Once in a while, right in the middle of ordinary life, love gives us a fairy tale!
Your wedding day should be a truly special occasion filled with love, joy, and unforgettable memories. But often the planning itself can be a nightmare. So picture this … an online wedding wonderland where you can plan your dream wedding effortlessly, armed with a suite of intuitive tools that are designed to turn your vision into reality.
Like the sound of that? Then let us introduce you to Happly, South Africa’s first free wedding planning platform, created by a group of local women who are all about helping bridal couples organise and plan their picture-perfect big day.
From customisable checklists that sync with your timeline to a dreamy directory of vendors that match your vibe and will bring your vision to life, Happly is a treasure trove of planning magic at your fingertips. At the helm of it all … Leanne Cutting – a Gillitts mother of three and recent grandmother to a beautiful boy. With a team of like-minded women, who’ve a wealth of industry experience and knowledge between them, Leanne is digitising love stories and harnessing effortless management, because she believes that wedding planning should be as joyful and easy as saying I do.
“Ever since I was a little girl, I was passionate about horses and loved being with people. After school I dabbled with several careers including primary school teaching and dressage. I also got my pilot’s license and launched a company that prepped and served meals to Charter Airlines while co-piloting dignitaries and VIPs to game lodges around the Kruger Park.”
Although she had an amazing experience, Leanne said she missed the beauty of KZN and horse riding which was in her blood. So, Leanne came home and got involved in the family business, a gorgeous estate called Falcon Crest where conferences and weddings were hosted. This sparked her passion for momentous and memorable celebrations.
“I was drawn to helping people achieve their greatest dreams, and so weddings became the love of my life.”
As a family, they bought the Rob Roy Hotel, which became synonymous with beautiful weddings and was eventually listed as a flagship venue in Africa under Virgin Holidays. By this time, it had become a sought-after destination for couples from around the world – even for those seeking an intimate and romantic elopement wedding.
“I enjoyed every moment of every couple’s excitement, from their arrival at the old Durban Airport to their emotional vow exchanges overlooking the magnificent Valley of a Thousand Hills. It was thrilling, fun and nothing short of an adrenaline rush being responsible for such an auspicious event in people’s lives.”
After the Rob Roy was sold in 2007, Leanne and her husband, Mark, bought Ollivanders Estate in Shongweni and converted it to a stunning forest wedding venue together.
“During the 30 years I’ve worked with bridal couples, the biggest concern each of them struggled with was where to start with planning their big day. Being so passionate and determined, I was desperate to find a way to make things easier for couples who just wanted some help in making their wedding everything they’d ever dreamed it would be.”
While some clamour to plan their weddings, those who have found Happly are now enjoying this easy and exciting planning platform, giving them free access to all the tools needed to stay calm and organised, step by step, from the palm of their hands.
“From personalised wedding websites, save the dates, managing guest lists and RSVPs, inspirational vision boards, to-do-lists and keeping couples on track with their budgets, to top notch venues and vendors and booking a dream wedding team, Happly has it all.”
And, when it’s time to tie the knot with your service providers – as in get hitched with a DJ, pick petals from a popular florist or capture your love story, frame-by-frame, with a photographer who meets your needs, Happly turns wedding planning into a team sport with around 5000 service providers to choose from.
“Undecided about how to handle the gift registry? We have that wrapped up too, with an exciting collaboration of South African go-tos. Plus, there’s no shortage of local inspiration, wedding trends, tips and tricks and the latest and greatest in wedding planning in our blogs.
“In the true spirit of Ubuntu, we’ll help you turn your wedding into a celebration, with the bells and whistles, that you’ll want to relive, over and over, throughout your happily ever after.”
Details: www.happly.co.za
