A RETURN TO AUTHENTICITY
Like the breath of Spring breathing life into a new bridal era, I am sensing a shift. Where brides embrace their own authenticity, allowing themselves to dream and incorporate special, even sacred details into their wedding dresses.
Where the focus and appreciation is not on the ‘instant’, but rather on skill invested into the designing and making of a wedding dress, especially that of a Custom (Bespoke) Wedding Dress.
The Maryke experience runs deeper than just the making of a dress. It is the connection and chats about love, life & everything else in between, while your dress story unfolds that carries the value.
I am intuitive in my design approach, and my gift for creating bridal dresses has provided much joy. It is a blessing to be a vessel through whom these dress stories can be brought to life.
If you are still here & reading my story, thank you.
Who I am
My 9 year old little girl heart, full of wedding dress dreams, have grown up into the woman I am today. Admittedly, a 9 year old who knows what she wants to do with her life created some awkwardness at times, but stewarding this gift of mine has always been my true North.
By the time I turned 19 I dressed my first bride – bless her heart for trusting my very young, but capable self to do that! Fast forward 26+ years of passionately following my childhood dream, to what it has grown into today.
My brides get to experience the energy of love and passion poured into each dress, resulting in an individually crafted gown, suited to each bride.
At our KZN Studio you are treated to a complete selection of our designs as well as the option of custom (bespoke) design. In addition to this, one of my most surprising design options on offer are for long-distance or out-of-town brides. What has started out of necessity in 2020, has grown into a very specialised niche for me. A large portion of my brides are based all over the world & South Africa, and I help many international / out-of-town brides realize their wedding dress dreams.
In addition, we have various stockists nation wide (see our Collections page for more) and will soon be spreading our wings internationally.
‘’As a bride who has dreamt of her wedding dress as a little girl, this was a very sentimental experience for me and Maryke went above and beyond to add sentiment to every step of the process in creating my dream dress.
Her passion for what she does shines from within. Her attention to detail is in a league of its own - and this does not only refer to her beautiful craftwork, but also her ability to listen to all your requests and make your dress even more special than you could ever imagine.
At my final fitting not only did I leave with my dream dress but, a dear friend as well. And for that I will be eternally grateful! Thank you, Maryke, for understanding my vision and bringing my dream wedding dress to life.’’
Treasured memories
I treasure the pockets of time during which we get to chat and catch up, all while you see your dress unfold at each fitting.
A primary goal is to make each bride’s experience as seamless and memorable as possible and it is my heart’s desire that your wedding dress journey will become one of your favourite wedding memories.
Finding The One
There is something that lights up in a bride when she steps into her wedding dress. Most times it is a subtle shift, other times it is a wave of emotion.
So often I observe this from the side line, before she even sees herself in the mirror. One of the most beautiful and rewarding moments to me as a designer is when a bride looks at her reflection and sees her true, inner beauty ignited.
Authentically South African Design
Maryke is a personal bridal brand, where each and every wedding gown passes through my own hands, regardless of whether it was ordered directly from our KZN Studio or via one of our lovely stockists.
Your Maryke wedding dress is individually hand crafted, custom or made-to-order, especially for you taking your personal measurements into account. All our dresses are designed and made on-site at our Hilton, KZN studio, with most of our fabrics & laces sourced from local South African suppliers.
Time & Skill
An average of 80 – 200+ hours of time (depending on your design choice) and over 3 decades of experience is invested into each Maryke wedding dress.
Through a thoughtful process of applied skill and time, backed by a dedicated team of sewing specialists, we bring dress stories to life.
