Proudly South African, Portuguese, pizza lover, and camera in hand – Lenska swipped right. Dog-lover, big architect glasses, and a massive smile –Matthew swipped right. The two had Tinder to blame!
A little over 2 years later, Matthew swept Lenska off to Madeira to show her where his late father grew up, where both sets of grandparents spent most of their lives, and where many a family holiday was had. On a chilly Madeiran Christmas day, he got down on one knee in his family home’s backyard and asked her to marry him. She said yes, and it was at this moment the seed was planted – that Madeira could be the place they get married. After failing to find the perfect venue, an art gallery, back home in South Africa, the couple set the sights abroad – to the special island. Merging Lenska’s passion for architecture and Matthew’s Madeiran heritage, the Nini Design Centre became an obvious choice. Melting together impeccable design with precise Madeiran tradition, the venue did not hold back on creating an authentic and elegant experience inspired by the island.
It was hardly difficult to convince over 80 guests to fly to Maderia. They travelled from around the globe – from South Africa, the USA, England, Portugal, Poland, and the Netherlands, to name a few. It was a delight to have so many cultures come together to send this worldly couple off on their next journey.
Matthew got ready with his Groomsmen at his family home, where his father, aunt, and grandparents lived before immigrating to South Africa. Lenska, meanwhile got ready at the impeccable Vine Hotel, where the couple spend their wedding night. Having researched every element of what a wedding is, the couple crafted a thoughtful, traditional, non-conformist day that had their guests entertained and dancing all night. The two were lucky to work with such brilliant suppliers in Madeira who individually pulled together a magnificent day that they will remember forever!
Photographer
After months of stalking Madeira Love Stories Photography on Instagram, Piotr Zawada, the man behind the camera, was the first person hired for the special day. Piotr is kind, professional, quick (he supplied the photographs all edited and ready after just 4 days), and absolutely brilliant! He is also an incredibly kind person, and now a friend! He created magic which will provide flashbacks and nostalgia for many years to come.
Wedding Planner and Florist
Realising we needed a wedding planner, Piotr put us in connection with Becky, who recommended Claudia. From the moment the couple walked into Claudia Spinola from CS Flowers Design's office, she took control and never stopped – she is a brilliant planner and fantastic florist! She has superb attention to detail, and made sure that everything was perfect. She never once let the two down, and is now a friend who they look forward to seeing again soon! Besides planning the wedding, she helped with transport and anything else the two weren’t able to do from South Africa. She was also responsible for the magnificent flowers – including the masterpiece flower crown and bouquet that Lenska paraded around with on the day.
Venue
The Design Centre Nini Andrade Silva in Funchal, designed by the brilliant Nini Andrade Silva, was incredibly helpful and accommodating. Petra Fernandes from the venue tailored the wedding to suit the budget, and never lost the class and precision that the centre so values. She was fast to respond and an absolute pleasure to work with! The couple are especially grateful to Nini Andrade Silva for creating such a masterpiece, and for humbly meeting them on the day - she will never understand what it meant to them.CakeNélia Goncalves created the most delicious, moist, and mouth-watering granadilla cake that everybody simply could not get enough of. She even had Claudia deliver a taster to the AirBnb so the couple could try it before the big day – it was PERFECT!
Videographer
Andrzej Nykolyshyn from Save Moment wideofilmowaniejumped on board (literally from Poland) at very short notice to be part of the day! His videos are spontaneous and beautiful, and he added fun and interest to the shoots. The couple were thrilled to have him there, and grateful that they have a visual record of their day which they can watch for years to come!
DJ
Luis Andrade (DJ Azz) was simply fantastic. He was reliable, accommodating, and used his talent to keep everybody dancing all night! He was able to mould the music the couple wanted around everything that needed to happen, and used his skills to seamlessly transition between moments and create the perfect atmosphere. He has a massive stamp of approval and comes highly recommended by the couple!
Hair
Recommended by Claudia, Alice Silva from Cablasvegas Cabeleireiro Cabeleireirolasvegas was the perfect choice to do Lenska’s hair. She completely understood what the bride wanted and did it with funk, perfection, and skill! She and her team also did some of the bridesmaid's hair - the results speak for themselves.
Makeup and Nails
Carolina Caldeira from Cablasvegas Cabeleireiro Cabeleireirolasvegas was professional and precise. Lenska felt confident being in her hands to make her feel beautiful on the day!
Transport
Vip Rc Transports were fantastic! They were on time, professional, and the buses were spotless. The couple even made use of their services after the wedding – to take their guests on an 8 hour tour of the island. It was hosted by the terrific and knowledgeable guide, Roberto Loja.
Hotel
The Vine Hotel, interior designed by Nini Andrade Silva, was beautiful, functional, and a pleasure to get ready at! They communicated well, allowed an earlier check-in, and allowed photographs to be taken in their incredible spaces.
Art Gallery
The couple were lucky enough to have their photographs taken at the extraordinary Centro das Artes - Casa das Mudas – an art gallery designed by Paulo David. The two couldn’t have dreamed up a better place to have their wedding photos snapped!
