If I could give Lavandou more than five stars, I absolutely would.
From the very first enquiry, the experience was exceptional. Communication was prompt, professional, and clear throughout the entire planning process. Everything was incredibly well organised, and I never once felt uninformed or uncertain about what came next.
The venue itself is breathtaking. The outdoor chapel, surrounded by beautiful trees with the stunning waterfall feature, creates the most magical setting for a ceremony. They also have a beautiful indoor chapel for those who prefer an indoor wedding. The reception venue is equally spectacular—elegant, welcoming, and beautifully maintained.
What truly sets Lavandou apart, though, is the people. Antoinette, Sanja, Tony, and the entire team are simply incredible. They genuinely care about making your wedding day perfect and go above and beyond to make that happen. Their attention to detail is second to none, and you can tell they have years of experience because everything runs so smoothly. On the day itself, I was able to relax and enjoy every moment because I knew I was in capable hands.
One of the biggest advantages of choosing Lavandou is their extensive décor collection. They have an entire storeroom filled with underplates, candle holders, vases, glassware, and countless other décor items that you can use, saving you the cost and stress of hiring everything separately. You're also welcome to incorporate your own décor if you'd like, which gives you plenty of flexibility.
Sanja also did our flowers, and they were absolutely stunning. Not only were they beautiful, but her pricing was by far the best quote I received. She brought my vision to life perfectly.
The food deserves a special mention as well. It was absolutely phenomenal, and every guest commented on how delicious it was. Even the tasting evenings were beautifully presented and made us even more excited for the big day.
The DJ, Marcel, is included as part of the venue package. Overall, we were very happy with his service. The ceremony music was timed perfectly, and he did an excellent job editing our father-daughter dance so that it flowed seamlessly into our line dance. He was friendly, professional, and his pricing is very reasonable compared with many other wedding DJs. The only reason I haven't given this aspect a perfect score is that we had hoped more of the songs from our requested playlist would be played during the reception. Since couples are required to use the venue's DJ, I think this is worth mentioning, although I also feel we could have been more direct about wanting him to stick closely to our playlist.
I also found Lavandou's pricing to be very reasonable compared with many other wedding venues in the Pretoria area, especially considering everything that's included and the level of service you receive.
The only small piece of advice I'd give future couples is to discuss accommodation bookings upfront if you'd prefer your guests to book through you rather than directly with the venue, just to make sure everyone is on the same page.
Most importantly, they brought my dream wedding to life. Every idea, every vision, and every little detail I had imagined was brought to life more beautifully than I ever thought possible. They didn't just meet my expectations—they exceeded them in every way. You can genuinely feel that they care about their couples and want your wedding day to be as perfect and memorable as you've always dreamed it would be.
If I had to plan my wedding all over again, I wouldn't change a thing. I would choose Lavandou again in a heartbeat. Thank you to Antoinette, Sanja, Tony, Marcel, and the entire team for giving us the most magical day of our lives. I cannot recommend this venue highly enough, and if you're looking for a wedding venue where you'll be cared for every step of the journey, this is it.
