Olivewood Estate

Wedding Day

Ceremony

Reception

You are cordially invited to the wedding of: Ruth Weber, daughter of Graham and Bronwyn WeberAndAlistair Galloway, son of Duncan and Darlene Galloway

﻿Recording Link If you are unable to be with us in-person, we hope to set-up a recording so that you will be able to join us online. The link is still to be uploaded onto the website.

Our Wedding

Our Story

Herewith the story of how a Galloway and a Weber became intertwined. 22 October 2023On Sunday (the day after the Bokke beat England in the Rugby World Cup semi-final), Ruth was visiting Stellenbosch for Ivan and Trudette’s wedding when she met up with her friends,Annique and Gerhard, for a Padel game after church. With a keen interest in ball sports, Alistair was invited along to join - in the midday spring heat of Stellenbosch, he subsequently met Ruth Weber. Yes Ruth, like from the Bible, and Weber, like the braai. Safe to say, Ruth certainly caught Ali’s eye.&nbsp; With Ruth’s imminent return to her home in East London, Ali and Gerhard chatted late into Sunday evening about this predicament. In the end, Ali summoned up the courage and messaged Ruth to ask if she would be keen to meet up the next day - thankfully, she was. Ali seemed to have caught Ruth’s eye too. 23 October 2023Ali and Ruth met up after work at De Warenmarkt for a tea/coffee and Coetzenberg stroll. While waiting for Ruth, Ali listened to a remix of “Lady in Red” playing in the background at the coffee station – this was the first-dance wedding song of his parents. After an amazing time together, Ali dropped off Ruth at Ane’s house in Jonkershoek with the parting words of “Lord-willing, we will keep the comms going”. November-December 2023Weekly voice calls transitioned over the space of a month to daily video calls – often reaching over 4 hours at a time. Ali and Ruth covered a multitude of topics as they got to know each other and built the foundation of their friendship. As their friendship grew, the time came to take the serious step of seeing each other in-person again – Ali took the brave step of asking if he could visit her in East London over the long weekend in December (an answer to Ruth’s prayers). A few weeks later, Ali flew up to East London and after greeting each other at Arrivals, they decided to sit down at Mugg &amp; Bean for a hot drink – both were slightly shaky and absorbing the surrealness&nbsp;of the moment. It was also the first time they were interrupted in a conversation by the friendly waiter – it was strange being in-person again!&nbsp; After going for an ice-breaker hike to the beautiful Tobeshane waterfall near East London, Ali and Ruth then drove out to Morgan Bay where Ruth went to a friend’s wedding whilst Ali explored the area. Meeting up together again the next morning, they then joined Ane (who was also visiting Morgan Bay) for a sunrise hike to the nearby seaside cliffs amidst the cows and raw beauty of the Wild Coast.&nbsp; Continuing with the jam-packed proceedings, Ali and Ruth drove back to East London to attend Ruth’s family church – Ali then met Ruth’s parents (Graham and Bronwyn), sister (Beth) and brother (David) all in one go, together with their entire church. After church and breakfast at Nahoon, the rest of the weekend was spent with the Weber’s at their holiday home in Kayser’s beach. Amidst all of the unknowns and firsts, Ali and Ruth felt a continual peace about the process. January 2024After Christmas and New Year’s apart, the opportunity arose for Ruth to fly down to visit Ali and his parents in early January. First up was a hike up the Helderberg to West Peak with a group of friends – many of whom Ruth had met and known before meeting Ali. Ali and Ruth then traveled to Infanta with his parents for a relaxing and adventurous long weekend – mountain-biking, hiking, stargazing and SUP’ing were a good indication of the adventurous activities this couple would get up to. After this trip, the couple flew back-and-forth over the next month visiting each other’s families and friends. February – May 2024On the 