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Planning Your Wedding
We know that planning your wedding and honeymoon is one of the most important and time consuming jobs you will every come across. Arranging your wedding abroad with Beachcomber will help take away all the stress, time, panic and organisation will be taken away.
We arrange over 300 weddings across all our destinations each year so you can rest assured that your big day is in trusted hands. It is all about personal choice - this is especially true in Africa! We have put together a wedding planner for you to get some ideas about what you want for your big day.
Who can we speak to about planning our wedding?
From start to finish you will have the support of our knowledgeable reservations team here in the UK and a Wedding planner on hand for you when in Africa, they will be more than happy to advise you on anything you need to know about your wedding in Africa.
How much does a wedding abroad in Africa Cost?
There are so many destinations and properties in Africa - each with their own wedding package. We thought it would be best to give you a few ideas about the kind of packages you can have in Africa but don't worry if we have not mentioned the lodge, hotel or location your were thinking of as we can tailor anything to suit your personal requirements.
Bush:
Weddings at Savanna
From £335
The Wedding package includes -
- The Minister
- All necessary legal documents
- Bouquet for the bride
- Buttonhole for groom
- Extra flowers
- Small wedding cake
- A complimentary bottle of sparkling wine for the bridal couple
- A Choice of venues including: In the middle of bush, by the swimming pool with a view of the waterhole in the background or on the decking/lounge area
Weddings at Ulusaba
From £2475
The Wedding Package includes -
- 3 nights accommodation for the bride and groom
- All your meals and beverages (including special wedding meals), and unlimited French Champagne
- The ceremony at any one of a variety of stunning locations either within the lodges or in the Bush (transfers included)
- A minister, preparation for the ceremony, processing of all legal documents
- Wedding cake
- Twice daily game drives in the Bush
- Complimentary room upgrades (subject to availability)
- Optional room for the bride on the eve and/or day of the wedding (subject to availability)
- Optional private dinner for two on the eve of the wedding
- Optional breakfast in bed on the morning after the ceremony
- Pressing of the bride and grooms’ outfits
- A wedding gift and plenty of other little extras and surprises!
- 30 minute massage each for the bride and groom
Samburu and Mara Intrepids
From £1439
The Wedding Packages include:
- Procurement of marriage license
- transport and assistance for betrothed to complete relevant forms
and registrar to perform marriage Complete - Samburu wedding attire for bride & groom
- plus necklace and ornaments
- Wedding Cake for 2 to 6 guests presented by Samburu warriors
- Sparkling wine toast (including light canapés)
- Decorated venue selected by the couple
Beach:
Twelve Apostles
From £309
The Wedding will take place in the beautiful Table Mountain Fynbos Garden behind the hotel and the package includes:
- Bouquet of African Indigenous flowers for the bride and a buttonhole for her groom
- Wedding Cake designed by our talented pastry chef for 4 people
- A romantic rose petal turndown with Sparkling Wine
- His & Hers Bathrobe with Embroidered Initials – a gift from the hotel
- Breakfast in bed
- The Hotel’s Minister handles all the marriage documents ( Bridal couple deal directly with the Minister)
- Initial interview with the Minister, all legal arrangement and certificate of marriage.
The Day After – A time to relax
- Breakfast in Bed
- A morning in bed with a choice of DVD’s
- Car Washing service if required
The Cove Tree House
From £1099
The wedding package includes:
- For her: Massage, pedicure and manicure
- Pinhole and bridal bouquet (local flowers)
- One tier non-fruit cake
- Cocktail for guests & bridal couple
- Decorated area for wedding
- Sparkling wine on ice in room
- All expenses for registrar, legal fees and registration fees in Kenya
Elsa's Kopje, Loisaba and Joy's Camp
From £1119
The Wedding package includes:
- Organisation on site of whatever your requirements for your wedding celebration.
- Special romantic lunch &/or sundowners &/or dinner located in the bush &/or in your room &/or by the swimming pool etc.
- Organisation of traditional entertainment (extra charge applies)
- A wedding cake made in camp, a plain cake or carrot cake.
- Special ceremony & / or tent décor including:
- A bed canopy with wild plants and greenery
- Flickering safari lamps and candles
- Strawberries and chocolates
- A bottle of sparkling wine
- A present for the bride and groom.
- Wine flowing throughout.
- Music. We can offer a CD player but please bring your own music and/or Ipod. Please inform us prior to the event if you are interested in music and what you would like.
- Transport for the District Commissioner / Minister to the location of the marriage.
- District Commissioner / Ministers marriage charges.
