What makes a bush wedding unique? Is it the light of the setting sun which brings the bush alive and casts the sky in a thousand shades of orange, pink and red?
Could it be the unique setting of your ceremony, underneath an acacia tree in the African bush, or overlooking a riverbed teeming with wildlife?
Or is it for the exclusivity of it – where each guest is treated to the luxury and comfort that private game lodges like Thornybush do so well?
Whatever your reason for considering a bush wedding, you will be creating memories which will have you wanting to come back, every anniversary!
As magical as a wedding in the African bush can be, it doesn’t come without its own obstacles, all of which are surmountable with the right planning.
We can help with a dedicated wedding planner on hand to help navigate most of the elements on your special day, this takes away all the stress and anxiety around the big event.
Bush weddings by default will be in wilderness areas, so you need to make sure that your guests can get to you with relative ease. Check if the lodge or reserve has a private landing strip or see how far the closest airport is.
Many lodges also provide airport transfers so that guests don’t need to hire cars. Having a wedding away from civilization is unique, but not every one of your guests may appreciate the solitude of it, so make sure that they can at least get to the venue without having to navigate miles of dirt road and possible animal encounters.
Game lodges, especially luxury ones, are typically quite small to ensure an intimate experience and minimal impact on the environment. If your guest list is on the large side, then you’ll need to make sure that there is enough accommodation for everyone.
Look for a lodge that can accommodate all of your wedding party, without compromising on exclusivity or luxuries. Even if guests aren’t all at the same lodge, they should ideally be just a few minutes drive away.
At Thornybush, we have lodges within 30min drive of each other, so your guests would even have different types of accommodation to choose from.
Because of the remoteness of many safari lodges, there can be issues with being able to get the fresh produce you expect for your wedding menu. Make sure the lodge has access to fresh, organic vegetables and herbs so that your guests are treated to a gastronomic delight, which is not limited because of procurement issues.
A bush wedding is such a unique experience, but does require a little extra thought in the planning phase. Planning ahead and making sure you know what to expect will go a long way in ensuring that your wedding day is one to remember, for all the right reasons!