Submitted by: Jenna Hambrook
One of the most beautiful love quotes by Henry Van Dyke reads: “Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice. But for those who love, time is not.”
Many of us spend our lives waiting to find a love that is so pure and unconditional that it fills every fiber of our being with an unparalleled glee. Jen and Mariska found such love in each other and recently said ‘I Do’ during a breathtaking ceremony.
Here is Jen and Mariska’s beautiful love story:
Marisk and I met at my (Jen’s) best friend’s kitchen tea back in 2016. There was an immediate connection, and 3 weeks later at her wedding, we started talking properly and haven’t stopped since! Marisk lived up in Pretoria so the first year was long distance, but it was clear that this relationship was forever and Marisk moved to Durban in 2017. Although we knew our journey together may not always be the easiest one, we knew it would be worth it if we had each other.
Jen having her makeup done
On Christmas Day in 2018, I proposed to Marisk, with the ring being in the bottom of a stocking filled with all of her favourite things! The journey towards our wedding day then began and we were lucky enough to secure Zebra Hills Safari Lodge as our venue, a place that had become very special to us. Being a Project Manager by trade, planning our wedding was just Marisk’s cup of tea and boy did she do a great job! Before we knew it, all the preparations were complete and our special day finally arrived, and WOW was it the best day of our lives!!
We had decided that we would see each other on the morning of the wedding, but that once we started getting ready we would only see each other again at the ceremony. We both wanted to wear wedding dresses, but neither of us knew what the other’s looked like – only our moms had seen both, to make sure that they wouldn’t “clash” in any way.
‘I Do’
Never in our wildest dreams could we imagine just how phenomenal our wedding would be.
Marisk was calm the whole day, I had about an hour or two of nerves until I put on my dress and was ready to marry the love of my life! We had decided that I would walk down the aisle first (I had always wanted to see Marisk walk down!), and the moment I saw her I couldn’t contain myself and the “ugly cry” happened, which Bianca our incredible photographer managed to capture perfectly!!
Mariska getting ready for the big day
The party thereafter was one for the books, ending up with most of the guests in the pool in all their clothes! Oh, and the brides did too, in their wedding dresses! You know the wedding was a great success when you have to ask Pierre the DJ to pull the plug at 3:30 am because it’s time to call it a night! Never in our wildest dreams could we imagine just how phenomenal our wedding would be. One of the many highlights were the pictures that Bianca took, capturing our day so perfectly, and the staff from Zebra Hills for such a beautiful set up and ensuring our day was everything we dreamed of and more!
This is what love looks like
I could never have imagined the warm responses we would receive
After the wedding I decided to share some of our pictures with the #ImStaying community, one I have been exceptionally passionate about since its inception, to express my gratitude that we live in a country that allows my union with Marisk. I could never have imagined the warm responses we would receive, nor the stunning comments that this community took the time to post. It is a true testament to the gem of a country we live in, one that embraces diversity and one that, through a simple Facebook post, could share in our happiness.
If our journey could inspire just one individual to be true to themselves in finding their own happiness, we would be so grateful!
Photo Credits: Bianca Wilde – Bianca Wilde Photography
Edited By: Justine Bishop
For more positive and uplifting stories visit us at #ImStaying
GOOD THOUGHTS • GOOD WORDS • GOOD DEEDS
