Wedding of the Month September 2022: Mignon and James

We believe every season is wedding season, as brides are spoilt for choice with so many stunning venues in the Western Cape. Rhebokskloof Wine Estate is one of the few places that can host weddings throughout the year in any weather.

It’s not often that couples get so inspired by a wedding venue that they end up setting the wedding date before the engagement! This is exactly what happened to this month’s featured Bride, Mignon Gerber! Her beautiful love story took place across the world that eventually saw this amazing couple come together to tie the knot before 140 guests on 14 May 2022.

Our Wedding for the month of September 2022 takes a look into creating the perfect Autumn themed wedding in Paarl.

On entering Rhebokskloof, we instantly knew that this would be the place where we wanted to get married one day!… I loved how the season’s natural palette complimented Rhebokskloof’s landscape in Autumn.”

Tell us a bit about you and James as a couple and your personal love story.

We first met at a friend’s wedding where James was one of the groomsmen and I was a bridesmaid! As I walked down the aisle and made eye contact with the very tall groomsman, something magical happened. We only saw each other once after the wedding as James moved to New Zealand for a year. During that time, we wrote letters to each other which eventually turned into long telephone and video calls.

God prepared us both during that time as we grew closer to each other and Him. James flew back to South Africa on New Year’s evening to surprise me and after a few days, we started dating. Today, we are happily married and still can’t believe that this fairy tale is our personal love story.

What made you decide to have your wedding at Rhebokskloof out of all of the wedding venues in the Western Cape?

We were in the season of our relationship where both of us were ready to get engaged. One day, on impulse, we decided to drive out to Paarl. On our way back, we saw the sign for Rhebokskloof Wine Estate. On entering Rhebokskloof, we instantly knew that this would be the place where we wanted to get married one day! Before getting out of the car, to ask reception about their wedding packages, we already knew in our hearts that this would be the place.

That Sunday at Rhebokskloof, we made up our minds on the wedding date. Our engagement would only follow a few weeks later!

Let’s talk about your autumn wedding colours and theme. We see lots of deep oranges and reds with an Autumn palette. What was your inspiration behind these?

As we got married in May, I decided to use Autumn colours as inspiration for our May wedding. I loved how the season’s natural palette complimented Rhebokskloof’s landscape in Autumn.

You decided to get married in the Autumn in the Winelands. Why did you choose this particular season?

Autumn has always been a very special time of the year for me, and I love the way the sunlight exposes the raw earthy colours outdoors. Autumn is also a time when Mother Nature slows down before resting. I found this season representative of the peace we were experiencing in our lives and the perfect time to make our promises before our loved ones and God.

Let’s discuss you flower choices and your bouquet?

I absolutely LOVED my bouquet, especially with the burnt orange Orchid being the centre piece. My cousin, who caught the flowers, knew how much I loved it. She decided to keep it for me to put into our new apartment to enjoy for weeks after the wedding and honeymoon.

We invited our family for a wine tasting at Rhebokskloof shortly after we got engaged. Deciding on our wine options together with our families was one of my favourite memories.

Your wedding cake looked elegant and beautiful. Tell us a bit more about it.

My new sister-in-law baked the cake for us. This made the cake extra special for us and she did an INCREDIBLE job. It was a massive three-layered cake with the top layer of red velvet cake with the bottom layers made of carrot cake, which was rounded off with a delicious buttercream icing.

Discuss your menu choices of food and wine.

We went for the food tasting and was pleasantly surprised with Rhebokskloof’s chicken option on the menu. It was moist, tender and had some great elements to it which tied the dish together wonderfully.

We invited our family for a wine tasting at Rhebokskloof shortly after we got engaged. Deciding on our wine options together with our families was one of my favourite memories.

Your wedding reception in the Rhebok looked like a blast. Describe the evening festivities.  

Our wedding reception celebrations in the Rhebok venue can be described as PURE JOY! It exceeded all our expectations, and it was definitely the best evening of my life. Our biggest wish was that all our friends and family would celebrate together. Watching everyone dancing and laughing the entire evening could not have made us more happier. There wasn’t a moment when the dance floor was empty.

