Forever and for always
"Location, location, location" is as much the mantra of engaged couples in search of a wedding venue as real estate agents, with the winelands an increasingly popular choice. Leigh Robertson takes a peek at two contemporary winelands weddings.
Photography: Carrie Woolley / Jean-Pierre Uys
There comes a time in most people's lives when, after perhaps years or even decades of trial and error, with the odd broken heart left along the way, "The One" is finally recognised and the emotion-filled question delivered.
When she (or he) hopefully replies with an ecstatic "yes", it's not long before the pressing matters of "when" and "where" arise. Of course, timing and venue are closely linked, as they are with budget, that most essential of all considerations.
Short of eloping to a nearby dorp for an unadorned civil service sans meddling family, the happy couple is pretty much expected to mark the occasion of their wedding with a splash-out party. It's a rite of passage most couples wouldn't dream of forgoing. And when it comes to choosing the appropriate spot for their special day, more and more couples are opting for the winelands. And that's not just Western Cape residents, but those from Gauteng and other provinces in South Africa as well as from overseas.
Christina Holt, founder and MD of Cape-based wedding management consultancy, Wedding Concepts, says Britons in particular are flocking here to get hitched and have their honeymoon all in one go, often with an entourage of friends all making a holiday out of it. Apart from the favourable exchange rate, according to a survey conducted by Cape Town Tourism, the region gets their thumbs up mostly as a "good food and wine destination", while it's also perceived as "beautiful" and "relaxing".
Here's a reason to be interested: As many as 80% of the international weddings managed by Wedding Concepts are in the winelands, says Holt, with the remainder on the beach or in Cape Town itself.
There's never been a shortage of atmospheric cellars and converted barns, all with pretty gables and vineyard backdrops, available for hire in popular wine producing areas like Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. But the last five years has seen a mushrooming of wine estates and farms diversifying their offering to provide much more than just a venue. And that also goes for less commercial parts of the winelands such as Elgin and Darling.
Weddings have become big business, and the more savvy estate owners are offering the full spectrum of what the bridal party might need, from food and wine to five star accommodation. It's all about providing a bespoke "wedding experience" rather than a generic production-line affair. And with the involvement of wedding coordinators, it's literally a case of the sky being the limit.
All about the wine
So enamoured with the winelands was one Johannesburg couple that they tasked Wedding Concepts with designing what Holt describes as "a true wine country wedding; stylish, easy, relaxed and memorable".
As wine lovers, and particularly "Champagne junkies", Warren and Christine Bond, a sophisticated couple in their mid-30s who live between Joburg and London, wanted the stuff to flow freely, with the setting utilised so that their friends could get the most out it.
Their wedding at Webersburg Estate in Stellenbosch was a "decadent yet understated" affair for 140 South African and international guests, with the wine theme hinted at in aspects of the décor - shades of green and vine leaf motifs - and even the cake with its grape decoration.
Wedding design expert Gisela Harck created tented outdoor lounge areas in elegant white, where guests - asked to dress in pale colours and greeted with paper parasols - could relax and take in the scenery. She added romantic touches like the wrought-iron words "love", "cherish", "fun" and "play" suspended from the trees, and hand-made lampshades featuring the couple's initials.
Defying convention, the couple mingled with guests prior to the sunset ceremony, eating canapés and quaffing bubbly - three 6-litre bottles of Laurent-Perrier had been especially hoarded for the occasion. The newly-weds were later received by friends bearing sparklers rather than predictable confetti, and everyone danced to their favourite song (and a few more) before being seated for dinner.
Proving that the days of dull buffets are long over, the food was served in out-sized platters for guests to share rather than individually plated. Miniature desserts, also on platters, were put out for guests to nibble on a whim, as the evening took on a distinct nightclub feel with a cocktail bar a focal attraction.
Warren and Christine, Webersberg
ON THE MENU...
Pre-ceremony canapés
Starter:
Potato blinis with smoked Franschhoek trout, crème fraiche & caviar
Main Course:
Roasted medallions of beef fillet with Béarnaise sauce
Roasted fillet of Norwegian salmon
Minted couscous salad; Char-grilled Mediterranean vegetables; Potato wedges; Spinach & tomato salad; Ciabatta with Olive Oil & Balsamic
Dessert:
Vanilla pod crème brûlée
Homemade ice cream: chocolate, honeycomb, strawberry & vanilla
Almond tuille baskets filled with white chocolate mousse and passion fruit
WINES:
White & Rosé wine:
Haute Cabrière Chardonnay Pinot Noir
Klein Constantia Sauvignon Blanc
Dalla Cia 2007
Pinehurst Rosé
(From Webersburg wine list)
Red wine:
Webersburg Cabernet Merlot Blend 2002
Webersburg Cabernet Sauvignon 2000
Sparkling wine & Champagne:
Graham Beck Brut NV
Graham Beck Rose NV
Laurent Perrier
Fine art and fine dining
It's sometimes said (mostly by out-of-towners) that Cape Town is wasted on its locals, who don't make the most of the city and its surrounds in the same way visitors do. Not so Capetonians Simon and Nikki Ellis, who decided to go large when it came to their wedding day, and chose Grande Provence in Franschhoek as their venue.
The artistic couple wanted a sophisticated celebration with gourmet cuisine in a setting that reflected their individualistic tastes. What better than a sit-down dinner in this modern-looking wine estate's sleek contemporary art gallery?
While briefing Wedding Concepts to provide their 110 guests with an event characterised by "understated elegance", the couple brought several quirkily creative, personal elements to the occasion. On arrival, friends were asked to write their blessings on a small card to be pinned onto the ceremony gazebo. Late, over dinner, they were given drawing pads and asked to create portraits of the newly-weds; a portrait previously sketched by an artist friend was used for the wedding invitations and canvas drops as part of the décor.
After the outdoor ceremony, the guests sipped sparkling wine topped with fresh strawberry skewers and snacked on oysters in shallot vinaigrette, beef teriyaki, smoked salmon rostis and other nibbly fare on the lawn to the sounds of an Afro-jazz band. As the sun dipped behind the mountains, they were ushered into the gallery for the three-course dinner, topped off with three different flavoured wedding cakes.
Out in the courtyard, the guys got to enjoy their gifts of fine cigars, while the girls could keep their cool after all the dancing courtesy of pretty fans. And just in case anyone was still hungry, the late-night snack of mini gourmet burgers would have gone down a treat.
Simon and Nicki, Grande Provence
ON THE MENU...
Starter:
Baked leek and gruyere tart with garden leaves and herb vinaigrette
Sorbet:
Champagne sorbet & berry sorbet
Main Course:
Pan-fried Norwegian salmon with crushed potatoes and asparagus, chive beurre blanc and keta
Oven-roasted grainfed beef fillet with mushrooms, braised oxtail crepinette and rosti potatoes with red wine sauce
Dessert:
Wedding Cake
Cheeses:
Cheese plate with estate olives, preserves, biscuits and anchovy sticks
Midnight Snack:
Mini Hamburgers
WINES:
White wine:
Angels Tears white
Landau Du Val Semillon
Red wine:
Angel Tears Red
Bellevue Pinotage
Sparkling wine:
Pongracz
Winelands weddings - do the math:
- Average-size weddings have guest lists of 80 to 100 people.
- Top-end weddings cost from approximately R 2 000 per person upwards - including all services pertaining to the day
- Venue hire from R6 000 to R100 000 for the most desirable properties (often including accommodation)
- Marriage officer including legal costs R2 000 to R3 000 (depending whether international or local couple)
- Three-course menu and canapés from R220 per person
- Bar including wines, sparkling wines and spirits from R180 per person
