Wedding Venue 5: Canelands Beach Club

The final stop on our venue escapade was Canelands Beach Club in the heart of Salt Rock.

Canelands is an elegant beach club situated a stone's-throw away from the beach, with a unique homely atmosphere, brought about by open-plan kitchen and bar areas.

The ceremony is also held on the beach, with the option to move it indoors should it be required. With the venue being situated right on the beach, it lends itself to a wonderfully casual environment, while still making guests feel like they are being treated to the very best.

The venue can only accommodate 20 persons, however, being situated in the heart of Salt Rock, accommodation is not lacking. The rooms are fresh, and exude an atmosphere of a seaside haven.

 A beautifully simplistic venue, with views that take your breath away! 



Wedding Venue 4: Palm Dune Beach Lodge

After The Caledon we made our way to our first beach venue, hidden along the coastline of Blythedale - Palm Dune Beach Lodge, where we met a very entertaining Indian manager :)

The venue invites you into a Bali-inspired haven hidden amongst the tropical lushness of the Dolphin Coast.

The advantage of this venue is that there are a variety options for the service and the reception respectively.

The first option is for the service to be held on the beach, but should the weather be less than favourable the service can be moved to the deck / restaurant / top level patio. After-service drinks are served down on the beach, and with views of the sea it will most certainly keep your guests occupied while photos are being taken.

The reception can also be held at any of the top venues, but I have to say that I'm more than a little biased to the deck which is situated just off the beach but is sheltered by a thicket of natural foliage.

 

The accommodation is tastefully decorated, and is more than sufficient to accommodate all guests.

 



All around a full-packaged offer!

Wedding Venue 3: The Caledon Hotel

Venue 3 takes us away from the Midlands and down to the North Coast.

The Caledon Hotel is a 4-star boutique hotel which is situated in Umhlali.

Sally took us around the venue, and was extremely helpful and efficient - thank you! 
The ceremony would be held in the garden, with guests having welcome drinks on the pool deck. Should the weather not hold up, there is an alternative option of having the service in part of their restaurant.

Even though the ceremony areas are beautiful, I do feel that this venue lends itself more to hosting the reception only, and it would be more suitable to conduct the service at a nearby chapel.

The reception room is a fresh, simple area, which will lend itself to any decor theme. The room also opens up onto the gardens through stunning seamless glass doors.

The rooms define seamless sophistication, and are inviting to any seasoned traveller. 





 A chic venue, with a real focus on design!

Wedding Venue 2: The Windmills

Venue 2 is situated just down the road from The Bend, in Currys Post.

The Windmills is a newly renovated boutique hotel, previously known as Stonehaven.

The venue has combined the rustic nature of the reserve it's situated on with the contemporary design of a modern hotel, which ties together with a beautiful sublety.
 
The main feature of this venue is their cutting-edge chapel, which overlooks their dam, and is just breathtaking!

The chapel boasts under-floor heating and a fireplace.

The reception is held in their dining hall, which is a short walk away from the chapel.

The reception area includes another fireplace, and beautiful wooden floors.

Thanks to the GM at The Windmills, we were treated to a free night's stay, which allowed us to taste the food, and I can say it was scrumptious.

A unique venue with very welcoming staff!

Wedding Venue 1: The Bend Country House

The first stop on our venue sightseeing voyage was The Bend Country House situated outside Nottingham Rd on a 1400 hectare nature estate.

This style of venue is a bit out of our normal taste, but I figured it would be important to look at an array of venues, as you never know what might grab your heart!

We were definitely pleasantly surprised, as the setting was just gorgeous.

The wedding ceremony can be held in 2 areas, a traditional chapel set just behind the main house, or an outside ceremony alongside the river.

The reception is held next to the indoor chapel, and overlooks the estate:



The accommodation has a colonial feel to it, and your guests are able to enjoy the entire estate for themselves, as the venue do not allow outside bookings on the night of your wedding.

 A true country experience!

Weddings and stuff...

So next year is the year of reckoning...our wedding! :)

Now I'm not exactly a girlie-girl, so I haven't been planning my BIG Day since I was 5, and I have to admit I am rather out of my comfort zone.

First step obviously is to set a date, which we have finally (through a practical process of elimination...I know no other way) managed to unofficially settle on one.

Next is the venue...eek...one thing we did know was that we didn't want to get married on the Muldersdrift Mile - given there are some amazing venues there, but we felt the need to find somewhere different and special to us. Kwa-Zulu Natal was our obvious choice, as we have spent many amazing holidays on the North Coast, and shared suitcases of memories there!

So, why I am I blogging about all this...well I thought it would be interesting to hear all your throughts on the venues we visited, on a trip to Natal last weekend.

Each venue will be presented in a seperate blog, so please join me on this journey, and I look forward to your thoughts!

Fly Fishing and G&T's

Is there anything better than a surprise birthday weekend away? I can't think of too many things...thanks to Derrick's mom we were treated to a wonderful weekend at Doornkop Fish & Wildlife Reserve!




20-odd km's outside of Dullstroom, Doornkop is set in the heart of the Komati Valley, and as cold as it is, the setting is just gorgeous!

Other than the game heads on the wall...the accommodation was great - and the underfloor heating was a welcome addition.

