It’s probably a little early for jokes about the old ball-and-chain (note: it’s always too early), but if you’re going to be stuck in prison together, you want it to be The Old Jail in the town of Willowmore.
Built in the 1880’s, this prison-turned-boutique-guest-house north-east of Knysna oozes old-school charm. The Old Gaol, as it was then called, comprised a hospital cell, hard labour cells, awaiting trial cells, a female cell and kitchen cell.
After closing down as a prison in 1960, the property passed through many hands, and was uninhabited for almost 12 years, until the current owners took over and slowly turned the rustic grounds into a guest house, while still keeping many of the gorgeous Victorian features of the building. The cells and exercise areas have been converted into elegant rooms, each with its own private courtyard.
The Old Jail has three rooms in total, each air conditioned with modern amenities, high quality period finishes and private courtyards.
All three rooms are en-suite with original features, quality bedlinen and private entrance. They are easily accessible from the large safe parking area.
Farmers Suite 1 and Farmers Suite 2 have fully equipped kitchens and are two-roomed suites. Farmers Suite 1 has a sleeper couch for two sharing children 10 years and younger. Farmers Suite 2 has one extra bed for a child. This room has inter-leading doors with The Donkey Room for larger families.
The Donkey Room has an open plan bathroom with two single beds and is a sleep and go unit with an under counter fridge.
Full of history, the Karoo town of Willowmore has functioned as a farming and trading town since its discovery in 1819. There is an abundance of greenery and stunning hiking trails to explore, as well as many farmlands around. Take a trip to the Willowmore Town Hall, or visit one of the many museums around to explore and uncover the past.
If you choose to leave your room (after all, you aren’t actually in prison), Baviaanskloof Wilderness Area nearby offers several hiking, mountain biking and 4×4 trails.
Picture/s: The Old Jail
Honeymoons. That period of bliss after all the wedding chaos, when you and your new partner get to relax and enjoy each other’s company in an exotic location…
Not one for wedding cake? There are so many unique alternatives that will please your sweet tooth. Among them is the macaron tower, a luxurious treat that stands proud.
The beauty of macarons, like cake, is that it comes in so many delicious flavours. Match your tower to your wedding colours for synchronicity. While macaron towers are perfect on their own, but those wanting an extra special touch can add florals to elevate it.
Macarons don’t come cheap, neither do wedding cakes. This may be a more affordable alternative for those lacking a big budget,
Here are some terrific towers to inspire your own.
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Natural light is great, but it’s not always necessary. However, if you and your partner have opted for an indoor wedding, this adds another challenge for your photographer…
Robben Island’s annual mass Valentine’s Day wedding will not go ahead as planned in 2021 and has officially been cancelled. This comes after the Department of Home Affairs temporarily suspended the issuing of marriage certificates under Level 3 lockdown in South Africa.
“Following the recent announcement by the Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, on the temporary suspension of applications for IDs, passports and marriage services due to the increasing numbers of Department of Home Affairs (DHA) staff testing positive for COVID-19, the annual historic Robben Island Valentine’s Day weddings are unfortunately cancelled for 2021,” reads a statement from the Museum.
“This year would have marked 21 years of celebrating love on the island. Last year, 19 couples tied the knot with a historic milestone of Mr Frankford Williams and Cindi Mullins, who are visually impaired, officially being the first couple in South African to receive their marriage certificate in braille.”
To date, 327 couples have tied the knot on Robben Island. The first marriage ceremony was held on December 31, 2000 as part of the Millennium Celebrations, and was moved to Valentine’s Day in 2001.
Both the museum and the DHA will continue to engage on the possibility of hosting the weddings at a later stage, should conditions allow with the easing of COVID-19 regulations.
Picture: Facebook / Robben Island Museum
Symbolic of nature, green is often considered to represent tranquility and health. Of course, we cannot forget that it’s also a lucky colour. Incorporating this hue into your…
One year down, forever to go. That’s the motto for former professional footballer Tim Tebow and former Miss Universe Demi-Leigh Tebow, née Nel-Peters. The pair recently celebrated their one-year wedding anniversary and wrote sweet messages of dedication to one another in honour of the occasion.
Taking to Instagram, Tim shared a sweet video from their special day.
“A year ago today, this is the moment my life changed forever. After years of prayer, God gave me you @DemiTebow. I’m so grateful you’re in my life, that you chose me, and that we get this lifetime alongside eachother. I love you so much Demi, and as I did the day we got married, I promise I’ll do my best to uphold 1 Corinthians 13:7– “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” Happy anniversary baby,” he wrote on Instagram.
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Demi-Leigh followed up with her own special video, capturing moments from their first year of marriage.
“@timtebow I can’t give you anything better than what we have. I wish we could relive our wedding day over and over again because it was the best day of my life. Here’s my best shot at putting the last 366 (leap year) days into 3min and going back in time to reliving how this union started,” she captioned the video.
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The pair met through an event Tebow was hosting for his non-profit, the Tim Tebow Foundation.
“Her sister has special needs, so we invited them to Night to Shine in South Africa,” Tebow said during an interview with Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb. “We kind of met and started talking through that and haven’t stopped.”
Their relationship moved pretty quickly, and they confirmed their relationship in July 2018.
In January 2019 after less than a year of dating, Tim popped the question with an elaborate and sentimental proposal. Tebow had flown family members from across America and South Africa to Jacksonville, Florida to be part of the proposal. Demi-Leigh was told they were attending a late Tebow family Christmas dinner at their family farm and was surprised when it ended in a proposal.
Tebow also flew Demi-Leigh’s favourite South African performer Matthew Mole to Florida to serenade them post-proposal.
They came to Demi-Leigh’s home country, South Africa, to tie the knot in late January. Their pre-wedding festivities kicked off with a ‘Welcome to Africa’ cocktail dinner in the Cape winelands to introduce Tebow to South African culture. The bride wore a stunning white dress by Gert Johan-Coetzee featuring a criss-cross neckline and cut-out detail, while Tebow wore a blush-toned suit.
The following day, the couple held a stunning rehearsal dinner. They went for a sophisticated colour scheme, opting for rich purples, reds and black. Demi-Leigh stunned in a strapless wine-coloured dress with beading by Anel Botha. The couple’s weekend events are all planned by celebrity planner Zavion Khotze.
The pair got married at the La Paris Estate in Franschhoek on January 20, 2020. South African celebrity wedding planner Zavion Khotze organised the day. The former Miss Universe wore an off-the-shoulder cowl-neck dress by Davids Bridal and Tim wore a tuxedo by Antar Levar.
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Picture: Instagram / Demi Tebow