LOCAL BEAUTY NAMED SECOND PRINCESS IN NATIONAL BRIDE OF THE YEAR COMPETITION
LOCAL beauty Lize Millard was named second princess at the 2017 SA Weddings Bride of the Year, an annual event in its 16th year at Tintswalo at Waterfall, a five-star equestrian lodge in Midrand last weekend.
She decided to enter the competition at the last minute, alongside her husband, Clinton. Each year thousands of brides enter the online competition, a marketing platform for the wedding industry.
This year, a record amount of entries – 5500 blushing brides – sent their wedding photographs as a nomination for the competition. The bride entered the month in which she got married.
With only a month of voting, the Millard’s made it into the semifinals, and Lize was named Mrs April.
Each year the venues, as well as the prizes, are sponsored.
This year the prizes were valued at R250000. The finalists stayed at the luxurious Tintswalo at Waterfall lodge and were spoiled to the heavens and back with delights and treats.
Contestants were flown to the lodge; all paid for, and were allowed to each bring eight guests. The panel of judges judged the brides on dress, make-up, hair, personality and couple interaction
There was a Mrs Personality, Mrs Photogenic and then the three winners – second princess, first princess and Bride of the Year.
“Every second was just so amazing and memorable. From when we arrived with gifts in our rooms, to the amazing spoils of the weekend. We had a lovely dinner with all the couples and the SA Weddings team, and everyone was just absolutely wonderful,” she said.
Lize said she was blown away when their guests, comprising of friends and family, were treated like VIPs that night, being showered with champagne and food.
“A big highlight to me was to meet all these wonderful couples, and realising that the love I feel for my husband, the fairy-tale love that we have, that there were 11 other couples that felt exactly the same. Fairy tales and love truly does still exist.
“We were both so blessed and privileged to have met these lovely people. We have made such good friends and we know we will continue to build these friendships to last forever.
A highlight for Lize included meeting MC Graham Richards, from Espresso and
Top Billing, as well as being spoilt with champagne, beauty treatments and a gourmet lunch while the men played golf.
The brides were then transformed with hair and makeup by professional makeup artists.
“Now that was a treat, seeing 12 brides getting their hair and makeup done together!” Lize said.
“We have definitely walked away from this experience with a bunch of new friends with a very unique and special bond. We have already connected after the event and are trying to plan a meet-up,” she said.
“In the end it was just another adventure on our journey as a married couple.”