Our First Weekend of Viewings: Groot Constantia

Saturday morning started off a bit rough as I had a bit of a Bridezilla moment, which ended up with me, alone, meeting my bridesmaid Bee at Groot Constantia. What an amazing place! It is HUGE and features 2 restaurants that we could use for the reception. Preferring Simon's menu, we started there and were shown the venue room at the back of the restaurant. It is pretty bare, which is actually ideal as that allows you to decorate as you please and create your ideal atmosphere. Inside the venue room is a bar, which is great for the cash bar.

Just while searching for that picture I realised just how much of the decorating I will have to do! None of those fairy lights were there, along with the ceiling draping.

As for the ceremony, the area outside the other restaurant, Jonkershuis, is absolutely stunning! It has a view over Constantia Valley and is beneath tall trees but it is not what the man showing us around mentioned as the ceremony spot. Hopefully they can be accommodating.

There is also an abundance of picturesque spots for the photo's afterwards. An old staircase, a Cape Dutch style house, vineyards, mountains, flowers, weeping willows. A definite photographers dream!

Next Matt and I went to Buitenverwagting. Of course it was beautiful but there was nobody on site who could show us around (I really find this strange considering when else are couples supposed to venue shop if not on the weekend). Luckily, there had been a wedding there that morning, which we found by an abandoned table and flower arrangements as well as rose petals on the floor. The view from this spot was not nearly as beautiful as Groot Constantia so it did not make the short list.

Klein Constantia does not have a venue but right next door, Little River (or something like that) does offer weddings. It was pretty disappointing as it seemed to be more of a team building place than a wedding venue.