​We spent a long time searching for a venue we both loved and, nothing felt quite right. The day we went to view Blaauwbank was chaotic from the start — our cat even ran away before we left (don’t worry, she came back that afternoon).

​

When we arrived, it was cloudy and moody, and the moment we stepped into the chapel, we both fell in love. We took a game-drive vehicle up to the bush camp — the one with the roof missing because it was in for repairs — and halfway there the skies opened. By the time we reached the top, it was pouring.

​

So we ended up stuck in one of the rooms with the two people showing us around, waiting for the rain to stop. Instead of feeling frustrated, it turned into a lighthearted, funny moment. We stood there soaked, laughing, having real conversations with genuinely kind people. In that moment, the rain felt like a blessing, not a setback.

​

That unexpected pause — the calm, the connection, the feeling of “this is right” — is what made us choose Blaauwbank. It felt like our place.

​

​