Our Top 3: Garden & Outdoor Wedding Venues in the Cape

29 / 09 / 16

Moira_West_Photography Outdoor Wedding Venues Cape Town

With summer on its way, we find ourselves warming up again to the idea and reality of planning outdoor weddings − my favourite!

There's something special about outdoor and garden weddings. What could be better for a bridal couple and their families and friends than being surrounded by the incomparable beauty of nature? Think of your wedding set on spacious grounds with a majestic backdrop of mountains and trees, providing a private and tranquil setting for you and your guests to enjoy. And outdoor weddings always make for beautiful photographs.

When referring to an ‘outdoor’ wedding venue, this includes multifunctional outdoor/indoor venues, or those which offer unique facilities that combine the experience of the outdoors with all the assurances of indoor conveniences.

Today’s blog post aims at narrowing down the long list of breathtakingly beautiful outdoor and garden wedding venues which the Cape offers. We hope this will make the task of finding the perfect outdoor venue a little easier.

Nooitgedacht

Nooitgedacht...

ImageMoira West Photography Nooitgedacht Wine Estate Wedding Venue

Historic, old-worldly, charming, authentic, Cape Dutch.

Without compromising the authenticity or integrity of its historic farm buildings, Nooitgedacht Estate has been upgraded and now boasts indoor and outdoor ceremony and reception options. This includes a chapel that can seat up to 170 and a very spacious banquet hall (old cellar) that can take up to 260 guests.

Situated just 40 minutes from Cape Town, Nooitgedacht is a classic example of a Cape winelands estate − and is a photographer’s dream. Beautiful gardens, a historic manor house, tall 100-year-old oak trees as well as chapel. The estate is also dense with vineyards and fruit orchards, set against the backdrop of the Stellenbosch Mountains.

Choose the chapel or the vast grounds of Nooitgedacht Estate. Both offer charismatic wedding ceremony options that include the expansive lawns and gardens or the magnificent oak-framed lane, where your guests will be seated under the shade of oak trees. C'est très romantique!

For reception, think outdoor marquee or long banquet tables down the middle of the oak tree-lined road for a warm summer’s evening under the stars!

Nearby photo opportunities are plentiful, with rolling vineyards, orchards and dams offering memorable settings.

The Conservatory

Located in the breath-taking Franschhoek Valley, The Conservatory offers a space in which you and your guests forget suburbia and the city exist, and all the world is country. Set among vineyards and ancient oaks, this wedding venue is a hidden gem.

Using light and energy as key components, the interior and architectural design of The Conservatory make this the perfect wedding venue for both summer and winter, bringing the beauty of the outdoors inside. Built in a contemporary style, vast expanses of glass allow natural light to infuse the interior. This flows out onto a garden patio where you’re surrounded by the tranquillity of nature.

Alongside The Conservatory is an outdoor wedding ceremony area with tall trees towering above. This can accommodate up to 50 guests. With a flow indoors and outdoors, the venue can accommodate up to 250 guests.

Spoilt for choice of outdoor entertainment areas, there is a sparkling blue pool with a barbeque area, a serene terrace with built-in pizza oven and a relaxing river deck with splendid views onto the surrounding mountains.

Elandskloof

Elandskloof is a new elegant and exclusive wedding, event and conference venue.

Set against the backdrop of the majestic Riviersonderend mountain range, the natural beauty of Elandskloof is breath-taking, making it a spectacular destination for special events and idyllic weddings. With on-site accommodation, it’s the perfect place for a destination wedding. Turn your wedding into a week-end to be enjoyed with your friends and family at Elandskloof. The wedding packages offer you exclusive use of the whole farm as a venue, as well as accommodation for the bridal couple and their guests.

The beautiful grassy areas next to the weirs offer a lovely serene setting for an outdoor wedding ceremony, morning tea or picnics. The surrounding forested area provides a magical setting for a more informal outdoor summer reception. The Stone Barn function venue can comfortably hold up to 250 guests and has an adjoining area which is ideal for an indoor ceremony.