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Life doesn’t always go according to plan but
sometimes fate has a way of gently tapping
you on the shoulder and guiding you in
the right direction. Television presenters
Michelle McLean and Gary Bailey’s paths
had crossed on a number of occasions over
the years but when they ran into each other
while working in the same SuperSport Studio
during the FIFA Soccer World Cup in 2010,
they connected on a more personal level.
It wasn’t long before Gary asked a mutual
friend for Michelle’s number and for her
permission to contact her. The fact that they
lived on opposite ends of the country did not
deter him and he would visit Michelle during
his trips to see his daughter Lara who was
studing at the University of Cape Town.
Photos: © Mariska van den Brink
Love, Beauty, Passion and Truth
Four months into this old-school courtship, an enchanted Michelle threw
caution to the wind and admitted she was in love with Gary. Shortly
thereafter, Michelle and her son Luke packed up their home in Cape Town
and moved to Johannesburg to be with Gary and his children, Jenna and
Ross. On Christmas Day of 2011 Gary proposed to Michelle at Mabula
Game Lodge on a mountain top surrounded by the magnificent bushveld
they both adore.
Gary and Michelle were married on 9 March 2013 at Karkloof Safari Spa
in Kwa-Zulu Natal. The stunning seven-star wildlife and wellness retreat
is nestled within a game reserve, which is home to three of the Big Five,
boasts breath-taking waterfalls and more than 300 different bird species.
The couple had stayed at Karkloof a number of times before as it’s official
ambassadors and it was a venue which held much romantic significance
for them. It took some time to convince the retreat’s owner Fred Wörner,
to host their wedding as Karkloof had never hosted one before and when
he finally agreed to do so, his only request was that they kept it small.
For Michelle and Gary, who have both been married before, the idea of a
small, intimate ceremony appealed to them. “We wanted to share it with
our immediate family and closest friends,” said Michelle. “Michelle and
I have lived a large part of our lives under a media spotlight; it is easy
to feel pressured into a large celebrity-style wedding with a room full of
distant acquaintances, and people you barely know. It was important for
us to make our ceremony very spiritual, and focused on the thing which
is most important to both of us – our families,” said Gary.
Their weekend-long celebration started with a welcome dinner on the
Friday evening where everyone had the opportunity to meet and catch
up. Early the next morning, Michelle, Gary and their children came
together for a private vows ceremony at the nearby waterfall where they
pledged their love and support for one another as a family.
After the private vows, the gentlemen departed an early game drive while
the ladies were pampered with a spa treatment of their choice followed
by a hair appointment for the wedding later that day. The men were
also pampered and coiffed before the ceremony – it was important to
Gary and Michelle that their guests felt as special as they did on their
auspicious day.
The already stylish ambience at Karkloof was enhanced on the day
through the efforts of Otto De Jager Events who incorporated a
selection of natural grasses, mosses and flowers from Karkloof and the
surrounding areas, as well as porcelain birds signifying peace and love.
Soft candlelight indoors and warm mood lighting outdoors highlighed
their spectacular natural surroundings added to the romantic theme.
Michelle looked gorgeous in an exquisite ivory-white contemporary, lace
wedding gown complimented with a delicate, sheer and scalloped lace
cape. The rose theme which was central to the ceremony was carried
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Venue, catering and cake
Karkloof Safari Spa
www.karkloofsafarispa.com
[email protected]
+27 (0) 33 5691321
Michelle’s wedding dress, dancing dress and rose
diamante hairpins and bridesmaid’s dresses
Pronovias Sandton
www.pronovias.com 011 784 2000
Michelle’s shoes and handbag
Christiaan Michael (Benjamin Adams London)
Shop U03, Michelangelo Towers mall Sandton
+27 (0) 11 3265245
Michelle and Jenna’s hair
Advanced Hair Studio Sandton
+27 (0) 11 7834531
www.advancedhairstudio.com
Michelle, Lara and Jenna’s hair and makeup
Kevin Epstein
Michelle’s wedding ring, jewellery and gifts for the guests
Jenna Clifford
www.jennaclifford.com
Gary wore 40 Savile Row of London, and Groomsmen’s
shirts, and socks by:
ShirtStory Michelangelo
+27 (0) 11 0518330, +27 (0) 72 2859849
and Little Angels, a Cape Town based sanctuary for abandoned babies.
Dinner that evening was an elegantly plated affair with an abundance
of locally-sourced fresh produce, loin of Wildebeest from the reserve, or
Drakensberg trout from the Kwa-Zulu Natal Midlands. As Gary adores
chocolate cake it was a natural choice that the main tier of the couple’s
wedding cake was rich chocolate with two additional tiers, one of carrot
and one of cheesecake to satisfy differing tastes. The cake was swathed
in white chocolate shavings, grasses from the reserve and porcelain birds
to signify the union of Michelle and Gary.
After dinner, Gary, Michelle and their guests danced the night away. The
couple enjoy salsa dance classes and socials and include them as part of
their regular romantic date nights. They believe that making special time
together really does add to the passion in their relationship.
“It was a beautiful and spiritual wedding,” says Michelle beaming, “I find
it difficult to express what the weekend meant to us without getting very
emotional, from having our families around us, to being able to rely on
the support of incredible friends like Colleen, who really helped to make
sure everything ran smoothly, taking away all of the little worries you
have on your wedding day. Every day I am grateful that I met Gary, a man
who shares the same values, inspirations and dreams that I do, who is
as dedicated to his family as I am to mine. We share so much love and
laughter together and our wedding was a chance to share this part our
lives with those closest to us.” Lindsay Grubb
Events and décor management
Otto de Jager Events
+27 (0) 11 44767802
[email protected]
Sound and lighting
Pure Event Gear
+27 (0) 11 5528352
www.pureeventgear.co.za
Videographers
Endgame Media
www.endgamemedia.co.za
+27 (0) 82 8952936
Photos: © Mariska van den Brink
through beautifully in five rose diamante hairpins which secured her soft,
romantic up-style. Her look was completed by a striking pair of black
diamond drop earrings and a pearl rose cuff bracelet from Jenna Clifford
and an antique silver bracelet from Maid of Honour Colleen Daniels. She
was walked half-way down the aisle by her father who then passed her on
to her son, Luke who handed her over to Gary.
During the ceremony Gary and Michelle exchanged a red and a white
rose with one another, the red rose symbolising their passion, honesty
and support for each other, while the white rose, which held their rings,
symbolised their spiritual and emotional bond. This theme was carried
through in Michelle’s wedding ring designed by Jenna Clifford, which
has small roses down the side signifying the four elements of life and
marriage, love, beauty, passion and truth.
After they shared their wedding vows, Michelle showed her lighthearted side, by removing her cape and letting her hair down, a symbolic
reference to the spontaneous and relaxed way in which she and Gary
appraoch life. Then each of the guests read out words of blessing, poems
and good wishes for the couple, which were collected afterwards and
placed in a blessings box which will remain with the couple as a reminder
of their most special day. Instead of a gift registry, Gary and Michelle
asked their guests to choose from one of their nominated charities which
included the Michelle McLean Children’s Trust, a foundation for children’s
education that Michelle founded 21 years ago, the local Karkloof School
Photographer
Mariska van den Brink
www.facebook.com/mrsk.visuals
Honeymoon
The Residence on the Rocks
www.residenceontherocks.com