"You're getting married in June?" I asked my brother as he announced his wedding date late last year. In my opinion, dresses weren't meant to be worn in winter.

However winter weddings are fast becoming the new trend for couples tying the knot. Venues are often cheaper and other essentials like photographers, DJs and ministers are also available.

But if you don’t want to pay for the extra fabric, celebrate your big day in Durban -  where the weather is hot and the curries are even hotter. Not to mention the lush backdrop that will dress any wedding frame on the mantelpiece.

Leaving the airport we were welcomed by a maze of highways that snaked between knolls of jungle making it impossible not to get lost in the dark.

Thankfully our GPS lead us directly to our over-sized guesthouse in Kloof. A leafy suburb on the edge of a nature reserve just outside Durban. Kloof was the setting for the weekend’s festivities.

Formalities were scheduled for late the next day so we used that morning to take advantage of the warm weather at the D-Rex at the Wavehouse in the Gateway Shopping Mall on Umhlanga Ridge.

D-Rex is the largest man-made standing wave. It can reach 10 feet when in full power.

Anton, my boyfriend wasted no time flopping onto the rubber board, holding his weight against the intense water pressure, before being flipped like a pancake over the top of the wave.

R100 got him an hour of pleasureas well as pain judging from his groaning afterwards at the wedding rehearsal in the Methodist Church at Kloof.

Later that night, all the boys headed for the local pub, Stokers Arms, to celebrate my brothers last few nights of bachelordom.

This delightful little pub was originally the Kloof Railway Station. Today visitors can enjoy a 45-minute ride on the Umgeni Steam Train that runs on one of the oldest active railway lines in South Africa along the edge of the picturesque Valley of a 1000 Hills from Stokers Arms all the way to the Ichanga Station, built in 1895.

We however opted to explore Kloof and its surrounding areas by car after sleeping off the night’s celebrations. Check out the gallery here.

With so many activities to choose from we decided to escape the wedding mania in Kloof and explore the beautiful North Coast.

Discovering Salt Rock was like finding a pearl in an oyster. I imagine its tranquil beauty to be similar to that of a sea-side village in Hawaii.

Huge palm trees line the roads, monkeys amuse themselves by launching at treetops and the beaches disappeared into the distance. We found our paradise by the sea. For the rest of the day we baked in the sun and frolicked in the waves.

The big day arrived as quickly as the sun set on the horizon.

With a couple of hours left before the ceremony, we made our way to the Krantzkloof Nature Reserve, just 4-kilometres from Kloof.

“The gorge” as it’s fondly referred to, is a spectacular meeting point of two river gorges, the Molweni and Ngutu. We wondered along the narrow path looking for the best place to view the mighty Kloof Falls and the gorge.

With sufficient preparation time left we made our way to the Church.

We all eagerly awaited the bridal party when finally the bridesmaids, who were exquisitely dressed in black and orange, entered the Church.

Following them was the bride who looked just like a princess, elegant in her black and white gown. Once the vows were exchanged, and we welcomed the new husband and wife couple, the guests made their way to the reception at the popular Kloof Country Club, just five minutes away.

The venue was warm and welcoming with each table dressed in black and orange organza.

Ending the formalities was the groom’s speech, whose sentiments brought tears to his eyes, not too mention the guests.

After a scrumptious dinner, the lights dimmed and the music blared. We danced until the clock struck 12 when it was time to say goodbye as the couple teed off in a golf cart smeared with shaving cream and covered in balloons.

Landing at Cape Town airport the next morning, the captain advised us to cover up as we disembarked to avoid getting wet. I now know why a winter wedding could only work in Durban.

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