We loved the African feel of this wall we happened to pass by. We were so hot and sweaty (it was 110 degrees!), but delirious and almost beyond vanity.

For the day, our theme was simple romance. We paid careful attention to incorporate symbols of the intermarriage of two cultures, South African and American, all the while adhering to authenticity, and tradition. We chose a 1936 Chevrolet for the day as Alan's mother's childhood family car was a 1937 Chevy. Tradition and romanticism were adhered to throughout, with a traditional ceremony presided over by an Anglican bishop, a choir serenading us, a world-class organist and bellringer. The hymn "I Vow to Thee My Country" represented my commitment to South Africa.

Name places were handmade using Napa Valley winery corks flown in specially, and table name places were inspired by places we plan to visit together in the coming years. Descriptions of all wines served that night were printed out and displayed on tables, introducing international visitors to a sampling of vintages the Cape has to offer. Fortune cookie-type labels scattered throughout the venue documented the history behind many of today's wedding customs and traditions including the bridal bouquet, the "honeymoon" and the garter. Oversized silver candelabras with crystals, adorned in bright flowers were specially flown in from India, and white round paper lanterns and fairy lights adorned the ceiling. Wine harvest baskets filled with proteas added a local feel, and candles "everywhere" upped the romance factor. A poloroid camera alongside the guest book encouraged guests to capture their special moment for the couple. As many of the guests were San Fransiscans, serving a memorable meal with strong local South African flavours was important. Guests indulged in fresh seafood platters, tuna tartar, roasted butternut and rocket salad, and granadilla cake with mango jam.

A swing band played Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Benny Goodman, and we danced till after 2am.

We had such wonderful South African vendors on our team, starting with Bianca Hartkopf (Make-up and hair), Cape Videos, Wade's Cakes, Sound Image Band, Theme Creations...It made the whole process such a delight.

But mostly, the wedding party and international guests connected in such an unexpected way, that lifelong friendships and connections were made, now stretching across the world, from China, to Switzerland, Zimbabwe, Iowa, London, New York and California.

An authentic African drumming band kept our guests entertained on the pier of the harbour as they sipped South African Slingers, watching the sun go down.

This is my favourite picture taken of myself before leaving for the church. It was a perfect summer day, with a blue sky that rivalled my sapphire engagement ring. I had this beautiful long veil for our very old stone church, and our photographer managed to capture both my personal moment, and the incredible day, in this natural movement.

It was so wonderful to just let go after 9 months of planning, without a planner, while my fiance worked 120 hours a week, from halfway across the world, with a 10 hour time difference, and no site visits, all the while holding down a full time job!

Immediately after our vows, we escaped to savour the intimacy of what we had just done. I grew up going to this church, where my grandparents are buried, and many a high school eucharist found me daydreaming about walking under those arches on my wedding day...

This was a moment of relief after all our destination wedding mishaps, including having our wedding rings stolen at the airport en route a few days before, a broken luggage belt causing all sorts of luggage delays, and dispatching a friend on an emergency mission to find sage to burn in the church after discovering a funeral was to be held a few hours before in the same church! Yes, it was a colourful destination wedding.

This 1936 Chevy represented the American flavour of this wedding in Africa - a merging of two distinct cultures and continents.

We were thrilled to spend the lazy afternoon in this antique fishing village, with cobbled alleys. The locals loved us too, coming out to touch my dress, and honking in traffic. Dodging surfboards, we even had homeless drunks serenading us!

I bought the Italian designer, Domo Adami's gown from Alexandra's in San Francisco, but Julie Ireland helped make it mine. The bridesmaids dresses were a simple idea I had, and took only a couple of days to make, with the help of a local dressmaker.