7th of February 2024, Ruth whisked off to Jersey Island in the United Kingdom, for four months, for a work secondment. This meant that Ali and Ruth returned to full time long distance and “getting-to-know-each-other” mode. Daily 5:30am phone calls kept the two in the loop about the various activities in their lives and provided an opportunity to observe how each person spent their time each day and week. The anticipation to see each other again in-person was sometimes unbearable, but the two are grateful for that chapter in their story and how it grew their communication with one another – a vital ingredient for a successful and healthy long-term relationship.&nbsp; Incredibly, while Ruth was away in Jersey, she was offered a job opportunity within her existing company to join a division which was ideally suited for her career path. To top it all off, it required her to move to Cape Town and start working there from July onwards! What incredible timing and a God-given opportunity. Ruth’s return from her UK trip coincided with Gerhard and Annique’s wedding near Stellenbosch in late May. After 4 months of long distance, it was absolute bliss to be together in-person again. June – September 2024Moving to Stellies, Ruth had the incredible opportunity to stay at Julian and Megan Conrad’s garden flat in Bo Dalsig which was such a blessing! She dived straight into One Hope Church community where Ali was already slotted in for a number of years. It was an exciting season of getting to know one another, figuring out God-honouring, in-person dating and spending time with each other’s friends.&nbsp; October – November 2024Sometime in October, the two decided that the wisest next step would be to do a pre-engagement course through church. They had the joy of journeying through the course with Johannes and Ali, an eldership couple of the church, and were able to gain clarity on the fact that they weren’t crazy - their relationship was in fact truly something to be treasured.&nbsp; December 2024 – January 2025After selecting and ordering the engagement ring in early December (unbeknown to Ruth), Ali and Ruth then first spent Christmas with the Weber’s at Kaysers Beach, and then New Year’s with the Galloway’s in the Kgalagadi National Park. During the Kayser’s beach holiday trip, Ali’s Mom (Darlene) picked up the completed engagement ring which Ali then subsequently packed into his luggage for the Kgalagadi trip. After an unforgettable adventure in the Kgalagadi, Alistair's parents, Alistair, and Ruth made their way to the Augrabies Falls National Park for one final night before the long journey back to Cape Town. On the last night, Alistair had a plan in mind. He casually suggested to Ruth that they go for an early run the next morning to stretch their legs before embarking on the eight-hour car trip back to Cape Town. Always up for an adventure, Ruth eagerly agreed. However, Alistair had a slightly different plan – a moment that would change their lives forever. Instead of heading to one of the usual trail running routes, he drove to the Ararat Lookout Point, a serene spot downriver from the majestic Augrabies Falls. The breathtaking view overlooked the dramatic expanse of the Orange River Gorge, where the morning light painted the landscape in hues of red and gold whilst African Fish Eagles sang in the distance and swifts soared overhead. As Ruth stood there, mesmerized by the scenery, Alistair quietly prepared himself. Gathering his courage, he got down on one knee and waited for Ruth to turn around. When she turned to face him, she was stunned, utterly taken by surprise. The beauty of the moment, the location, and the memorable question left her speechless yet filled with joy. Their journey, both literal and figurative, took a joyous and unforgettable turn that morning. 10 January 2025 was the pivotal day for the two. February 2025 – todayAs Ali and Ruth progress through their engagement and prepare for their wedding, they look forward with incredible excitement for the day when they can celebrate their journey with you on 16 June 2025.

