Sharen & Sherwin Lythwood Wedding

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April 4, 2021

About you as a couple

Sherwin and I met in church. I love that we found each other in a place that signifies the foundation of our love, which is our faith in our God. It all started at the end of 2013… we used to ‘make eyes’ at each other and there was this intense yet unspoken attraction which was something I never felt for anyone before. It’s an exciting feeling being in that bubble wondering if the other feels the same and eagerly awaiting the smallest of encounters in which sparks always flew. Sherwin’s mum was hoping for us to be in a relationship before we even noticed each other in that way, so one Sunday morning, she invited my grandmother and I to a party on 6 December 2013. That’s the night Sherwin and I consider as ‘the beginning’ of our relationship as we never went a day without talking since then.

The proposal

Five years later, Sherwin proposed to me on 8 December 2018. This date was selected as it was on the weekend closest to the date that marked our beginning. He proposed in the Durban Botanical Gardens as this is where is asked me to be his girlfriend and where we shared our first kiss! Sherwin organised this romantic setup in the gardens which was put together with the assistance of friends and family. He told me that we were attending his work year-end party in order to get me to dress up. He casually (but not so casually), said we should make a stop at the gardens. After walking around for a while, we made our way to the spot that was set up and he popped the question. It was an emotional and beautiful moment for us both! After he got the ‘Yes’, our family and friends came out from behind a tree to congratulate us. I think this was my favourite part, knowing that we had people there to share that moment with us. We then went to his home, where he had this whole engagement party planned, with everyone there waiting for us. I must admit that I did suspect the proposal on that day and although I was not completely surprised that he proposed on that day, watching the day unfold with all that he had planned was truly special.

Planning the wedding with COVID 19 + Vision

When you set out to plan your wedding day, it is full steam ahead! Especially once that date is set and deposits are paid, you know that that is going to be the day! As COVID came along with all its many variants, it seemed that our wedding plans were following suit, so were the country’s lockdown levels. We had plans A to D. Plan D was our fourth and thankfully final plan. The number 4 has really been special to us in this journey. One special detail was that I chose a 4-tier cake since our wedding was on the 4th of the 4th month. We also put 4 Lindt chocolates in our guest favours. Our vision for our wedding was mainly to share a day celebrating the start of our marriage with family and friends, that would be as magical and unforgettable for them as it would be for us. I envisioned a simple but beautiful wedding, this included a neutral colour palette of mainly white, silver, natural greenery, taupe and hints of pink.

Plan A was meant to be on 4 April 2020, shared with 300 guests, in Amanzimtoti. When COVID hit, before the lockdown was implemented, gatherings were restricted and it felt surreal. It was disappointing as we already had our invitations printed and hand delivered them all, guests had already RSVP’d. Everything was ready and set, all we needed was to go!

Plan B (due to the restrictions), was to go ahead with a small wedding ceremony with immediate family but postpone the reception for the next year on 4 April so it would also be our one-year anniversary celebration. All our guests were extremely supportive and understanding once we informed them of our change of plans. Our service providers were already fully paid so we were able to secure the same date with them all. We did not want to cancel because we were mindful of the impact the situation had on the wedding industry too. Unfortunately, our Plan B had to be scrapped once the hard lockdown was implemented as we were not able to leave our homes let alone have a small ceremony.

Plan C was then created, we hoped to have our full wedding and reception on 4 April 2021 exactly as planned for 2020 but as the months passed, we saw that COVID would be around longer than anticipated and that our original plans would need to adapt. Thus came Plan D – to downsize our wedding. Since we were dropping our guest list to 100, we decided that we needed a smaller venue, especially since we could possibly drop to 50 if the imminent restrictions for the Easter weekend were to be implemented.

Plan D included a change in venue due to the smaller guest list and this change in venue brought us to Lythwood. At first, I thought the budget wouldn’t be affected as the drop in number of guests would balance the cost of the new venue. However the wedding did end up costing more than the original wedding. Despite this fact, Sherwin and I made each decision with careful consideration and wouldn’t change anything. Implementation of Plan D was not easy as the change in venue from Durban to the Midlands meant that some service providers would not be able to still be a part of our day. Before booking a new venue, we checked in with all our service providers and informed them of what we were considering, some were on the ball and informed us of the extra travel fee etc., while others were unfortunately not as adaptable.

The Venue

Sherwin and I worked together on searching for our new wedding venue, I mainly used Google, and Sherwin used Facebook. We shared potential venues with each other and worked through them. Sherwin is the one who found Lythwood and he is very proud of it. It was difficult settling on a venue due to limited availability mere months prior to the proposed date and to also find something within budget. We decided on Lythwood after we visited and consulted with our service providers, largely because our date was available and the package was reasonable compared to others while not compromising the experience. I also chose Lythwood due to the stunning Avellini Tent which is perfect for a wedding where ventilation and social distancing is both possible and beautiful.

