In short: Visitors from the UK, Europe and the US can plan one styled evening in Cape Town entirely from home: a sunset proposal, a villa that welcomes you on arrival, or a golden hour picnic. This guide walks you through it in four short parts: when to come, what's allowed on the beaches and mountains, how to plan a proposal from overseas, and what to book. Shanel at Alora Events replies within four hours, 8am to 10pm Cape Town time, and nothing is paid until you love the design.

Most people fly twelve hours to Cape Town for the mountain, the two oceans and the light. Somewhere in that trip is one evening they'll talk about for years. It doesn't happen by accident. It happens because someone lit the candles before you got there, knew which cove is sheltered when the wind blows, and was gone before your partner walked in.

That's what we do. This guide is everything you need to plan it from your sofa, in the order you'll need it.

Part 1: When to come

Cape Town's seasons are the opposite of Europe and North America, and they change what an evening looks like. Summer (December to February) gives you sunsets near 20:00 and the busiest beaches; autumn (March to May) is calmer and clearer; winter is for fireside villa evenings. Sunset times, wind, crowds and when to book, month by month.

Read part 1: The best time of year for a celebration in Cape Town

Part 2: What's allowed

The proposal you saw on Instagram with a hundred candles and a bottle of champagne on the sand may not have been legal. Alcohol isn't allowed on City beaches, Lion's Head and Signal Hill are inside a national park, and nothing happens there after dark. Here are the rules in plain words, and the three settings that give you the view without the paperwork.

Read part 2: Can you propose or picnic on a Cape Town beach?

Part 3: How to plan it from overseas

A step-by-step plan for the big one: pick the season, choose a spot that allows a setup, book four to eight weeks ahead, agree a wind backup, plan the decoy, and know what it costs before you fly.

Read part 3: How to plan a proposal in Cape Town from overseas

Part 4: What to book

Three moments, each a complete evening with everything included, and a simple way to build yours: pick the moment, your date and where you're staying, and Shanel comes back with the design.

How it works, in five steps

  1. Build your moment on the page above: the moment, your dates, where you're staying, how it should feel.
  2. Shanel designs it and replies within four hours with the plan and what it costs.
  3. You say yes and hold the date with half by bank transfer. The rest is due a week before.
  4. We arrange access with your villa manager, host or concierge. You never explain anything to anyone.
  5. You walk into it finished, and we clear it away after you leave.

Three things visitors always ask

  • Can we pay in dollars, euros or pounds? We quote in rand and you pay by international bank transfer; your bank converts. The pages show approximate dollar, euro and pound figures so you can budget.
  • What if the weather turns? Every outdoor moment has a backup agreed the day before, at no cost: a sheltered cove, a covered terrace or your villa lounge.
  • How far ahead should we book? Six to eight weeks for December to February, three to four weeks the rest of the year. We take at most two visitor setups a day.

Ready? Start with part 1, or go straight to the three moments.