What in your experience is the most important thing to realise when planning a wedding?

I found that is important to remember that you are not just planning a wedding, but a lifelong marriage. For me, the most important thing was to invite God into every plan or decision I made, and to ultimately remember that the wedding day won’t always go exactly as planned – so handle it with grace and embrace it.

What were your personal favourite moments on your big day?

I have three key favourite moments. The first being our outdoor wedding ceremony at the lake. The second was our stunning wedding couple shoot at sunset. Lastly, was the moment James and I looked out at the crowd, made up of our closest friends and family, enjoying themselves while loving every second celebrating our marriage.

Any advice for brides out there?

Planning a wedding can get stressful and tiresome at times. This is normal. It is in those times where you must remind yourself of what the day is really about.

Tips for capturing the colours of Autumn at Rhebokskloof and what to look when searching for wedding venues in the Western Cape

The Photographer

We spoke with Photographer of Glory Pixels, Jani Smit, who so beautifully captured Mignon and James’ wedding day. We asked her about her experience on capturing the romance of Autumn and her tips on picking a wedding venue!

What was James and Mignon’s brief for how they wanted their wedding captured? How did you meet it?

I met Mignon and Jamey on a lovely summer afternoon when we did their engagement shoot in one of their favourite places – Vredehoek, Cape Town.

They told me about how excited they were about having their wedding at Rhebokskloof. They both immediately knew that THIS was where they wanted to get married.

Mignon and Jamey fully trusted my guidance on taking their photos. The photoshoot felt like we were friends spending time together – making jokes, laughing and just enjoying the moment.  It eventually all started to sink in that THEY ARE FINALLY MARRIED!
Hearing them say afterwards that their couple shoot was one of their favourite parts of the day really made my heart sing! That is what a wedding shoot is supposed to be like. People just look more beautiful when they’re actually having fun!

I think this all contributed to how their wedding album turned out at one of the most stunning wedding venues in the Western Cape.

How did Rhebokskloof as a venue help meet the brief for this stunning album?

We talked about the beautiful lawns, the lake and the gardens that presented so many opportunities for gorgeous photos. Having been at Rhebokskloof before, I immediately started visualizing all the spots that would help create the perfect wedding album.

Then one afternoon, after visiting the venue again before their big day, Mignon excitedly sent me some photos from the mountain at Rhebokskloof with views from all over the Paarl Wine Valley.

Their only request in terms of photos was that we had to take a few photos on the mountain during their couple shoot. Other than that, I could pick up from spending time with them that they’d prefer to capture more honest and authentic moments of the day. It was about capturing what it FELT like, rather than regular posed photos. This actually fits my photography style perfectly, and so I set out to capture their day in an authentic and relaxed manner.

Any tips on wedding shoots you’d like to share with others planning their wedding?

My tips to future brides would be:

• Get to know your vendors and make sure that you feel like you will make a good team. You will spend a lot of time together on the wedding day and during the preparation of it. Make sure you feel like you can trust them and enjoy their company.
• A well thought out program is key. You should never feel hurried on your wedding day!
• Plan for those gorgeous photos in the soft light during golden hour. Lighting plays a huge role in determining how your photos will turn out.
• The best time for your couple shoot is usually two hours before the sun sets.
• When looking for a wedding venue in the Western Cape, consider how the setup at the venue will make your photos look.
• Wide open spaces with natural light is always the best!
• Consider what season will your wedding be in and how it will compliment your wedding décor!

We want to thank our beautiful Rhebokskloof Bride of September 2022 for sharing her incredible love story and wedding. Overall, a wedding day is about creating memories and it should always reflect the tastes of the couple.

Are you looking for a wedding venue in the Western Cape winelands? Please take a look at our 2022/20224 current wedding packages or enquire with us directly via the form below or to christine@rhebokskloof.co.za and we will respond to you soonest. Please note that our package prices can be negotiated upon request.

Simply looking for inspiration? Please subscribe to our monthly Bridal E-newsletter.