Plan a Wedding in Johannesburg, South Africa
(Above) Johannesburg Wedding at Shepstone Gardens by Christopher Smith Photography}
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Getting married in Johannesburg, Guateng? We spoke to some of our favourite Joburg-based wedding stylists and co-ordinators, who shared their insights and expertise to planning the perfect wedding in Johannesburg. We’d like to send a massive thanks to Beatrix Events, La Promesse, Otto De Jager Events, Planning to Perfection, Tentworx and The Aleit Group for sharing their insights with our readers!
See our list of 11 Top Wedding Photographers Johannesburg, GautengHere’s what Johannesburg has to offer as a wedding destination that no other city in the country or world can offer couples:
Johannesburg Has Great Wedding Weather All Year Round
Weather in Johannesburg is generally very good for outside weddings, says Beatrix from Beatrix Events. Known as the “City of Gold”, the sun is usually shining in Johannesburg and the rest of the Gauteng province, adds Annemari and Annemi from La Promesse, which Llewellyn from Tentworx adds, can compliment your wedding all year round.
Johannesburg Boasts Exquisite Wedding Venues
The La Promesse ladies tell us that Johannesburg offers gloriously exquisite wedding venues. “It is diverse and unique in application, from great urban spaces reminiscent of the meat packing district of New York to parks reminiscent of London and venue spaces reminiscent of the Waldorf Astoria,” says Otto, founder of Otto De Jager Events. Although Johannesburg is a preferred wedding destination, Llewellyn adds that there are exquisite hidden jewels nestled around the Vaal-river in the southern Gauteng area.
Johannesburg City and Bush Setting in One
As a melting pot of cultures, Johannesburg offers a lively, pulsating and cosmopolitan setting in which to exchange your wedding vows, says the La Promesse team. On one hand, your wedding ceremony can take place at a farm venue and on the other hand, just a kilometer or two away, the beauty and the buzz of Johannesburg can form the backdrop to your wedding reception, explains Llewellyn. “Johannesburg can offer you a bush feel even though you are still in the city,” says Nicole from Planning to Perfection.
Top Class Service, Variety of Wedding Vendors and Competitive Rates
“Johannesburg is a world class city, with world class amenities,” says the La Promesse team. In addition to fantastic wedding planners, The Aleit Group explains that bridal couples are spoilt for choice from the great variety of venues and vendors. Moreover, Johannesburg maintains a very high standard of service when it comes to waitrons and offers more competitive rates due to many options.
Expert Tips for Planning A Johannesburg Wedding
Here are a few expert tips for planning a Johannesburg wedding:
- Consider the venue and traffic as peak hour traffic can cause delays.
- Have a back-up plan for a Summer wedding, as it is rainy season in Gauteng and Summer time showers and thunderstorms are a given!
- Start planning and book your venue way in advance as there is a high demand for beautiful venues in Johannesburg.
- Safe parking is essential.
- Find a venue that suites your budget and theme and then decide on a date around the availability of the venue.
- Secure the best vendors as soon as possible as most get snapped up quickly in Johannesburg.
- Always consider a venue that is wheelchair friendly and which is easily accessible to older guests.
- If you’re drawing up an anti-nuptial contract, it must be done timeously as the legalities can take a few weeks.
- Don’t settle for the first rate given, shop around for the best deal.
When to Get Married in Johannesburg
Shot by: Stella Uys Wedding Photography as featured in our list of 11 Top Wedding Photographers Johannesburg, GautengWondering what is the best time of year to get married in Johannesburg? Being in the Gauteng Highveld, weddings can take place 12 months of the year, says Llewellyn. There are breathtakingly beautiful venues in the Gauteng area, some more beautiful in Summer and others more cozy in winter. Regardless of the season, memorable weddings can be held during all four seasons in Gauteng. In particular, our experts agree that Johannesburg’s wedding season extends from Spring to Summer, and in the heart of Winter.
Spring Weddings in Johannesburg
September – November
Planning to Perfection prefers Springtime weddings around mid-September, when many of their favourite flowers become available on the market and there is no rain. “The weather is perfect, not to hot and not to cold,” explains Nicole.
