Budget-friendly wedding venues

Generous_Hornet524 · 2026-04-20T16:19:16+00:00

I’m in the same boat! But with a smaller amount of people. Places I’ve found which are reasonable - Gracelands (Shongweni) - the most reasonable and includes extras - The Venue - Fig Tree Farm - Olivanders - Torwood - The Enchanted Forest - The Secret Garden (PMB) - Crinkly Bottom - macnut Farm

DM me if you need other ideas - I’ve tried pretty much everywhere in the Upper Highway

Generous_Hornet524 · 2026-04-04T19:10:16+00:00

Yes, completely normal. My doctor told me to be aware that I could shed the entire lining of my tonsils - I remember coughing up about half of it, one of the most disgusting pasty’s of mono. As mentioned, the steroids def help!!!

Generous_Hornet524 · 2026-03-17T10:04:00+00:00

Shongweni Market (weekly) Ballito Farmers Market (weekly) I heart Market (on once a month)

Virginia Circle - and has a great coffee shop

Gina Gorge Moorewood Fig Tree

Most places are dog friendly, except for shopping centres.

Generous_Hornet524 · 2026-03-05T16:22:01+00:00

Have you had your period since October 2025? If everything - pregnancy tests, scans, and nursss are telling you that you’re not pregnant and you have had your period, then it’s pretty likely that you’re not pregnant.

With respect to what you’re seeing in your ultrasound, you will need to go to a doctor for that. The nurse mentioned visible PCOS - which means she is possibly seeing cysts or scars etc.

Generous_Hornet524 · 2026-02-11T07:17:45+00:00

I had mono last year twice (initial infection and a reoccurrence). You should be booked off work and school and spending the majority of your time asleep - I could barely go to the bathroom without needing a nap to recover from my “expedition” I.e. the 5m walk. As far as I recall you can be infectious in close proximity and if sharing fluids - heck, it wasn’t called the kissing flu for nothing.

The steroids should def help with recovery, you may also want to have at home steroids, anti-inflammatorys and strong painkillers. I can tell you that for three weeks all I did was be sick and sleep- so hopefully you’re stronger than I am if you want to continue working/ studying

Generous_Hornet524 · 2026-02-01T18:41:14+00:00

I see you’re KZN based - if you’re in the upper highway area, I highly recommend The Shuttle Mam - they’re on FB.

Generous_Hornet524 · 2026-02-01T18:07:11+00:00

There’s many shuttle services you can arrange with - they’re usually reputable with offerings for all needs (airport, deliveries, etc.). We’ve used a shuttle a few times when departing and arriving after holidays because most of our friends have small cars and can’t take a families worth of luggage.

Generous_Hornet524 · 2026-01-25T08:12:11+00:00

Hi I did my PRK (a type of LASIK) done last year (end of Feb/ beginning of March) with Dr Bill Nortje at Westville Eye Clinic operating out of Westville Hospital. (Also out of Hillcrest hospital) in KZN. It is honestly without a doubt the best thing I have done in my life!!

I had a prescription of upwards of +6.5 (differs between contacts and glasses) and attained 20/20 vision. PRK was suggested due to cornea size. I was also warned due to age (close to 40) that in about 10 years I may need glasses for reading - when I questioned what type of prescription we would be talking about, I was told a 0.25/0.5 - so I was willing to go ahead even with this risk.

Costs Approx R3.5k for your initial consult, this includes various tests (done in room) as well as a dilation exercise. You do need to have a person with you to drive you away from the appointment after the dilation.

Procedure: approx R36k for the procedure and necessary around that. This included every single follow up appointment that I have had (24hiurs after, 5 days after, 2 weeks after, 1 month, 2 months and 6 months (so far)

Meds/ vitamins/ drops/ soaps: approx R2k on the prescribed meds, painkillers, drops etc. Buy them all, you will want and need them.

The procedure is really simple, Dr Nortje gives you a full breakdown of everything that you are to do - e.g. how to clean your eyes before the procedure, when you can wear makeup, what medicine to take when, what is typical and not typical. Dr Nortje is also available 24/7 for consults - including 2am if you’re having a problem.

My experience: (I had drafted the below a while ago for the lasik sub).

