Is there anything quite as dreamy as a winter wedding? Crisp white and bold, rich shades come together to create a stunning celebration, usually with a backdrop romantically draped in mist. Because of South Africa’s diverse climate, winter is different everywhere, with famous sunny days hitting Johannesburg, intense rains in Cape Town, and humid temperatures in Durban.
You’ll find something different everywhere you go, but one thing is for sure – you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to the rich variety of destinations. Take your pick from our 5 favourite locations below.
1. Magaliesburg, Gauteng
This small village lies just below the Witswatersrand mountain range and is filled with natural bushveld and such a variety to experience. The exclusivity of this stunning escape has made it a popular destination for many and, being just a short distance away from Johannesburg and Pretoria, now a winter wedding destination. A host of lodges, hotels, farms and more await you and your big day.
2. Franschhoek, Western Cape
The rich and expansive mountainscape of Cape Town’s Franschhoek makes this area a magical and misty forest during winter. And with such a wide range of wine farms in the area, you definitely won’t be short for venues and dreamy destinations to escape to for your big day and honeymoon.
3. The Midlands, KwaZulu-Natal
There’s nothing quite like the Midlands Meander in South Africa. With stunning cascading landscapes, dams and an abundance of greenery, this setting makes a perfect backdrop to a mystical winter wedding. The small towns that make up the area offer farmlands, lodges, hotels and more just waiting for you to say your ‘I dos’!
4. Clarens, Free State
Celebrate your love up in the clouds in the town of Clarens, with its famous landmarks and rich culture. Known for their colourful blooms in autumn, it’s the perfect opportunity to host your wedding among the flowers in a winter wonderland that will have your guests in awe.
5. Dullstroom, Mpumalanga
Prepare for the ultimate country wedding in Dullstroom. Its lush and green farms create a romantic setting in cooler months, sprinkled with mist and rain. Take advantage of the luxury stays nearby for your venue, while you discover the local heritage and find the perfect spot for wedding pictures. You can’t beat the view of an icy lake while warming up by a fireplace!
Image: Pinterest
If you’re looking for a classic and timeless gift that’s as unique as it is elegant, Shimansky will do nothing short of wow you. The captivating Dancing Diamond…
For you, it may be a classic choc cake with vanilla icing. Your friends over in Norway or Korea, however, may prefer something different. Be inspired by global cake traditions.
1. LITHUANIA
A sakotis, the traditional cake for weddings and special occasions, is cooked by rotating batter on a spit. As it cooks, the drips harden, creating a spiky tree shape.
2. ENGLAND
A fancy fruitcake made with brandy-soaked dates, prunes, currants and orange peel is traditional. The icing can range from marzipan to brandy butter. Instead of saving a piece of the cake for their first anniversary, couples will keep the entire top tier (called the christening cake) until the birth of their first child.
3. INDONESIA
The wedding cake is usually a big multilayered creation called kek lapis. The layers can be simple chocolate and vanilla, or all sorts of flavours and bright colours.
4. KOREA
American-style wedding cakes are too sweet for Koreans. They might opt for mini rice cakes made from steamed rice flour, covered in red bean powder, ground sesame seeds or other toppings.
5. NORWAY
At Norwegian weddings, guests are served kransekake. Almond-meal biscuits are stacked up to form a tower and held together with icing.
6. FRANCE
The French enjoy croquembouche, a tower of cream-filled pastries that are soaked in caramel. They’re then formed into a tall pyramid – quite a showstopper!
7. ITALY
A popular dessert choice at many weddings is zuppa inglese. A bit like a trifle, it is made up of tiers of sponge cake layered with custard, rum, cream and fruit.
8. BERMUDA
On this island in the Caribbean, the groom’s cake is topped with gold and the bride’s cake is coated in silver icing. For an extra touch, tiny saplings sit on top of the cakes as symbols of growing love.
