Design your day
Plan it here. Perfect it with us.
Shape your day as you go and it gathers into your own Vision Brief. Save it, share it with your partner, and bring it to a private viewing where our designers and venue managers bring it to life.
Request your date
Your celebration
Weekend or weekday, the venue is yours for the day.
November 2026
Venue hire
Choose a date for the exact rate
On enquiry
Venue hire gives you full exclusivity of the venue for the day of your celebration and includes the essentials below, to streamline your planning.
The ceremony space
- ◦Seating set for your guest count
- ◦Set up and cleared by our team
The reception hall
- ◦Tables, chairs, linen, cutlery, crockery and glassware
- ◦Waiters, bar staff and a banqueting manager
- ◦Catering cooked in our own kitchen, not brought in
Céleste
- ◦Our smaller space, for the celebrations that do not need the main hall
A deposit secures your date once we have confirmed it is available. We will confirm the amount and how long we hold it in writing when you enquire.
How many will you hold close
The Hall has a minimum of 150 guests from Thursday to Sunday. Monday to Wednesday there is no minimum, so a smaller mid-week celebration is welcome. Send us your date and your guest count and we will tell you straight away which space fits.
Tell us what you are holding
Your day
The celebration
The space
The menu
Traditional weddings and elegant celebrations.
- Venue hire
- Full-day access to the Glass Hall or Garden
- Decor
- Elegant floral arrangements, table settings, and drapery
- Catering
- Curated menu with a three-course dinner
- Beverages
- Welcome drinks and a selection of wines and soft drinks
- Additional services
- Event planning and coordination
A sample menu
- Starter Roasted Butternut Soup with Crème Fraîche
- Main course Grilled Filet Mignon with Seasonal Vegetables
- Dessert Classic Vanilla Bean Cheesecake with Berry Compote
Can be added
- Upgraded floral arrangements
- Extra hours for the event
A sample, not a fixed menu. The final menu and the figure are quoted with your enquiry.
If you have specific ideas or requirements for your event, we are more than happy to create a custom package tailored just for you.
Vegetarian, halaal and specialist requirements are provided for. Catering, decor and flowers are all in-house at Thembela. Sound, your wedding cake, photography and videography are yours to choose and you are welcome to bring your own.
Built around the golden hour
Ceremonies commence from 15:00 (from 13:00 for May to September dates).
14:30
Guest Arrival
15:00
Ceremony in the Garden
16:00
Cocktail hour
17:38
Golden-hour portraits through the gardens and the cane
19:08
Guests enter the Reception Hall
19:23
Food service and speeches
21:38
First dance
Sunset around 18:23. We time your portraits to the light.
The colours of the day
Your Vision Brief
- Date
- Choose a date
- Celebration
- White wedding
- Space
- The Hall
- Guests
- 150
- Menu
- Classic Elegance
- Starts
- 15:00 · The Hall
- Palette
- Choose your colours
What we will quote
- Venue hire (from)
- Included
- White wedding · The Hall · 150 guests
- Included
We quote exactly this.
No two celebrations here cost the same, so we price the one you have just described rather than publishing a figure that will not be yours. Send it and you will have a number in writing.
The last step is the easiest
Come and stand in it
Walk the Garden, stand in the Hall, go up to the Céleste rooftop, and meet the person who will hold your day. Choose a time that suits you.
Choose a day
Your Vision Brief is sent with your request. Viewings run by appointment, and we will confirm a time that suits you.
And to keep it all in order
A gentle checklist
12+ months
- ◦Set your date
- ◦Book the venue
- ◦Begin the guest list
- ◦Set a budget
- ◦Appoint a coordinator
6 to 9 months
- ◦Book the florist
- ◦Book photographer & film
- ◦Send save-the-dates
- ◦Confirm accommodation
1 to 3 months
- ◦Send invitations
- ◦Confirm all vendors
- ◦Seating chart
- ◦Final dress fitting
- ◦Write your vows
Take it with you
The fine print, beautifully kept
Richards Bay · Empangeni