by Michelle Snaddon
Underpinning every aspect of celebrating this season is a move towards more intimate events for everything from milestone birthdays, special family occasions and engagements to weddings that reflect the unique personalities of the bridal couple or family involved.
A sense of intimacy is key and is reflected in everything from the choice of venue to a favourite dish on the menu, a central flower that holds special meaning, a bespoke cocktail, and loads of fun details that add layers of nuance and meaning to make it most memorable and to set the event apart from everyone else’s.
‘What we are seeing is clients’ searching for something completely unique,’ says Mandy Watson, Wedding Curator, Perfect Hideaways. ‘They are wanting to paint a blank canvas their way, in their combined signature style, often against an extraordinary backdrop that lays the foundation for a myriad creative layers.’
How to choose your celebration venue
What sets the Perfect Hideaways Weddings and Celebrations team apart is their knowledge of all the venues, their size limitations and special conditions, saving you an enormous amount of time (and stress) in your search as they’ll match you to the perfect property. In addition, our Wedding Curator is able to help you choose a venue that is convenient for your guests, many of whom might be international and require accommodation nearby, transfers, onward safari bookings or even babysitting for their kids during your celebration.
No matter the celebration, one of the biggest financial decisions you make is your venue so it makes sense to work with someone who understands your budget and style from word go. You need to have all the facts at hand, a detailed brief and a mood board to save time and kickstart the conversation.
‘This is your springboard, the start of the creative process and to finding the perfect match. Our country is so unique, and as a result we represent so many ‘genres’, so many beautiful landscapes and such diverse settings,’ says Mandy. ‘There is an interesting mix of individuality evolving from couples’ briefs. I hear a lot of sentimentality coming through when I first chat to potential clients and now even grooms are coming to the fore – sometimes at the last minute, but they do get involved! Sometimes the opening brief is “he’s wearing a pink suit and I’m going barefoot” or “I want spectacular and a sense of theatre”. The end result? A wedding bursting with fusion and character, completely symbolic, and unmistakably personal to the couple saying “I do”!’ says Mandy.
Luke Krone, master of the theatrical and entertainment at events, takes this up a notch. Having studied drama, his passion for the unexpected is delightful, and he never ceases to surprise at his weddings or corporate events. As a result, he only does about 10 highly creative events or celebrations a year, each one showcasing to international guests just how magical our destination is – particularly the iconic beauty of the Cape Winelands.
‘The industry has come back stronger than before, everyone has realised how important it is to take the opportunity to celebrate every special moment, to be together, and to have fun,’ says Luke. ‘Our events are about pure escapism of reality – it’s about creating a fantasy for a few hours. It’s about nostalgia, about personal memories… after all, the people you work with on events become part of your life for at least a year while planning!’
Where to start?
‘We listen, we dream together, and we go back time and time again to get it right, to match our client to a venue and then recommend a coordinator we think will suit their taste. It’s hugely, hugely personal. We have to find out what they want – we need to know about what’s in their head, in their imagination, their memories… we go beyond mood boards to find a venue that delivers,’ says Mandy Watson, ‘whether it’s for an anniversary, elopement, bar mitzvah, 50th party, renewal of vows or a wedding. It’s only then that we get to the heart of the brief, and I begin to hear a lot of sentimentality and nostalgia coming through – often to honour someone special who can’t be there.’
Why use a coordinator for planning and design?
It goes without saying that coordinators in South Africa are some of the best in the world, often because of the extraordinary exposure on social media today, but we know that everyone is constantly looking for something new, a place no one has heard of as yet… which is where our team comes in. The Perfect Hideaways Weddings team works together with planners, and the team has event-planning experience. They also know who is best at corporate events, who is the most inventive and creative if a challenging brief comes through, and who will keep their cool under pressure.
