The Nashes

We didn’t have an exact vision of what we wanted our venue to look like – we just knew what we wanted our wedding to feel like.

We turned venue hunting into a series of weekend getaways around the country – a tour of game lodges near the Kruger, wine farms in the Cape. All exquisite places we easily could have chosen.

But then we arrived at Kirstenvale. And we knew. There is a magic about it that is a lot to do with the beautiful landscape, and the animals that roam around it. A herd of zebra as you drive in. A giraffe wandering past your chalet.

It’s partly to do with the many ceremony and reception options, all of which are absolutely gorgeous. (We chose to get married in a perfect clearing shaded by acacia trees, and have our reception on the viewing deck under strings of fairy lights – they’re both as dreamy as they sound.)

It’s also because you’re able to spend a whole weekend with all your guests on the farm, which is exclusively yours for walks, game drives, braais – and a wedding.

But the heart of the magic, we came to see, are the threads woven through every facet of your experience by the owners, Matt and Kirst. Not only are they incredibly professional and responsive, but they were also so ready to make any unusual requests a reality – something we really didn’t experience anywhere else. And they’re just so… nice! In the sense that, as we were driving to our venue for our wedding weekend, I said to my partner, “I’m actually also just excited to see Kirst again.”

We felt so lucky to have discovered the venue while it was still new and we had a choice of dates. Because there’s zero doubt that that’s going to change fast – it already has.

Kirstenvale is an absolute gem. It’s a location that was convenient for pretty much none of our wedding guests. But, as one of our friends said the minute she drove through the gates: “I totally get it.”

It’s magic.