A Magical Forest Wedding in the Elgin Valley, South Africa

We fell in love right after catching a glimpse of this charming wedding album. Clarissa and Wessel had long dreamed of being wed under the open sky, beneath a lush forest of pine trees, and their nuptials in the Elgin Valley near Cape Town, South Africa sure didn't disappoint. Scrolling through every picture, you can just sense the refreshing pine smell and breezy air that accompanied the whole affair.

The special day started with a simple wedding ceremony decorated with hanging plants and sunrays peeking through the trees, followed by a leisurely stroll around the area. Clarissa and Wessel also invited their closest friends and relatives to their dinner reception. Surrounded by natural beauty, the mood was so relaxing and refreshing. Nothing felt too formal or stiff, instead all their guests happily feasted on gourmet street style food and donuts while enjoying a festive live performance by their talented musician friends. Scroll to see their beautiful pictures and read the story behind their wedding.

See also: An Artsy Rustic Farm Wedding in South Africa

Note from the bride:

We had no plan B. Come rain or shine, we were having our entire wedding under the open sky beneath a forest of pine trees. As you can imagine, this rattled our friends and family, but we had faith, even when the weather forecast a week before predicted rain on that day. We decided from the beginning that we wanted everyone (including us) to feel comfortable, relaxed, and have fun at our wedding. That's easier said than done on a day that is usually stressful, but all our efforts were aimed at trying to make our wedding just like that. People would call Wessel the "king of smallies" (meaning small talk). He loves to chill, hang, chat to people, and we wanted an atmosphere that created those opportunities. Wessel said, "The moment that I will always think back on is that first moment I caught a glimpse of my bride arriving through the trees. My only reaction was to look away and crack a joke with my groomsmen, secretly to avoid being so emotional!"