Weddings in Southern Africa
Rather than feeding the five thousand at a home-grown wedding venue, why not invest instead in some African wedding memories to share with a select group of friends and family? With the bush or an exotic headland as the backdrop, you almost don’t need to spend on decorations or extras and a few curious turtles make perfect witnesses to your wedding vows!
In the first of a two-part blog, I look at some of the options available to you.
We’ve arranged a number of weddings in Southern Africa over the years. All have been tailor-made, informal and relaxed, usually with just the bride and groom but sometimes with a few friends and family. On the edge of Victoria Falls on Livingstone Island, at Bushmanskloof Wilderness Reserve in the Cedarberg, on a beach in Maputaland or Mauritius, in the Sabi Sands private game reserve or surrounded by Cape vineyards – these are choices which have worked particularly well for our clients. Bush Weddings are a particular favourite of ours: the ceremony takes place in the heart of the African bush with some impromtu singing and dancing by the staff. Other guests gather round keen to share in your happiness….. and afterwards you take a private game drive in a landrover filled with rose petals.
How much does it cost?
How long is a piece of string? This depends on your choice of venue, hotel or lodge for the wedding and how elaborate your arrangements. After discussing the best possible location for your wedding, we will give you a price for the arrangements. Some lodges have a set price for getting married. This will include the cost of the minister, the ceremony, licence and legal fees, bride’s bouquet and bridegroom’s buttonhole and wedding cake. Sometimes it includes bridal accommodation, a photographer and make-up and hair assistance. At other times these are offered as extras alongside special bridal dinners, additional flowers for the chapel ….even hot air balloon rides or helicopter flips.
However you needn’t feel restricted to these lodges especially if it is just the two of you. Many lodges host weddings and quote on individual aspects as they find that everyone wants something different. Generally the costs of your wedding will increase the more remote the venue as the costs of transporting a minister to your venue increase (and you may need to allow for his overnight accommodation for example) as well as the costs of transporting, photography, cakes for the same reason.
Tomorrow I will look a little more at the costs and the legal aspects of getting married in Africa…
For more info and lodge ideas, have a look at our Wedding and Honeymoon pages