As wedding season approaches in South Africa, 76% of brides report wedding day regrets due to poor planning. To help you avoid this, we’re sharing essential tips for your big day.
A report by Dana Rebecca Designs reveals that 76% of brides since 2010 have regrets about their wedding day, often due to poor planning.
Onwaba Gonyora, Director at Brahman Hills in KZN, highlights how 21st-century weddings have evolved, with couples marrying later, funding their own celebrations, and embracing personalisation.
As destination weddings gain popularity, Gonyora emphasizes the importance of meticulous planning to create a day filled with love, laughter, and lasting memories.
Here are Gonyora’s top wedding planning tips, followed by a list of top Nelson Mandela Bay wedding venues to help you start your planning journey.
Gonyora shares her top six wedding planning tips:
1. Start with the venue: The Knot, a leading wedding online marketplace, surveyed nearly 10,000 couples who married in 2023 and found that 75% of couples surveyed, ranked guest experience as their top priority. So, choosing a venue that matches your vision and budget, and ensures guests are well cared for is crucial for creating an enjoyable reception. Remember that your venue should be able to accommodate various weather conditions and offer beautiful photo settings.
For example, Brahman Hills, located in the stunning Blue Crane Nature Reserve, offers two wedding venues designed for all-weather romance. While one boasts internationally award-winning gardens, the other provides a backdrop of enchanting rolling hills, both perfect for ensuring captivating photos.
2. Secure a date: Most couples have a preferred month, but the exact date often hinges on venue availability. If you’ve set your sights on a popular venue like Brahman Hills and can’t secure a Saturday or Sunday in the month of your choice, consider opting for a weekday or public holiday. You are not only more likely to secure your desired month, but it often comes with discounted rates too.
3. Focus on what matters most to you: Few people have unlimited budgets, so prioritise what matters most to you as a couple – whether it’s the venue, the photographs, the dress, custom vows, or cherished traditions. This approach ensures your wedding day truly reflects your desires and unique love story.
4. Hire a Wedding Planner: Wedding planners provide guidance and ease the load by managing logistics and vendors and ensuring a smooth and seamless event. This is where a destination wedding can be advantageous as some places like Brahman Hills provide specialised teams to handle these details.
5. Food: Good food doesn’t make a wedding, but bad food can leave a bad taste in your guests’ mouths. The quality of the food, whether simple or extravagant, is crucial to your guests’ comfort and the day’s success. Therefore, ensure your chosen venue or caterers have a great reputation.
6. Vendor selection: 76% of respondents to The Knot survey followed wedding vendors on social media after their engagement. Ensure you entrust your wedding to experienced professionals who understand every aspect of creating a flawless event. This includes DJs, florists, photographers, makeup artists and cake designers. Because with the right support, a stress-free celebration is possible.
“Your wedding should be the ultimate celebration of your love story and a day to create beautiful, unforgettable memories, free of regrets. And with excellent planning and the perfect venue, you can. After all, you deserve nothing less than perfection,” concludes Gonyora.
Wedding Venues Nelson Mandela Bay
Here’s a comprehensive list of wedding venues in Nelson Mandela Bay, each linked to their respective websites:
- The Plantation
- Capacity: 10 – 200 guests
- Venue Type: Country / Scenic / Luxury / Elegant
- Running Waters
- Capacity: 70 – 450 guests
- Venue Type: Country / Scenic / Outdoor / Luxury / Elegant
- Slipperfields
- Capacity: 300+ guests
- Venue Type: Country / Scenic
- Royalston Lakehouse
- Capacity: Contact for capacity
- Venue Type: Country / Scenic / Safari / Wildlife
- The Rosebarn
- Capacity: 50 – 350 guests
- Venue Type: Country / Scenic / Luxury / Elegant
- The Vue
- Capacity: 120 guests
- Venue Type: Countryside / Scenic / Outdoor / Luxury
- Thatchwoods
- Capacity: Contact venue
- Venue Type: Country / Scenic / Outdoor
- Inniebos Wedding Venue
- Capacity: 150 guests
- Venue Type: Country / Scenic / Outdoor / Rustic
- African Sky’s Venue
- Capacity: 120 guests
- Venue Type: Country / Scenic / Outdoor
- St Francis Links Weddings
- Capacity: Contact venue
- Venue Type: Oceanview / Scenic / Outdoor / Luxury
- Lombardini Game Farm & Venue
- Capacity: 220 guests
- Venue Type: Countryside / Scenic / Outdoor / Unique
- The Beach Hotel
- Capacity: 80 guests
- Venue Type: City / Scenic / Beach
- The Boardwalk Hotel
- Capacity: 120 guests
- Venue Type: City / Scenic / Beachfront / Luxury
- Pine Lodge Reserve
- Capacity: 320 guests
- Venue Type: Countryside / Scenic / Beach
- Hacklewood Hill Country House
- Capacity: 20 guests
- Venue Type: Scenic / Beachfront
- Africanos Country Estate
- Capacity: 250 guests
- Venue Type: Scenic / Countryside / Outdoor / Luxury
- Estate 28
- Capacity: Contact venue
- Venue Type: Scenic / Countryside / Outdoor
- Plumbago Hills
- Capacity: Contact venue
- Venue Type: Scenic / Countryside / Outdoor / Rustic
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