Latisha Duarte, a floral and plant designer who also works as a production designer on sets for television, films, and commercials, struck up a relationship with cinematographer Luke McCoubrey after they both met on the job. “It was 2012 in Cape Town, and we were both working,” remembers Latisha, who is South African, and jokes that “he imported me to the U.S. after we fell in love while I was on holiday here.”
The two had been dating for almost three years when Luke popped the question. “He nailed it,” says Latisha. “He told me afterward that he had hoped to propose on top of my favorite mountain back home, Table Mountain, but the ring wasn’t ready in time—he had it sourced with the help of Erie Basin in Brooklyn at an auction. So instead, we drove from Brooklyn to Cold Spring and hiked up Mt. Taurus. He had secretly packed a luxe picnic and took us off path near the top. We set up our blanket and then he turned bright red and dropped down on one knee in front of me while I was taking in the view. After I happily accepted, we drove to Tarrytown, where he had booked us into the best room in a fancy hotel. He had secretly packed an overnight bag for me with a pretty dress and then spoiled me by taking me to Blue Hill Stone Barns for an exquisite dinner—a reservation he had made two months in advance! The next morning we drove to Washington, D.C. to stare at the cherry blossoms, which were in peak bloom that day. It was all very romantic, dreamy bliss.”
Latisha knew she wanted a midsummer wedding in South Africa. “I had a feeling we would get a lot of friends traveling from the States because February is generally when people want to escape the East Coast cold the most,” says Latisha. She also didn’t want what she refers to as a “wasteful wedding.” “So much of what I do in my freelance design life is very transient and disposable,” she admits. “As much as I love working with the lavish, luxe, and elaborate designs, I am more of a down-to-earth girl. Luke and I wanted to keep things simple and true to who we are. I didn’t feel the need to be surrounded with multitudes of lavish floral arrangements because that aspect of my life is fulfilled. I am also very aware of the carbon footprint of imported flowers and didn’t want to use anything imported as a result.”
They opted to keep things very green, local, and simple. “Our goal was to create a magical garden wedding. It was intended to be very Cape Dutch meets the Dutch Masters: rustic elegance with a touch of bohemian, more greens than flowers, still life landscapes rather than arrangements alone.” Latisha’s florist and friend, Marissa from Opus, executed everything exactly as the bride envisioned it. “All my floral designer friends who flew in from Brooklyn could relax,” Latisha says. “My perfect bouquet was an incredible gift from my most talented, dear friend Ariel Dearie of Ariel Dearie Flowers. I felt so moved and blessed when she delivered it.”
The couple wanted to get married outside under the trees somewhere remote and rustic but with real South African history, and Hawksmoor House ended up being the perfect choice. Thirty guests spent the weekend there with the bride and groom. “It was an intimate celebration where our families were able to relax and spend time getting to know each other in a beautiful space,” says Latisha. “The perfect land for two tribes to come together.” They had around 70 guests total, and more than 30 traveled from all over the world to be with them. The venue didn’t have any of its own wedding supplies or preferred vendors, which was ideal for Latisha. “I was able to make every single decision without restriction—ideal for an art director,” she says. “We had a kick-ass wedding planner, who was on the ground as we made all of the decisions from New York,” says Latisha. “Valery from Agape really made things simple for us. I also called in a lot of favors from friends and family who were generous and contributed in a multitude of ways.”
After realizing very quickly that her dream dress would cost almost more than the whole budget of her wedding, Latisha talked to her sister-in-law, who is a wardrobe stylist. She advised her to seek out smaller boutique designers. “It was completely by chance that Lovely Bride was having a Rue de Seine preview trunk show the Friday I happened to get an appointment, and that the designer duo, Michael and Michele, were there from New Zealand,” says Latisha. “I showed the boutique consultant my Zuhair Murad dream dress, and she came back to me with three Rue de Seine options. The first dress I tried on was perfect. I knew I wanted to wear something exotic, bold, and unusual. The hand-beading and otherworldly bohemian design resonated with me immediately. I loved it! I had tried on a few other dresses earlier that week that paled in comparison. As with all preview trunk shows, you have to act fast, so I trusted my gut that the universe had aligned, and with the encouragement of my mother and closest girlfriends, I took the plunge and ordered it. It took five months to be made.” All in all, Latisha’s dress search lasted a grand total of about four days from start to finish. “Life is all about timing,” she says. “And the dress was meant to be.”
Latisha kept her accessories simple and classic—she felt the dress was enough of a statement. She chose natural material Orphism earrings by local New York designer Sarah Magid from Anthropologie and Stuart Weitzman pyrite ChicPump pumps. “I wanted accessories I would use again, that wouldn’t date, and were comfortable,” she says. “My best friend, Khandiz of makeup agency Novel Beings in London, took care of my hair and makeup using only organic products.”
The ceremony was intended to be honest and down-to-earth. “We borrowed from the traditions that resonated with us,” says Latisha. “Our family priest, who I’ve known for 28 years, who also officiated my brother’s beach wedding, married us. We wrote our own vows, which we exchanged after my father and closest friend did the readings. There wasn’t a dry eye to be seen. The whole ceremony was saturated with love.” Halfway down the aisle, to the final song in The Royal Tenenbaums, Latisha’s dad turned to her and said, “I feel like I’m in a movie.” “That was it—my day was already made!” remembers the bride.
Guests then sat outside under the lights and old oak trees for dinner alfresco. “One of my favorite chefs, Karen Dudley from my best lunch spot in Cape Town, The Kitchen, honored us with a feast. Her style is to use fresh, organic, locally and sustainable sourced ingredients—a mix of Mediterranean, Moroccan, and her signature South African flavors.”
After Latisha’s brother, Luke’s brother, the producer–best friend who introduced them, and Latisha’s friends’ all toasted the bride and groom, everyone danced the night away. “My dear illustrator and musician friend Lauren Fowler—who designed the invites, the menu, the welcome cards, and table numbers—performed an acoustic version of Bill Withers’s ‘Lovely Day’ with her husband,” says Latisha. “This is a very special song for Luke and me. They blew us away, and the song inadvertently opened the dance floor, which Luke and I then could not be separated from.” There was a quick refueling interlude to devour the lemon crème fraîche cake, and then the party kept going until 4:00 a.m.
The post A Floral Designer’s Dream Wedding in South Africa appeared first on Vogue.