The Wedding Day
Videographer: Missing Piece Films
Photographer: Greg Lumley
Venue: Lanzerac
Coordinator: Sally Haines
Rewind
I CALL YOU MY MAHLE. BECAUSE YOU PERSONIFY EVERYTHING FOR ME. IN THE PAST YEARS YOU HAVE SHOWN ME MORE LOVE THAN I EVER COULD EXPECT. THERE IS STILL A PART OF ME TODAY THAT SOMETIMES CANNOT BELIEVE THAT I AM THE ONE WHO GETS TO MARRY YOU. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE GIVEN ME AND WHAT IS THERE STILL TO COME IN OUR FUTURE TOGETHER!!
– Bride groom, Gary
Steeped in history dating back to 1692, Lanzerac Wine Estate is a historic landmark and Stellenbosch icon. The grande dame is synonymous with old-world charm and rich Cape heritage. Positioned in the idyllic Jonkershoek Valley on the outskirts of the historical town of Stellenbosch, within the Cape Winelands in South Africa. The Estate boasts views of dramatic mountain ranges, endless rows of lush vineyards and hectares of gardens shaded by giant Oak trees planted by some of the first Dutch settlers in the 1600s. This is a very historic place!
The homestead reminiscent of the traditional French way of fusing a country hotel and wine estate is a glamorous mainstay of this estate today.
Lanzerac is steeped in spellbinding history, having been established in 1692 – a mere 13 years after Stellenbosch itself and is the third oldest farm in the area. The first owner was Isaac Schrijver who planted the very first vineyards and, unsurprisingly, named the farm Schoongezicht, meaning wonderful view. In the early 1800’s the first cellar was erected and subsequently complemented by the iconic Manor House, which exhibits an unusually high level of sophistication for Cape Dutch architecture of the period with its main gable dating back to 1830.
In 1920, its new owner Elizabeth Catherina ‘Kitty’ English, changed the estate’s name to Lanzerac. She transformed it during her nine years of ownership into one of the most modern wineries in the Cape, laying further foundations for Stellenbosch’s world-renowned wines.
Various owners bought the farm and turned it into something even better with each changing set of hands and with each owner’s layer of improvement it resulted in a landmark heritage estate today.
A wedding at Lanzerac is immediately considered to be one of elegance and fine taste. This historic location is neither flashy not custom built, instead it is what it is, layers of dedication and history which contributed to it becoming one of South Africa’s best known wineries, historic and today a sought after wedding venue. A wedding at Lanzerac is a classy affair.
Gary and Mahle brought this to bear when they filled the venue with white blooms and elegance. Excellent local wines were served and the cuisine was top. This is what a wedding at Lanzerac Estate is all about.