Summer Weddings in Johannesburg
November – February
Johannesburg, during its early summer, in September or October, is very popular for weddings. With a light breeze to cool the warm temperatures down, day weddings are pleasant and evening affairs are balmy and enjoyable. According to Beatrix, an early Summer wedding during October or November is best. However, costs can run high. “Flowers will be more expensive as they are in high demand. Because it is peak season, venues and services need to be booked well in advance too,” advises Beatrix.
Light showers and brief, yet traffic-stopping thunderstorms are generally also expected in the heart of Summer, so be prepared with a Plan B. Fortunately these rains don’t last very long and sunshine is sure to follow shortly thereafter. To dodge the afternoon thunderstorms during the heat of the Summer months, The Aleit Group suggests a very late Summer wedding.
Autumn Weddings in Johannesburg
March – April
Summers can run longer before merging into Autumn, which runs from March to April. Autumn weddings are pleasant too, with the warmth of the Summer season still lingering, yet the costs of and demand for weddings are slightly less. There’s of course, also less chance of a torrential downpour interrupting your wedding programme.
Winter Weddings in Johannesburg
May – August
Winters in Johannesburg are dry and warm during the daytime with bone-chilling evenings, which means that you can still capture beautiful wedding photos during the day and enjoy an evening of celebration in a venue with a blazing fireplace. Otto believes that Winter is the best season for pulling out all of their creative and inspiring wedding ideas. “Weather doesn’t play foul and there are the most amazing flowers in winter,” says Otto . A winter wedding with guests nestled around fireplaces sipping port can be just as romantic as a Spring wedding on a hot summer Highveld day,” adds Llewellyn.
Where to Get Married in Johannesburg
Finding and securing your ideal wedding venue can become a real mission. Our expert wedding planners have revealed their top wedding venues in the Gauteng area. Each venue offers something unique that will appeal to different couples and different weddings, whether it be outdoor, indoors or tented weddings, indie, ultra-modern, rustic or vintage weddings. Find your Johannesburg wedding venue from our list below:
- Morrells Boutique Estate Wedding Venue offers boutique wedding venues with fabulous French themed décor.
- Shepstone Gardens Wedding Venue is based within an exquisite garden setting that is a delight to the eye.
- Memoire Wedding Venue offers fantastic food and top-class service in an exquisite venue.
- Katy’s Palace Bar Wedding Venue is a fantastical and artistic venue that boasts an incredible view of the city’s skyline from its rooftop.
- Turbine Hall Wedding Venue has an exceptional reputation in the wedding industry. Offering an industrial and modern backdrop, this world-class venue will make your wedding unforgettable.
- The Campus Wedding Venue is a mix of dreamy outdoor gardens and a jaw-dropping triple volume reception venue area.
- Arts On Main Wedding Venue is situated in the middle of the city, yet still offers a tranquil atmosphere to your wedding.
- Summerplace Wedding Venue is the ideal choice if you’re looking for a scenic and elegant wedding venue that provides impeccable service.
- Misty Hills Wedding Venue has a wonderful African theme to it, with a wonderful and welcoming support staff to help realise your dream wedding.
- The Fairway Hotel Wedding Venue is the venue to have if you’re after an outdoor wedding with exceptional class! The golf course will add to the natural feel of your wedding and the possibilities are endless.
To learn more about each venue, take a look at these 10 Lovely Johannesburg Wedding Venues.
Find Your Johannesburg Wedding Planner
Browse through our list of wedding planners in Johannesburg who offer experienced and professional service, an extensive network in the wedding industry and mountains of creativity and passion to help you realise your vision for your wedding day. Here are a few of our fave wedding stylists, planners and co-ordinators ready to take on your Johannesburg wedding:
The Aleit Group | South African Wedding Planning and Co-ordination
The Aleit Group are an event planning and co-ordination phenomenon, aiming to not only please, but to completely exceed their bridal couple’s expectations. Offering top-class service, they see to every step of planning and co-ordinating a wedding, from the big decisions such securing your venue and photographer to the tiny details that make up the decor and floral arrangements.
Otto De Jager Events | South African Wedding Planning and Co-ordination
A born creative, Otto from Otto De Jager Events lives, eats, sleeps and dreams of creating spectacular wedding occasions that are different from the norm. Completely tailored to suit the bridal couple, he plans and co-ordinates weddings all over the country, managing to do so with great customer care and his individual attention.
