We had the pleasure of organising a wedding for a couple who travelled to South Africa from Tokyo. The bride has always dreamed of having a wedding in the African Bush and after 18 months of planning, her dream came true!
The guests arrived from all four corners of the globe and made their way from OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg up to Tuningi Lodge which is situated in the Madikwe Game Reserve. Madikwe is a Big 5 reserve situated in the North West Province on the Botswana border. Here they were treated to 3 days of celebrations interspersed with some excellent game viewing. On their first day the highlight of their game drive was when they saw a leopard with 2 cubs. On the same drive they saw wild dogs with their pups. These two sitings were just an introduction into the way their visit was heading.
On the way back from their first evening game drive, the vehicles stopped at a clearing in the African bush. It was lit by lamps and open fires in braziers with a large fire burning in the middle. Perfectly set tables surrounded the fire place and each chair had a blanket thrown over it to keep out the considerable evening chill. There was no electricity and there were game rangers on guard to discourage any inquisitive elephant or lion in case they wanted to inspect proceedings.
As the guests alighted from the vehicles, they were greeted by the rythmic drumming and 14 Zulu dancers in full regalia. First course was a warming soup. After this the guests were treated to Zulu dancing. What an atmosphere there was with the fires crackling, and myriads of stars shining in a cloudless sky. A fully plated dinner was on offer consisting of delicious barbecued fillet steak and even the plates were hot.
The next day was the wedding day. It dawned clear but with a very cold wind blowing. After consultation with the bride and her bridesmaids it was decided that the ceremony would be moved from out in the bush to be held in the Lodge itself. What a disappointment as for 18 months we had been planning this bush ceremony. With about hours to go until ceremony time the groom called the lodge staff and the co-ordinaters together and insisted that we hold it in the bush.
There was a mad scramble to set up chairs, flowers, etc. By some miracle the wind dropped and the weather warmed up considerably. The bride's and bridesmaids' strapless dresses were perfect for the occasion. The only hassle was the bridesmaids negotiating the rocky terrain in their gorgeous high heels. As the bride and groom said their vows and were pronounced husband and wife, the Lodge choir burst into song with a traditional African wedding hymn. After a few more songs the bride and groom climbed into their "Just Married" open landdrover and drove back to the Lodge for their reception.
In the warm cosy lodge the guests were entertained by a marimba band while they had some really great food. The speeches were spectacular, and the dancing went on until late!
What a perfect bush wedding!
2 comments:
She's very lucky that she is going about to come true her dream. Its not very easy but a miracle. I would say "perfect bush wedding" of this.
Its your lifetime achievement.
Good Luck Both of you.
Allvira,
Venue Finders
Informative post.Madikwe game Reserve is a South Africa’s largest wildlife destinations. leopard, lion, buffalo, elephant and hyena this five is a major attractions of this park. Madikwe have also birds in park.Madikwe dogs are tremendous eyesight, even sharper, average lifespan is 10 years. Accommodation facility are available like Jaci’s Tree Lodge, Morukuru Lodge, Thakadu River Camp, Thuningi Safari Lodge.
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