Camilla and Benjamin

About The Bride

Camilla is a 27 year old qualified attorney, who grew up and studied in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, but is currently working for an international law firm and living in Frankfurt, Germany.

About The Groom

Ben is a 30 year old German citizen who is currently working and living in Germany.

How did you meet?

Ben was completing his honours degree in Business Management when we were introduced by a mutual friend over lunch. We have been together ever since that day and we owe her A LOT! Needless to say, our matchmaker, Kearen, was one of our bridesmaids and is a very special friend to us both.

How long were you together before the wedding proposal?

We were together two and a half years before Ben proposed.

Tell us about the proposal

Ben had relocated back to Germany in January 2010, so we were living in different countries, but making it work as we knew it was going to be a temporary situation. Ben had asked my dad for his blessing in February and began planning the ring and the proposal from that date. Ben wanted me to have a ring from South Africa, so he embarked on a top secret mission with a well known Port Elizabeth jeweller and had the ring designed via many emails. As I was booked to go to Germany and visit Ben in early May, Ben decided the best way to get the ring over to Germany was for me to carry it with me, even though I had no idea what was in the square cardboard box my mom asked me to take to Ben!

I had no clue that I was carrying such precious cargo with me and, thankfully, no one stopped me at customs! When Ben fetched me from the airport, he grabbed my hand luggage and didn't let it go until we were safely at his apartment! Two evenings later, on bended knee and over a romantic Italian dinner, Ben asked me to be his wife and presented me with a beautiful, South African designed and very well travelled engagement ring!

How far in advance did you choose to have your wedding after the proposal? And why?

We both wanted to get married in Plettenberg Bay in summer and as I was due to move over to Germany later that year, we decided that December 2010 would be perfect. Neither of us wanted a long engagement.

How did you go about the wedding planning process? Did you do it yourself? How long was the planning process? How did you find it?

Once I saw The White House, I knew I had found what we both wanted - an intimate and beautiful venue that would enable us to celebrate with those we love. The wedding planner, Jayne, was an absolute star - it can't be easy helping a bride who lives in another country, but she did a superb job and listened to what we both wanted.

We both felt very strongly that a wedding should be a celebration of the two of you and your families and not a Hollywood production, so we were very careful not to allow the details of the big day become bigger than the significance of what we were about to do.

Did you have a hen party / kitchen tea / stag night / bachelor / bachelorette party? If so, what did you do and what did you enjoy most about it?

My bridesmaids were amazing in planning a perfect evening for me. They know how much I love New York, so they planned a 'Sex and The City' themed bachelorette which was classy and such fun. As I had been living in Germany for three months by that time, it was a really wonderful reunion with friends and family. These four girls are so special to me and I truly wouldn't have wanted to get married without them with me.

Wedding Details ( the whole story...from start to finish)

As a surprise, Ben had booked the honeymoon suite at a stunning hotel called 'The Grand' in Plettenberg Bay for me to get ready in, so after having our hair and makeup done at Plett's luxurious Jwu Spa, the bridesmaids and I spent a leisurely few hours in a gorgeous suite sipping champagne and chatting - it was a relaxing and perfect way to start the day and have the all important pre-wedding photos taken.

Ben was also well taken care of by his best man and a few of my cousins who took him for lunch and to play mini-golf before heading back to change.

The nerves and excitement started to kick in as we waited in the hotel for our driver's (my two very special cousins) to arrive and we could hear cars hooting and people shouting well wishes as the bridal cars pulled up in front of The Grand. Upon arriving at the Church, my parents had arranged for a family friend to ring the bells of the church to signal the bride's arrival... a really unforgettable moment.

What made our ceremony so special, was that our beloved family minister, who had baptised me 27 years ago, agreed to travel to Plett to officiate our wedding, and this meant a great deal to my parents and to Ben and me.

Walking down the aisle with my adored Dad felt surreal and seeing Ben's face was priceless. We both wanted to include some German into our ceremony, so we had asked Ben's dad, Clemens, to read a verse from the German version of the Bible, followed by my dad reading it in English from a Bible that had been in my mom's family since the 1800's.

After the ceremony, the bridal party headed for the beach where we had some 'downtime' and photos taken. Our photographer, Glenn Murray, and videographer, Dieter Lubbe, were really amazing and they did not once ask us to pose - they simply captured everything as it happened and this is reflected in our gorgeous photos and DVD.

Our reception venue looked beautiful and had the relaxed yet chic style we both wished for - Jayne and the rest of the White House team did a great job. We did things a little differently by cutting our cake as we entered the reception venue and forgoing the usual throwing of the garter and bouquet, which added to the personal feel of our wedding.

After dinner, beautiful speeches and a good party, we left the reception with our friends making a tunnel and holding sparklers - it was the perfect end to a really special day.

Tips and / or advice for future bridal couples?

Don't get caught up in what is expected of you or of your wedding - remember the importance of what this day means for you, the celebration is just one day, but the marriage is for life!

What was the most memorable part of you wedding day?

Marrying my best friend and seeing how incredibly happy my parents looked all day.

Did you go on honeymoon? If so, where? And, why there?

We wanted to maximise our time in RSA, so Ben organised a surprise 'mini moon' in Cape Town. We stayed at The Ambassador Hotel in Bantry Bay and it was a week of pure luxury and indulgence. We are in the throws of planning our proper honeymoon from Europe, so the celebration continues!

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