es of getting married in the same country where most of their family and friends have relocated, there are still those who make the long trek homeward to tie the knot. And with very good reason it seems.
Location, cost and convenience are apparently three reasons why Zimbabweans in the Diaspora are going home to get married. The weather always plays a role in planning your wedding day and as a location Zimbabwe is not as cold as South Africa in the winter months or as hot as Mozambique in the summer and generally offers ideal conditions throughout the year. I won’t mention the UK’s weather patterns.
Good weather coupled with a romantic venue in the African bush makes for a magnificent setting. Venues in and around Harare are limited however, and, as Sharon of Barbreanne’s wedding co-coordinators in Harare advised, “it is never too early to book as often venues such as Art Farm, Wild Geese or Chapman golf club are booked out a year in advance over peak holiday periods”.
Barbreanne’s also estimates, at current market prices, the hiring of a venue, tent, chaperoned vehicle for the bride and groom and flowers for a wedding of around two hundred and fifty people to be around USD$1,000, making it very affordable in comparison to venue hire rates in other countries. The cost of catering all depends on the choice of menu but is also guaranteed to compare favourably.
Lastly, there is no better choice of venue for any Zimbabwean living abroad than one in the country they loved growing up in, making it not only a special day for the bride and groom but a special trip down memory lane for most to the guests too.- rian@venues4africa.com
Wedding Venue of the Month
Meikles maintains high standards
For couples wanting the convenience of a centrally located wedding venue in Harare’s city centre, Venues4Africa.com would recommend the five-star Meikles Hotel which has been a popular venue for wedding receptions and honeymoons since it opened in November 1915. In more recent years the rooftop garden overlooking the jacaranda-filled African Unity Square has proven to be a truly unique setting for the city.
The hotel is renowned for its high standards and for attention to detail, as well as a range of extra touches that make planning events like these easier and make the events themselves so much more enjoyable for the couples, their families and their guests. Feedback has shown that couples who have held their receptions at Meikles have been delighted with the unique range and variety of services offered, as well as with the standard of the entire presentation.
At present the hotel charges between $5 million and $5,4 million per person for wedding receptions, added to which are costs of beverages consumed. Meikles Hotel is the current holder of the Wine List of the Year Award and has a good selection of local and imported wines for functions.
Executive Chef Chris Gonzo and his culinary team have a special flair for making sure that food served at weddings is not only the best quality but also the finest in terms of presentation and taste – using the attention to detail and culinary flair that have won for them the Restaurant of the Year Award for the hotel’s La Fontaine Grill Room.
Bigger wedding receptions take place in the Stewart Rooms, the hotel’s flagship banqueting venue, but smaller venues are available for weddings with fewer guests. Often couples spend their first night of honeymoon in the hotel, making use of their complimentary night in the Honeymoon Suite with its magnificent views over Harare.
As a member of The Leading Hotels of the World, Meikles Hotel maintains the highest possible standards of cuisine, service, facilities and amenities. It seems that in Zimbabwe’s current economic decline the hotel has done extremely well not to compromise this reputation. For more information on how to book at Meikles or for more information on other wedding venues throughout Zimbabwe please contact Martin at venues@zol.co.zw and the Venues4Africa.com team will be glad to make recommendations for your special day.
Post published in: Arts