Brenaissance Wedding Venue Review

Stellenbosch

Brenaissance Wedding Venue Review

ZaraZoo has had the privilege to capture 5 weddings at Brenaissance Wedding Venue and every time we are amazed. If you are looking for one of the best All-in-One venues in the Cape Winelands, this one is definitely worth considering. Brenaissance is situated just 6km outside the beautiful town of Stellenbosch, less than an hour away from Cape Town.

Location

Tom and Hayley Breytenbach, the owners, relocated to Stellenbosch from the hustle and bustle of JHB. They found a beautiful farm in the Devon Valley with fantastic views of the Stellenbosch and Helderberg mountains and established Brenaissance Wine and Stud Estate. For their own wedding in 2012, they conceptualised and purpose built a wedding venue that includes a very spacious reception hall, a chapel, bridal suit and guest accommodation. Apart from the wedding facilities, it also has a riverside Cafe that serves the best thin base Pizza’s in the wine region.

It will appeal to…

A love for the Cape Winelands and its striking mountains will have you put Brenaissance at the top of your list, but what really stands out is the variety of options available to customise and fit in with any theme. Brenaissance is the marriage between the old wine farm feel and modern function facilities. This is all tied in beautifully with classic elements like chequered floors, old wooden doors and wrought iron elements.

One of the biggest benefits of this venue is that you can have your whole wedding day in one place, without wasting valuable time in traveling from one location to the other. This is a true All-in-One venue with bridal suite, chapel, reception hall and accommodation all on site. Having suitable accommodation for your main bridal party on the estate helps guests to relax and enjoy the party thoroughly, without worrying about the drive home.

In the photos below you will see just how easily this venue can be transformed. A good example of this is Nikki and Andrew’s wedding where dramatic chandeliers and furniture was used together with Autumn leaves to give Brenaissance a “Renaissance” feel – it truly is a blank canvas waiting to become a work of art.

Ceremony and Reception

For the wedding ceremony there are several options. The Rose Conservatory is romance personified. This chapel-style building (which can also double as an alternative reception area) seats up to 160 guests making it one of the biggest on-site chapels in Stellenbosch. Best of all, it is literally 50 meters away from the Bridal preparations suite – no excuses for arriving late I guess 😉 Just imagine those vintage hand-crafted wooden doors opening with the bride (you) walking down the isle…

For an outdoor ceremony, there is the rolling lawn and the river deck set on the edge of a little stream that meanders through the estate. The River Deck, under the shade of a massive Ficus Tree is my favourite for those hot summer weddings.

Apart from making use of the outdoor setting or chapel, these are the churches nearby:

Catholic – Stellenbosch Catholic Church
Anglican – St. Mary’s Anglican Church, Stellenbosch
Lutheran – Evangelical Lutheran Church, Dorp Street, Stellenbosch
Dutch Reformed – Dutch Reformed Mother Church, Drostdy Street, Stellenbosch

After the ceremony, while photos are taken, pre-dinner drinks and canapés can be served on the lawn area. Surrounded by landscaped gardens, plum orchards and vineyards your guests can enjoy an afternoon stroll, lawn games and reunite with long lost friends and family members in the wait for your return. Should the weather be less favourable, then the indoor chequered floored section of the reception venue can be used for pre-dinner drinks.

The Main Brenaissance Hall is very spacious and versatile. It can comfortably seat 200 guests with a dance floor. This hall is a blank canvas that can be transformed to fit in with most wedding themes.

The interior is the perfect mix of old-school and modern with textured wooden doors, a classic chequered floor bar area and a cosy lounge area with a fireplace. The venue is fully airconditioned to cater for the extreme temperatures that the Stellenbosch region can experience. Wedding packages include seating benches, white plinths, an iron gazebo, Tiffany chairs and cushions, white rectangular tables and a selection of outdoor furniture.

Catering and Bar Services

When you choose Brenaissance as your wedding venue they will supply you with a ‘preferred supplier list’ with a selection of caterers. So yes, they do allow outside caterers, but alternatively you can also use their in-house catering service. The venue has a fully licensed bar and comes with one barman. Additional staff can be arranged if needed. One security guard and one floor manager is also included in the Brenaissance Wedding Package.

Photography

In total, ZaraZoo has covered 3 weddings at Brenaissance. One Spring, one Autumn and one Summer wedding – so we can safely say that this is an all-year-round venue when it comes to photography. My favourite was Gina and Derik’s Spring wedding with beautiful blossoms littered in the plum orchards – something different to the normal vineyard backdrop. But if it is vineyards and the beautiful Winelands landscape you’re after, or just stunning panoramas over the whole Stellenbosch valley, this place has it all! Furthermore, the venue itself offers historical architecture and a plethora of lighting options to work with. The Bridal Suite is spacious and ideal for capturing the bridal preparations and pre-wedding portraits.

Accommodation

Brenaissance offers on-site accommodation for up to 18 guests in 8 Vineyard Suites and 1 Bridal Suite. Accommodation is booked on a first come, first serve basis, but fear not, there are plenty of guest houses and hotel options in the immediate vicinity. Contact the venue for alternative accommodation options.