The weekend was a great family break, with fly-fishing being on top of the list of to-do's...well for the boys anyway - the lesson was at 6am, so I opted for the comfort of my bed for a little longer :) I did, however, decide to go for an early morning walk...my lungs took a bit of strain, both because it was freezing, but also because I am seriously unfit...as you can see I went prepared!

The GM of the resort agreed to show his skills to the boys - obviously a good teacher because before they knew it the fish were biting. 

 As proud as I am of the boys fishing achievements, I think that there is one last aspect required in order to fully qualify as an expert fly-fishermen...as one would say 'It's all in the Outfit'... :)

So after all the fresh air and activities, there was no better end to the day than fresh trout and gin & tonics - CHEERS!

Even though the reserve is designed around the fishing, there are walking trails, horse-riding, a tennis court, game drive routes, mountain biking...and more, so being only 2 hours out of Joburg, it's a great weekend break for all!

Simple & Inspiring

On Twitter today Khloe Kardashian...of all people...tweeted an amazing quote by Elbert Hubbard (controversial author who died in 1915, his family boarded the Lusitania 3 years after the Titanic sank, and while at sea, it was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine):

"The biggest mistake you can make

 is continually fearing you will make one".

The quote really struck me, as I'm sure we have all at one time or another felt too apprehensive to try something new for fear of not doing it well. I can't speak for everyone but I know that I have definitely missed out on a few new experiences, as I was too scared to even try them...what if I look stupid, what if people laugh at me, what if I can't do it.

I also Wiki'd the author so that I could see where the quote was coming from, and after reading the story of Elbert and his family's death, it made his quote that much more inspiring to me. I know I would think twice before getting on a cruise liner 3 years after the greatest liner ever to take to the seas had sunk...guess Elbert was the sort of man who lived life, and didn't let his fear hold him back.

Definitely something to think about...thanks Khloe! 

I would love you to send me quotes / just words that inspire you!

Being Your Own Boss

The word 'Self-Employed' generates connotations of the freedom to do what you want-when you want to, a relaxed working environment, short working hours etc.

Even though some of these attributes do apply, for instance I can go to the shops at 11am if I see fit, but the reality is, the time I don't spend working must be caught up at some point...this usually being after hours. 08:00 to 17:00 suddenly doesn't sound quite so mundane, now does it?

Anyone who has their own business, or who has ever attempted to go-it-alone I'm certain will relate.

Being a bit of a workaholic means that even when I was a full-time employee, I was never really bound to the working hours in my contract, however, I don't remember ever experiencing sleepless nights over what was on the cards for the next day. I think the 2 biggest learning curves for me, however, was firstly saying goodbye to a reliable and predictable income every month. No work, no pay - what a concept...ha ha!

Secondly, workplace socialisation. You can hire employees that may hopefully become friends but the dynamic is always that you are the boss and they are the employees. Coming from an advertising background I was used to working in a busy, lively, talkative (this being a definite strong skill of mine) office full of peers who share the same perspectives as me, and most importantly Friday afternoon drinks :) I guess my dogs are always a comfort...although I have to admit that they have been known to give me a 'Why are you still talking' look from time-to-time.

The positive for me though, is that it has probably been the most challenging time of my life, whereby I have challenged my abilities to the hilt, and come out standing! Working with a spouse is another challenge, but in a strange sort of way, the stress has brought us closer together, as we have really had to learn how to handle each other's ups and downs, while still ensuring that the work gets done. When working with a spouse you can't just ignore them, as you would a colleague...I mean you go home together at night!

Having your own business can furnish you with laughter, pain, happiness and despair, that no ride at Gold Reef City could even aspire to provide!

I end with the words of Donald Trump's Apprentice winner and natural entrepreneur, Bill Rancic:
"If it really was a no-brainer to make it on your own in business there'd be millions of no-brained, harebrained, and otherwise dubiously brained individuals quitting their day jobs and hanging out their own shingles. Nobody would be left to round out the workforce and execute the business plan."

Social Networking Summit 6 - & September 2011

Daddy's Little Girl

Well, this is my first blog, and perhaps a rather serious topic to start on, but hey let's go for it!

With Father's Day having just passed us by, it brings me to many thoughts of my dad who passed away 5 years ago. It made me think about the role a dad plays in his daughter's life, and why there is such a strong bond between father and daughter?

I pretty much grew up with just my dad, so for me he became the only guiding light in my life, and it is obviously indicative of why we had such a great bond. But perhaps for others it is the way a man looks at life, which provides a daughter with an alternative outlook on things, whereas women are often overly consumed by the details. Is it the softness that a daughter brings to the edges of the man's-man?
I'm from a traditionally British family, where affection is reserved for weddings and funerals, but yet I always knew that my dad loved me and was watching over me. It's a sense of protection that no matter what my dad is going to be there for me.

I am intrigued to know how other women, who have lost their dads, feel on Father's Day, is it a sad day filled with heartache or is it a time to reflect on the happy memories?

For me, I am filled with mixed emotions, but one feeling is strong...no matter what my Dad did / did not achieve in life, he was a great man in my eyes!

I loved this blog from a dad's perspective: http://www.chalkboarddad.com/2011/01/bond-between-father-and-daughter-or-i.html