A PHOTOGRAPHER’S VENUE GUIDE
STANLEY
ISLAND
Stanley Island is South Africa’s only privately owned island wedding venue, set in the Keurbooms River at Plettenberg Bay.
WEDDING VENUES • KEURBOOMS, PLETTENBERG BAY • WEDDING VENUE • UPDATED 2026
01
WHY COUPLES CHOOSE IT
Why couples choose Stanley Island
An island wedding without leaving Plett: the ferry crosses the Keurbooms, the jetty receives your guests, and the rest of the world stays on the other bank. Zebra graze the lawns, the Tsitsikammas stand behind the river, and the Ski Hut’s riverbank deck hosts ceremonies with water on three sides.
The island runs weddings turnkey, planning, décor, cruises, even the pre-wedding braai, and lodge accommodation keeps the weekend on island time.
01 / LOCATION
Keurbooms River, Plett
02 / BEST FOR
50–130 seated (200+ w/ beach)
03 / CEREMONY
Riverbank, island beach or lapa
04 / WET WEATHER
Stowaway & Ski Hut interiors
05 / STAY
3 lodges (~12 rooms)
06 / FOOD
In-house seasonal menus
07 / ARRIVAL
Private ferry & jetty
08 / STYLE
Barefoot island luxury
THROUGH SHARYN’S LENS
Photographing a wedding at Stanley Island
Water on every side means reflections at every hour, I’d run a Stanley Island day from jetty arrival (the crossing is the opening scene) through a riverbank ceremony timed for the wind’s calm, to portraits along the beach as the Tsitsikammas take the last light. The zebra are the wildcard cameo every gallery wants.
Island logistics reward tight planning, boats, tides, light, which is exactly the kind of timeline I enjoy building.
PLANNING AROUND THE LIGHT
A timeline shaped around your date.
Sunrise and sunset shift throughout the year, so there is no single perfect ceremony time at Stanley Island. I build each timeline around the sunset time on your actual date, the ceremony space, the weather and river reflections and the mountain backdrop across the water.
MAR TO SEP
March – September
The sun sits lower and golden light arrives earlier in the afternoon. The river stills and silvers early, earlier ceremonies keep the reflection hour and the crossing both in golden light.
OCT TO FEB
October – February
Days run long and the light stays strong late. Long evenings on the water, later ceremonies finish with the mountains glowing over the Keurbooms.
YOUR DATE
Your personal timeline
Once your date is confirmed, I work backwards from sunset and create a photography timeline around your ceremony, portraits and reception, with enough flexibility for weather and the unplanned moments that make the day yours.
THE RHYTHM
The shape of the day
Getting ready → Ceremony → Family photographs → Golden-hour portraits → Dinner & dancing
FLEXIBILITY
Exact times stay personal
Exact times are created for your date, never copied from a generic schedule.
SHARYN’S WORK NEARBY
My work nearby.
I haven’t photographed a wedding on the island yet, these nearby Keurbooms and Plett galleries show my work minutes away by water.
SHANNON & DUSTY / JORDAN & PETE
“
Water on every side means reflections at every hour, I’d run a Stanley Island day from jetty arrival (the crossing is the opening scene) through a riverbank ceremony timed for the wind’s calm, to portraits along the beach as the Tsitsikammas take the last light.
SHARYN HODGES / PHOTOGRAPHER’S VENUE NOTES
THE PRACTICAL BITS
Plan the day, keep the feeling.
Facts to reconfirm with the venue before you book, capacities and packages change.
BEST FOR
50–130 seated (200+ w/ beach)
CEREMONY
Riverbank, island beach or lapa
WET WEATHER
Stowaway & Ski Hut interiors
FOOD
In-house seasonal menus
NEED TO KNOW
Before you book.
A photographer’s answers to the questions couples ask most often about Stanley Island. Venue details and packages can change, so confirm the final information directly.
By the island’s ferry to its private jetty, the crossing is part of the wedding, and the island is exclusively yours.
The Stowaway takes 50–130 seated, the Ski Hut 30–100 (extendable past 200 with the beach area), and the Olea lapa 20–100.
Three lodges with roughly a dozen en-suite rooms hold the wedding party for the weekend.
Yes, free-roaming zebra graze the island’s grasslands and have a habit of photobombing beautifully.
ALREADY IMAGINING IT?
Getting married at Stanley Island?
I photograph the Keurbooms and its beaches constantly, the island is the one frame I’m missing, and I’d love your wedding to be the reason that changes.
