Grande Provence Wedding in Franschhoek

Bridal Preparations at Maison Cabrière in Franschhoek

The wedding day began at Maison Cabrière Boutique Suites in Franschhoek.

The stylish interiors and natural light made it a beautiful space for the bridal preparations. We photographed the details, the final stages of hair and make-up and those quieter moments with family and the bridal party before everyone left for Grande Provence.

Staying and preparing in Franschhoek also makes logistical sense for couples getting married on one of the surrounding wine farms. Everything is relatively close together, which means less of the wedding day is lost travelling between locations.

From a photographer’s perspective, bridal preparations are about much more than simply photographing someone getting ready. They are the beginning of the wedding story – the dress, jewellery and details, the interactions between friends and family and the anticipation before leaving for the ceremony.

From Maison Cabrière, the bride made her way to Grande Provence in a beautiful classic Bentley supplied by SA Classics.

It was the perfect car for this wedding and looked especially striking against the historic architecture and vineyards of the Franschhoek valley.

An Outdoor Wedding Ceremony at Grande Provence

Grande Provence Heritage Wine Estate is one of Franschhoek’s established wine estates and gives couples a wonderful combination of traditional Cape Winelands scenery and contemporary design.

The ceremony for this wedding was held outside in the gardens.

The ceremony area was beautifully styled with floral arrangements by Fleur le Cordeur. The soft, romantic flowers worked particularly well with the greenery of the gardens and the natural landscape surrounding Grande Provence.

Rather than overwhelming the setting, the floral design complemented it.

Live ceremony music from Simply Strings added another layer to the atmosphere as guests arrived and the bride made her entrance.

There is something about live strings at an outdoor Winelands ceremony that works incredibly well. It creates a sense of occasion without taking away from the relaxed nature of an outdoor wedding.

With mature trees, gardens, vineyards and the Franschhoek mountains surrounding the estate, there was no need to add too much to an already beautiful setting.

Wedding Photography at Grande Provence

One of our favourite things about photographing a wedding at Grande Provence is the variety of photographic locations available without having to leave the estate.

After the ceremony we could move naturally between the gardens, historic buildings and vineyards.

The classic Bentley from SA Classics also became part of the couple shoot. A car like this can add a timeless quality to the photographs, particularly when combined with the traditional architecture of a Cape wine estate.

Grande Provence also has something rather different from many other Franschhoek wedding venues – its art and sculpture.

We incorporated one of the estate’s distinctive Anton Smit sculptures into the couple photographs. These contemporary artworks create a dramatic contrast with the historic manor house, gardens and vineyards and give photographs taken at Grande Provence a character that is immediately recognisable.

It means that within a relatively short photography session we can produce images that feel completely different from one another.

Making Time for Sunset Couple Photographs

Later in the evening, the couple had specifically allowed time in their wedding programme to step outside again for sunset photographs.

We always recommend doing this when possible at a Franschhoek wedding.

The light immediately after the ceremony can be beautiful, but the landscape changes again as the sun gets lower behind the surrounding mountains. The softer evening light gives us an opportunity to create an entirely different series of photographs.

It also doesn’t need to take a large part of the reception away from the couple.

A short sunset session is often enough.

It gives the bride and groom a few minutes away from the activity of the reception and normally produces some of our favourite photographs of the day.

While ZaraZoo photographed the wedding, the wedding film was captured by Vivid Blue. Working alongside an experienced video team is particularly important during moments such as the ceremony, speeches, first dance and couple shoot, where both teams need to capture the same moments without getting in each other’s way.

Dinner and Speeches at Grande Provence

After the outdoor part of the celebration, everyone moved into the reception.

The evening programme included dinner served over several courses, interspersed with speeches from family, friends and eventually the bride and groom themselves.

This was one of those weddings with plenty of speeches, which can create some wonderful photographic moments.

There are the obvious emotional reactions, but also all the smaller interactions happening around the tables – laughter between friends, parents reacting to stories and guests completely unaware of the camera.

The detailed running order had been put together and managed by AnnaH Styling, allowing the different meal courses, speeches, photography and entertainment to flow through the evening without the couple having to worry about the logistics themselves.

This is where having a professional wedding planner really becomes valuable. A wedding with several suppliers and many different elements needs somebody behind the scenes making sure everything happens in the right order while still allowing the celebration to feel relaxed.

Live Music and an Evening Celebration

Music played an important part throughout this Grande Provence wedding.

After Simply Strings created the atmosphere around the ceremony, the entertainment later shifted towards jazz with Dan Shout and musicians from Shout Music Company.

Live jazz works particularly well during the dinner and early evening part of a Winelands wedding. It adds energy to the room without immediately turning the celebration into a nightclub atmosphere.

Once dinner and the speeches were complete, attention shifted to the dance floor.

The bride and groom opened the dancing with their first dance before the formal part of the wedding gave way to the party.

For us as wedding photographers, this change of pace is always great to photograph. The controlled elegance of the preparations and ceremony gradually disappears and you start getting the completely spontaneous photographs that often say just as much about a wedding as the formal portraits.

Why Grande Provence Works So Well for Wedding Photography

Grande Provence offers a particularly good combination of locations for wedding photography.

You have the classic Franschhoek ingredients – vineyards, old trees, gardens and mountain scenery – but they are combined with historic architecture, contemporary spaces and an impressive collection of art.

That variety means that a couple does not need to spend a large part of their wedding day travelling somewhere else for photographs.

We can photograph in the gardens immediately after the ceremony, move towards the manor house and vineyards and then use the sculpture garden for something completely different.

Later, when the light changes, we can simply take the couple outside again for sunset photographs before returning to the reception.

This is exactly the type of venue layout photographers love because it gives us creative options while keeping the wedding day flowing naturally.

A Franschhoek Destination Wedding

Franschhoek remains one of the most popular wedding destinations in the Cape Winelands, and it is easy to understand why.

The village is surrounded by vineyards and mountains and offers a huge choice of restaurants, wine estates and boutique accommodation. It also allows guests travelling to South Africa for a wedding to experience far more than simply the wedding day itself.

Couples can arrange a welcome dinner or wine tasting the day before, celebrate their wedding on one of the surrounding estates and meet guests again for lunch or a relaxed gathering the following day.

For this wedding, having the bridal preparations at Maison Cabrière and the ceremony and reception at Grande Provence meant that the entire wedding story remained firmly rooted in Franschhoek.

It is one of the reasons we enjoy photographing weddings in this part of the Cape Winelands so much.

Planning a Grande Provence Wedding in Franschhoek?

If you are considering a Grande Provence wedding in Franschhoek, we would love to hear what you are planning.

Having photographed weddings throughout Franschhoek, Stellenbosch, Paarl and the wider Cape Winelands for many years, we understand how important the venue, light and timing are when planning the photography.

Allowing enough time for the preparations, ceremony photographs and couple shoot – while also taking advantage of the short period around sunset – can make a huge difference to the final collection of photographs.

ZaraZoo offers both wedding photography and wedding videography throughout Cape Town and the Cape Winelands.