Governors Camp - Kenya
From £1119
The Wedding package includes:
- Organisation of necessary papers in Kenya
- Official registration as well as transport of marriage registrars
- Organisation of wedding ceremony with set up of tent by the river
- Private wedding lunch with wine for up to 6 guests
- Professional bouquet for the bride and decoration for wedding ceremony
- Wedding cake for up to 6 people and a bottle of sparkling wine
- Private candlelit dinner on the veranda of the bride and grooms tent
- Surprise bush breakfast during their stay in camp
- Small wedding present
For something extra special why not get married in a hot air balloon flying high above the Masai Mara: This service is provided by Governors Balloon Safaris Ltd. The price includes the balloon flight, a freshly cooked champagne bush breakfast after landing and a game drive on return to the camp. PRICE!!!??
What documents do we need to provide Beachcomber?
We require 2 copies of the following documents from you at least eight weeks before you depart the UK. We will need to plan well in advance as we are required to give the Supreme Court at least one month's notice. We also suggest that you are in Africa for at least three days before your wedding date.
- Copies of passports
- Copies of birth certificates
- Decree absolute (if divorced)
- Deed Poll (if name has changed)
- Death Certificate and previous marriage certificate if widowed
- Non English documentation must be translated into English and duly stamped.
- One signed copy of the Beachcomber Wedding Application form which we will send out to you when you make a booking.
Your Beachcomber Wedding Planner
Before you go
12 months to go…..
Decide on the hotel you wish to hold your dream wedding. Call our reservations team to discuss prices for you (if you are planning on having guests we can put together some quotes for your wedding party). Once you have chosen the location and decided upon your wedding date we will check to make sure that the wedding is available on that day (this usually takes 24 hours) once this is done we will confirm the booking and take a deposit of 10% plus the wedding fee at your chosen property!
We will then send out confirmation to you along with the Beachcomber Wedding Form then all you need to do is send us the necessary documentation and relax!
About 10 months to go……
- Select wedding outfits for bride/groom
- If you have decided on a made to measure wedding dress we would suggest making an appointment with your chosen designer or wedding shop for an initial session! It can take up to six months for a wedding dress to be made!!
- If you have a wedding party select outfits for them
About 6 months to go…..
- Make sure your passport is valid for more than six months after your return date.
- If you are travelling to a destination that requires vaccinations or malaria tablets make sure you’re up to date with all of the current requirements.
- If you require a visa we would suggest contacting your consulate to guarantee this is done by your departure date.
About 8 weeks to go…..
- Pay the outstanding balance on your holiday and make any special requests for airline seating, meals and hotel rooms.
- Collect your wedding dress (ensure that it has been professionally packed in a box marked fragile so it is ready to go into the hold.
About 3 weeks to go….
- Make any last minute arrangements to water your plants or feed the animals
- Receive your Beachcomber Travel wallet containing all of your documents; itinerary and even contact cards to give out so people can contact you.
The day of departure…..
Make a final check to ensure you have everything you need:
- Travel Documents
- Passports
- Originals of required documents for your wedding
- Bride and Grooms wedding outfits
- If applicable – the wedding party outfits
- For the bride – something old, something borrowed and something blue!
- If required - A copy of the speeches
- RINGS!!
When you arrive
When you arrive you will take the day to settle in to your chosen hotel, relax by the pool, sip a cocktail at sunset or if you are on Safari enjoy your first taste of the game drives that make them so popular and enjoy the first day of your honeymoon
- Meet your wedding coordinator who will work with you to plan your perfect day.
- You will choose your wedding location – each property in Africa will have a choice of locations for your special days - most people choose to have their wedding in the afternoon 15h00-16h00 as it is a cooler time of the day, the light is also better for photographs and you can take advantage of the sunsets at this time of day.
- Discuss what you require for you wedding reception. If you have a larger party we suggest talking to your wedding co-ordinator well in advance to ensure they have availability for what you want to do.
After the wedding…..
The great thing is you do not need to worry about post wedding day blues as you are still on honeymoon. The day after the wedding you can carry on enjoying all that Africa has to offer. Enjoy a hot air balloon trip over the Masaai Mara at sunrise and return for a champagne bush breakfast, organise a trip to the famous Table Mountain where you can enjoy the stunning panoramic views of Cape Town and the surrounding areas, take a mokoro boat trip in Botswana and sip ice cold drinks whilst watching the sunset over the Okavago Delta or enjoy a safari in one of Africa's many game reserves. You have so much choice in Africa that you will be kept occupied with fantastic scenery and activities that will ensure your honeymoon is as memorable as it should be!
