to finish.

Dillon, you got married during the start of the Super Rugby season. When do you

get some down time for your honeymoon?

It’s difficult to plan due to our busy work schedules. However, we agreed to go on

honeymoon during December of this year as soon my pre-season has ended.

If you could change anything about your big day, would you and what would it be?

Overall our wedding was everything we planned it to be and everything was

absolutely perfect. However, we had the biggest thunderstorm resulting in everyone

being quite wet at the pre-reception. But even with that happening we still would

not change a thing because everything happened exactly how it was meant to

happen. At the end of the day we got to say “we do” to the person we want to be

with for the rest of our lives.

Vendors:

1. Wedding coordinator: Taryn (Avianto)

2. Venue: Avianto

3. Catering/food: Avianto

4. Décor: Event Inspirations

5. Flowers: Event Inspirations

6. Dress: Jacelyn Gozadinos from White Lilly Bridal

7. Bridesmaids Dresses: The Maiden

8. Robes:

o Bride, Mother of the Bride and Mother of the Groom: MayMay Attire

o Bridesmaids: All Things Bridal

9. Makeup:

o Bride, Mother of the Bride and Mother of the Groom: Missy van der Walt

(Missy Make Up Artist);

o Bridesmaids: Felicia Brits (Felicé Hair and Make Up Artist).

10. Hair:

o Bride, Mother of the Bride and Mother of the Groom: Anja Venter (Deftig

Kapsalon)

11. Cake: Elli Saayman of The Turquoise Squirrel

12. Photographer: LORA Photography

13. Videographer: Duck Soup Productions

14. Photobooth: Kiekiebooth

15. Stationery: Bethal Signs & La Luna Invitations and Gifts

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