OUR MAGICAL, SNOWY DAY

Joburg couple Simone and Jarryd got rain, hail, thunder and snow on their wedding day – and it turned out picture-perfect!

- MELON RADAEBE

A LATE-WINTER wedding in sunny KwaZulu-Natal surrounded by family and friends, foliage, and birdsong. That was the vision Simone and Jarryd Aricksamy had for their special day.

But when the big date dawned, the heavens opened and produced an end-of-days storm that would see the groom coated in snow, soaked to the bone, and forced into gumboots to navigate the mud.

Yet despite the near-biblical conditions, it was full steam ahead for the bridal couple – and the result was an unforgettable day and a winter wonderland wedding album their grandkids will be able to marvel over someday.

Simone (31) and Jarryd (32) got hitched on 28 August at the Providence Country Weddings venue in the KZN Midlands.

Their photographer, Stuart Dods, shared their pictures on his Facebook page and the dreamy images went viral, garnering more than 3 400 reactions and 600 comments.

Simone, a billing specialist, is from Chatsworth, and Jarryd, a senior graphic designer, is from Verulam. In 2016 the couple moved to Sandton in Gauteng for work.

But when they became engaged in 2018, they always knew they’d wed in KZN, surrounded by family and friends.

They had their hearts set on marrying in 2020 until Covid got in the way.

But they forged ahead, hunting for the venue of their dreams. Simone wanted a wedding surrounded by the lush greenery of her home province, so she and Jarryd checked out a few spots.