Sunny South African Wedding

South Africans Britta, 31, a new mother, and Michael, 33, the founder  of a property consultancy, chose the Western Cape's wine lands for their late summer wedding.

Britta says: "We married at a wine estate set into a valley. We planned it from the UK, where we'd been living for nearly seven years. Luckily, staff at the venue were great over email and my mum acted as primary coordinator."  

"The decor was simple and elegant and didn't distract from the stunning location.  We chose different shades and textures of white, with classic black touches such as black velvet tablecloths and black and white seat cushions. The Bedouin tent was light and airy, and the view was incredible." 

"My dress was timeless. I'd bought a modern gown but returned it. My mother noted that I didn't want to look back at my photos and say, 'Oh, it was the fashion at the time.' "

"Any party is only as good as the big five: the setting, food, drink, music and guests. Our DJ was fantastic and took lots of requests,  though so many guests asked for Te Killers, he had to make an announcement, Ladies  and gentlemen, may I remind you, this is not, in fact, a Killers concert."

"It was so funny. I wanted everybody to remember the fun times we'd had together, so the table names were the names of places where friends had wed. I made Michael a book that looked back at our years together and had it delivered to him on the morning of the wedding."

"My advice to brides: If you're planning a  wedding from afar, give your mum or  planner an overall idea of what you'd like,  then let them have some creative freedom  with the details. You'll be surprised by some of the smaller touches on the day without having had to worry about them."

Photographs by Jean-Pierre Uys; www.jeanpierrephotoblog.com