Real Weddings — Cape Town Coast
Updated 27 October 2026
Cape Town’s coastline stretches from the warm False Bay side around the peninsula to the wild Atlantic West Coast — and every stretch of it offers something different for a wedding. Since 2004 I’ve photographed beach ceremonies at venues from Bloubergstrand to Paternoster, and the coastal weddings stay with me long after the galleries are delivered. Here are three that capture what makes a Cape Town beach wedding unlike anything else.
Planning a beach wedding in Cape Town? I’ve photographed coastal weddings across the Western Cape — from Camps Bay to the West Coast. See my wedding photography page or view packages and pricing. Looking for a planner, florist or hair and makeup artist? Here are my recommended Cape Town wedding vendors.
Get in touch: +27 82 556 7427 · info@riekertcloete.com
Niël and Wendy — Bloubergstrand Beach Wedding at Ons Huisie
Niël and Wendy chose Ons Huisie in Bloubergstrand for their beach-themed wedding — a venue that sits right on the sand with Table Mountain across the bay. The two of them balance each other beautifully, and the energy between them made every frame feel natural.
We were lucky with a dramatic sunset that evening. The sky lit up in oranges and purples behind the couple as they stood on the rocks at low tide. It was my first wedding using the Profoto B1, and the combination of off-camera flash with that golden-hour light produced some of my favourite images from that year.
The reception ran late into the evening with the sound of waves in the background — exactly the kind of relaxed, joyful atmosphere that draws couples to Bloubergstrand. Niël proposed on Lion’s Head during a hike, using their puppy’s leash to slide the ring across. Stories like that remind you why this work matters.
Venue Details — Ons Huisie
- Location: Bloubergstrand beachfront, 25 minutes from Cape Town CBD
- Style: Relaxed beach venue with Table Mountain views across the bay
- Best light: Late afternoon — golden hour hits the beach beautifully from the west
- Capacity: Small to mid-sized weddings
Bronwyn and Brent — Paternoster Beach Wedding at Skatkis
Paternoster is unlike any other wedding destination in the Western Cape. The village sits on the Atlantic coast at the tip of the Cape Columbine peninsula — whitewashed fishermen’s cottages, unpaved roads, fynbos scrubland, and a quality of light that’s unique to the West Coast.
Skatkis is one of the village’s dedicated wedding venues — a converted property that keeps the Paternoster character: simple, white, open to the sky. It suits couples who want a day that feels genuinely unlike a hotel function. Bronwyn and Brent came for exactly that. The ceremony was outdoors with the Atlantic as a backdrop, and the reception carried on under string lights as the West Coast wind dropped at dusk.
Photographically, Paternoster is extraordinary. The whitewashed walls bounce soft light everywhere, the textures are all natural — stone, sand, dried fynbos — and the late afternoon light on the West Coast has a warmth you don’t find on the False Bay side. It’s about two hours from Cape Town, and that distance is part of the appeal: guests arrive and the outside world disappears.
Venue Details — Skatkis, Paternoster
- Location: Paternoster village, West Coast — approximately 2 hours from Cape Town
- Style: Whitewashed West Coast venue with outdoor ceremony space
- Best light: Late afternoon — the West Coast golden hour is exceptionally warm
- Capacity: Intimate to mid-sized weddings
A West Coast Beach Wedding at Strandkombuis
Strandkombuis sits on the Atlantic coast near Langebaan — one of the most dramatically lit wedding locations in the Western Cape. The sea breeze, the bleached sand, and the scale of the open sky give every frame a quality you simply can’t manufacture in a studio.
Beach weddings here have their own rhythm. The late afternoon light comes in low and golden off the water, and the salt air keeps everything feeling alive and real. The couple I photographed here came for exactly that — a day that felt like theirs, not a production. The ceremony was barefoot on the sand, the reception open-air, and the entire day had an unhurried quality that showed in every image.
Strandkombuis is also one of the few West Coast venues where you can have the ceremony, reception, and portraits all within walking distance of each other — no rushing between locations, no lost time in a car. That continuity makes a real difference to the photography and to the couple’s experience of the day.
Venue Details — Strandkombuis
- Location: Near Langebaan, West Coast — approximately 1.5 hours from Cape Town
- Style: Open-air beach venue with dramatic Atlantic Ocean setting
- Best light: Late afternoon and sunset — the scale of the sky creates extraordinary colour
- Capacity: Flexible — suits both intimate and larger celebrations
What Makes a Cape Town Coastal Wedding Special
Every coastal venue along the Western Cape has its own character, but they share a few things that set beach weddings apart from estate or winelands celebrations:
- Natural light that changes by the minute. Coastal light is dynamic — clouds, wind, the angle of the sun off the water. As a photographer, it keeps you alert and rewards quick reactions.
