Southern Weddings

Wedding dress shopping is hard work.  Wedding dress shopping in Hong Kong is really hard work.  But that’s exactly what this South African bride had to do.  Seeing as how her Lusan Mandongus lace gown fits like a dream, though, it’s hard to believe Sofia had any trouble at all finding her dress.  (L.O.V.E. the feminine bow + button details in the back!)  Sofia + Graeme were married at the Rockhaven Farm in sunny South Africa and photographed by SW favorite Christine Meintijes.  The bride wore a sophisticated birdcage veil from The Wedding Box, and her attendants were summer-ready in violet frocks from the London-based Wallis and Truworth’s.  Check back soon for the couple’s reception pictures!

How did the two of you meet?  Tell us your story.  Graeme and I met at university in the small, remote town of Grahamstown in South Africa. We both studied journalism, and I had a small crush on Graeme. He was definitely one of the cool kids, and I was a bit shy.Our encounters at university were brief, and somewhat awkward – like that time he walked me home, spent a few minutes talking to me on the porch (I was hoping he’d kiss me!), knocked on the front door, and kindly asked my flat mate to put me to bed.  (I was still discovering the strength of alcohol.)  After Graeme graduated we didn’t see each other again for years, when we randomly bumped into each other at a house party in London. Initially, I was very nervous to talk to him but managed to pluck up the courage. My first words were, “Do you remember me?” When he said he did, I was relieved.  We spent that evening catching up and laughing so much that we missed the last train. The next day, a friend of mine invited me to a picnic on Wimbledon Common. Out of courtesy, I thought I’d ask Graeme to join but never thought he’d say yes, since he was still wearing the same clothes from the night before, but he said yes… and the rest is history.
Describe the proposal. Graeme and I had planned a quick trip to Hong Kong to check it out before moving here. On one of our free days, we took a ferry to Lantau Island.  We had a lovely day exploring the island and by chance ended up at a lovely South African restaurant on the beach for lunch. I popped into the change room to put on my bathing suit, and when I got back to the table Graeme was acting a bit strange. He asked me to sit down and then said, “Do you love me?” to which I replied, “Duh, yes, of course!” He then put a box on the table. I remember my heart racing… and then I was crying… and then I was saying, “Graeme, you have to get on one knee, don’t you!?” And he did.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Relaxed, warm and fun.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: We created a photo-booth with a dress up box and a camera on a tripod. We both love dress up, and this gave the guests something fun and different to do throughout the night.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: Finding my wedding dress was a nightmare! I was new to Hong Kong and had no idea where to look. I was lucky to have two friends who were also engaged. The three of us hit one of Hong Kong’s Wedding Malls where we perused four floors of wedding dresses and shoes, but I couldn’t find anything I liked. I then found out about a local designer, Lusan Mandongus. I found my dress at the LM store, and knew it was the one instantly!