Middelburg couple Khanya and Heino Venter have added another national title to their wedding story after being named the winners of the Wedding of the Year 2025 competition.

Khanya and Heino got married on April 12, 2025, at Palala Boutique Game Lodge and Spa on the South Africa-Botswana border.

Their wedding was set in the bushveld, with the natural surroundings forming an important part of the day. Guests enjoyed the lodge, spa treatments, a sunset game drive and a seven-course dinner before the wedding celebrations and ceremony took place.

After the ceremony in a chapel overlooking a large baobab tree, guests enjoyed canapés on an island in the river, accompanied by live marimba music.

Double national recognition

A year later, the couple’s wedding earned another major national recognition when they were named winners of Bruidsgids & Wedding Guide’s Bride of the Year 2025.

The couple were first selected among the top 10 finalists in the Mooi Troues Bride of the Year 2025 competition before taking the overall title.

“We can hardly believe that we have received both; we are beyond blessed,” said bushveld bride Khanya. “It feels like a dream and something we are incredibly grateful for.”

Life after the altar

Photographs and a breathtaking wedding video captures Khanya walking down the aisle in her white wedding dress, with Heino waiting for her at the altar underneath a majestic tree.

The newlyweds have since started a new chapter of their lives in Middelburg.

Khanya completed her articles at Deloitte and registered as a CA(SA) (chartered accountant) in 2022, while husband Heino works as a metallurgical engineer at Columbus Stainless.

The couple have now added the Wedding of the Year 2025 title to Khanya’s Bride of the Year 2025 title, crowning them the bushveld royals of Middelburg.

WATCH | Khanya & Heino Wedding Video Trailer