We have been organising weddings in Africa for over 12
years now and it is certainly one of the most
wonderful and rewarding parts of our business as we become involved
in probably the most important day of your life. We are able to
offer you a fantastic range of options relating to every aspect
of your wedding with an expert, personal approach.
Everyone has a different idea of their perfect day when it comes
to getting married. We really understand this and we work very closely
with you towards creating the most wonderful African wedding that
lives up to your every expectation and more. We have arranged many
fabulous bush and lodge weddings (including our own) and we absolutely
love doing them. It is a joy for us to be involved in the most important
day of your life.
So many choices
We organise weddings at a choice of beautiful, remote locations
in Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia and Namibia. Over the years,
we have discovered some sensational places to get married, some
incredible lodges from which to base your wedding and some equally
fantastic honeymoon destinations.
Whether you choose a romantic bush wedding or an exclusive
lodge ceremony you can rest assured that the whole thing will be
impeccably organised.
We are experts at dealing with the 'red
tape'
The ceremony
Some couples prefer a civil ceremony and others
a religious one so we are happy to arrange either - and we can
cater for many denominations. If you have been married before,
some priests will not marry you - although a civil ceremony
is always possible. Please speak to us and we will be able to
advise you.
Rules & regulations
Each country has its own marriage laws and procedures, which
are accompanied by a significant amount of red tape. We are
very familiar with all the rules and regulations so we know
what is feasible to arrange and at the same time, we are able
to minimise the amount of time you have to spend on paperwork.
Special wedding licenses are usually required and it is imperative
that the formalities are completed correctly. We take this burden
away from you so that you are free to focus on the more enjoyable
aspects of your wedding.
A legal marriage
Importantly, all weddings we arrange are legal when you get
home – something that is not always the case when getting married
abroad. When we got married, we were given a wonderful marriage
certificate (below) from the Laikipia Region of the Great Rift
Valley in Kenya.
The complete safari
We can only organise weddings as part of a fully inclusive safari
(owing to the amount of behind-the-scenes activity to which we become
committed). We take care of your legal arrangements, marriage fees,
wedding plans, safari and lodge requirements as well as your flights
(where required ) and we can also organise your honeymoon.
Your guests
Some couples love the idea of escaping to Africa to get married
in a totally private ceremony that’s just between the two of them.
Others are keen to invite family and friends to join them. We can
help with your guests’ arrangements, no matter how long or short
a time they wish to spend in Africa. We can offer good discounts
if there are a number of you staying in the same lodge and we can
even arrange for your wedding party to have the exclusive use of
a lodge, its staff and facilities. When you head off on your honeymoon,
your guests may wish to extend their stay in Africa with their own
safari or beach holiday and we can assist them with that too. We
have a wealth of experience organising multiple plans for wedding
parties and if your guests choose to make their plans with us, they
will benefit from our intimate knowledge of Africa and our professional
care and attention - not forgetting our competitive rates.
The important extras
We really are happy to help you with all the details and just because
it’s an African wedding, it doesn’t mean you can’t have what you
want. You may want simple flower arrangements of local flowers or
prefer to have stunning roses and lilies, which we can fly up from
Nairobi or Johannesburg. We can even provide you with a strikingly
decorated multi-tier, traditional wedding cake.
THE NIGHT BEFORE
You may wish to follow tradition and spend the night before your
wedding in separate locations. We have organised some fabulous pre-wedding
evenings for both the bride and groom and there are some wonderful
options for you to consider. We can put you in separate lodges or
in separate rooms in the same lodge. Here are just some of the arrangements
we have previously made for couples the night before their weddings;
The groom and the male guests headed off into the bush with
Maasai warriors for some sundowners and a dinner cooked on an
open fire. Meanwhile, the bride stayed at the lodge with the female
guests, where they headed off to the spa for some spoiling treatments
before a candle-lit dinner by the swimming pool.
At another wedding, the bride went to the local Kawaza village,
where she was greeted by smiling local tribespeople. The ladies
were very excited about her impending marriage. They adorned her
with traditional beads, told her some of their stories and danced
and sang for her. The groom set off from the lodge in a game-viewing
vehicle and had a really enjoyable evening with several of the
guides.
YOUR WEDDING DAY
The bride
We know that you’ll want to feel a million dollars when you walk
up to the altar on your wedding day. You may like help with your
hair or your nails. Maybe you’d like someone to do your make-up.
We can organise that for you - and arrange a practice run before
the day. Alternatively, you may simply opt for some out-and-out
pampering before your wedding as so many of the lodges have fabulous
spas offering wonderful treatments.
The wedding
African weddings are really exciting because there are so many
great possibilities on the day. Here are some ideas:
Go on a game drive to the ceremony (a lovely way to cope with
pre-wedding nerves!)
Go riding on the morning of your wedding or arrive at the ceremony
on horseback
Head off on a walking safari at dawn followed by a breakfast
picnic in the bush, an amazing start to the day
Leave the ceremony on a camel - an original going-away vehicle
Have your wedding witnessed by Samburu warriors, something we
felt was a real privilege when we got married
Enjoy the singing and dancing of the Maasai to celebrate your
marriage
You can understand why all the couples whose weddings we have arranged
have had a really fun time in the planning stages!
Please also see our Migration
Safaris webiste for further wedding details here
THE WEDDING RECEPTION
After we got married we had a wonderful, sumptuous lunch underneath
a huge acacia tree. We were looked after by the Samburu warriors,
who had given Meregan away and had witnessed our marriage. We had
champagne, delicious salads, smoked salmon and beef Wellington.
Our wedding cake was the most fabulous, homemade cake beautifully
decorated with our names. We will tailor-make your reception to
your exact wishes and can organise anything from a simple, romantic,
bush picnic for two to a lavish party in the lodge with your family
and friends.
The evening of your wedding
Again, what you do is totally up to you and we can help to arrange
a memorable party on the evening of your wedding. You may like to
have drinks on the lawn of the lodge followed by an opulent dinner
with your guests. Alternatively, you could head off into the bush
together for sundowners and enjoy the spectacular sights and sounds
of the beautiful wilderness around you before returning to the lodge
for a romantic, private, candlelit dinner on your balcony.
Please also see our Migration Safaris
webiste for further reception details here
YOUR HONEYMOON
We have created some really special honeymoons for people during
the rest of their time in Africa. You can choose from a great range
of options and through our experience of organising many different
types of trips, we are perfectly placed to assist you. Our previous
honeymoons have included:
an adventurous self drive safari across Botswana
a luxury, fly-in, Tanzanian lodge to lodge safari
a horseback safari on Malawi's Nyika Plateau
a few days in a private villa on the Kenyan island of Lamu
an indulgent week at a Seychellian spa hotel
combination honeymoons involving safaris and beach stays
Please contact Meregan Turner
If you would like to discuss your wedding with us, please
contact Meregan Turner who will be delighted to help. She has been
arranging African weddings for over 12 years now and will be able
to talk you through all the procedures as well as give you plenty
of wonderful ideas to think about. Meregan will be pleased to put
together a sample wedding itinerary for you, along with a quote
and individual lodge brochures.
For more information and a brochure call 01488 71140