Dress Code

Sam & Henry

June 20 2026

WC South Africa

Our Big Day

June 20, 2026

We Got Married

- 27 December 2023 -

Now It's Time To Celebrate!

Can you Make It?

Let Us Know

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RSVP Information:

When you are ready to confirm your attendance, please complete your RSVP form by clicking on the link below.

Please keep in mind that a separate form should be completed for each individual attendee of your party.

Likewise, please also ensure that you do not submit multiple forms for an individual attendee either.

Before you begin your form, feel free to scroll this entire website so that you have a clearer sense of what you're signing up for.

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RSVP FORM

This form is final. Make sure you are certain about your choices when you complete it.

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RSVP DEADLINE:

15 May 2026

First Steps

1. Consider Menu Options - Food:

Our menu for the reception will be plant-forward and mostly vegetarian. However, you do have a choice between three different main course options: one of these is vegetarian and two are non-vegetarian.

You can find details related to these options on your RSVP form. If none of the available options suit your dietary requirements, please let us know by selecting the 'special meal' option on the RSVP form and providing us with more information.

2. Consider Menu Options - Drink:

We will also be providing drinks throughout the evening and this will include wine. Please let us know if you would prefer to have exclusively non-alcoholic drink options on the day: you can do this by selecting this option on your RSVP form.

Take note that we will also be running a cash bar at the reception. This way, you can choose to have more drinks if you'd like to. Closer to the time, we will share the Diamant bar menu with you. We will also share the payment options that will be available on the day.

3. Check Out The Location:

Diamant Estate is located in Paarl, Western Cape. This is about 45 minutes outside of Cape Town. Familiarising yourself with this location may give you a clearer idea of whether you can join us and it could also help you to plan your travel and stay.

VENUE WEBSITE

4. Consider Travel and Stay:

Unless you live near Paarl, you will probably have to travel a fair distance to join us on this day and you may need to book nearby accommodation. Our event will only take place on one evening but your trip to Paarl (or anywhere else in the Western Cape) can be as long or as short as you like. Take some time to think about what you might like to do during your stay and who you might like to spend your time with. If you would like to spend time with other invitees, for example, you could start brainstorming this with them soon.

5. Complete RSVP form(s)

Once you have read through all the information on this site and considered all the options listed above, you will be ready to complete your RSVP form. Please do this as soon as you are able to.

Please do keep the final RSVP deadline in mind:

15 May 2026.

The Day Of

What You Can Expect:

Time to Arrive

14: 30

Ceremony Start Time

15: 00

Pre-Party

15:30

Reception Start Time

17: 30

Dinner & Dance

18: 00 | 20: 00

Last Call

23: 30

Final Time to Depart

00: 00

Dress Code

Formal Attire

Our wedding reception will be a formal event with lots of photo opportunities. If you are dressed in formal event attire, you will be appropriately dressed. Everything else related to your clothing on the day is completely up to you.

A Note on Style

Our 'formal' dress code for the day includes formal Indian attire. This does not mean that you must wear Indian clothes but it does mean that you should feel welcome to do so. If you would like to dress this way (and you never have before) go for it! However, if you'd feel more comfortable in a simple suit or dress, then that's definitely what you should wear. The choice is yours.

A Note on Comfort

Consider bringing a coat and a pair of flats. Both our ceremony and reception will be indoor events. However, they will still be happening in the middle of winter: it will be cold and it may even rain. Bringing an extra layer might help to keep you warm. Likewise, bringing along a pair of comfortable shoes may also be a good idea - especially if you are going to be wearing heels. We want you to look your best, of course, but we also want you to feel comfortable enough to dance through the night.

Gifting

Your presence at our wedding really is the only present we that we need. Please do not feel compelled to gift us anything more.

We will, unfortunately, not be able to accept any physical gifts on this day but we will gladly accept letters and or notecards with your warm wishes.

If you really would like to gift us something more substantial, we would appreciate anything you contribute to our shared marriage fund. Our bank details are listed below.

Once again, this is not necessary at all. It is even less necessary if you already gave us a present at the time of our wedding in 2023. We still remember all your generosity from that time. In fact, it has helped us put together this event. We continue to appreciate this very much.

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BANK DETAILS:

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Bank name: Standard Bank

Account holder: SAMESHNI GOVENDER

Account number: 04 292 433 2

Account type: CURRENT

Please Use Your Name as a Reference

so that we know that it's you.

That's It

If you've read everything up until this point, then you have all the important information.

If you want to find out more about the bridal couple and their wedding party, keep reading.

The Wedding Crew

Sameshni - Bride

Reekayshani Ramen - Maid of Honor

Sam: "Keshnie (or Reekay, as I call her) is my cousin and one of my closest friends. We've been close since childhood, so she is probably - quite literally - my first friend too. For a long time we did everything together: school, dance classes, movie marathons. Sometimes she would sleep through the movies I'd choose, but she was still always the first person I'd want to share them with. We've actually been apart for a long time now (we both moved away from home straight after school) and so we've each missed a few big family milestones. I'm very glad we'll be together for this one because I geunuinely couldn't imagine doing this without her by my side. "

Henry - Groom

Richard Marais - Best Man

Henry: "Richard is first among my greatest friends. I have known him for longer than I can remember. He has been a constant and irreplaceable companion. Richard has shaped my life in profound ways. From my hobbies, the values I hold, and to the people I call my friends; there are few things in my life of good fortune untouched by his benign influence. No one could wish for a more loyal, wise, or exceptional friend. Even if the cricket obsession was a bit much."

Henry and Sam

The Beginning - 2019

Henry and Sameshni met when Sam first moved to Cape Town. They were both MA students in the UCT History Department at the time. They started dating in August of 2019.

The Start of Long Distance - 2022

Three years later, Henry moved to the US and Sam stayed in Cape Town. They kept in contact via video chat every day.

Engagement - 2023

Henry proposed to Sam on her first visit to see him in the US. Six months later - with their families - they celebrated their engagement in Durban.

Michigan, 9 July 2023

KZN, 16 December 2023

A Wedding at Home - 2023

Sam and Henry were married in the backyard of their Cape Town home, surrounded by their family, a few days after that.

Cape Town, 27 December 2023

END OF LONG DISTANCE - 2024

In December of the next year, Sam joined Henry in Michigan and they have been living together there ever since.

Celebrating with Family and Friends - 2026

A memory that is still to come. We cannot wait to share it with you.