’And then it snowed’ - Joburg couple’s winter wonderland wedding pictures in KZN go viral

Simone and Jarryd Aricksamy had an unexpected white wedding when it snowed in the KZN Midlands on Saturday. Picture Stuart Dods.

Simone and Jarryd Aricksamy had an unexpected white wedding when it snowed in the KZN Midlands on Saturday. Picture Stuart Dods.

Published Aug 30, 2021

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Durban - When Simone and Jarryd Aricksamy were planning their wedding, all they had hoped for was good weather and for their guests to have a good time.

But when their big day had arrived on Saturday, the maximum temperatures predicted at their picturesque venue on Nottingham Road in the KZN Midlands was 7 degrees celsius.

“And it had rained throughout the night and was bucketing in the morning when we got up,” Simone recalled.

By the time guests began arriving at Providence Country Weddings venue for the early afternoon wedding temperatures had plummeted.

Simone said that as the day progressed she told herself there was nothing she could do about the bleak weather and decided to make the best of it.

Simone and Jarryd Aricksamy wanted good weather for their wedding but was pleasantly surprised when it snowed in the KZN Midlands on their wedding day on Saturday. Picture Stuart Dods

Her mood however was soon to change when she began to walk down the aisle and the rain inexplicably stopped.

“And then it snowed,” she said.

“God turned the weather around for us and made a provision for us to have a fairytale white wedding, which is more than we expected,” she said.

At this point, no one was perhaps more excited than photographer Stuart Dods, who, with years of experience shooting weddings had packed gumboots and umbrellas into his car that morning after seeing the weather forecast.

He said that when he and his assistant arrived at the wedding venue, Simone had looked pretty bleak.

A bleak rainy day for wedding couple Simone and Jarryd Aricksamy turned into a fairytale white wedding when it snowed in the KZN Midlands on Saturday. Picture: Stuart Dods.

“We were feeling sorry for and she was a bit glum-faced and at that point there was no hint that it was actually going to snow to be honest with you. And so, myself and my assistant obviously went ahead and got into the chapel, awaiting the bride's arrival and the groom arrived, and then even then it was still just raining. And then literally there was like a little kind hint of snow because a couple of the flakes started coming down. Some people said it was hail but I told them that if it was hail they would hear it on the tin roof. And that’s when we all realised it was snowing. As the couple stood at the altar it was snowing and the entire mood changed,” he said.

By the time the wedding service had ended at around 2.30 pm, the grounds around the chapel was completely covered with snow which turned the venue into a winter wonderland.

Dods said that after the wedding service he usually took family pictures but knew that he could not miss the opportunity to take wedding photos in the snow and grabbed the bridal couple.

To keep warm, he put a pair of gumboots on the bride and began taking pictures while the rest of the guests enjoyed the rare snowfall.

A winter wonderland wedding for Simone and Jarryd Aricksamy. Picture: Stuart Dods.

The timing was just impeccable I mean it could not have been a better time for the snow to fall. It started falling during the service and by the time the service ended it was completely white with snow. It was freezing, I had six pairs of socks on and my feet were still numb. The bride had on a pair of Steven Madden gumboots and probably the least amount of clothes than any of us but she was absolutely amazing. The owners of the venue ran behind her with a blanket as we took pictures and when we were done warmed her up at the fireplace,” Dods said.

The pictures of the wedding have since gone viral on Facebook with many commenting on how fortunate the couple were to get married in the snow which is a very rare occurrence for that part of KwaZulu-Natal.

“It may have started out depressing, but it all worked out in the end,” Jarryd said of his wedding day.

“It was the perfect white wedding for us and we are truly blessed. We are so thankful,” he said.

IOL

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