- A built-in sense of occasion. The ocean as a backdrop needs no decoration. Couples spend less on styling and get more impact.
- Relaxed energy. Sand between your toes, the sound of waves during the ceremony, bare feet at the reception — beach weddings strip away the formality and let the emotion through.
- Wind. It’s real. Plan for it, embrace it, and your veil shots will be extraordinary. Fight it, and everyone’s miserable. I always advise brides on how to work with Cape Town wind, not against it. See my wedding planning tips for more.
For more real wedding stories, browse my wedding portfolio or read about intimate elopement weddings in Cape Town.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best beach wedding venues near Cape Town?
Popular coastal venues include Strandkombuis (near Langebaan), Skatkis in Paternoster, Ons Huisie in Bloubergstrand, Llandudno Beach and Camps Bay options. Each has a different character, from rustic West Coast to upmarket Atlantic Seaboard. Ons Huisie sits on the Bloubergstrand beachfront with Table Mountain across the bay, about 25 minutes from the Cape Town CBD, and suits small to mid-sized weddings, with late afternoon as its best light. Skatkis in Paternoster is a converted property that keeps the village’s simple, white, open-to-the-sky character, about two hours from Cape Town. Riekert Cloete Photography has photographed beach weddings from Bloubergstrand to Paternoster since 2004. Check my wedding FAQ page for more venue guidance.
How do you handle wind at a beach wedding?
Wind is part of every Cape Town beach wedding. I position couples so the wind works with veils and dresses rather than against them, choose angles that use hair movement as an asset, and time formal portraits for calmer moments. A little wind actually adds drama to photographs, and flat-calm days can look static by comparison. It also helps to know the pattern: at Paternoster, for example, the West Coast wind dropped at dusk during Bronwyn and Brent’s reception, which carried on under string lights. Riekert Cloete Photography plans the timeline with this in mind, so tell me your venue and date and we can decide when the formal portraits should happen and what the wind means for your ceremony.
What time of year is best for a beach wedding in Cape Town?
November to March offers the most reliable weather, with long daylight hours and warm temperatures. December and January are peak season, so book venues early. March and April can be stunning, with fewer crowds, softer light and often calmer winds. Winter beach weddings (June to August) are possible but need a rain backup plan. The time of day matters as much as the month: on this west-facing coast the late-afternoon golden hour hits the beach beautifully, and for Niël and Wendy a dramatic sunset lit the sky orange and purple behind them as they stood on the rocks at low tide. Riekert Cloete Photography can look at your date and venue and tell you where the best light will fall.
Do you travel to West Coast venues like Paternoster and Strandkombuis?
Yes. Riekert Cloete Photography regularly photographs weddings across the Western Cape, from the West Coast to the Overberg. For my standard wedding packages of 6 hours or longer, the first 200 km of round-trip travel is included, and travel beyond that is charged at R5 per km. Paternoster is about two hours from Cape Town, and that distance is part of its appeal: guests arrive and the outside world disappears. For weddings that far out, the practical questions are the drive on the morning, accommodation near the venue and the time the light fades, which is why the timeline matters. For venues further afield, get in touch with your venue and date and I will tell you what is involved before you decide.
How many photos will I receive from a beach wedding?
A beach wedding gallery from Riekert Cloete Photography contains about 100 individually edited images for every hour of coverage, so a 6-hour package yields 600 or more and a 9-hour package 900 or more. A beach wedding tends to produce a lot of variety, because the setting changes through the day: the quiet of the morning preparation, the ceremony with the sea or Table Mountain behind you, couple portraits on the rocks or the sand at low tide, and a reception that carries on with the sound of waves in the background. Riekert Cloete Photography edits every delivered image individually. View my packages for details of the coverage hours available.
Planning a coastal wedding?
Having photographed weddings since 2004 across the Western Cape — from Bloubergstrand to Paternoster and everywhere between — I know how to work with the light, the wind, and the landscape to capture your day. View my wedding packages or get in touch to check availability.
Riekert Cloete
+27 82 556 7427 · info@riekertcloete.com · WhatsApp
100+ Google reviews · Since 2004 in Cape Town