Images: Pinterest
Take a trip into the wild with Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge for a glamorous honeymoon stay. With endless activities and luxurious amenities, this spot is the perfect destination…
If you’re someone who’s creative and loves to put their thoughts together in a collage, creating a DIY wedding journal for your big day is the way to go for organising, planning and brainstorming. Depending on your personal style, you can create your wedding journal in a number of ways:
1. MESSY COLLAGE
If you love doodling, pasting down pictures, using real-life references, like petals and fabrics, using a blank journal is the perfect start for you to create your wedding planner. You can create your own headings, lists, style references, and more to suit your creativity and make a wedding journal that is worth saving as a fond memory.
2. PLANNING DIARY
For someone who prefers neater, more organised and structured methods of planning, creating a wedding journal with matching fonts, colours and headings is definitely the best option. Nowadays, you can purchase digital wedding journals to download and put together yourself – still giving you the freedom to choose your base and play around with styles you prefer.
3. BUDGET-SAVVY
If all you’ve got are some pens and a notebook, but loads of creative talent, you can design a beautiful and personal wedding journal filled with doodles, lists, contact details, ideas and everything you want to put down to plan your big day.
Images: Pinterest
With a strong emphasis on living a sustainable life, there is more and more pressure to go green in all aspects of our lives – and that includes…
Combining her love of luxury with his passion for South African cuisine, Jana van der Spuy and MC Leonard’s wedding featured the best of both worlds.
THE VENUE
Our venue, Cabrières, was a dream come true! Not only was it the views that sealed the deal, but it was the lovely Jane Jordaan who kept us there. The venue was chic enough for me and down-to-earth enough for my husband.
THE THEME
We didn’t really have a theme, however, we tried to incorporate both our passions – style and luxury, with comfort and a braai! We wanted our wedding to really represent us as a couple, and I think we completely nailed it.
THE DRESSES
Both of my incredible dresses were made by Cindy Bam, who happens to be one of my best friends, so I may be slightly biased! I can’t imagine anyone else making my dream wedding dress come to life the way she did. As my traditional wedding dress was quite dramatic, we opted for a very simple silk-chiffon tattoo-lace dress for the reception party.
THE DECOR
Our wedding decor was mostly inspired by the less-is-more look, with lots of candles in gold candlesticks and home-made pink flower candle holders. Each table setting had a personalised handwritten letter with an accompanying menu and napkin. At the venue entrance, guests were greeted to 1.5m candelabras and a huge flower bouquet.
THE FOOD
We both have a slight obsession with braaiing, so our canapés, which were plankie–steak, mini roosterkoek and chicken kebabs, were made in this way and served alongside salad. Our main meal consisted of lamb roulade filled with spinach, feta and mushrooms, and roast veggies, a green salad and pumpkin fritters.
THE DETAILS
My dad passed away just before my 16th birthday and, for obvious reasons, walking down the aisle was quite a heart-wrenching idea for me. However, my mom walked me down the aisle with my dad there in spirit – my sister-in-law, Laurika, gave me a locket with a picture of my dad to tie around my bouquet. Other than my wedding band, it’s one of my most treasured gifts, and when I have a tough day, I wear it around my neck for support.
THE FIRST DANCE
We opened the dance floor with ‘I Love You Will Still Sound The Same’ by Oh Honey. It was a challenge for us to decide on a song that we both loved and that could stand the test of time. We bought confetti cannons and asked two of our friends to pop them for us during the dance.
LITTLE BLACK BOOK
Dresses: Cindy Bam
Hair: Carma Hair Studio
Rings: Black Key Diamonds
Flowers: Christa Chambers and Jane Jordaan at Detail Me Pretty
Decor & stationery: IC Graphix
Lighting: Best Event
Venue & catering: Cabrières
Audio-visual & DJ: Prime Audio
Photography: Duane Smith Photography
Videography: MW Productions
Hiring: Functions4U and Detail Me Pretty