Rochelle Gosling and Edward Catchpole met at the "House of Mouse" at Disneyland in 2005. The couple worked together for Disney and was away on a work weekend where they noticed one another amongst the crowd. A little while later Edward proposed in France on a rampart of a beautiful old medieval village. The storm clouds were rolling in as he went down on one knee to reveal the most beautiful ring which he had designed himself.

The couple was secretly married in Venice, Italy in September 2006. It was just the two of them in a beautiful city sharing the most special day of their lives together....truly magical! They decided to have another celebration in South Africa to commemorate their love for one another and share their joy with close friends and family. The blessing of their marriage was not the only focus of the day, however, as they combined this with the joy of christening their son, Joshua, under African skies.

Their beautiful celebration took place at Clouds Guesthouse situated in the Banhoek Valley outside Stellenbosch. It was a stormy day and the sky was very dramatic with big thunderclouds looming in the distance. The mountains looked ominous in the background as guests sat huddled together under parasols to watch the ceremony. The weather played a wonderful part in adding an element of intimacy to the day. After the formalities a traditional African choir led the party along the dirt road around the vineyards all the while singing and dancing in merriment. A blazing fire greeted guests inside the Villa which quickly melted any chill in the air. The afternoon was spent snacking on canapés and enjoying the free-flowing bubbly and ogling over cute little Joshua! After sunset the guests moved into the Pavilion which was elegantly decorated in white and green with striking elements of black added here and there.

The evening meal began with Potato Blinis with Smoked Franschhoek Trout, Crème Fraîche & Caviar. Following this was Medallions of Springbok accompanied with a red wine reduction, butternut mash, French beans & carrot batons. For dessert the guests enjoyed platters filled with strawberries dipped in dark Belgian chocolate, Amarula crème brûlée served in individual China pots, miniature chocolate cherry cupcakes and milk tarts flavored with traditional Cape Malay spices.

Rochelle disappeared for a while during dinner to put Joshua to sleep and she returned looking stunning in a very sexy black number. As the couple entered the Pavilion, once again their guests welcomed them with cheers and applause and they immediately took to the dance floor and proceeded to entertain the crowd with a tango. Afterwards everyone joined them on the floor and the party started and continued until midnight. Once most of the guests had departed the bridal couple spent some time with the last few guests sipping some drinks on lazy couches in front of the warm fire in the Villa, reminiscing on one of the best days of their lives.

“The team's attention to detail and clear interpretation of the creative brief meant that we could relax and enjoy the run-up and the day itself. Having worked in events across Europe, I can recommend the team as one of international standing. The day lived up to expectations - relaxed, truly happy and fantastic memories for the future. Aleit and the team made the whole experience fun and we felt in safe hands throughout.”

Advise for future Brides (and Grooms)

 - As a good friend of mine reminded me: take 15 minutes out, away from all of your guests & festivities, to be together to take it all in. After all, this is about celebrating your commitment to each other and the miracle of a love found.