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The Setting

Laborie Heritage Estate

Nestled at the foot of Paarl Mountain, Laborie is one of the Cape's oldest and most treasured wine estates, a living piece of South African heritage, founded in 1691.

Laborie Heritage Estate
About the Estate

Laborie's Cape Dutch architecture, ancient oak trees, and rolling vineyards beneath the Paarl mountains create a setting of quiet grandeur — both timeless and deeply South African.

The estate's spaces guide guests through a seamless, beautiful day — from the ceremony under open sky, through cocktail hour in the gardens, to the reception as the evening unfolds.

Klein Drakenstein Road · Paarl · 7646 · South Africa

Get Directions
Estate Map
Where to Stay

Accommodation

We encourage guests to secure their accommodation as early as possible — December is a busy time in the Cape Winelands.

Laborie Heritage Estate

A number of rooms are available on the estate. To enquire or book, please contact the accommodation manager using the link below. For a special wedding discount, please mention 'Luke and Jessica's wedding'. We recommend booking early to avoid disappointment.

Contact Laborie

Nearby Options

Grande Roche Hotel

Grande Roche Hotel

±2 km from venue

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Lemoenkloof Boutique Hotel

Lemoenkloof Boutique Hotel

±2 km from venue

Visit Website

There are many other wonderful places to stay near Paarl. Please reach out to us directly if you need any help with recommendations.

Flying

Cape Town International (CPT) is the closest airport, 50 km from Paarl, approximately 45 minutes by car. Car hire is available at the airport, or transfers can be arranged in advance.

Driving

For those who are driving, there is ample parking available on the estate for all guests.

The Weekend

Schedule of Events

20 December 2026 Vineyard Longtable Dinner · Laborie Estate
18:30

Welcome Dinner

Join us for a relaxed vineyard longtable dinner on the estate the evening before the wedding to begin the celebration. Dress code is smart casual. Dinner runs until approximately 22:00. Please indicate your attendance when you RSVP.

21 December 2026 The Wedding Day
15h30

Guests Arrive

Please arrive from 15h30 and make your way to the Manor House, where you can settle in and find a seat.

16h00

Ceremony

The ceremony will begin promptly at 16h00 at the Manor House.

16h45

Pre-Dinner Drinks

Please make your way to the Vineyard Lawn for drinks and canapés.

18h15

Dinner & Speeches

Please make your way to the Champagne Cellar, where you will be served your pre-selected three-course dinner alongside a series of speeches.

20h30

Dancing

Stay in the Champagne Cellar as we open the dance floor and continue the celebrations into the evening.

Attire

Dress Code

We want nothing more than for our guests to look and feel their best — so please dress up in formal attire and come ready to celebrate!

Ladies

Floor-length gowns

Floor-length formal dresses or two-pieces in solid colours. Kindly avoid black and champagne.

Gentlemen

Tuxedo or suit & tie

A tuxedo or suit and tie in dark solid tones.

Please also note: we kindly ask guests to avoid wearing white at any of the events. This includes shades such as ivory and cream, or any colour that may be mistaken for white (with the exception of white dress shirts for gentlemen).
thank you IN ADVANCE
Luke and Jessica

We are so grateful for your love and presence during this season. Your being there on our wedding day is truly the greatest gift of all.

If you do feel inclined to bless us with a gift, we would greatly appreciate a contribution towards our honeymoon and our future together.

Name: J R Lee  ·  Bank: Investec  ·  Account: 10013371002  ·  Ref: NameSurname_LJ

Thank you for being such an important part of our special day.

Luke & Jessica

Our Story

Luke and Jessica
How We Met

In 2017, Jessica was invited to a matric dance at Hilton College — coincidentally as the guest of someone from the same boarding house as Luke, two years above. While watching from his dorm room window, Luke spotted Jessica standing on the lawn below and, in his own words, thought she was "the most beautiful girl he had ever seen."

After a bit of persistence and successfully bribing her date with McDonald's, Luke secured her number. What started as a few messages back and forth soon turned into something much more, and on 27 June 2017, they officially began dating.

Since then, they have grown together through every stage of life — living across three provinces, travelling through ten countries, walking through every season side by side, and always always choosing one another. They remain each other's best friend and greatest love.

Now, almost ten years later, they are so grateful to celebrate this next chapter with the many special people who have played a part in their story.

The Proposal

Future Wife

Luke proposed at The Twelve Apostles Hotel overlooking the ocean on 9 August 2025. Jessica had initially been told she was going for brunch with her sister — instead, she walked out to a beautifully prepared setting where the two spent time reflecting on their relationship and all the years that had led them there.

The first thing Luke pulled out was a letter he had written to Jessica back in 2018. On the envelope were the words "Future Wife" — written years before they were engaged. As he read the letter aloud, it was a clear reflection of how intentional he had been about her from the very beginning.

He then pulled out a second letter, written during the week of the proposal, once again addressed to his "Future Wife". After reading it to her, he finally got down on one knee and asked Jessica to marry him.

He proposed with a ring engraved with 1 John 4:19 — "We love because He first loved us" — a verse that has become a cornerstone of their relationship, and the way they have sought to love one another through every season.

She said yes.
Questions

Frequently Asked

RSVPs

Please RSVP by 21 September 2026 — three months before the wedding — so we can finalise seating, catering, and all arrangements in good time. We really appreciate your promptness.

