Love is in the air

Plettenberg Bay, voted South Africa’s favourite friendliest holiday destination has also proven itself to be an ideal wedding destination. Wedding bells were ringing all day on Saturday, December 18th. In the parking lot outside the Beacon Island Lifestyle Resort, car horns were tooting excitedly as an entourage of vehicles decorated with ribbons of assorted colours drove by.

Sitting at the Café Estoril, all appears to be running smoothly and systematically; food and drinks appear on the tables promptly as new guests sit down for lunch after checking in. The staff members also have a moment to spare for a friendly chat between skirting tables on the run from the restaurants to the kitchen. A bride and groom walk through the lobby holding hands after celebrating a discrete matrimony in Coral Reef. As they leave, behind the kitchen doors, staff prepare for the next wedding where one hundred guests will be wined and dined proficiently.

“Beach weddings are becoming more and more popular” says Michelle, one of the staff members at the Island Diner. One can see why after seeing the magnificent white wedding of Zjardene Bester (daughter of South African triathlete and former Comrades Marathon winner, Nick Bester) and Stefan Kirsten, taking place right on the beach. Beach goers marvel at the decorations as the stroll by, taking pictures with their cell phones and digital cameras. “It’s so romantic” a girl of school-going age says to her friend amidst a crowd of on-lookers.

The podium upon which the loving couple share their vows over looks the Robberg Peninsula Nature Reserve in the distance as white horses on the sea crash on the shore before them. Mist rolls over the tops of Robberg contributing to the mystical atmosphere and behind the resort lightning adds to the natural beauty and wonder of the surroundings. The sky is a mixture of soft pale grey and blue hues, making the vivid whiteness more pronounced.

A string band plays as suave and sophisticated looking guests arrive. As they walk onto the beach, a beautiful flower girl hands them an umbrella as a few rain drops spout from the skies. Luckily the weather remains temperate as the wedding proceeds.

Back in the kitchen, starters and salads are prepared to feed the guests. The food is on the go for the restaurants and for the wedding which proves the Island Diner’s efficiency. In the interim, the crowd is offered cocktails and snacks while they wait to be seated, humbly chatting their way through congratulations and introductions. Finally, all the guests are seated and the bride and groom get a moment alone while they wait to be pronounced to the crowd as Mr and Mrs Kirsten They can’t take their hands off each other as they laugh and talk, drinking cocktails together with the ocean behind them.

Their first dance together raises hairs in admiration. The groom earnestly sings the lyrics to the Nickleback song they have chosen and the happy couple smile and dance superbly. A wedding notebook floats between the beautifully decorated tables and the sweet smell of lilies and roses fills the air. An unforgettable wedding for certain!

On the beach, another newly married couple are having their photographs taken. “There were 8 brides today,” says the woman packing up the furniture from the previous wedding. Plettenberg Bay is unquestionably a stunning place to get married and with the Beacon Island Lifestyle Resort and the Island Diner, perfection is guaranteed for your catering and location requirements.