A Wedding in a Greenhouse Amid the Mountains of South Africa’s Wine Country

Shortly thereafter they started planning their wedding for February 5, 2022, in Stellenbosch, a small town in the winelands of Cape Town. “Anyone who has planned a wedding knows it’s a lot of work, but we loved it and had ample time due to having to postpone multiple times over two years due to pandemic,” Matthew says. “We even made some new, and now very close, friends over the two years that we had to postpone and couldn’t have imagined our wedding without them. In the end, it was well worth the wait.”

Where to host the wedding was an easy decision as Michael grew up in Pretoria, a suburban city near Johannesburg, and attended the University of Stellenbosch. He and Matthew had been to Stellenbosch on vacation together, so both had a clear vision. “As soon as we were engaged, we decided that we wanted our wedding to be an opportunity for our friends and family from the States to plan an adventure they’d never forget, so Cape Town and the Winelands made for the perfect destination,” Michael says. The couple held all of the weekend festivities at one of the oldest Cape Dutch farms in the area, Babylonstoren.

With unforgettable views of mountain ranges and a number of activities, the farm made for the perfect backdrop. Clarise le Grange at Babylonstoren made planning the wedding weekend very easy for the couple. “There wasn’t much we had to do, or even could do, to make the weekend more beautiful,” Matthew says. “It was already done for us.”

“We always wanted our wedding to be about our friends and family,” Michael says. “The past two years have been difficult for so many, and this was the first trip a lot of our guests were taking since the start of COVID. Because of this, we wanted everyone to be included in everything, so we decided not to have a wedding party because everyone that attended was just as near and dear to our hearts as the next.”

The couple also opted out of hosting a rehearsal dinner on the Friday before the wedding for the same reason. Instead, they welcomed guests with a braai—an informal but traditional South African barbecue. The evening took place outside, and the group dined family-style at one long picnic table, where they had local dishes, including lamb, chicken, and beef straight from the grill, as well as farm-fresh fruit and vegetables. The evening ended with nightcaps and lots of laughs in the pool.

The next day, the ceremony was set in the House of Shadows, an airy greenhouse that overlooks the vineyards on the property and has a view of the mountains. The space is used to grow flowers, cactuses, and other indigenous plants, which gave the ceremony a natural, green aesthetic. “We actually didn’t bring in any additional decor outside of a handmade wreath that hung above where we stood for the ceremony,” Matthew says.

The grooms wore custom tuxes by Suit Supply. “We, of course, wanted a little individuality, so Matthew wore a black, slim-fit cut with a shawl lapel on the jacket, while I went with a navy, slim fit with a peak lapel on the jacket,” Michael says. “Our wedding was black-tie, so to stand out from our guests, we chose white matching bow ties and finished off the looks with classic patent-leather oxfords.”

Matthew and Michael both wanted to forgo a religious ceremony, and instead they focused the service on their love and community. Their officiant, Jana Van Den Munckhof, also managed to deliver moments of levity. Family was incorporated throughout, and Michael’s sister, Christine Joubert, gave a speech. “During our vows, Michael—no surprise!—kept it together, while I—also to no surprise—let the tears flow,” Matthew says. “Soon after there wasn’t a dry eye in the greenhouse.”

Following the ceremony, guests moved to cocktails, which took place on grand lawns between two classic Cape Dutch barns. There, guests lounged on vintage furniture while a string quartet played in the background.

Dinner was served at one long table situated beneath a stunning floral arrangement suspended from the ceiling inside one of the barns. (The barn doors were kept open so the farm’s donkeys could pop their heads in.)

Just as the meal wrapped, the newlyweds snuck out to the adjacent barn, where they prepared to meet their guests in the White Studio. Within an all-white room, the farm’s catering team had arranged an artful display of desserts. Guests were escorted to the adjoining barn doors, which slowly opened, and the grooms watched as friends and family cheered with excitement and the DJ began to play. “Following dessert, we trickled onto the dance floor,” Matthew remembers. “And since we had the entire farm to ourselves, the DJ then took us dancing until late in the night—or morning, we should say!”