Hiring a planner takes all the stress out of the event on the day, but also allows you to tap into design trends, get your stationery designed, and all furnishing and personalised accessories coordinated via a team who is close to you and manages the entire process. They are on the ground, which is essential for anyone planning an event long distance. In the end, it is likely that you’ll make fewer costly mistakes and everything will dovetail and be styled with ease. Handing over to a professional leaves you time to relax and enjoy your milestone birthday or very special wedding day, often with guests who have travelled from around the world to be with you.
Why not elope?
Elopements are still huge, for many reasons. Many couples have families all over the world and would rather go and spend time with them than spend their entire celebration budget on one day. Others simply want to keep it small and private. For those who do, we have some very special private villas in spectacular locations for these special ceremonies.
Want to escape all the fuss? There’s a hideaway waiting for the two of you: this is near Cederberg Ridge in the foothills of the rugged Cederberg mountains near Clanwilliam, three hours’ drive from Cape Town
Why size matters!
A very practical but important note is one of guest numbers. Events for below 80 guests are the easiest to find a venue for. The biggest consideration is the season, and sound limitations or restrictions at the venue itself. Remember the bigger your event, the noisier it will be and that municipal bylaws for noise restrictions apply – no matter where you choose to have a wedding. The more remote, the better. Luckily, Perfect Hideaways has a number of hideaways in remote locations but often these aren’t convenient for guests travelling in from afar. An ideal number for any celebration is under 80 but up to 120 guests still gives you a good choice of private venues.
Top venues exclusive to Perfect Hideaways
KwaZulu-Natal
Sophia’s Retreat, KwaZulu-Natal (small celebrations)
Hemyock Farm, KwaZulu-Natal (small to large)
Magaliesburg
Owlswood, Magaliesburg (small to medium)
Other more remote destinations:
Settler’s Drift, Eastern Cape (small to medium)
Thonga Beach Lodge, KwaZulu-Natal (small)
Perlo do Mar, Mozambique (small to medium)
Garden Route
Bobbejaanskloof, Plettenberg Bay (small)
Winelands
Maison Franschhoek (medium)
Key to the Mountains, Franschhoek (small to large)
Staart Farm, Paarl (small)
- A spectrum of colour
Bright and bold colours that spark happiness and reflect the joie de vivre of the occasion and personalities of the wedding couple are taking over from traditional pastel palettes.
Statement colour palettes are more considered than ever, with the bridal couple consciously showcasing their favourite hues instead of simply following what is in fashion. ‘Colour is really in: not Smartie-box colour, but pairing colour elements together and adding personal flair,’ explains Lauren Kelz.
A more sophisticated take on this trend is a tonal palette of your favourite colour – dusky pinks and milky chocolate-coloured candles and roses or carnations are currently popular. While giving the illusion of restraint, this approach allows for lots of layering and clever design.
Ten Top Trends for 2024
2024 is all about starting with a blank canvas, dressing it abundantly and celebrating individuality. Doing something different! Here are our top 10 trends for the season:
- Personalisation and intimacy
The single biggest change we’ve spotted is the trend towards smaller, more intimate celebrations. This allows scope for even greater personalisation, with an emphasis on reflecting the values and personalities of both partners or even a corporate client.
Destination wedding coordinator Anna Marcelle notes: ‘In 2024, wedding trends are shifting towards a more considered and curated approach to styling. Couples are opting for a purposeful, less over-the-top aesthetic.
The colour palettes of choice are either earth tones and neutral shades for an elegant, understated look, or vibrant, colourful garden florals to infuse joy and energy into the celebration.
This harmonious blend of intentional design and colour selection reflects the growing desire for weddings that feel authentic and intimately tailored to the couple’s personalities and values.’
(Flowers by Fleur le Cordeur, Anna Marcelle Weddings, Krust Photo)
(Flowers by Fleur le Cordeur, Anna Marcelle Weddings, Krust Photo)
Another significant plus of a small event is that you can spend much more time with each guest, as wedding planner Lauren Kelz points out. She adds: ‘Quality over quantity is my approach. Attention to detail is critical, and a smaller, more intimate celebration means you can truly follow through on this. I believe in good quality tableware: good comfortable chairs, beautiful quality table linen and often larger quantities are simply not available for big events.’
