Today we get to interview a co-ordinator who works closely with us at Where’s My Wedding. Having hosted numerous weddings at Zorgvliet, we have come to know Christine and the team very well. Zorgvliet is among our top go-to choices when recommending wedding venues to our clients. The view, surroundings, facilities, cuisine, hospitality and attentive staff − Zorgvliet truly offers the entire package.

With Christine as the face and co-ordinator behind this remarkable venue (along with her fantastic team), Zorgvliet Wines is renowned for their excellent service. When describing some of the day-to-day challenges a venue co-ordinator is faced with, Christine jokes that “We are called co-ordinators because ‘full-time-multi-tasking-ninja-and-miracle-worker’ is not an official job title”, and “We solve problems you didn’t know you had in ways you cannot comprehend”. I think many wedding and venue-co-ordinators are smiling in agreement, as it’s something only we co-ordinators can truly understand!

A self-proclaimed perfectionist, Christine is one seriously organised and involved co-ordinator − every bride and service providers’ dream! Thank you Christine! Since Zorgvliet started co-ordinating weddings internally in 2012, Christine, who was a chef at Zorgvliet, untied her apron, removed her chef’s hat, and stepped into a front-of-house role as Zorgvliet’s wedding and venue co-ordinator. By all accounts, it was a good decision. In today’s blog, Christine talks about Zorgvliet Wines, her journey to becoming a venue co-ordinator and offers some of her top tips and advice for bridal couples when choosing their wedding venue and planning their special day. Enjoy!

 

How would you describe Zorgvliet to someone who has never seen it?

It’s a beautiful and serene family-owned wine farm. Surrounded by mountains, its classic Cape Dutch architecture gives it a homely and historic atmosphere while the wide open spaces, flowing green lawns and iconic vineyards offers guests the feeling of being close to nature.
 

We suppose couples fall in love with different aspects of your venue, but what is your favourite feature of Zorgvliet?

Being a Zorgvliet Bride myself, I love the view and the vintage look and feel of the wine farm which makes one think of family and history!  But secondly, and just as importantly, the fact that all elements of the wedding can be done in-house on and by Zorgvliet: There is a chapel for an indoor ceremony, or alternatively, we have a shaded area where guests face the Drakenstein mountain, a view that forms the perfect backdrop for an outdoor ceremony.  We offer a pre-drinks area where we serve canapés. This area has seating as well as stunning mountain and vineyard views which will ensure that your guests are comfortable and entertained while they wait.  With its high-ceilings, white walls, crystal chandeliers, giant wooden doors and large windows (because one cannot get enough of the view), our reception venue is the perfect place to host a wedding. It provides itself as a perfect blank canvas for any colour scheme and theme.  Zorgvliet also offers in-house catering of the highest quality with a customizable menu to suit every taste and budget. Additionally, the in-house co-ordination package gives you peace of mind to just enjoy the event, while we attend to every detail that is important to you. 

What are some of the most bizarre requests you have had from couples? 

I quite enjoy the strange requests, as it contributes greatly to the wedding being memorable and unique. When the wedding is a reflection of the couple, the guests feel it and enjoy the wedding so much more.

We had a South African couple that didn’t cut the cake, but stood behind a giant canvas of a painted cake. Lit from behind they held up the knife, dramatically sliced through the canvas and stepped onto the dance floor for their opening dance.

During a South African winter wedding, the couple had their family knit hundreds of pom-poms of different sizes to throw as confetti.

Another couple (a South African groom and an American bride) requested that, as they are pronounced bride and groom and they kiss, their guests drink a shot of Amarula.

We have also had a bride who was sentimental about her bouquet and elected to throw a Barbie doll to the song ‘I’m a Barbie girl’ playing in the background. 

I had a Danish wedding where the groom got lifted up by the guests (almost like crowd surfing) and the groomsmen sang to him and cut a piece of his sock off while he was in mid-air.

When a Polish-American married a Zimbabwean lady, we had the Polish tradition of the breaking of bread and drinking of vodka after the ceremony.  We also incorporated the Zimbabwean tradition of kneeling and presenting a cake to each other’s in-laws.  If the in-laws accept the cake, then the couple has their blessing. 

