real wedding: 1930’s glamour {magdaleen & kris}

I’m so thrilled to share today’s glamorous wedding by Cape Town photographer, Moira West. Magdaleen and Chris used the historic charm of their venue to inspire their thirties-style wedding with a slight colonial vibe and pure vintage elegance. I am so totally in love with Magdaleen’s dress with it’s slinky satin-silk silhouette and gorgeous brooch detail. And her bouquet? Oh my, pure prettiness and elegance!

Here’s their story ~

We met through a mutual friend in 2009. The sparks only started to fly two years later when I moved into a new apartment and needed someone to help with the heaving lifting and DIY around the house! We got engaged with Kris’ grandmother’s ring from the 1940’s. It was a perfect fit. The proposal itself was an intimate family affair over dinner at his parents house.

I wanted a simple gown with elements from the 1930’s, and I was lucky enough to find a wonderful designer who custom made my dress. It was made from satin-silk which gave the gown a very luxurious feel.

We were married in the picturesque town of Riebeek Kasteel, South Africa. The reception was held ‘next door’ at the Riebeek Kasteel Royal Hotel. We both fell in love with the town and venue the minute we saw it.

The Royal Hotel is the oldest in South Africa and has a very colonial feel to it, which matched our wedding’s style perfectly. It was an affair from the 1930’s, with soft flowing silk, garden-flowers, silver and crystal, whiskey, cigars and excellent live music. Our wedding was the perfect blend of our personalities. We spent a lot of time picking the most important things – the perfect venue, music and food!

What was your favourite part of the day?

Magdaleen: Kris and I still dancing after all the guests had left. God blessed us with the most perfect day from start to finish.

Kris: The moment I saw her walking down the aisle. I had the most idiotic grin on my face! It was the happiest moment of my whole life. A close second place would have to be assigned to our first dance! We danced a fantastic tango, and it was so surreal to share it with our friends and family.