The grass is greener where you water it.
So here we are -
same patch,
same two people,
and the greenest grass we know.
Once Upon a Time
Our story
NOW finally on 20 February 2027, the long distance officially ends.
And you’re invited to the party.
For almost eight years, Leané and Anru have loved each other across cities, provinces and, for one particularly offensive year, continents.
Somewhere in all that waiting, they learned to trust God with a timeline they definitely would have rewritten themselves.
One verse feels especially real now: “So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.” Genesis 29:20
They cannot honestly say the years felt like a few days. But they do understand a love that makes the waiting worth it.
So come celebrate the end of long distance and the beginning of marriage.
Adios, long distance. 2019 – 20 February 2027. We will not miss you.
By 2025, they had officially had enough. No more “distance makes the heart grow fonder” nonsense.
OVER. IT.
For years, they had prayed for a way forward. For the right timing. For doors to open without forcing the wrong ones. And while they were busy wondering when something would finally change, God was already moving pieces they could not see.
Eventually, one door opened.
And, with a little help from a certain supporting character things slowly started falling into place.
In 2026, Leané and Anru got engaged. You would think that would be the greatest thing that had happened to them so far, but somehow, it felt more like the gift wrapping around everything God had already blessed them with up until that moment: the years of growing together, the strength to keep choosing each other and the promise of finally building a life in the same place.
Then, because apparently South Africa was not quite enough distance, Leané left for an internship in the USA.
For an entire year. One. Whole. Year.
No weekend flights. No quick visits. No “maybe we can make next month work.”
Just video calls. A lot of video calls.
Leané and Anru both cried a lot.
When that year finally ended, they were convinced they had surely completed the final boss level of long distance.
They had not.
Life took Leané to Malmesbury and Anru to Pretoria, and the airport routine started all over again. Leave days were guarded like gold. Savings became plane tickets. Long weekends required planning that could honestly have qualified as logistics training. Any chance to see each other was booked, calculated and squeezed for every minute it was worth.
Video call in action
Once upon a time... (Not sure how to fit 11 year love story in this invite, but okey)
It starts in 2014, on the very first day of Grade 8, when Leané and Anru met. They were both a little shy and only officially started dating at 16.
Romance looked a little different back then. Most conversations involved upcoming tests, snoepie broodjies and whatever drama was unfolding at school. They became each other’s biggest fans from the sidelines of rugby fields and netball courts.
School eventually ended and in 2019 their relationship entered what everyone assumed would be a temporary new chapter:
long distance.
Anru went to Potchefstroom. Leané went to Stellenbosch. And so began a relationship largely sponsored by airlines, bus companies and questionable airport coffee.
Over the years there have been roughly 60 flights, around 10 sixteen-hour bus trips (yes, sixteen hours. One way), countless kilometres driven and a slightly concerning amount of money spent simply trying to be in the same place at the same time.
They became very good at hellos. The goodbyes, however, never got easier.
Tap the heart for our story
The date and venue
Saturday, 20 February 2027, at Wederom Wedding Venue and Guest Farm, Robertson.
February 2027
Wederom Wedding Venue &
Guest Farm
Wederom Winery, Goree
Road, Robertson, 6705,
South Africa
Robertson
Dress code
Long or short, any dress goes. Think glitter, feathers, bold colours and
playful patterns. Ladies, this is your chance to wear the dress you have
always loved but been too afraid to wear. Men, you can do this too! Mix
your colours, try the patterned suit and have some fun with it.
Funky
Formal
The main rules? Don’t be boring &
Men: Please don’t wear burgundy/maroon
This is the big one. We want singing, we
want dancing, we want questionable moves
at 11pm
Cover our marriage in prayer
Cover Our Marriage in Prayer
Before we make our promises to one another, we would love for our marriage to
be covered in prayer by the people who have helped carry us here.
During worship, our wedding rings will be passed among our guests. This will be
the main opportunity for anyone who would like to hold them for a moment and
pray over the marriage they will come to represent.
As there will be 90 guests, the rings may not reach everyone during worship. Both
rings will therefore be available from 30 minutes before the ceremony for anyone
who would like to pray over them beforehand. If you have already done so, simply
pass them along during worship so another guest can have the opportunity.
At the reception, you will find a Bible that will become Anru and Leané’s shared
Bible. If there is a verse, prayer or word from God on your heart for us, we would
love for you to highlight a verse or leave us a message inside.
Worship
Songs
Centre - Bethel music, Abbie
Gaboa
Elohim- Bethel Music, Noah
Paul Harrison
I Thank God - Housefires,
JWLKRS Worship, Ryan Ellis,
Blake Wiggins
Where do we stay
Where do we stay?
Robertson is full of beautiful places to stay, so you’ll have plenty of lovely accommodation options close by.
Here are some places we heard are nice :)
I’d absolutely dominate Survivor, although I would immediately lose a
fight against a kiewiet. My quickest route to rage is someone slapping
me on the back or watching me miss picking something up off the
floor more than twice. I remake the bed right before getting into it,
would be able to solely eat spaghetti and mince. I spent far too long
believing loading screens worked faster if I pretended not to care. I
don’t understand the Spoegwolf hype, spiders and moths are my
enemies and apparently my future spouse has simply accepted that
this is who I am.
I once hula hooped for three hours straight, would
happily be haunted by Dolly Parton and will defend
a really good sandwich like it personally raised me.
My warning label would probably read “Caution:
might spill something.” Cats are definitely the rudest
animals, I know far too much about every Barbie
movie ever made and car horns make me
irrationally angry.
Gifts
Gift?
If you would like to give us a wedding gift, we would be incredibly grateful for a
cash contribution rather than a physical present.
So far, the only things being contributed to our future home are an air fryer and a
dog. The essentials, obviously.
Your gift will help us build our home or, if sent before the wedding, may even
help pay for a little piece of the day itself.
Banking details
Account holder: Anru Van Schalkwyk
Bank: Nedbank
Account number: 1255277602
Branch code: 198765
Reference: Your name
RSVP
HEY, WE LOVE YOU
SO MUCH...
SO PLEASE COME to our wedding!
Rsvp
before 31 October 2026
REMEMBER! If you are joining us, please join our
WhatsApp group for any wedding updates.
