Megan and Ryan

About the Bride

23 years old, live in Greenstone, Edenvale. Currently studying at UNISA completing her last year in BCom Law while working for a Financial Consulting Firm. Wanted to get married because we had found something so special in each other and truly believe we are soulmates.

About the Groom

28 years old, live in Greenstone, Edenvale. A qualified paramedic currently working for Honda. Wanted to get married because I had found the most amazing woman and wanted to spend the rest of my life with her by my side.

How did you meet?

We met through friends while the bride was still at school (standard 8). Ryan was 19, Megan was 15. I made Ryan work hard to get a chance with me and once we fell in love with each other it was a done deal for life.

How long were you together before the wedding proposal?

Ryan was working in Sudan as a paramedic for a company that removes landmines from the fields. He was there for three months at a time and only home for 2 weeks in between. In total he was there for a year and a half. During one of his trips home he told me one day that he had made dinner plans with a friend at Monte Casino. When we got to the Casino he told me that we had to meet his friend in his hotel room. I was annoyed because why couldn't he just meet us at the restaurant? As we got to the room he pulled out the card to get into the hotel room. I was a bit confused as to why he had the key to the room... As he opened the door the room was filled with roses, roses petals on the bed, a bottle of champagne, the bath was filled with bubble bath and rose petals and fresh fruit on the cabinet. There was a beautiful dinner table laid opening out onto the patio. It was so thoughtful and romantic. He had even sneakily packed me an overnight bag without me knowing. During dinner he got down on one knee and proposed to me with the ring in a single red rose. It was the most romantic occasion and such a special moment in both our lives. Of course I immediately said yes!!

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

I was only 21 and Ryan was still working in Sudan so we decided to just enjoy being engaged and hold off on any wedding plans for the moment. A year later we were out for lunch one day and just suddenly decided to set a date. We decided on 11 December 2009 which at that stage was a year away. We thought a year was more than enough time to plan everything and we wanted to get married at Avianto so a year away guaranteed us that the date we wanted would be available. And so the fun began!

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?

I am a bit of a control freak so had to do everything myself! Although my mom and bridesmaids were very supportive and helped in every way they could, the final details and choices came from me. By the time March 2009 arrived most of the planning had been finalised (except for the colour). I had a photographer, we had booked our honeymoon, the cake had been chosen but I couldn't find a dress anywhere!!

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 organised my bridal shower at my sister-in-law's house. It was on a warm summer's day in November. They dressed me up as a "play boy bunny" in white stockings, a pink leotard and the bunny ears and tail. It was hilarious! We played a couple of games including answering questions to a questionnaire that they had asked my fiancé to complete. I had to guess what his answers were. For every question I got wrong (or right for that matter) I had to drink a shot of tequila. Needless to say I got a bit tipsy but had an absolute ball! Eventually I was doing cartwheels on the grass and entertaining everyone with my silliness. After the shower was over we met up with the groom and his friends at his dad's house for a spit braai. We proceeded to play more drinking games and had plenty of laughs. It really turned out to be a good day.

Wedding Details

We attended a wedding at Avianto about 5 years ago. Since that day I have always dreamed about getting married there. It is such a beautiful venue. We were so excited to discover that we had enough funding to get married at Avianto, it is a bit costly and you have to have a minimum number of guests on a Friday or Saturday but worth every penny. We did the traditional thing and spent the night before the wedding apart. I stayed with the bridesmaids and Ryan spent the evening with his brother. We were both so nervous. Me because I wanted everything to run perfectly the next day and him because he had to say a speech and hates public speaking! I woke up on the day of our wedding with one thing on my mind. I am going to be a "Mrs"! It felt so weird! We left for the venue at about 11h00 in the morning, Ryan arrived early and was going to be getting ready in his dad's room, I was getting dressed in the bridal suite. As we arrived at Avianto, I got out the car and started making my way up to reception in order to check in and there Ryan was standing at the entrance to reception. So we ended up seeing each other before the wedding! We couldn't help sneaking a quick kiss in anticipation for the day ahead. When the bridesmaids and I entered the suite we had snacks and drinks waiting our entrance.

The bridesmaids wore coral dresses that looked so stunning in the photos because of the colour (that I finally decided on 3 months before the wedding)! We had a make up artist apply our make up and a hair dresser to do our hair. My hair took a bit longer than expected but all worked out in the end.

I found my dress at the end of August. I looked just about everywhere and when I couldn't find anything I decided to take the trek to Pretoria to a little boutique called The Bridal Wardrobe. Zelda imports dresses from America from a range called Blue by Enzoani. I decided to buy my dress instead of rent (I know I only wore it once but a dress that beautiful has to be mine). They take three months for delivery so I was just in time. My dress arrived at the end of November and after being altered I fetched it a week before the wedding - a close call!

When I out my dress on and my hair and make-up was done I felt like a princess! A golf cart collected the bridesmaids and myself and escorted us to the chapel. Just the look on Ryan's face when my dad walked me down the aisle was worth all the planning and stress I went through to get to that moment. We had the most beautiful ceremony, it was short and sweet and the minister was brilliant and funny too!

Our photographers were amazing. It can't be easy being a photographer, especially during the family photos when everybody wants to take photos and get in the way! Elzanne and Andre were so relaxed and took the most amazing photos and DVD! We really are so lucky to have such beautiful pictures to show our children one day.

We anced to Anastasia and Eros Ramazotti "I belong to you". This became our song when Ryan was in Sudan and sent it to me via an attachment on an email. It means so much to us because we were apart and the words were basically written for us and the love we share.

The food was amazing, much more than I could have expected and the cake tasted great! When we cut the cake Ryan didn't know we were supposed to feed it to each other so started feeding himself. Of course I packed out laughing and it will be a moment I'll never forget especially when I told him he was supposed to feed the cake to me and his response was "nobody told me!".

We partied until 02h00 the following morning. By the end of the evening I was sitting outside on the patio, on the floor in my wedding dress, having an absolute ball with all my friends! I had more fun that night than I've ever had EVER! It really was the most memorable evening of our lives.

Tips and / or advice for future bridal couples?

Enjoy every second of the wedding and planning process. Brides plan their weddings for months and months before their wedding and it's all over in 8 hours. Enjoy every last moment and relax!

What was the most memorable part of your wedding day?

I would have to say the partying after all the formalities. Everyone that we love and care about was sharing this special day with us and to be able to dance and party with all of them truly was memorable.

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

When we started talking about honeymoon destinations we had no idea where to go! Mauritius is a very popular honeymoon destination and we felt like we wanted to go somewhere different. We looked at the Maldives, Thailand and even Mexico but in the end nothing can compare to Mauritius when it comes to your honeymoon. We booked with our travel agent through Club Med and did not look back! Our package included everything possible and was worth every penny we spent on it! Not to mention that we got a really good deal! Our package included flights, transport to and from the airport, accommodation, breakfast, lunch and dinner, snacks all day, drinks all day and night (not limited to local beer and wine - we could have cocktails, bottled water, soft drinks or anything else being served behind the bar). We also had unlimited access to water sports, entertainment during the evenings and so much more! They even complimented us with free massages on the day we left. It was fantastic and the best holiday we've ever been on! Our whole life so far together has been a blessing and we truly appreciate everyday spent together!

Related Information

•  Gauteng Weddings
•  Gauteng Real Weddings
•  Gauteng Wedding Specials
•  Gauteng Wedding Competitions
•  Gauteng Wedding Photographers