In photos: A Wedding at Vrede en Lust in Franschhoek, South Africa

“It is such a happiness when good people get together - and they always do.” Jane Austen

I would make a terrible wedding photographer. I'm too moved, too intrigued, too involved with the moment to think about capturing it. I've always enjoyed weddings - they are arguably the happiest of milestone celebrations to witness - and you don't have to put me in a jaw-droppingly beautiful location in order for me to grin so hard that it hurts as the bride walks down the aisle or to wipe away warm, tender tears during heartfelt speeches. But if you do invite me to a venue as stunning as Vrede en Lust, a wine estate in Franschhoek less than an hour's drive from Cape Town, I'm going to be talking, and thinking, and dreaming about that wedding for a long time afterward.

Maybe you can see why from the photos...

P.S. Keep an eye out for the wedding "cake". Yes.

Not exclusively for functions, I highly recommend you seek out Vrede en Lust for wine tasting or for a delicious breakfast, brunch or lunch in the Lust Bakery, home to some of the best baked goods I tasted all last year (and believe me when I say my research was fairly exhaustive!). It's also a beautiful place to stay. We shared one of the holiday cottages with another couple for the three days of wedding celebrations and I would happily recommend it to anyone as a cosy, romantic place to stay for a few nights... or more.

Disclosure: This post was brought to you by Blacklane Limousines, who we were invited to use as an airport transfer for our journey to Cape Town. If you're looking for a luxurious start to your journey, you should check them out. However, in the interests of honesty, I should point out that our return transfer was cancelled at the last minute (while we were in the sky!) by the driver and the automated email we received made it sound like we had cancelled the booking, which was a little confusing. Once I telephoned customer support, I was reassured that this would be looked into so I hope they've amended that and I am happy to say customer service was also excellent in trying to organise a second driver, though we chose to get a taxi home as it was quicker. Thanks for supporting the brands that support As the Bird flies!