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Shanice describes Brandon as a gift from God. The couple met at a braai hosted by Shanice’s parents. At the time Shanice wasn’t looking but something amazing came her way in the form of Brandon.
In a lot of ways, it feels as if Brandon, my husband, was brought to my literal doorstep by God.
At the time Shanice was living in Johannesburg, and Brandon in Durban – which made their relationship difficult at first, especially in the early phases of the relationship. The term “distance makes the heart grow fonder” is something they both can attest to. The distance made seeing each other all the more exciting and special. They spent 4 years together and decided to get married. Thus began Shanice’s move back to Durban, wedding planning and a new chapter together…
The wedding:
My Instagram became my ultimate mood board during the planning process. Social media was a huge part in the planning stages, and became an integral part in the look and feel of the wedding.
As the self-appointed wedding planner, Shanice began her search for the perfect wedding vendors. Once again, social media was her best friend in searching for her preferred suppliers.
In searching for the perfect wedding venue, She came across Maroupi Wedding and Functions in the Salt rock, Ballito area. She immediately fell in love with the rolling sugar cane fields and could picture it as the backdrop to her big day.
Janine, the owner of Maroupi, was extremely accommodating, helpful and a downright wonderful person to work with through this entire journey.
Maroupi provided in house catering and the food selection was extremely vast and FLEXIBLE to our needs. It made choosing this beautiful venue the best and easiest choice, in the first step of planning a wedding.
Scrolling through Instagram, way after midnight, Shanice discovered RBadal Photography and Videography. She immediately sent him a DM and asked to meet with him. When they did, they instantly clicked – no pun intended. He was the first supplier Shanice booked, and not only did he come with years of experience, but he also imparted such valuable advice on all things weddings related.
He and his wife were an absolute pleasure to work with leading up to the wedding AND on the big day. Randhir and his wife were so easy to work with – never putting pressure on us and making us feel so comfortable and effortless in front of a camera – something that’s not always an easy task. We appreciate the time and efforts in coming to meetings and travelling the distances to make our day a dream.
The next step was choosing a décor company. The couple met Chantal, Cameron and Denver from the Lifesyle Décor company – a company with almost no social media presence (at the time), but a HUGE word of mouth presence.
From the start, they understood my budget, vision and the ultimate idea of how I wanted my day to look. They were extremely welcoming, humble and ever so ready to go above and beyond for us. All I did was mention my colour scheme and vibe to Cameron, and he instantly provided me with pictures of what he could do – as if he had a direct link to what was going on in my brain. He honestly went above and beyond to make my dream a reality – all while keeping my budget in mind. When I arrived at the venue on the big day, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I was actually brought to tears, and my bride tribe were actually brought to high pitched screams of joy. I honestly cannot thank them enough for making my day truly unforgettable. They have surpassed our expectations and will forever be my go-to décor supplier for ANY event I have in the future.
The beautiful flowers that you see at the venue were provided by Kogies Flowers . Thassie truly encapsulated our wedding colours through the flowers provided.
Another wonderful word of mouth find, was Ishk event art and design. Their first meeting with Yuval and Arahna was filled with so much positivity, laughter and downright good vibes.
This husband and wife duo are honestly the BEST in the game when it comes to wedding and event stationery. I couldn’t be more happy with how the invites, menus, seating charts etc turned out.
One of the highlights at the wedding was Mirror me . Another husband and wife duo, who provided the most unique and stunning photo booth for guests to use during the cocktail hour. They doubled as a guestbook station – where guests could stick their photos in a custom made book (made by mirror me) and write down a special message to the couple.
They made the cocktail hour a fun and interactive environment for the guests to enjoy. Tip to brides, go to any Bridal expo you can find – they’re filled with amazing suppliers, as this is how we came across mirror me.
Now onto the most important aspect, the wedding dress! Shanice found out about Bridal Mall Boutique through Instagram (surprise, surprise). Shanice’s wedding dress happened to be the very first dress she tried on.
Monica was truly a dream to work with, constantly making sure I was happy with my dress. The dress had to be custom made in America – which bridal mall took complete control of.
Aaliya from The hair affair and Makeup artist Sli Abie were Shanice’s amazing glam fairies for the big day.
They were extremely easy to work with, listened to what I wanted and made me look and feel my best.
Bridesmaid and Groomsmen outfits were to follow. With the wedding colours being black, this meant that they weren’t going to have the traditional style of wedding attire – but with the help of local tailors and designers, their elegant dreams became a reality . Lalas textiles and Fabric world in Durban central provided the material for the retinue outfits. Makeup for the bridesmaids were provided by Ilhaam Schreuder who Shanice describes as extremely sweet and kind to work with.
The last piece to their wedding puzzle was the MC. Ravi R is a family friend, who so eagerly provided his services when the opportunity arouse. The ceremony (and the entire wedding journey) was conducted by their family Pastors.
Pastor Joey Govender and Pastor Noel Theophilus (along with their respective wives @thefamilychurchdbn provided the much needed spiritual and mental guidance for Brandon and I during this process.
Congrats to the happy couple! Follow Shanice on Instagram @shanicereddy