Hannalie Marsh, the radiant bride from one of our most recent weddings lets us in on her special day with her Prince Charming at Waterkloof.
HOW…DID YOU MEET?
We originally met in our varsity days, at a student job interview in Pretoria some 14 years ago, and have been friends ever since. We obviously had some lessons to learn before we could be together, so we had to take the scenic route to get to this special day. It was absolutely worth the wait though!
WHAT…IS YOUR STORY?
I am originally from Pretoria and moved to Somerset West almost 7 years ago. I own a tourism company called Blue Elephant Collective, and I also consult to the financial services industry on advanced payment technologies. Andrew is originally from Centurion, but is now a Somerset West local. He is a Business Development Manager for a leading international financial services company.
WHY…DID YOU CHOOSE WATERKLOOF?
Andrew has a thing for mountains. He asked me to marry him on the top of the Swiss Alps. We knew we wanted a place that made you feel like you were on top of a mountain. Add to that the beautiful view over False Bay, the gastronomical food, superb wines, beautiful photo locations, contemporary décor, exceptional staff and awesome atmosphere, and you have a venue that is out of this world!
WHAT…IS YOUR FAVOURITE MEMORY OF THE DAY?
Andrew: Seeing my beautiful wife arriving in her stunning dress! And seeing all of our friends and family embracing our Masked Ball theme.
Hannalie: The entire day was absolutely perfect, but I must say that the angels did an extra special job at giving us such beautiful summer weather amidst all the Cape storms!
WHAT…WERE YOUR FAVOURITE DISHES AND WINES?
Andrew: The fillet main course, and the Circle of Life. I even have “Circle of Life” engraved on the inside of my wedding ring – it’s such an applicable message!
Hannalie: The “Death By Chocolate” dessert, for sure, and the canapé starters. We loved the Circle of Life so much that we gave it as gifts to all the guests! I am also in love with the Sauvignon Blanc.
CAN…YOU OFFER ANY ADVICE FOR FUTURE WEDDING COUPLES?
Do not worry about the weather – the venue is beautiful no matter what happens outside. The venue does not need much decoration, the simplicity of the structure is amazing on its own (rather use the extra décor budget on honeymoon). Give Chef Gregory some creative freedom… we did on the canapés and they were phenomenal. Lastly, do all your planning upfront and leave the day in the capable hands of the Waterkloof staff, then you can just relax and go with the flow!