Ellisha & Jesse Midlands Wedding

By adminWedding Stories

March 21, 2021

About you, as a couple

How did you first meet?

We met at University through a mutual friend in 2013. I was studying pharmacy and Jesse was studying Law. We happened to cross paths — I was not interested at the time, but Jesse’s perseverance paid off.

Tell us a little bit about yourselves as a couple…

We are mostly compatible. We are polar opposites in certain aspects but we mostly enjoy the same things such as entertaining and doing adventurous things together. We have a good balance with our professional and social lives. We share similar goals and aspirations. We are both family orientated.

What quality do you most admire about each other?

{Ellisha} Jesse’s patience and understanding.

{Jesse} Ellisha’s maturity and giving spirit.

The Proposal

Tell us about the proposal…

{Jesse} The build-up to the proposal was quite nerve-wracking. I proposed in Ballito in 2019 after 6 years of dating. I told Ellisha that we were attending a party so that she wouldn’t be suspicious. I had set a walk down memory lane in a private garden, which had pictures from every year that we were together, and at the end of the set up was a “Will you marry me?” sign set up in rose petals.

How long was your engagement?

Two years.

The Venue

Did you find it challenging to find your perfect venue?

It wasn’t challenging – we always wanted a Midlands wedding, so that narrowed down the search.

What made you decide on Lythwood as your wedding venue?

A photo taken by Darryn Sykes at the top of the Lythwood staircase piqued our interest in the venue. The final decision was made based on how accommodating and flexible Lythwood were and, of course, the venue was simply breathtaking!

Describe Lythwood in 3 words

Fairytale. Serene. Breathtaking.

Your Vision

What was your vision for your big day?

We wanted to have an intimate function with the people most important to us. We wanted a fairytale-themed wedding.

Did you have any special details and décor? Tell us…

Yes! Many personalised signboards — love and bar marquee garden signs, personalised shoe stickers, personalised retinue attire, Fererro wedding favour chocolate stand, heart frame guest book, personalised communion goblet and champagne flutes, personalised dance floor sticker, and more.

Planning your wedding

What did you find most surprising about planning a wedding?

Quite honestly, the amount of stress involved and how uninterested men are when planning the wedding! lol

How did you deal with any planning stress? Do you have any tips or tricks?

Planning a wedding becomes very overwhelming — the best way to cope is to make as many lists as possible. You need to realise that even if 90% of your wishes come true, that is good enough. Also keep a diary for setting and following up on appointments. Lastly, having a wedding file which is key to keeping track of everything.

What did you find the most challenging part of planning your wedding?

Trying to balance between work and wedding planning.

What was the most fun detail of your wedding to plan?

The wedding cake, the first dance, and the personalised clothing for sure!

What did you learn about your husband/wife during the planning?

{Ellisha} I learned that my husband does not like planning weddings! He has no creativity and lacks organisational skills. He also has two left feet, but is a team player and I love him very much for always trying his best.

{Jesse} I learnt that my wife tends to cry on the floor when overly stressed! I also learned that she has excellent planning skills and immense creativity. She is extremely organised and is a perfectionist.

What did you learn about yourself?

I enjoy being an event planner and would consider it as a career.

What’s your number one piece of advice for couples just starting to plan their wedding?

Do a lot of research — try and save money wherever you can and choose vendors that are flexible. Decide what is necessary and what is not. Make sure that you have a reliable wedding retinue and one key person who is going to assist throughout the process. Have a clear vision of what you want for your big day so that all your vendors can execute exactly what you want.

What would be the one thing you would recommend that a couple spends good money on for their wedding?

Photography, videography, and food.

Your Wedding Dress

Tell us about your dress, from finding it to how you felt in it on the day…

I decided on the style of the dress I was wanting and then researched a few bridal boutiques and tried out a few matching styles. Eventually I settled on purchasing my dress from Enchanted Bridal Boutique which specialises in one-of-a-kind imported designer dresses. I love the dress I chose because it made me feel like a princess and fitted my fairytale theme perfectly.

On the Big Day

Give a brief description of the morning of your wedding – how did you feel, who were you with, what did you do?

{Ellisha} The morning of the wedding I was happy, relaxed and excited. I was with my mom, my aunt, and my bridesmaids. We had a ladies’ breakfast and then we handed out gifts, went into make-up, and did our photoshoot.

{Jesse} As the groom, I felt anxious but excited. I had breakfast with the guys before starting with our grooming process. We had a fun photoshoot throughout the morning whilst our hair and beards were being styled.

Tell us about the moment your saw your Bride/Groom for the first time? etc.

It was an outdoor garden ceremony and Jesse arrived in a BMW M4 and I arrived in a horse and carriage. Seeing each other for the first time was overwhelming and exciting for the both of us — reality started to sink in at that point. The ceremony was short and the pastor had a good sense of humour which made the proceedings much easier and helped calm us down. We both wrote our own vows, as the pastor encouraged us to do so. We said these to each other in addition to the standard vows.

And your reception?

The reception was held in the glass Avellini tent making it picturesque. We kept the décor simple and elegant so as not to take away from the natural beauty of the venue and its surroundings. Our décor vendors placed more emphasis on the lighting of the venue. Our colour scheme was navy blue, burgundy, and gold. When we saw the décor in the venue, we were in awe. The MC was a comedian and this allowed for the ambience to be more relaxed and informal. The programme included games, guest interactions, and minimal speeches.

Looking Back

What was the most memorable moment of your wedding for you?

For me it was when Jesse serenaded me during the reception; and during the ceremony it was the exchanging of the rings and vows.

Was there anything about being a Bride/Groom and your experience of the wedding that surprised you?

What surprised me was how calm I was on the wedding day. I expected to be much more nervous than I actually was.

In hindsight, is there anything you wish you had done differently – an aspect you would have left out, something you wish you’d done or perhaps something that didn’t turn out the way you had planned?

I would have not hired a musician. Other than that, everything turned out exactly as I wanted it. I have no regrets.

Name one to three things that were a ‘must have’ for your wedding – that were worth spending your money on…

The wedding cake, the décor, and the photography/videography.

Where did you go on honeymoon and for how long?

We went to the Maldives Island for 7 nights.

Describe newlywed life in 3 words…

Challenging. Satisfying. Interesting.

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