Beatrix Events | Johannesburg Wedding Planning and Co-ordination
Beatrix Events is on the ball when it comes to planning every detail of your wedding day according to every couple’s individual wants, desires and dreams! Driven by a love for weddings and a passion for planning, Their previous weddings have been huge successes, regardless of their theme, style or budget.
La Promesse | Gauteng Wedding Planning and Co-ordination
The professional mother-daughter team from La Promesse work efficiently to provide couples with a personal service to ensure that they understand their unique needs and ideas. Paying attention to every detail, they are equipped to plan and co-ordinate all of the action behind the scenes, so that the bride and groom can sit back in delight and soak up the beauty of their dream wedding come true.
Planning to Perfection | Johannesburg Wedding Planning and Co-ordination
The team of Planning to Perfection wedding planners and co-ordinators bring together the talents and efforts of various vendors in Johannesburg in order to provide you with a wedding celebration that reflects your style, personality and wishes as a couple. They are game to plan any kind of wedding, from an African bushveld wedding to a multi-cultural city-based affair, Planning to Perfection loves working with different bridal couples.
TentWorx | Johannesburg Wedding Planning, Co-ordination, Catering and Tent Hire
The professional Tentworx team gets a kick out of pulling off successful weddings for all of their couples. By taking care of every detail from setting up the venue, co-ordinating the decor and arranging delicious catering, the team pool their strengths and enthusiasm together to offer their couples a one-stop-shop service.
View these amazing wedding stylists work and learn about what services they offer, their pricing structures and how to get in touch with them here: Wedding Planners in Johannesburg Gauteng
Find Your Johannesburg Wedding Photographer
To capture every moment, emotion and detail of your day, you’ll need the right photographer. Before making your photographer choice, you’ll need some insight into their photography style, their approach to photography and their rates. To help you along, we’ve chatted to many top wedding photographers to find out about what makes them tick and what their makes them different from the rest:
- Dror Eyal Photography, Gauteng captures real moments and emotions unstaged and magical.
- Brett Florens Photography, Johannesburg enjoys capturing the visual fantasy surrounding weddings from a fashion or and editorial angle.
- Stella Uys Wedding Photography, Gauteng fuses the Beloved photographic technique with a timeless and romantic touch to capture emotion in an artistic way.
- Laura Jane Photography, Johannesburg are a husband and wife duo that captures romance in a fresh way!
- Louise Vorster Photography, Johannesburg looks to shoot moments in its natural lighting, which adds to her perfected soft vintage photo style.
- Creative Emporium Photography, Gauteng is made up of a hubbie and wife team that have a romantic, yet modern approach to photographing their couples.
- Van Der Bijl Photography, Gauteng are a dream husband and wife team that combine their unique talents to capture authenticity using a contemporary approach.
- Alana Meyer Photography, Johannesburg favours natural light and bringing out the best in her couples through her photography.
- Izelle Labuschagne Photography, Gauteng offers a photojournalistic style to document every fun and relaxed moment of your wedding day.
- Lauren Kim Photography, Johannesburg uses a photojournalistic approach to capture moments as they occur.
- Imaginary Photography, Gauteng does everything – candid, glam, artsy – all types of photography to capture her bridal couples in the most flattering ways.
- Jaco Viljoen Photography, Johannesburg is all about capturing fun, candid, beautiful and emotional photos.
Learn more about these Johannesburg photographer’s styles, rates, contact details and most importantly (wink wink), why we love them! Take a look at our showcase of their pretty pics here: 11 Top Wedding Photographers Johannesburg, Gauteng
Johannesburg Wedding Planning Resources
Plan your Johannesburg wedding by delving headfirst through our fabulous collection of top wedding venues, amazing wedding photographers and wonderful wedding planners in the Johannesburg and Gauteng region:
- 10 Lovely Johannesburg Wedding Venues
- 11 Top Wedding Photographers Johannesburg, Gauteng
- Wedding Planners in Johannesburg Gauteng
Three cheers and a big thanks to the wedding experts that contributed to this feature: Beatrix Events | La Promesse | Otto De Jager Events | Planning to Perfection | Tentworx | The Aleit Group
And, if you’re planning a wedding in the Mother City, check our in depth guide to getting married in Cape Town here: Weddings in Cape Town {Ultimate Guide}