Forest wedding Archives - Events by Celia

Cameron & Nicci, 2019

Last year in Feb I was approached by Cameron and Nicci to assist with the organising and decor of their wedding. It was a wonderful experience as they knew exactly what they wanted and we just needed to make it a reality. We started with venue choice and narrowed it down to two, then I compiled a budget and comparison list and De Uijlenes was definitely the best choice.

I have written a short piece about the wedding:

A beautiful Scottish Wedding in the forest in Gansbaai
On 9th January 2019 two beautiful young people were joined in matrimony at the stunning venue De Uijlenes just outside of Gansbaai.
The ceremony took place in the forest on the property and it was absolutely surreal. Sitting under the canopy of branches and leaves the guests enjoyed the beautiful ceremony.

The handsome young man and his grooms men in their Black Watch tartan kilts stood waiting for the beautiful maidens dressed in stunning green skirts with lace tops and flower crowns followed by the beautiful spellbinding bride who entered the forest accompanied by her father and escorted by a highland piper.
The ceremony went smoothly and the couple said their own vows to each other which were sealed with the exchanging of rings and a kiss. After the couple signed the register, the guests made a guard of honour down the winding path amongst the trees and scattered lavender and popcorn on the newly wedded couple.
Whilst the guests were waiting for the couple to have their photos taken, they were entertained with a few more tunes by the piper. A creaking, under the weight of the food, harvest table was filled with beautiful homemade breads, pates and various other yummy snacks. The liquid refreshments were two interesting cocktails, beers and cooldrinks. All of this was overseen by the friendly staff of the venue. The waiting area was decorated with white bunting and pots with flowers, hanging frames and paper butterflies.

Once the photos were taken, we all made our way to the reception hall. The Hall is quite rustic but very welcoming. It was decorated with penny gum and small succulent plants, white lisianthus, michaelmas daisies and stunning gold vinyl records. Once again the butterflies were featured on the name place cards and in between the flowers and little succulent plants. The stunning three tier chocolate cake decorated with berries was absolutely beautiful, this was placed on the dessert table. On the gift table was a photo of the happy couple cut into a puzzle and messages were written on the back of each piece of puzzle which once again confirms that all the friends and family attending the wedding are part of the puzzle of Cameron and Nicci’s future as a married couple.
Once seated and the glowing couple had taken their seats the MC Iain Meiklejohn welcomed everybody and gave a brief rundown of the order of events. During the course of the reception there were various speeches made by Nicci’s childhood friend and one of the groomsmen as well as Nicci’s dad and Cameron’s dad. There was a lot of laughter and fun during the whole wedding celebration.
The friendly waiters served a small delicious salad followed by the plated main course which was a crumbed chicken breast stuffed with bacon, feta and thyme served with mushroom or cheese sauce, large potato wedges, glazed carrots, butternut and peas. The plates of food were huge and tasty. The service was prompt, friendly and professional.
Dessert was a buffet of delicious peppermint tarts, lemon meringue tarts, chocolate biscuits and brownies as well as slices of the delicious chocolate wedding cake. I really need to find out how they kept the tart crusts so crispy.
The liquid refreshments were a selection of the wines on the tables – ice buckets at request, a local Cap Classique and a cash bar. The bar was well stocked and reasonably priced. Tea and Coffee was also available. At the end of the reception a huge bowl of the groom’s favourite breakfast Fruit Loops was made available to be eaten as a snack.
The elevated dance floor was well used and the curtain of fairy lights on the wall made it stunning. The first dance by the couple was beautiful as was the dancing groomsmen and bridesmaids with their various partners. The mother – son and father – daughter dance was also stunning and quite moving. Cameron did an amazing job of retrieving the garter with his teeth.
After 12am the reception venue was closed but the party and celebrations went on, on the patio with a roaring fire in the fire pit. It was very pleasant with music and croaking frogs in the dam.
The following morning we were all treated to a delicious breakfast of scrambled eggs, roasted tomatoes, mushrooms and bacon as well as a table filled with homemade breads and preserves. Tea, coffee and juice.
As the wedding was in Gansbaai most of the guests stayed over in the accommodation provided. The accommodation was rustic but very clean and comfortable.
The evening before the wedding the guests who supplied their own meat, were treated to a braai and salads. It was very enjoyable and a great way to get to know the guests.
Overall the venue, management and staff were very accommodating, friendly and had a “can do” attitude. The whole two days were well run and I would recommend this venue to any bride looking for a rustic fairy-tale forest venue.
The costs were very reasonable and the quality of food and service was great. If you are looking for venue serving fine dining this is not the venue for you, but if you are looking for good wholesome tasty fayre where your guests are well fed and served in a friendly manner this is definitely the venue.
I wish the lovely couple everything of the very best for their future and thank them for allowing myself and my husband to be part of their stunning wedding.