Getting hitched? Top wedding destinations across the country
Love, romance and weddings in the time of lockdown have been a tad tricky, but it doesn’t mean you can’t have your wedding!
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Here are 12 exceptional wedding venues at exclusive properties around the country that have great wedding packages to turn your wedding dreams into a reality!
In Kwazulu Natal – the Garden Province – Thanda Safari in the northern reaches of KZN, for a wedding ceremony held in a sheltered bush location, under the spreading marula trees … ululating Zulu dancers ushering you down the aisle to take your vows …your wedding reception, done safari-style in a star-lit boma or on a deck overlooking the unspoiled African bush – whatever your personal style there is no better place than Thanda Safari for celebrating romance! Thanda Safari offers three accommodation options – each with its own style and appeal – its flagship Safari Lodge with nine bush suites, the exclusive five-suite Villa iZulu, and Thanda Tented Camp with 14 luxury tents and one deluxe honeymoon tent.
Details: reservations@thanda.co.za, 032-586-0149 or the Thanda Wedding weddings@thanda.co.za, thandasafari.co.za
In the Cape – one of South Africa’s most beautiful regions
De Hoop Collection a member of Cape Country Routes, opened in the De Hoop Nature Reserve in the Western Cape in 2007 as the first private/public partnership in the South African hospitality industry. Just a short three hour’s drive from Cape Town this world heritage site offers pristine land, wide-open spaces, beaches, world-class whale-watching, coastal fynbos and teeming animal and birdlife – more than 260 species of birds (including the endangered Cape Vulture) – this together with De Hoop Collection’s wide range of accommodation options and the sheer beauty of it all – makes it a perfect place for a wedding of note – in particular, winter weddings! Imagine a ceremony under the magnificent fig tree or overlooking the beautiful vlei or in the old sheep shearing shed ‘The Cloete Room’ and the wedding reception in The Fig Tree Restaurant around a lovely warm fireplace.
Details: 021-422-4522, res@dehoopcollection.co.za, www.dehoopcollection.com
Centrally located in Stellenbosch, the elegant 4-star Eendracht Hotel & Apartments makes a perfect base for weddings with its elegant rooms, where family and friends can be comfortably accommodated; its spacious Honeymoon suite – perfect for the bride and her bridesmaids to use before the ceremony; its self-catering apartments – just a short seven-minute walk from the hotel, perfect for the groom and his friends; the Huddle Room for pre-wedding get-togethers and meals before and after the wedding day; Senobia’s Restaurant to take care of meals and catering needs, and best of all, its close proximity to the town’s beautiful and historic churches – the old Dutch Reformed Moederkerk (only a two-minute walk from the hotel), the Stellenbosch United Church, the old Lutheran Church and St Mary’s Anglican Church. Eendracht Hotel will customise your wedding package to your specific needs, taste and personality – tailormade to perfection – and your special day will be an experience you will cherish forever. Eendracht Hotel & Apartments is a member of Cape Country Routes.
Details: 021-883-8843, reservations@eendracht-hotel.com, www.eendracht-hotel.com
The fun and funky 5-star Turbine Boutique Hotel and Spa, situated on Thesen Islands, Knysna, has accommodation that comprises luxury and standard rooms, two self-contained suites and a Honeymoon Suite; the Island Café Restaurant and the Gastro Pub, which offers classic pub meals with a delicious twist and lagoon sunset views, the Turbine Spa, and its own adventure centre – the Turbine Water Club – with a variety of water and land-based activities. Just the spot for a fun funky wedding! The Turbine is offering tailor-made (according to your needs) wedding reception breakfasts, lunches and dinners; a private wedding reception in one of its venues, or alternatively a non-exclusive reception in the Island Café Restaurant.
Details: 044-302-5746, reservations@turbinehotel.co.za www.turbinehotel.co.za
And from Cape Summer Villas Boutique Collection …
With breathtaking views of the Indian Ocean, Tsitsikamma Mountains, Keurbooms River and the Lagoon, a wedding at Cape Summer Villas’ 5-star Sky Villa Boutique Hotel a world-leading luxury destination becomes an experience never to be forgotten. Sky Villa can sleep up to 28 guests sharing (14 rooms) and its sister property, The Bungalow can accommodate an additional 14 (sharing) guests – a shuttle transports guests between both venues. It can host a reception of up to 120 guests and larger weddings can be accommodated in the garden (tent/ marquee would be required).
Details: 087-550-2967, info@skyvilla.co.za, events@skyvilla.co.za, www.capesummervillas.co.za
Cape Summer Villas’ The Bungalow Plett, a luxury 5-star Bed and Breakfast situated a stone’s throw from the water’s edge at Hobie Beach in Plettenberg Bay, is designed for the ultimate experience in beachside living and it is also the perfect venue for a brilliant Beach Wedding. It can accommodate 14 guests in its seven luxuriously furnished rooms, while its sister property, Sky Villa can accommodate up to an additional 28 sharing guests (there is a shuttle that easily transports guests between the two venues) and host a reception of up to 60 guests.
