Finding a Wedding Venue in South Afrcia
For many people the idea of a wedding at a game lodge is South Africa is the ultimate fantasy, but in fact it is not a difficult thing to organise and when combined with a honeymoon in this wonderful country will not even break the bank.
But there is more to South Africa than lodges, it is home to some of the loveliest and most beautifully situated hotels in the world, and we have picked just a few of the very best, though by no means all.
Mount Nelson Hotel, Cape Town
An exclusive luxury hotel for more than 100 years, and a Cape Town institution known to locals as "the Nelly", Mount Nelson is very dramatically located at the foot of the famous Table Mountain.
The hotel has six individual wings and a wide choice of very large rooms and suites, all beautifully and individually decorated.
Seven function rooms are available which can cater to parties from two to 200. The hotel is a very popular wedding venue and has an experienced in-house coordinator and their own resident florist.
They currently offer a very attractivewedding package to couples travelling on their own.
The Saxon, Johannesburg
Located in the exclusive suburb of Sandhurst, this boutique hotel is decorated in a cool and contemporary African style and filled with ethnic art and artefacts.
There is a wonderful spa, set amid lush gardens and vast calm pools, where you can have some pre-wedding pampering or have your make up done on the wedding day. The hotel also has a small private cinema.
There are 26 magnificent suites, each one a gem and a study in absolute luxury. The Saxon can arrange small private weddings and are very helpful in providing assistance with paperwork.
A Bok's Place, Glentana
Officially a Guest House, but with the luxury of a hotel and great spa, A Bok's Place is so called because it is run by a former Springboks rugby player and his family.
Located on the famous Garden Route, close to Mossel Bay, the house has 12 beautifully appointed bedrooms, a pool and spa and very good food. Perfect for small weddings who can take over the whole house, it is also exceptionally good value.
Blue Mountain Lodge
Popular with stars seeking a retreat, this is an oasis where time stands still and guests are pampered while surrounded by natural beauty at its best.
The Lodge is set on 500 acres of bush, forestry and farmland, close to the famous Kruger National Park, where safaris for guests can be arranged.
For the wedding couple a Manor House Suite is perfection, with magnificent bedrooms, a marbled bathroom, a mahogany study, kitchen, lounge and dining room, and the services of a personal chef and maitre d'. Outside is a timber deck, with stunning views and a private swimming pool.
The Lodge has its own private chapel and will be happy to organise your wedding for you.
Leopard Hills Private Game Reserve
A wonderfully secluded location in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, which forms part of the greater Kruger National Park
The lodges are built on a hill overlooking a natural waterhole which is a sanctuary for many bird species and regularly host to wallowing Hippo’s and basking Crocodiles. More wildlife can be seen on private safaris into the surrounding area.
This is a small and exclusive place with just 8 extremely luxurious and very private suites, each with its own sundeck and rock plunge pool and superb views. You can even enjoy the views from bed, since the lodges are all completely glass fronted. Ask for a lodge that allows you to see the sun setting.
Weddings take place in a most dramatic location - on the main deck, overlooking the waterhole. The management can take care of all preparations and paperwork.
Kievits Kroon Country Estate, Pretoria
Just 10 miles from central Pretoria this exclusive hotel with its traditional Cape Dutch style is a spectacular location for a wedding.
A short walk from the main hotel, along a cobbled path through the gardens, is the estate's private chapel, a simple homestead style building with tall frosted glass windows.
After your wedding spend a romantic night in a private thatched Zulu Hut, though this one is anything but basic.
The hotel has an excellent spa, two swimming pools and can arrange cruises on Roodeplaat Dam, a particular great place to take some unique wedding photographs. Kievits Kroon is a popular wedding venue and the staff have making arrangements down to a fine art.