The Springbok got his happy-ever after. Steven Kitshoff weds the love of his life!

It was the Summer wedding of the year. Stormers Rugby prop and Springbok Rugby player, Steven Kitshoff married the love of his life, Aimee Steenkamp in a wedding that will not be forgotten any time soon. The fairytale event took place at the gorgeous Ashanti Venue in Paarl in the Western Cape. The couple pulled out all the stops and left their guests speechless. From decor that impressed, to an atmosphere of love, family and friendship, it truly was a magical day.

SA Life Magazine, had the pleasure of speaking to the now wedded couple and got the low-down on their special day and everyone involved.

What makes your relationship so special?

Aimee: I think what makes our relationship so special is the fact that we are best friends first.

Steven: First of all, we are best of friends. We will always have each other’s back and there to support one and other.

How did you find the overall wedding planning? (Did you have someone helping you? Was it was you expected?)

Aimee: Yes I had a lot of help from my mother, Steven’s father also helped out. The amazing Irusha Kröhn from Baie Goeters did all my décor planning for us and of course the girls from KDT Comms team helped with a lot of planning. It was very overwhelming a lot harder than I thought it would be but still an amazing experience.

Why did you decide on the venue you chose?

Aimee: Ashanti has a very European feel to it with beautiful gardens and the reception hall had the high ceilings for the look and feel I wanted. A venue after my own heart!

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

Aimee: From the moment I saw Murad Ossman’s wedding, I knew I wanted something similar. So we went with giant balloon clouds, origami birds and chandeliers with the rest of the décor and flowers in all white and gold for a more elegant and glamorous feel.

What flowers did you use?

Aimee: Ilse from Blom Stories made all my dreams come true with a giant bouquet of my favorite flowers peonies. The rest of the flowers were made up of hydrangeas, tulip’s, roses and a few more in all white.

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

Aimee: One of my favorite things was definitely our table seating tree, that my mother and her friend Karen Marx created for me. An aspect of the wedding I will never forget. Our wedding favours included perfume and cologne from Fragrance Boutique with a thank you card that said, “Nothing brings to life again a forgotten memory like fragrance.”

Tell us about picking out your dress?

Aimee: My Dresses were created by the incredible Galluzzie e Ginni.

For the first dress, (My gorgeous wedding gown) my only brief to the designers was that I didn’t want it white. So we ended up going with a gold/champagne colored ball gown with cream lace details.

For the second dress (My reception party dress) I gave Cris a lot of freedom.

The only specification I asked for was for it to be a skirt and top combo. ris created the incredible full feathered skirt and beautiful lace high neck crop-top, that also showed off my beautiful wedding shoes.

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

Aimee: Well my inspiration was the Osmann wedding, so I had no shortage of ideas and as for the rest I had Irush Krohn put her magic touch on my big day.

Tell us about your bridesmaids/groomsmen’s outfits?

Aimee: The bridesmaids dresses where inspired by a few dresses that I had seen in Galluzzi e Ginni’s window. So we went with Black tulle dresses with a beautiful flower details and a different neckline for each girl to make it a little more personalised.

The bridesmaids dresses inspired the Groomsmen black suit and tie look.

Steven: I went with a navy suite and black accessories just to stand out a little next to the boys. These incredible suits were supplied by TM Lewin and Steven's Navy suit was flown in all the way from the TM Lewin store in the UK. Myself and each of my groomsmen had personalized cufflinks from silvery.co.za that added a special element on the day.

What did you do for a wedding cake?

Steven: Our wedding cake was one to marvel. Emma's Cakes in Cape Town was our first choice and they supplied us with a 3 tiered cake with Vanilla and Red Velvet flavours and a marbled and gold trim finish.

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

Aimee: a few actually, walking down the aisle, our amazing MC Siv Ngesi who had everyone laughing and set an incredible mood for the night and of course our first dance as a married couple.

Steven: There were so many great moments during the day, it's hard to just mention one or two but I will try. Seeing my wife come down the isle, in that gorgeous dress, enjoying a few drinks with my close friends and family. Groomed Men, doing a great job making the boys look sharp and feeling good was also a great treat!

Steven, how did you feel when you saw your wife for the first time walking down the aisle?

Steven: I was nervous during the wait, but when I saw her, my heart was overwhelmed with joy. Seeing her big smile and big blue eyes was without a doubt one of the moments and best feelings I have ever had and will never forget.

How would you describe your wedding day?

Aimee: Very overwhelming but amazing.

Steven: Really enjoyed the build-up to our big day and then when it arrived every little element of the day made it that much more special and a day I will never forget. I most certainly tried to take in as much as possible and remember all the details. Was a really special day for myself and Aimee.

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

Aimee: I would probably have tried to stress a little less

Steven: I would have loved to have spent more time as a couple with our friends and family.

As a couple, what advice would you give to people who are starting to plan their BIG DAY?

Aimee: Get a wedding planner and try not to stress to much.

Steven: Try enjoy your day. Take it all in, celebrate the special day with loved ones, and enjoy it!

Pics: Supplied by KDT Comms

Photographer: Ryan Graham Photography