Details: 044-533-1864, info@thebungalowplett.co.za, capesummervillas.co.za
Spanish Farm Guest Lodge – a Cape Summer Villas flagship property, is a special piece of paradise in Somerset West offering a peaceful ambience, situated on a 4-hectare estate set in magnificent indigenous gardens with beautiful fynbos vegetation and abundant birdlife. The Guest Lodge and Rose Cottage are situated slightly higher than the Villas, each offering magnificent views of False Bay and the surrounding Mountains, making Spanish Farm Guest Lodge the ideal venue to host a memorable Elopement Celebration. Spanish Farm Guest Lodge can host a celebration of up to 40 guests, and accommodate 24 of those guests at The Guesthouse, The Ground Floor Apartment, Rose Cottage and the three two-bedroom Villas.
Details: 021-852-7352, info@spanishfarm.co.za, www.capesummervillas.co.za
And Cape Country Routes …
The perfect destination for brides wishing for a ‘far from the madding crowd’ country-style wedding is the charming 4-star Montagu Country Hotel in Montagu. This quaint little town is nestled between the Langeberg mountain ranges of the Western Cape and is a comfortable driving distance from Cape Town. With its claim of being the only original Art Deco hotel in the country (the original hotel was built in 1875), the re-modelled present-day hotel transports you back to a bygone era of elegance. It offers eclectic, but comfortable accommodation – furnished en-suite rooms, excellent facilities, warm hospitality, imposing mountain views, and two fabulous wedding packages. And if you want an added attraction to your wedding, the hotel has its own American Dream Cars fleet with a 1956 and a 1964 Cadillac Sedan De Ville for hire. A wedding with a difference at this hallmark Cape Country Routes property is a guarantee!
Details: bookings@capecountryroutes.com, www.capecountryroutes.com
The Cape Country Routes’ charming 3-star New Holme Nature Lodge (formerly New Holme Country House) – a working sheep and game farm in the Karoo Gariep Nature Reserve, Northern Cape, one of the two nature reserves of the Khoisan Karoo Conservancy – with sweeping landscapes and breathtaking vistas of the Karoo countryside ticks all the boxes for a wedding with a difference! Known for its traditional Karoo dinners, underground wine cellar, sunset and night drives it is a very popular Karoo wedding venue. Considered by most to be ‘far, far away’, New Holme is conveniently situated halfway between Cape Town and Johannesburg, Durban and the Garden Route, making it a good place for family and friends to meet up and celebrate and there is an airstrip only 400m from the venue should you want to fly in. You have exclusive use of the lodge for the day of the wedding and the number of nights you are book the accommodation for. Small intimate receptions of up to 80 persons are catered for indoors while larger weddings are hosted outdoors. Guests are assured of friendly personal service, an easy and relaxed atmosphere and activities like the Karoo Shy 5 night drive and sundowners at the hippo pool to make your wedding even more unique and one of a kind.
Details: bookings@capecountryroutes.com, www.capecountryroutes.com
South Hill Vineyards, nestled in the eastern end of the picturesque Elgin Grabouw Valley is surrounded by views of the Kogelberg biosphere, neighbouring orchards and its own vineyards. Lush gardens, big skies and expansive lawns during summer and intimate, indoor spaces with fireplaces during winter and a short one-hour drive from Cape Town, Stellenbosch and Hermanus, make South Hill the perfect choice for a destination wedding. And then – if you want to get married without telling anyone, or run away and forgo a large, traditional wedding for a more intimate ceremony with a few guests (or none at all) – in other words, if you rather want to elope … well, South Hill has put together some exclusive Elopement Packages, each based on a unique location on the farm … South Hill Vineyards – a Cape Country Routes member – takes every care in ensuring your wedding is an unforgettable experience.
Details: bookings@capecountryroutes.com, www.capecountryroutes.com
Making wonders true is what they love to do at Wildehondekloof Private Game Reserve! This Cape Country Routes property-of-note located only 50 km from Oudtshoorn and surrounded by the natural beauty of the Swartberg Mountains, is a kingdom of all the wonders of nature – the unparalleled beauty of the reserve, and the awe-inspiring sunsets create an almost mythical atmosphere where even the most unbelievable story becomes an unforgettable experience that you will remember forever and ever! If you are planning to write the next chapter of your life – your love story, then Wildehondekloof, with all its magic and the expertise and wedding organisational skills of its experienced professional staff guarantees you – the Princess and the Prince – the most romantic of a fairy tale wedding day! Wildehondekloof always goes the extra mile to ensure that your wedding will be a treasured memory. This hidden gem of the Klein Karoo is one of the treasures of the Cape Country Routes Collection.
Details: bookings@capecountryroutes.com, www.capecountryroutes.com
Zuurberg Mountain Village is a 160-year-old haven of historical delight situated high up on the Zuurberg Pass in malaria-free Addo, Eastern Cape. Set in 160 hectares of indigenous vegetation with breathtaking views of the famous Addo Elephant National Park, it offers guests nature, wildlife and tranquillity in the most majestic African setting, perfect for a wedding. For a full weekend experience, there is a special rate per person inclusive of a braai dinner and breakfast if guests would like to stay the evening before the wedding – a great opportunity for families and friends to mingle. Guests are accommodated in Edwardian style private cottages or the old Zuurberg Manor. The cottages are arranged so that guests can enjoy both the spectacular mountain and valley views. Extensive manicured gardens surrounded by rolling hills make the perfect backdrop for an outdoor service with the reception on the veranda overlooking the sparkling pool. Optional extras include a wellness spa (a wonderful treat for the bride and her entourage) and guided game drives into Addo Elephant Park. Zuurberg Mountain Village – the perfect venue for a memorable celebration of love and happiness.
Details: bookings@capecountryroutes.com, www.capecountryroutes.com