Top 15 Winter Wedding Venues in South Africa
We all love a wedding with a unique twist, right? So why not go against the norm, and have a super luxe Winter Wedding? The Winter season allows for rich textures, warm and deep colours and brings an element of fairytale wonder. Are you sold? We thought so – but now you have to find the perfect venue… That’s why we decided to make your search easier by compiling a list of our favourite Winter Wedding Venues.
Our Top 15 Winter Wedding Venues in South Africa
1. Diamant Estate – Paarl
A historic wine cellar was beautifully renovated to create the magnificent main venue at Diamant Estate. The original Cape Dutch style was retained which made the architects and designers marry tradition with contemporary fittings such as: farm-sourced granite-clad walls, an oversized fireplace, large frameless glass doors and ‘floating’ onyx bar counters, plus the comfort of lounge pockets and under-floor heating.
Photos from Coba Photography
2. Highberry Vineyards – Somerset West
Recently completed in mid-2018, Highberry is a boutique winery which has recently established a brand new bespoke Somerset West Wedding Venue. Surrounded by breath-taking vistas of the Hottentot Holland mountain range, lakes, horse paddocks, lush lawns and vineyards – Highberry can be enjoyed by the large and spacious outside covered patios; making it rather difficult to compete with.
Photos from Coba Photography
ENQUIRE WITH HIGHBERRY VINEYARDS
3. Rosemary Hill – Gauteng
Rosemary Hill is a beautiful Farm Wedding Venue in Gauteng, just east of Pretoria. They have been farming organically and bio-dynamically since 1978 and are one of the biggest producers of Rosemary oil in South Africa. In addition to farming, they have 33km of trails that meander through the farm. Their objective is to provide an opportunity for all your friends and family to share a weekend away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Each wedding is set up from scratch using the unique facilities that they have available.
4. Usambara – Muldersdrift
Usambara offers the perfect exclusive venue for your wedding ceremony, with various spectacular settings to choose from. This elegant venue, situated in Muldersdrift in close proximity to Silver Star Casino, not only promises distinct quality and excellent service but also guarantees a memorable experience with style, grace and homestyle hospitality. With more than 20 years of service excellence, Usambara offers a variety of options for weddings the whole year round.
5. Collisheen Estate – Durban
Just thirty minutes from central Durban and an arm’s length from Ballito, Collisheen wedding venue offers a perfect destination for weddings of all kind.Two venues complete with their private chapels, beautiful gardens, bridal salon and outdoor arena with water feature and landscaped gardens, make this the perfect venue for stylish winter weddings.
Photo from Sean Baker Photography
ENQUIRE WITH COLLISHEEN ESTATE
6. Cathedral Peak Hotel – Drakensberg
Set in beautiful gardens, Cathedral Peak Hotel’s charming stone-and-thatch chapel has an expansive window behind the pulpit and boasts breathtaking views of some of the Drakensberg’s most beautiful mountains. Stone blocks and wooden beams from the original farmhouse and pews made of railway sleepers add to the unique and cosy appeal of this enchanting chapel. They also offer a variety of reception venues, superb menus, and their helicopter for unforgettable photographs. Their on-site experienced and professional banqueting team will ensure your wedding and reception runs smoothly and flawlessly.
ENQUIRE WITH CATHEDRAL PEAK HOTEL
7. Lupela Lodge – Eastern Cape
Lupela Lodge has views that only God could have created. There is peace, tranquillity and quietness, a presence of how great The Creator is. Their venue “OuKraal” is a sandstone building that can accommodate up to 180 guests on square or long tables. Glass and fairy lights add a classic charm to this 86 year old wool shed with a beautiful wooden floor.
8. Intle Boutique Hotel – Eastern Cape
Intle Boutique Wedding Venue is an exclusive upmarket hotel situated on its own private game reserve with breathtaking views and abundant free-roaming wildlife. The Hotel itself is beautifully designed with flowing decks that have spectacular views of the ocean, wilderness and mountains. The Signature restaurant @ Intle has exquisite food freshly prepared with in-season locally sourced ingredients from the famous Gamtoos valley. Signature’s food style is fresh fine dining with its roots firmly anchored in South African food. 