Wedding registry

Your presence at our wedding is a wonderful gift to us. We understand that traveling to celebrate with us can be costly, so please don't feel any obligation to bring a gift. However, if you would still like to bless us additionally, there is an EFT option. We have a few financial goals that we would like to save towards, thus any contributions will be treasured. Alistair GallowayAccount Number: 272417378Branch code: 51001Standard BankPlease don't forget to reference: "your name" and if you would like, a specific item you would like us to use the money towards We also have a registry if you would prefer purchasing gifts. Please <a href="https://www.myregistry.com/wedding-registry/ruth-weber-and-alistair-galloway-cape-town-wc/4781245" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">click this link</a> to see our registry. Please let us know if you would like our address. The following items are expensive, but we hope to save towards them. Please feel free to contribute towards the below if you would prefer, and feel free to let us know if you'd prefer us to use your gift towards a particular item if you would like.Coffee machineExtra length Queen blankets<a href="https://shopkenwood.co.za/collections/stand-mixers/products/kenwood-kmix-stand-mixer-matt-white-kmx751awh" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cake mixer</a><a href="https://www.instantpot.co.za/catalogue/instant-pot-smart-cookers" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Instapot</a>Hiking mattressDesk chairVacuum cleanerStationary Bicycle trainerBike rack for carHouse deposit Thus you are welcome to either contribute towards or purchase items. Vouchers would also be much appreciated, including those from nurseries. Please note that if you are travelling from Cape Town/Stellenbosch, and you would prefer not to travel with your gift, please feel free to organise with us to arrange a pick-up in CT/STB.

Registries

We would love to spend time with you over the weekend, either on Saturday and/or on Sunday. Everyone is invited to join these plans. The current plans are outlined below: - A hike to the Toboshane Waterfall on Saturday starting sometime around lunchtime, depending on availability of those interested. - A beach morning on Sunday at Cintsa West. Come and go as you please. We have also included a list of great churches in the area that you could also join if you would like. Please see below. - Sunday lunch at Emerald Vale Restaurant near Cintsa. - A beach afternoon on Sunday at Cintsa West. Come and go as you please. The above mentioned places can be found in the links below:

Toboshane Valley Waterfall Hike

Cintsa River Beach

Emerald Vale Restaurant

A handful of the recommended churches in the area:

Everyday People East Coast (Christian Church) congregation

Coastal Assemblies

Everyday People (Christian Church) Beacon Bay congregation

Redeemer Christian Church

Some places that might be worth exploring:

Friesland Milk Bar

Tea in the Trees

Nahoon Reef

Long Weekend Activities

Stian 

Wedding Party

<a href="https://www.olivewoodestate.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Olivewood Estate</a> Schafli Rd, East London, 5256, South Africa <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/4DF8hs9JY29sposf8" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Google Maps link</a> GPS coordinates: -32.839235, 28.088745

Our ceremony and reception will both be at Olivewood Estate.

Venue

Olivewood Estate it about 40 minutes drive outside of East London, thus if possible, it would be ideal if guests could stay closer to Olivewood. We recommend that guests stay somewhere between Cintsa East and Yellowsands Caravan Park, especially on Monday night. This includes areas such as Cintsa West, Queensberry Bay, Glen Muir and Glen Gariff to name a few. The following options are just a selection of accommodation places that came to mind. Please note that this is not a comprehensive list of options.

Please note that if more than 12 rooms are booked by Galloway wedding guests, then a 10% discount can be applied. Midweek rate applies for the Monday night. Please contact Janca on 073 557 4135 to coordinate for the discount.

Olivewood Estate Hotel

Buccaneers Beach Lodge, Chintsa, South Africa

Inkwenkwezi Private Game Reserve

Yellow Sands Caravan Park

Areena Riverside Resort, Caravan Park & Private Game Reserve

Cefani campsite and rondavels

Accommodation 

Registry

Q + A

Photos

Accommodation

You are cordially invited to the wedding of: Ruth Weber, daughter of Graham and Bronwyn WeberAndAlistair Galloway, son of Duncan and Darlene Galloway

Wedding Day Olivewood EstateSchafli RoadChintsa West 16 June 2025 at 13:00Semi-formal Please RSVP by 20 April

Live Stream Link If you are unable to be with us in-person, we hope to set-up a live stream so that you will be able to join us online. Please don't forget to RSVP for this. The link is still to be uploaded onto the website.

Alistair & Ruth

Alistair & Ruth

Photos