- Interactivity and a sense of theatre
Wedding and event venues that offer a variety of beautiful spaces which can be individually curated to host a series of engaging mini gatherings or a ‘journey’ of events throughout the celebration are sought after. Often pop-up food-cart snacks or cocktail tasting tables open the event, which is paced with entertainment such as ballet or ribbon dancers and live musicians to keep things relaxed and flowing.
The main dinner can be a rather glamorous and traditional moment with hundreds of candles for atmosphere or harvest-table style, usually with absolutely glorious floral installations. After speeches, it’s time to dance the night away – with a beautifully styled dessert station set up close to midnight to keep the energy up.
Often there’s a cut off time for music so the trend is to move to a more sound-proof location at the venue if music is set to carry on until the wee hours! Couples who’ve chosen coordinators who are mindful of all these elements and are experienced in pulling all these factors together tell us that they love the way their guests got to mingle and enjoy the informal, relaxed flow and warmth of their celebration.
Currently trending: dusky pinks on everything from stationery to crockery, cakes and furniture… to hanging floral installations and gossamer-light fabric (Floral installation Okasie, photography by Charlene Schreuder, Luke Krone Events)
- The power of flowers
Abundance is the order of the day. Dutch Masters-inspired florals lead the way. Think full blooms of every variety artfully arranged together with harvest table-style centrepieces laden with fruit, the air heady with fragrance. This palette also gives you the opportunity to play with darker colours and big, architectural arrangements.
Everywhere, there’s an abundance of flowers, often evocative of Dutch Masters’ paintings, with many large arrangements creating altars. (Photos Pritti by Migneon Marais).
Tropical brights are also having their moment in the sun, with massed orchids in hot hues adding drama and a sculptural quality. And even the classic white colour scheme with fresh greenery is being revitalised with an abundance of gypsophila or baby’s breath sometimes taking centre stage. Or the addition of splashes of a single vivid colour – think bright dahlias in all colours or masses of delicate white orchids.
Floral designer, Daniel Ferreira (known as DP), from Ecozest in Knysna in the Garden Route tends to do more relaxed celebrations and often travels to remote locations. In many ways, his role becomes one of ‘wedding designer’ for smaller events as he pulls all the elements together first before placing flowers. ‘I love site-specific styling,’ he says.
‘Sometimes we mix our flowers with fruits from a farm down the road for simple yet quirky styling that is appropriate for the venue. Recently, we did the concept and styling for a dinner in a 100-year-old beach house on a farm called Brandfontein. All the flowers were picked in the veld and tables laid with hundreds of paper nautilus collected by different generations and we used all the old service ware that I found in the house.’
Tip: Some brides are allocating a large portion of their budget to statement flowers at the moment but single blooms can be exquisite in between hundreds of candles… a more sustainable trend, and ideal for milestone birthdays.
- Floral installations
Nothing elevates the ambience more than Insta-worthy hanging florals (and sometimes eco balloons!) suspended en masse from the ceiling. Eye-catchingly dressed ceilings studded with twinkling fairy lights or gossamer-light draped fabrics in between fragrant blooms go with every style of wedding celebration, and transform the space into a whimsical and enchanting dreamscape. They are sublimely photogenic too, while making for a less-cluttered space in which guests can freely mingle. They also make a large, voluminous space feel so much more cosy, and are particularly good for absorbing sound, especially the clatter of cutlery and chatter when guests are eating at tables.
Now, more than ever, couples are creating flower ‘altars’ for outdoor weddings and private hideaways. They’re installations in their own right and are often set up in a completely different area of the venue, giving the guests an experiential ‘journey’ during the event.
- Wedding scentscaping
‘Events are all about the senses, particularly scent and touch,’ says Lauren Kelz. Scents make a strong impression on our emotions – olfactory memories are as powerful as they are subliminal – so it makes sense (ha!) to incorporate a personally customised fragrance into your special celebration. Initially popularised by Kate Middleton who famously scented Westminster Abbey with her favourite Jo Malone fragrance on her wedding day, incorporating your scent into the celebrations is a fabulous way to add a personal touch. Think customised blended candles on each table and scented votive candles as wedding favours, diffusers, room sprays, wax melts and scented paper for wedding stationery.