Themed weddings are also a unique way of tying the knot. We once had a tennis-themed wedding with tennis rackets as the seating chart, tennis balls in the flower arrangements and sweat bands as wedding favours. This made for a fun evening.

Adding Elements of traditional foods also make for a unique feature.  We have made Poutine for a Canadian bride, Tiramisu for an Italian bride, Haggis spring rolls for a Scottish groom and bitterballen for a Dutch couple.

Amusingly, we have also had one of our grooms ask the DJ to play instrumental theme songs from movies like Star Wars, Batman and Superman while welcoming his guests at the chapel. 

Share with us one of the most memorable weddings you have hosted since you have been the venue co-ordinator?

This is a very difficult one, as each wedding is unique and strikes a chord with me in a different way.  But there are three in particular that stand out to me for different reasons.

Marriete & Quintin 

This couple were such a pleasure to work with.  They knew exactly what they wanted and left nothing to chance, making every choice together.  Their wedding was classic, elegant and stylish, much like the couple themselves. That being said, there were a lot of quirky, whimsical and fun elements added to the day.  Each element was thought through and executed with their unique flair.  Their elegant affairis captured in this album.

Brenna and Pieter

This was out-and-out the most fun I have had running a wedding.  I really wanted to be part of the party. The bride, like myself, is very organized and we immediately clicked.  There was not a single decision that wasn’t evaluated with a fine toothed comb. And because of that it was easy to ensure that it was the wedding of their dreams. They also chose to do their couple shoot before their ceremony which made for an emotional private bridal reveal to just her groom. Take a look at their seamless, fun-filled day.

Mia and Jan-Willem

They were the picture of a classical couple.  Again, every detail was thought through and planned ahead of the time.  They went with a clean look, minimal flowers and hundreds of water filled glass cylinders and floating candles. They brought in warmth with touches of gold.  This graceful look matched these two love birds perfectly.  With hearty Sunday cuisine on a cold June evening and guests basked in candle light, it was a night to remember. See how Zorgvliet was transformed for this graceful celebration.

When and why did you decide to become a venue and wedding co-ordinator at Zorgvliet Winery?

I started my career as a chef and always aspired to be involved in the events. I believe that my previous position as a chef is essential in my co-ordinating a wedding and I believe it gives me a bit of an upper hand as I know the intricate running’s of a kitchen and can balance the two (kitchen and front of house) to ensure that all elements of the wedding are executed perfectly.

Zorgvliet took over doing weddings in 2012 and I became the co-ordinator. Since then we have grown immensely.  I myself have found my passion and every detail that makes a wedding distinctive stays with me.  I truly love what I do. Not many people can say that. The following quotes about being a wedding co-ordinator made me laugh when I read them and depict some of the challenges.

We are called ‘co-ordinators’ because ‘full-time-multi-tasking-ninja-and-miracle-worker’ is not an official job title.

We solve problems you didn’t know you had in ways you cannot comprehend.

We do precision guess work based on unreliable data provided by those of questionable knowledge.

This being said, the rewards are so much greater than the challenges.  I still shed a tear every time we swing open those chapel doors, ring the bell and send our bride down the aisle to her groom. 

What advice would you give to couples selecting their wedding venue?

Make sure they tick all of your boxes.

Make sure you are happy with their back-up plans i.e. outside ceremony.

Make sure they have a co-ordinator, even if it’s just on the day.

Make sure they care about your wedding.

Do your research. Each wedding venue structures their packages differently.

Make sure they are willing to customize their package to meet your individual needs.

What advice would you give to couples who are planning their special day?

Make your wedding about you, as a couple.  Don’t follow every piece of advice or opinion that your parents, friends and family give you.  It is not their day, it’s yours.  Your guests will feel that your wedding is uniquely yours and enjoy it with you. If you want to throw pom-poms, then do it.  There is no right or wrong way to do it. 

Christine, it is always a pleasure working with you and we are thrilled to feature our interview. We are looking forward to working alongside you and the team at our client’s weddings at Zorgvliet this season, as they are always the most beautiful celebrations!

To see the full album featured and captured by Cheryl McEwan Photography.

For more information on Zorgvliet.

Shelley at Where’s My Wedding