9. Khaya Ndlovu Manor House – Limpopo
Khaya Ndlovu Manor House is situated in the BIG 4 Rietspruit Game Reserve. It is a stone’s throw away from the bustling bushveld town of Hoedspruit in the Limpopo Province, South Africa – gateaway to the Greater Kruger area and Panorama Route. They have extraordinary views of the Drakensberg Mountain Range in the distance, which is home to the Blyde River Canyon, the third largest canyon in the world. They offer graded 4-star accommodation for up to 22 guests in their Manor House and surrounding Garden Suites, as well as a sit-down function venue for up to 140 guests, or more if a more relaxed cocktail-party style affair.
10. Florence Guest Farm & Wedding Venue– Mpumalanga
Florence is the perfect setting to create memories that will last a lifetime. The team have created a one-stop venue with a fairytale forest, a renaissance chapel, and a venue-hall beyond comparison with its old-world charm. Mooi-Nooi is the bride and her bridesmaids dressing haven, while The RamKamp is designed to please the groom and his men. Most of your guests are accommodated on the farm. They created a charming church outside in their children’s Enchanted Forest. The log seating easily accommodates up to 300 guests.
Photos from JC Click
11. Whispering Thorns – Mpumalanga
Whispering Thorns is a picturesque guest farm situated in White River, in the heart of the north eastern part of Mpumalanga, close to the Kruger National Park. The farm boasts a charming glass venue and chapel, along with a country guest house, which lends itself to a unique setting in which couples are able to experience their dream wedding. The contemporary design of their glass facaded venue and chapel, allow guests to encounter that perfect “get away” feeling.
12. Casa Cara Lodge – Free State
The Casa Cara brand was born in the year 2012 with a small luxurious guesthouse in a small country town of Parys which is situated in the Free State province of South Africa and it’s a perfect Free State wedding venue for you. It wasn’t long before the guesthouse burst out of it seems and had to add additional accommodation. After the runaway success of this venture, a second guesthouse, Casa Cara Vaal Dam was opened on the banks of the Vaal Dam at Deneysville which is also in the Free State. By meeting the market need for spectacular accommodation at reasonable rates and backed-up by great customer service the two guesthouses blossomed.
Thus, when a very special riverfront property became available on the Vaal River near Parys, Casa Cara grabbed the opportunity to grow their brand and offer further options to their established loyal clientele. After two years hard work on-site, Casa Cara is proud to announce their most impressive venue to date, the all-new Casa Cara Lodge an exclusive wedding venue which also features a children’s play park and pub-style restaurant.
13. Imla Guest Farm – Free State
The cornerstone of everything Imla Guest Farm flows from its Hebrew meaning: “Whom God will replenish. Whom God will fill up.” Five generations have created a winning culture for African conditions, building on the achievements of their predecessors. They are driven by the strong demand for family orientated recreational activities provided at an economical cost when compared to other wedding packages. They are dedicated to the customer demand for local food and experiences during the entire wedding celebration.
14. Leopard Lodge – Hartbeespoort
Leopard Lodge is your ultimate wedding venue for weddings of up to 200 guests. Their team of wedding coordinators pride themselves on service excellence. They will do all that they can to make your wedding day the most memorable ever. Personal services are their number one priority. All arrangements will be coordinated around your specific needs and requirements.
Boasting with spectacular views of the Hartbeespoort Dam and Magaliesberg mountain range it’s proven to be an ideal backdrop for bridal photographs taken on the wedding day. As part of the wedding package, a complimentary bridal suite will be booked for the bridal couple for the evening of the wedding; while the wedding guests can enjoy a discounted rate on all remaining rooms. 
Finding your venue is the first step in starting to plan your wedding. Once you’ve found the perfect Winter Wedding Venue you can start with all the other fun stuff! Keep an eye on the blog for more Winter Wedding Inspiration coming soon!
