Minette & Jan Hugo tied the knot on the 5th of January 2014 at Makiti wedding venue in the Cradle of Humankind area. It was my first wedding for 2014 and I was very excited to start off the year with this beautiful morning ceremony and brunch reception. It was relaxed yet elegant and Minette and Jan Hugo are an amazing couple to work with! I absolutely love a good, school acquintances/online reconnecting, love story and this one is really beautiful.
How did you meet/How did the proposal happen?
Minette: “I actually had my eye on him since I first met him in grade five. We went to the same primary school. I never forgot him (because he was quite something) as we went on to different high schools and then later on in university I saw him on my Facebook’s ‘people you may know’ list. So, I thought ‘mmm… can it be that nice boy that I had a crush on back in primary school?’ I added him on Facebook and that was it for having any contact. Then years after university, he posted something and that made me send him a message asking what he’s doing these days and where he is in life. Jokingly, he answered that it is top secret, he’ll have to ask me for coffee just to find out whether I can be trusted with the information! It took me a few days before I replied back, because I couldn’t believe he asked me and I was a bit stunned by what happened. Then I finally decided that it is definitely worth finding out what he’s like these days. Is he still the same nice, interesting and appealing person that I remembered him as. People change. I decided to test him. I was being myself, brutally honest and being straightforward about what I need in life. After noticing clearly that he definitely was interested, I asked him serious things like life goals and questions about the things I found I needed in a relationship. I was looking for the real deal and decided that the person who is right for me, would not be defensive or feel offended by my questions or intimidated by me being myself. He says that me being unique and different, knowing what I want out of life and challenging him, was what made him knew that he was in trouble! He found me intriguing. He even asked me some challenging questions back. It was a while that I continued to test whether he was really all he said (because this guy is clever and clever guys can sometimes tell you what you want to hear). But it was the same story from his friends, his family, all his actions consistently pointed to authenticity. I was in trouble ;P To use his words! So it really did ring true that he is just a lovely man who was brought up well and who shows the qualities that I needed in a significant other. I decided to stop testing and start trusting and I am grateful each and every day that I did. Not long after that, I cheekily told him that I would have his ring on my finger in one year’s time. And I was right. Some time later we were talking in the direction of getting engaged and then we went to a diamond dealer together. I picked out my diamond and chose my design. He asked the jeweller to not tell in front of me when the ring would be ready, because he hadn’t proposed yet and didn’t want me to know when he would! On the evening he proposed, we were at his house when he suddenly got on one knee and proposed and we both cried! After the proposal we went out for a romantic dinner, cocktails, he arranged a whole romantic evening with roses and candles, swiss chocolates etc. He didn’t want to ask me in a restaurant, because he knew that the surprise would immediately be spoiled. He did it well, I was completely off the trail.”
What was your favourite part of your wedding day?
Minette: “Every single second of it was amazing!”
How would you describe your wedding theme?
Minette: “Royal blue, white and silver with a rebellion of ivory lace!”
Do you have any tips/advice for our future brides and grooms?
Minette: “YES. It is not natural to fight every day up to the wedding. The person who is right for you will be able to work with you and not against you and when trying, you will be able to find a middle ground. Never waste your time with trying to fit a square into a circle. When I found my circle, I knew he was the one. We quarrel and work it out. Nothing has to be forced to ‘work right’. If you’re not in that position, don’t marry. Even if you’ve already booked your venue and paid your vendors.”
With such a good foundation for a marriage to start on, I know only great things await these two lovely people :)Congratulations, Mr & Mrs van der Westhuizen and thanks for letting us share your precious day!
Ceremony & Reception Venue: Makiti Wedding and Conference Centre, cradle of Humankind
Flowers: Dania at Wedding Decor Designs
Hair & Make-up: Tris Alves