Planning your wedding

Wedding planning was surprisingly a lot more challenging than I thought especially because of the added COVID twists but I don’t regret planning my own wedding. I love trying to put ideas together and designing every detail. Searching for ideas, creating my own and designing every detail were the parts I enjoyed. My least favourite was the difficult conversations with service providers and also having to reduce our guest list. I loved everything we picked for our wedding and although it all added up, we wouldn’t have gone back on any of our decisions. For us it was important to find the best deal while still not compromising on quality for every aspect from photography to the venue and everything in between.

The planning process really helped provide a glimpse into what the rest of our lives together would be, and that’s teamwork. Although the bride usually puts most of the plan for the day together, the support and sense of solace found in my groom has been pre-eminent and is something I know I’ll have for a lifetime in every aspect of our lives.

Wedding Dress and Suit

My wedding dress was purchased from Eurobride in Johannesburg. It’s called Ignazia by Innocentia. I ordered extra lace and did a lot of alternations and customisation to the dress. Many flights, emails phone calls, EFTs and fittings later, I arrived at my dream dress! It’s a fitted main dress which had a plain bottom and floral lace detailed top. My sister spent hours hand sewing the additional lace onto the bottom of the main dress after carefully placing them in a pretty pattern. The dress has a large flowy overskirt that attaches at the waist. It was removed during our first dance as part of the routine which my sister and I put together on our own. My jewellery was from Swarovski and shoes from Bradley and Mischka.

Sherwin’s suit was a custom-tailored suit by Cavalier, also in Johannesburg. His also required a lot of alterations and fittings before he received his suit for the most special occasion yet. Our rings are from Browns and his watch was from Armani Exchange. I was very hands on in assisting Sherwin with putting together his outfit for our wedding as I wanted him to feel like the dream-come-true that he is. This required the same attention to detail that I gave to everything else.

On the Big Day

On the big day, we got ready at Granny Mouse as there was a wedding at Lythwood the day before ours. I had the master suite as it was away from everyone else and we needed to ensure that Sherwin and I don’t see each other on the day of the wedding. This was fun as it required assistance from our family and friends to ensure we’re not in each other’s view. We then all drove to Lythwood where there were designated areas for the ladies and guys to finish up getting ready separately. We had a beautiful Christian wedding ceremony in which we shared the holy communion together. After the ceremony, guests were treated to canapés and a sweet table plus a photo booth while we went off into the field for some pictures. During this time the Avellini Tent was being turned around for our reception

Our reception was enjoyed by our guests. After this the 4-course meal began to be served and everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meals. Unfortunately, most people left before dessert could be served due to the distance they needed to travel home. Our pastor and families who were booked to stay in the Midlands stayed until very late enjoying conversation, dance and music, as well as more snacks later that night. It was truly a beautiful evening. Sherwin and I also took a successful second shot at our first dance that night as our nerves got the better of us when we did it during the reception.

Looking Back

There were a lot of little things that didn’t go according to plan on the wedding day but for each thing that went wrong, there seems to be so much more bliss and blessings that we’ve lost count. Nothing will ever be perfect but as long as your intentions — which are to give your guests the best time — are true, that will always shine through.

Looking back, this pandemic really threw everyone a curve ball but Sherwin and I came together to make the most of it. So much so that we ended up having our dream wedding which we never really knew we even wanted. The only thing we wish could be different, was the ability to share this day with everyone from our original guest list. Although our wedding was smaller, it was still beautiful. Having to wait an additional year to start our married lives together did not feel ideal but it was God’s perfect timing for us. Moving straight into our own home has also been a huge part of making our marriage feel like the new special chapter that it should feel like. Sherwin and I have (amazingly) fitted seamlessly into our new roles as husband and wife. When watching our wedding highlight video by the amazing Ty and Eri, Sherwin and I are in awe of what a magical experience we had.

We’re most grateful for three things. One being that the second wave had passed so that restrictions eased enough for us to safely share our day with at least 100 guests. Two being that the weather was so absolutely perfect, as this made for stunning pictures and allowed the beauty of having a Midlands wedding shine! Finally, we are so grateful for our guest’s safety in both that all our guests travelled safely to and from Lythwood and that there were no reported cases of COVID spread from our wedding. Reflecting on how things panned out, we see how true it is that God is able to do immeasurably more than all we could ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:21).


A full seven years after dating, Sherwin and I are finally married! A long but worthwhile journey to marriage with an even longer marriage on the horizon. A scripture that is special to us is 1 Corinthians 13:13 which says, ‘and now these three remain, faith, hope & love, but the greatest of these is love.’ It’s been the theme for our engagement, wedding, marriage and home. It’s also engraved in our rings. Wedding planning and life in general will have both beauty and bumps but considering love in all situations will always welcome peace, patience and every other wonderful virtue with it.

Special moments

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