[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”37151″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” onclick=”link_image”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]
Set to wed at Hudson’s on 10th August 2018, Carol Jeffery and Brent Styles are the type of bubbly, chatty people who fill a room instantly with their infectious happy energy.
As a couple they suit each other completely. We grabbed the opportunity to find out more about their love story and why they decided to trust us with the biggest celebration of their lives.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]How did you meet?
We met at a braai through a mutual friend of ours in February 2016. It quickly became evident that we had a lot in common – notably, our love of sport. We spent most of that night together watching the Proteas take on England. Over the course of the next few months, we worked on building a solid foundation of friendship. We spent quality time together doing things like going for coffee and to the movies.
What’s your engagement story?
Brent: I wanted to make sure that both of our families were involved in our engagement. Carol had previously told me that she wouldn’t want to know it was about to happen. So on the big day we started out as if it were a normal day. We had breakfast at home, did some errands and had a picnic. I had told Carol that we were going to watch the Evita show that evening. This was a farce but I wanted to ensure she was dressed up and looking amazing – which she was. I took her to Barristers restaurant for a “pre-show” dinner. At the restaurant both of our families were waiting in hiding. Carol and I sat and made small talk for a few minutes until I made an exit to the bathroom. In actual fact I went in the opposite direction. Once I was out of sight the manager started to play our song, “All of me” by John Legend. One by one each of our family members walked out to meet Carol and hand her a rose. Tied to each rose was a postcard with a photo and a reason that I love her. I was the last to walk out. Instead of a rose I had a box.
How did you go about venue hunting?
Brent had no idea that there was more to Vredenheim than the wildlife that they are known for locally and so Hudson’s was not originally on our shortlist. Luckily Carol’s mother convinced us to go and take a look. Our first stop during the search was a neighboring venue. We were quite happy with what we saw although a few questions remained to be answered. We continued to Hudson’s where we were greeted at the front door by Matthew. He was amazing and able to answer every one of our questions with ease. We had a lovely tour of the venue – indoors and out. Following that, we visited another six places. Finally we created a spreadsheet with personal rankings, venue cost, inclusions and exclusions and even wonderful graphs. We took a holistic view of all the places we were considering and came up with the obvious answer: HUDSON’S! It was by far the best value for money, best people, and a lovely experience in choosing a venue.
Do you have any advice for couples still looking for venues?
Although we could have chosen our venue after the second outing it is important to consider all available options. Go out and do your due diligence. This will give you a good idea of what you want and what you like. It gave us great clarity.
What part of your wedding are you most looking forward to?
Brent: We are most excited about celebrating the outward expression of our love with the people closest to us – the ones we want to do life with. Going forward we’re extremely excited to start the rest of our lives together. I can’t wait for Carol to be the first person I see in the morning and the last at night.
We are delighted to be hosting Carol & Brent’s big day. To get excited about planning your wedding with us get in touch to schedule a viewing.
Read other interviews in our meet the couple series:
#2 Zara & Matt[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]