Ruby + Swallow: Engagement Story: Dale + Roxy

We are suckers for a great love story. You know, we'll be in tears during a good Rom-Com and all that, but somehow the real-life love stories are the ones that really tug at our heart strings. Roxy and Dale have one of those stories. And they are such a perfect couple! They got engaged at the beginning of this year, and we were so honoured when Roxy asked us to design her wedding stationery - she writes one of our favourite South African blogs called CityGirl Searching, so we thought this was a match made in heaven! Yesterday on her blog Roxy actually posted a sneak peek on the invitations we have just designed for her, how lovely?

Her and Dale decided on a Farmstyle Vintage wedding theme, and we made up some mood boards in this style in this post here. The Ruby Team designed their Save the Dates, and we featured photographs of them on the blog here. This engagement shoot, done by the lovely Sophie Smith - a fellow Rhodes graduate (and that includes Roxy and Dale too!) - portrays young love at its best. The photographs are too gorgeous for words - congratulations Roxy and Dale!

The Bride-to-be and Groom-to-be: Dale Hutton and Roxy Pearce

Engagement Date: 1o March 2012

So what’s your love story?

Dale and I met at Rhodes University. We were both heavily involved in the same community project, Galela Amanazi (which means ‘pour the water’. We helped set up water tanks in the surounding townships of Grahamstown). He had been brought on as an environmental consultant, and I was in charge of publicity and media. He was barefoot, shaggy bearded and non-conforming, and I wore earrings that matched the colour of my nails. Complete opposites.

Dale was brought up on a dairy farm, I have lived in concrete jungles my whole life. I remember us discussing this fact as we were paired together to go and find out the cost of sausages for a fundraiser. It turned out that that evening, we were the only two committee members who were able to get together to make T-shirts for the fundraiser the next day. And what followed can only be explained as a whirlwind romance.

You see, I had a boyfriend at the time, of nearly 5 years. We had been doing long distance for the 3 past 3. It was’t easy but we were happy. That is, until I met Dale. In this life you can’t choose who God puts in your life, and who He destines for you to be with. And if it wasn’t for Dale, I would never have come to know God.

Fast track through 3 years (6 months at University together, a year teaching English to cute little kiddies in South Korea, 6 months living in Pietermaritzburg) and here we are…Engaged!

How did he propose?

Dale and I had discussed marriage before, we both felt ready and we knew that we were meant to spend the rest of our lives together. It was just a matter of timing. Dale had recently found a job in Hillcrest, and was about to leave for a 2 week trip to Sierra Leone and I was miserable that he would be away for such a long time. The weekend before he left, Dale took me out for dinner to a really lovely restaurant. For some reason, I thought perhaps, this is it. I mean, it was a nice restaurant, but I thought, hmm, maybe it would be a little cheesy. So the whole way through dinner, I was hoping this would be it. No. And neither was it the next day when Dale took me Meandering (again I had this niggling feeling that it was going to happen). So by the time Sunday came, I had given up hoping that we would be enagged before he headed off into deep dark Africa, when Dale arrived at my door armed with fishing rods (of course mine is pink!) and told me to get in and put a beanie over my eyes, and an ipod in my ears. He drove me around in circles first to disorient me, and finally, with a tap on my knee, told me to remove my blindfold. We had arrived at 5 star Spa, the biggest in Africa, for a day of pampering! By now I didn’t even have the sneakiest suspicion as I thought Dale was wanting to do something special because he would be away for such a long time.

Breakfast came and went, along with incredible massages, food and facials, and by the time lunch time came and told told me we were going on a game drive, my heart sank. The last thing I felt like doing was going for a game drive when I could be relaxing in the jacuzzi! But, then again, Dale had brought me all the way here, and he loves being outside, I thought I would be a good girlfriend and go along. Little did I know….

Did anything unexpected or extra special happen on the day you got engaged that surprised you and your fiance? (Or just you!)

Well, as we were driving along, me trying not to look too bored, the wheel fell off our landrover! Now I was really annoyed as we had to get off and walk in the hot sun! All I could imagine was being back in the sauna, sipping on apple and cinnamon ice tea. Finally, our guide managed to put the spare on and took us to the end of the drive and told us tht we would have to walk from there. Walk?! I thought to myself?! Taking a deep breathe, I plodded on behind Dale, who seemed very enthusiastic about us getting to the waterfall. Finally, puffing and panting, we arrived at a beautiful waterfall, cool drops of water leaving me feeling refreshed again. As I turned around to see where Dale had disappeared to, came face to face with him, book in hand. As I began to go through the the pages, each one filled with a photograph of our relationship, my heat started to beat harder and harder. As I reached the final page, blank, with the words:

“No it’s time for a self portrait” I looked up to see Dale down on one knee, ring in hand, asking me if I would marry him! And with that I heard a click, and he had managed to get the whole thing on camera! I was ecstatic, all thoughts of being hot and sweaty gone, instead replaced with joy and happiness.

I was too happy for tears, until Dale said he had one last surprise. While in South Korea, he had made me a little Teddy Bear which had the following written in his tag:

“I’ve have love In my heart and secrets in my head”.

At the time I hadn’t paid much attention to the tag, but now Dale told me to unstitch him. As I slowly began to pick at the stitches, a little note fell out which read:

“Roxy Pearce, will you marry me?”

I had had that little bear for the past year and a half! And I had no idea that Dale knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me since then! And that’s when the tears came…

Tell us about the ring!

The ring is a Trinity Ring (symbolising past, present, and future) with my Granny’s beautiful engagement diamond in the centre, and 2 pink sapphires on either side!

Have you set a wedding date?

Yes! That was the first thing we had to do as I am currently studying and have very limited holidays. We wanted definitely wanted it to be this year. December was too long away and also far too hot! I didn’t want to be all sweaty on the Big Day (there will be enough nerves being the wedding day, never mind having to deal with 30C heat!). As I have a week’s break in September, it seemsed like the perfect time. And besides, getting to take a week off lectures for honeymoon, it doesn’t get better than that J

Any wedding plans so far to share with us?

We are getting married on Dale’s family dairy farm. It is most definitely a *working* farm, and so there are calves in the shed (where we will be having our reception) and a very messy barn owl in the barn (where we will be having our ceremony)! There is losta nd lots of work to be done. I never thought planning a location wedding would be so stressful! As we want to have the wedding on the farm, we are having to organise everything from the caterer, to the décor, to the toilets, to accommodation for the guests, it’s a little daunting but I’m sure we will get there in the end! And with 4 months till the Big Day, many a weekend is going to be spent sanding, painting and DIY-ing!