Aura is one South African company that specialises in scenting your wedding or corporate event while Jo Malone’s delicious range will help you create a fragrant wedding that is uniquely yours. Companies such as Amazing Scents will custom-make unique candles, reed diffusers and room sprays.
- Documentary-style photography and videography
Gone are the days of stiffly posed wedding photos! On demand right now is a candid record of your wedding celebrations using documentary-style professional photography and cinematography. The effect is more intimate and authentic, with spontaneous shots capturing tender moments and happy interactions.
Adding to the beautiful memories are black-and-white photos, captivating film editing, and candid snaps from disposable cameras supplied to guests. Drone photography/videography adds extra glamour and depth.
Tip: The best wedding photographers in South Africa are in huge demand and often booked for international weddings, so get your date confirmed early. Make sure you pay your deposit and secure the date soonest.
Hire a content creator and wedding photographer who will capture the sheer joy of the event. (Photography by Charlene Schreuder, Luke Krone Events)
- Hiring a content creator
Hot right now is the brand-new trend of booking a social-media content creator to shoot informal videos and behind-the-scenes snaps on a phone. This professional posts real-time images and reels to your favourite socials like Instagram or TikTok, or will work with you to schedule approved reels and posts after the event.
Tip: Let your guests know ahead if you don’t want them to post during your wedding. This gives you licence to request that your wedding party and guests put down their phones and show up in the moment!
- Dress codes for guests
A contemporary side effect of being social-media savvy is that couples are providing their guests with dress codes, often in the form of a range of colours they invite their guests to wear. This makes for fantastic photographs and videos (almost as good as booking a stylist for all your guests).
The trick is to be as inclusive as possible – if you’re going colourful, include hues that suit a wide range of people; even better if you can print reference colour blocks somewhere on your wedding stationery. If your dress code is more specific, be sure to give your guests plenty of advance warning.
Tip: This extends to close family too – there’s nothing worse than one family member being under-dressed or wearing shocking pink if your palette is subtle, sophisticated and muted. They will stand out like a beacon in your family photos, so be aware that everyone needs a little nudge or guidance early on. The best plan is to gift your mum and mum-in-law an outfit from your couturier!
10. Sculptural cakes are making a comeback!
For a while, cakes took a back seat, but the past few months have seen a delightful comeback of old-fashioned piping on cakes, exquisite detailing and even sculptured effects on cakes. Flowers are used frequently to dress a cake, while others choose icing to create effect. They’re fun, different and highly personal, no matter the occasion.
And finally, family events and celebrations, particularly weddings that unite friends from all over the world are seeing extended welcome events and after parties so that everyone can see each other for at least three days or more – something to be considered at the time of booking.
Traditionally this has always been the case for Indian weddings with the henna or Mehndi ceremony the night before the wedding, the Nikah ceremony of marriage and the actual reception, but now this extended celebration style applies to many destination weddings and events.
‘We used to be a year or six months behind the trends across the pond, but now South Africa has its own style,’ says Luke Krone, wedding planner. ‘We’re setting the trends. At least 250 new weddings are listed on social media a week and it is believed that last year 13 000 weddings in America cost $1 million or more each… So, besides being job creators in Africa, what we’re offering to the international market is great value – and our locations are drop-dead gorgeous!’
‘It’s true,’ Luke adds, ‘that it takes a village to create a wedding!’
South Africa offers a superb range of destination wedding settings (iconic Chapman’s Peak Drive photoshoot, top left) with luxury accommodation at many beautiful private hideaways (Cloudbreak, below right, near Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Cape Town).
Planning a milestone birthday? Family celebration? Wedding? Email Mandy Watson, Wedding Curator, Perfect Hideaways Weddings now on [email protected]
View more Wedding Hideaways here.
