#EnzoaniRealBride: Shani + Francoise

Boho chic and oh so sweet. An intimate elopement with selected guests, we're loving all the gorgeous shoots by Inka Winka Photography as it truly captures the love between Shani and Francoise. Nestled in the vineyards of a small boutique winery, this gorgeous duo tie the knot in Herold, South Africa. 

Featured above: KEATON | 2018 Blue by Enzoani

The Love Story

We first met in 2012 at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa. We were part of a “get to know each other hike” when we started chatting. The whole group camped that night and we had a BBQ with music playing in the background. He was, in fact, the first guy I danced with – under the stars! We were getting along well and stayed fairly in touch that year, however, I thought he had the most awful hairstyle!

Featured above: KEATON | 2018 Blue by Enzoani

The night we kissed the first time, was the same day that he had cut his hair and no longer had the awful hairstyle that I met him with. Until this day, I always tell him that if he hadn’t cut his hair that day, we never would have kissed LOL. We’ve been inseparable ever since.

Featured above: KEATON | 2018 Blue by Enzoani

Eventually, we decided to move in together and bought a house! The day we moved into the house was the day he asked me to marry him. There were boxes everywhere and everything was out of place, but this is the very first memory that we made in our house.

We have 3 beautiful rescue dogs that are very spoiled and absolutely fill our house with joy.

Featured above: KEATON | 2018 Blue by Enzoani

We absolutely love being active together i.e. mountain biking and running. We also have a great love for wine and have therefore collected wine since we started dating – hence the intimate venue on the wine farm being perfect for us. We also have a great desire to explore and have therefore booked a belated honeymoon to Bali later this year – beyond excited!!

Featured above: KEATON | 2018 Blue by Enzoani

Most Memorable Wedding Moment?

Our absolute most memorable moment was the first look Francois and I did about 15 minutes before the start of the ceremony. This was the best decision we’ve ever made. It was such an emotional moment and we shared it before anyone else was around. I’ll never forget his face nor the moment. I’ve never felt more beautiful, especially when he got so emotional in the moment.

Featured above: KEATON | 2018 Blue by Enzoani

From day one, Francois and I said we wanted a small intimate wedding where the whole day was about us and our love – we wanted to celebrate us. We thus decided to have only our closest and dearest friends and family there for the whole weekend. There were only 16 guests to celebrate the weekend with us. The ceremony was in the vineyards with mountains surrounding us, it was just us and our small group of friends and family. It was so personal and intimate, exactly what we wanted. It was perfect.

Featured above: KEATON | 2018 Blue by Enzoani

Our wedding was actually a surprise elopement to our guests. We initially invited everyone under the impression that they were going away for Francois’ 25th birthday which was the Friday before the wedding. Two weeks before the actual day, on the day we were engaged for two years, we announced to the family and friends that this was, in fact, a wedding weekend! Everyone was so surprised and excited. That is what we wanted for our wedding, for no one to be stressed about the arrangements but to only enjoy the weekend away.

Featured above: KEATON | 2018 Blue by Enzoani

As I said before, Francois and I are big wine lovers. I, therefore, had a wine label made by Paper Heart Illustrations that represented us on our wedding day – I sent them photos of how we were going to look on the day of our wedding.

I wanted to label a wine bottle from the farm and have the guest sign the bottle as a keepsake for us. The winemakers gave me such a special bottle of wine that was the farm's anniversary wine that was not yet released and was bottled in the year Francois and I started dating.

Featured above: KEATON | 2018 Blue by Enzoani

Advice to other brides?

Live in the moment and don’t do what you think you’re “supposed to do”, do absolutely whatever you want! It is your wedding and you need to be able to look back and think there is absolutely nothing I would want to change.

Featured above: KEATON | 2018 Blue by Enzoani

Oooooh and please do the first look, you’ll be glad you did. It was such a special intimate moment for us to share before the whole ceremony started. I’ll never forget his face and the love I felt at that moment. I’ve never felt more beautiful.

Featured above: KEATON | 2018 Blue by Enzoani

Oh! But the dress, do give us the details.

Ah this dress…it is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. From the start, I knew I wanted something different. The wedding dress shopping was actually a long process as we were engaged for just over two years.

Featured above: KEATON | 2018 Blue by Enzoani

So, I tried on wedding dresses with my mother and best friend in Cape Town just to get the feel of the dresses. Then I went dress shopping with my fiancé’s mother so she could also join in the experience. This was more than a year before our actual wedding date (unknowingly). This is where I first laid my eyes on the KEATON dress. I tried it on and absolutely loved it. This was something DIFFERENT. I loved the unique modest yet sexy look of the dress as it did no show much skin but showed your curves.

Featured above: KEATON | 2018 Blue by Enzoani

However, as we did not have a date yet, I thought nothing of it. A year past and Francois and I spontaneously decided to get married in December 2018 – this was in July. I immediately knew I had to try that dress on again. That dress “bothered” me for more than a year. With great disappointment, when I contacted the retailer the dress had already been sold. I was gutted. I tried on other dresses, but nothing came close. A week later, she phoned me and said they had located a sample dress in another town. I was beyond excited and immediately arranged for a transfer to the store.

Featured above: KEATON | 2018 Blue by Enzoani

Oh my goodness, once I tried on this dress, I was in love. It exceeded my wildest expectations. This dress summed me up so perfectly, and it was exactly what I wanted without knowing what I wanted.

VENDOR CREDITS

Photographer: Inka Photography

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Enzoani Retailer: Lorette Designs

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Florist: Rhubard Flower Company

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Hair: Ilse Cook of Illa Salon by Nanette Louw

Makeup: Maryke Fourie from MF Make up Artistry

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Customized Wine Label: Paper Heart Illustration

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Ready to find your dream gown? Find your preferred retailer near you by clicking the link here, or find an Enzoani Trunk Show happening near you by clicking here.

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