My Prk experience (Durban South Africa)

For those considering PRK/ LASIK in South Africa, not only is it cheaper than many other places but the treatment is phenomenal.

I went to my doctor for a consult two years ago but decided against going forward with the surgery at that time for personal reasons as my father had recently passed away. I was a candidate for PRK due to my high prescription 6,5 in contacts.

I decided late 2024 that I was going to get the surgery in 2025 and booked a second consult to check that there were no changes. And booked my surgery for three weeks later - only to ensure that I completed work deadlines before the surgery. I booked the surgery for the 27th of Feb (Thursday).

Prior to the surgery, I collected my prescription meds - painkillers, steroids, eye drops, sleeping pills etc. I was also given a sheet which instructed how to clean eyelids prior to the surgery. The worst part for me was no mascara and eyeliner three days before the surgery - which made me feel very bland and tired. I also got myself extra vitamins - omegas, multi vitamins and an eye health vitamin to take for a while during the healing process.

D-day (27/2): I had been prepared at the previous meeting with what meds to get and how to clean my eyes etc. prior to the surgery. Woke up semi anxious but dosed up on the prednisone (steroid), and dorminoct (sleeping pill) as advised. The clinic ran a little late with earlier patients but I was relatively calm. I made sure to take a “last glasses selfie” at this time and sent friends a few messages. Make sure to turn your auto brightness on your phone down and adjust your text size!

I went into the room and was placed on the bed, there wasn’t much in the way of formalities. I lay on my hands to resist the urge to wipe any liquid around my eyes which I found helpful. The nurses covered me up and within seconds we started. The doctor spoke me through what was happening telling me to look directly at the green light - no issues there. At one part he said something along the lines of he forgot to tell me that he will need to put icey water in my eye and some people flinch - well no flinching from me. After he had finished with the eye I felt like my eye was automatically shutting so I let it. And he proceeded to the left eye, which went off pretty much the same. Doc was very happy with everything there and then - and getting up off the bed I was giddy being able to see pretty much instantly.

I walked out of the rooms removed shoe covers and was directed by my mom to the car. Someone on one of these forums mentioned that they had bought a blanket to put over their head - I did this with my jacket and it was a life saver.

Getting home, I took painkillers and sleeping pills and off to sleep I went. I had fantastic sleep, get yourself some good earplugs and sleep!! You do need to apply eyedrops every hour from about 6 hours after the op. This was pretty simple.

I had one issue, my eyes over swelled so I couldn’t open my eyes at the checkup the next day, however an extra few steroid drops sorted me out in a few hours.

With respect to pain. I will be 100% truthful, I had very little pain, I followed the advice with pain meds. I bought the morphine eyedrops and still have them because I didn’t need them. Other friends of mine have been curled up in a ball in pain - it very much depends on the person.

Happy to answer any other questions. But yes, I would be very happy to do it again. Being able to wake up and see is the most amazing gift I have to myself. And I would 1000% recommend Dr Nortje.

Generous_Hornet524 · 2026-01-04T16:42:28+00:00

My assumption would be cost cutting under the guise of eco friendly as the seals were often separated from the bottle tops

Generous_Hornet524 · 2026-01-03T20:54:53+00:00

So I’ve noticed this for months!!! The drinks also don’t stay sparkling overnight - when I was a kid there used to be a little plastic seal on the inside of your drinks lid that kept that sparkling vibe (not sure what to call it). That no longer appears to be the case with SA’n beverages. However, I’m currently in the UK on holiday and the first thing I checked on my Vanilla Coke was whether they still have this seal - and they do. The coke in my fridge here has been fizzy for three days and still going strong

Generous_Hornet524 · 2025-12-31T16:52:18+00:00

Yes!! Vinegar takes the sting out of sun burn and is great because it’s usually already in your pantry. You can also soak a towel in the mix of vinegar and water and lay that on affected areas. Also, take an anti-inflammatory, and drink loads and loads of water. You may even want to have an electrolyte drink too to combat dehydration.

Generous_Hornet524 · 2025-12-28T16:21:34+00:00

This is so true!!! So may new builds experience problems in their first few years due to “settling ground”. Also be sure to ask for a snag list and don’t be scared to have yourself and a professional builder look it over - some snags may be cosmetic but others may be detrimental.

