This is a love story. A real, honest to goodness, grab a tissue because you just might need it love story. A boy and a girl who met on a yacht. Lived on different continents. Loved in different cities. Found out that they couldn’t bear to be apart. Tied the knot right then and there. With the help of Cedarwood Weddings and photographer Kristyn Hogan in Nashville, the beautiful pair put together a wedding celebration in just 2 weeks with only a very small handful of guests to join in on the fun. Click here to see so much more.
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From Linda of Cedarwood Weddings… Liesl is from South Africa. Dean hails from Australia. They met on a yacht off the coast of Florida. After meeting, Dean moved to the Caribbean and Liesl to France. Dean visited Liesl in Europe where they spent ten amazing days in Tuscany before returning to the yacht Liesl worked on. The hand of fate worked in their favor when Dean was offered a position on the same yacht. The next three years took them all over the world: the Mediterranean, Egypt, the Caribbean, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia. Liesl and Dean chose Historic Cedarwood in Nashville, Tennessee for an intimate elopement before flying to Johannesburg for an extended honeymoon. Their love story is so entwined in travel; it was fitting that their wedding would find expression and inspiration in global adventure. As a tribute to Tuscany where and Liesl fell in love, the Cedarwood design team styled a Tuscany-inspired reception overlooking the hills of Tennessee where guests feasted on wine, cheese and hors d’oeuvres. It was relaxed, rustic and sophisticated.
From the bride… Dean and I met on a yacht four years ago when I was working as a freelance chef. Initially, we were just friends but after some time, a real closeness developed and even after a year of working on different ends of the globe, we still couldn’t be without each other. We met up in New York City and then he joined me on a yacht in France, where we worked together for the next year. We’ve worked and traveled all over the world and are definitely what you would call an international couple. When we decided to get married, the biggest challenge was accepting that we couldn’t have our families from Australia and South Africa with us on the day and having to keep it a secret! Logistically, it was too much to ask family and friends from all over the world to fly in … especially because we (well, Cedarwood) planned the whole thing in just two weeks. One of the most touching moments of the day was calling my parents in South Africa from a Tennessee hilltop to tell them Dean and I had just gotten married. Cedarwood has the most picturesque setting on their lake — called Mooncake Lake — and it was such a romantic and perfect spot for our ceremony. Rowing their vintage wood boat on the lake was perfect for us since our love story revolves around yachting! The most memorable moment of the day for both of us was seeing each other for the first time on the dock.
I think the most important thing to keep in mind when planning a wedding is to remember to make the day about you. This is such an unnatural characteristic for me, as I always want to make sure everyone is happy. With the coaching of Dean and close friends, I forced myself to focus on what we wanted and what was important to us, which was keeping the whole event stress free with as little anxiety as possible. The design team did an amazing job styling the wedding around us. We describe the day as old world charm, classic and timeless. It was perfection.
Photography: Kristyn Hogan / Venue: Historic Cedarwood / Flowers, Decor, Planning + Styling: Jessica Sloane with the Design Team of Cedarwood Weddings / Cake: Patty Cakes / Paper Goods: Designs in Paper / Catering: Marche / Hair + Makeup: Betsy Briggs Cathcart of Studio BC Salon / Lighting: Uplight Events / Officiant: Ralph Griggs / Wedding Gown: Nicole Miller via Cotton Mill / Fur Stole + Necklace: Vintage, borrowed from Melissa Brown, friend of the bride / Lace Shrug, Shoes + Earrings: Vintage, borrowed from Kindy Girdley, friend of the bride / Hair: Studio BBC Salon