Wedding of the Month: Amber and Dean Geldenhuys

Welcome to the first of our monthly series of Rhebokskloof Weddings! Each month we will be profiling our weddings right here on our website to give our viewers some insight into the magic that happens behind the scenes at one of the most beautiful wine farm wedding venues near Cape Town!

We are delighted to announce our first bride of the month, Amber Geldenhuys who has graciously shared her big day with us and about her own personal journey of love.

We have hosted numerous weddings here at Rhebokskloof over the years, and no two are ever alike. They all hold a special place at our estate and in the hearts of our beautiful brides and grooms who ultimately define the special day with a celebration of their union.

Let’s take a look at the beautiful wedding of Amber and Dean Geldenhuys whose “cinnamon and spice” themed wedding took place in summer on the 11^th December 2021. Celebrating the day with them were 100 guests who witnessed their union outdoors by the lake and celebrated the rest of the day under our Bedouin tent, The Rhebok, which was once again transformed into a scene of dreams.

“Let’s get married here!”  We just fell in love with the farm!

Briefly tell us about you and the groom as a couple.

Our love story began in 2013. We met in high school, and we would both ride the bus together.

After almost 2 whole months of chatting all day and night, Dean and I were going to different parties over the same weekend. We both decided that we could not go as singles anymore, and our story was difficult to explain to friends, so we agreed to be on a “date” just for that weekend…but 9 years later here we are!

Out of all the wine farm wedding venues around Cape Town, how and why did you choose Rhebokskloof to be your wedding venue?

We had a lunch booking at Rhebokskloof shortly after we got engaged. As we were driving into the estate I turned and said to my then fiancé, “Let’s get married here!”  We just fell in love with the farm!

What was your wedding theme?

The theme was cinnamon and spice!  We both have fun loving personalities and therefore wanted our wedding to reflect us as individuals and as a couple. Both cinnamon and spice presents the sweet and exciting traits we bring to the relationship as individuals.

Did you have an outside or indoors wedding? Why that choice?

We opted to have the wedding ceremony outside on the front deck overlooking the lake. It was summer and we thought…why not?! The views on the Rhebokskloof Estate are absolutely stunning!

How did your choice in décor and theme tie in with the Rhebokskloof venue?

I personally felt the décor needed to compliment this wine farm venue. We therefore chose natural dried elements which compliments the ochre-coloured grass that lies in and around the vineyard slopes. We decided to add earthy pops of burgundy as this matched with the colour of the black grapes on the vines and the natural stone that is seen around Rhebokskloof.

Let’s discuss your flower choices!

Dinnie, from My Pretty Vintage, advised me perfectly on the specific flowers I would need to recreate my vision. I put all my trust in the My Pretty Vintage team. There wasn’t a flower I did not like in any of the bouquets!

In your experience and opinion what is the most important part of wedding planning?

I felt that because I had a clear vision of what my wedding day would look and be like, it was very vital to implement the right plan and steps to turn that vision into a reality. It’s also important to remember that your wedding is not about impressing anyone else but you and your husband. After all, the day is about the two of you and your love for each other!

You had your puppy attend! Did he/she stay whole day?

We thought it an absolute must to bring our newly adopted puppy, Peppa, at our wedding! Luckily, Rhebokskloof is one of the few wine farm wedding venues around Cape Town that is a dog friendly venue so we knew we this wouldn’t be an issue! She only stayed for some photos before taking her back home.

Describe any special moment/s you loved and will cherish about your wedding day at Rhebokskloof.

I have three very special moments. The first was when we shared our vows and walked over to sign our marriage certificate. In that moment, we sat there and realised that all of this just became very real. We needed a moment just to take it all in.

The second was when having my speech that I pre-recorded the night before play as I walked down the aisle. I knew what I wanted to say on the day but would be too emotional, so this was the best way to convey it.

I’d say another moment I cherished was when Dean and I decided to take a sneak peak at the decorated reception room in the Rhebok. Surrounded by all its splendour and calm was just a special moment before the party began.

Anything else you’d like to share with other brides out there?

On the day of your wedding…. don’t sweat the small things. Nobody else knows how it was meant to go other than yourself! So, just go with the flow and embrace every moment of your special day. Be present in the moment!

Take a look at their stunning video that took place right here at Rhebokskloof.

Tips for creating magic at one of the most stunning wine farm wedding venues around Cape Town

The Photographer

Their beautiful wedding was captured by the talented team at Dearbeb Media who created the perfect wedding album to encapsulate that cinnamon and spice look. Here’s how they captured this special day:

“We met with Amber and Dean prior to get a sense of what vibe they were looking for. It was when we saw the reception décor on the day that we got a sense of what look and feel they were really looking for and we could easily create the right edit to create the mood to fit their brief.

Usually, the biggest challenge on a wedding day is the commute between the different locations, but the Rhebokskloof’s layout is so nice that we could capture a variety of scenes in one place. I would say the only challenge on the day was to get all the guests into the group photo!

I wanted to bring about the clean architecture of the venue combined with the couple’s fun spirit and the rich history that the reception hall produced.

“I felt that we could capture a wide range of scenes combined with all the emotions. And that is a recipe for one stunning wedding!”

See Dearbeb’s amazing wedding photography on their website HERE

The Florist/Decor Team

The flowers were all provided by the artistry of My Pretty Vintage. Below Florist, Dinie tells us how she was able to create and meet her client’s brief:

“We met Amber and her mom Carole who showed us some pictures of what they had in mind. We got a better idea for the look and feel to create.
We sourced locally available flowers and dried elements for the Bohemian look. We added rattan and greenery with some touches of gold. For colour we used burgundy napkins. It compliments the pops of burgundy flowers we used.
Amber was a very relaxed and well organized bride. We enjoyed working with her and the team at Rhebokskloof.” Visit My Pretty Vintage’s decor hire and services website HERE.

A special thank you to the gorgeous bride Amber for allowing us to share her special memories of the day with us. We are looking forward to sharing more of our special brides right here. We only hope their stories can inspire other brides out there and help prepare them for their big day.

If you are looking at wine farm wedding venues around Cape Town for any season or to accommodate any size, please contact our banqueting manager at banqueting@rhebokskloof.co.za today. You can also opt to fill in the form below.