Please complete the RSVP form here: RSVP Now. The form takes about 3 minutes and covers attendance, menu choices, and dietary requirements. Please fill in one form per person.

Yes — absolutely! The evening before the wedding, on Sunday 20 December 2026, we will be hosting a relaxed vineyard longtable dinner on the estate. All guests are warmly welcome to join us from 18:30, and we would love to have you there. Dress code is smart casual. As we need to provide accurate numbers to the estate in advance, please kindly indicate whether you will be attending when you complete your RSVP.

You'll find a dedicated question about the welcome dinner in the RSVP form. Simply indicate whether you'll be joining us when you complete it.

Due to limited capacity at the venue, our celebration is limited to invited guests only. Unless a plus one has been specifically indicated in your invitation message on WhatsApp, we kindly ask that you attend as invited. We truly appreciate your understanding — it comes from a place of wanting to share this day with each person intentionally.

Venue & Getting There

All wedding festivities will take place at Laborie Heritage Estate in Paarl, Western Cape. Please see the interactive map on our Venue page for a full layout of the estate and key locations.

Yes — ample complimentary parking is available on-site at Laborie Estate for all guests.

Both the ceremony and reception will take place indoors — we've made this decision to ensure everyone is comfortable during what can be a very warm December afternoon. Pre-dinner drinks will be enjoyed outdoors on the Vineyard Lawn, so do come prepared for a beautiful summer evening.

Cape Town International Airport is the closest airport. Paarl is approximately 45 minutes away by car.

Uber and metered taxis are both readily available from Cape Town International Airport. The drive to Paarl takes roughly 45 minutes depending on traffic. We recommend pre-booking a transfer if you are arriving on 20 December, as it is a busy travel day in the Winelands.

Accommodation

Yes — Laborie Estate has on-site accommodation for over 60 guests, and we would love for as many of you as possible to stay there. We have arranged a special accommodation discount for guests staying at Laborie, so please be sure to mention the wedding when booking. Availability is limited and December fills up quickly, so we strongly encourage you to book early to avoid disappointment. To reserve, please contact the Laborie accommodation manager directly at accommodation@laborieestate.co.za.

There are many wonderful options close to the estate. Two within 2km are Grande Roche Hotel and Lemoenkloof Boutique Hotel — both beautiful properties in the heart of Paarl. Ubers are available in Paarl should you need to get to and from the estate. If you'd like any other recommendations, please don't hesitate to reach out to us directly.

Uber is available throughout Paarl. We will also have a driver available on the evening who can assist where needed. We will share more transport details closer to the date.

Food & Drinks

During the cocktail hour following the ceremony, canapés will be served alongside drinks in the estate gardens. For the reception dinner, guests will enjoy a three-course meal — please make your starter and main course selection when you RSVP so we can deliver it seamlessly based on the seating plan. Dessert will be served to all guests.

Absolutely. Please indicate any dietary requirements, allergies, or intolerances in your RSVP and we will ensure you are fully accommodated throughout the entire day — from canapés through to dessert.

Dress Code

Smart casual attire. Think relaxed but polished, with an elegant summer feel — linen shirts, tailored trousers or chinos for men, and cocktail or semi-formal dresses, skirts, or chic separates for women. Please refrain from wearing white. This applies to both male and female guests.

Formal dress code applies. Ladies are encouraged to wear solid-colour, floor-length gowns, and gentlemen should wear dark suits or tuxedoes. Please note: we kindly ask guests to avoid wearing white at any of the events, and for ladies to avoid black and champagne.

December in Paarl is typically warm and sunny — expect temperatures of around 28–34°C during the day. We recommend sunglasses and sun protection for the pre-drinks on the lawn. Evenings cool down pleasantly to around 18–22°C, so the indoor reception will be very comfortable. A light wrap is a good idea if you tend to feel cool later in the evening.

Registry

We are truly grateful to already have so much of what we need, and your presence at our wedding is the most important gift of all. If you do feel moved to bless us with something, we would deeply appreciate a contribution toward our honeymoon fund and our future together. Details can be found on our Registry page.

Schedule

We kindly ask all guests to be seated by 16h00, with doors opening from 15h30. The ceremony begins promptly at 16h00. To avoid any disruptions, latecomers may not be seated once the ceremony has started — we appreciate your understanding in helping us keep everything on time and special.

The full schedule for the day is now available — head to the Schedule of Events section on this page for all the details, including timing and locations for each part of the day.

Following the ceremony, guests will enjoy a cocktail hour on the estate lawn — with drinks, canapés, and lawn games while the bridal party takes photos. It's one of our favourite parts of the day, so please don't rush off.

Yes! The weekend includes our welcome dinner on the evening of Sunday 20 December, the wedding on Monday 21 December, and a relaxed breakfast on the morning of Tuesday 22 December for any guests who would like to join us before heading home. We'd love to make the most of the time together.

Other

During the ceremony, we kindly ask that all phones are put away so everyone can be fully present. Our photographer will be capturing every special moment beautifully. During the reception, please feel free to take as many photos as you like — we'd love to see them. We will be setting up a shared photo album and will share the details closer to the date.

Right here on this website — particularly the schedule of events, which will be updated closer to the date. We recommend bookmarking the page and checking back in about a month.

Always happy to help — contact Jessica at +27 76 300 2706 or Luke at +27 61 917 0610.

We can't wait to celebrate with you.

Please RSVP by 21 September 2026.

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