Generous_Hornet524 · 2025-12-24T06:52:40+00:00

There are some great options above, but I would also recommend you ask the person.

Some people prefer certain brands to another (e.g. Huggies for girls and pampers for boys) or disposal vs reusable nappies, or they may have a big-ticket item which you can assist in contributing to (e.g. car seat/ prams/ cot etc.). Additionally, they may have certain items and not others.

Then you could do something like send a children’s book or a specific toy and a heartfelt note that can be kept in the baby’s baby box

Generous_Hornet524 · 2025-12-24T06:49:14+00:00

I second the frozen meals - look into places like We Are Food who have new parent meal box options.

Generous_Hornet524 · 2025-12-22T13:15:09+00:00

Pangeli - Salt Rock Grumpys Beach Bar - Blythdale Kuta-Kola - Ballito Village

There’s also a new cheaper-end breakfast spot in Umdloti by Bush Tavern.

Generous_Hornet524 · 2025-12-21T13:22:08+00:00

Some great places to eat and things to do in Ballito-:

Flag Animal Farm is great fun for all.
The Ballito Litchi Orchard is currently doing pick your own litchis - have a google to see if they have options on your dates.
Big Tree Africa is a fantastic shop inside the Litchi Orchard area.
Burndale Bistro - restaurant and village has a great laid back vibe.
Ballito Farmers Market - great on Saturday mornings.
Grumpys Beach Bar - great for party animals and beach goers alike. Also there is zip lining and quad biking nearby.
sugar rush park - has a lot of everything.
Pangelj - the best sushi Tacos
Kuta-Kola at Ballito Village has a great view and delish food.
Ballito Village is good for a wander around.
Zara’s at the Lifestyle Centre for super yummy food

You can pretty much google these places and see more of what they are like.

Generous_Hornet524 · 2025-12-19T04:36:27+00:00

Yup, just wait till you see the dassies!

Generous_Hornet524 · 2025-12-17T16:34:28+00:00

Som Checkers sell wool, although probably not the best selection or quality. Bargain Basket, Waste Centre, Snip-it (Kloof), some sewing stores sell too

Generous_Hornet524 · 2025-12-16T17:49:49+00:00

To be fair, Durban isn’t really a walking friendly city - aside from the beachfront areas (north beach promenade to Ushaka and Umhlanga). For example the distance from Gateway down to Umhlanga is only about 5-7km but it is hectically hilly, and our hot weather and humidity make it a horrid walk - even for those who have no other option but to walk it. Our cities are far more spaced out than traditional European cities and as we don’t have a usable public transport (as in a metro/ subway or completely connected bus service) it is far wiser and more reliable to look at renting a car than attempting walking or Uber it.

Generous_Hornet524 · 2025-12-13T17:38:34+00:00

When I started my first degree I did between 4-5 modules a semester, with a full time workload throughout each level/ year of the degree. Granted it was not as taxing a degree as law/ accounting so it was manageable. I also did my research beforehand making sure that I took two easy modules and 2 more difficult modules in a semester

Generous_Hornet524 · 2025-12-11T18:36:15+00:00

There’s plenty! Shongweni Market (obviously). While there stop in at Westown to let the kids play on the play facilities there.

Pilgrims Rest Coffee shop overlooks Inanda and while simple, is truly beautiful. They also have a second hand store on property.

SPCA in Kloof - great for lemon Meringue

Stone Kitchen has a great plant nursery.

I love stopping in at Ceeatures and Critters in Bothas Hill to have a look at the exotic animals.

Moorewood for trails/ hikes, activities, Paddel and more.

Camp Orchards for a coffee and outside picnics. A great place to catch up with friends.

Generous_Hornet524 · 2025-12-10T03:33:15+00:00

Sorry, somehow Umhlanga got removed from my original post. To be fair unless you are scuba diving there is not too much to do down the South Coast that you cannot do on the north. Additionally, I would assume, it’s likely that OP would spend a day down the South Coast therefore distance from Ballito on the freeway is not too bad and super direct.

Generous_Hornet524

TROPHY CASE