An African Safari and Mauritius A Destination Wedding and Honeymoon Filled With Exotic Adventure
For
an out of the ordinary destination wedding and
honeymoon the combination an exciting African
safari followed by a relaxing beach stay in Mauritius
is a dream getaway.
Into the Wilds of Africa
With
the help of Distinctive Honeymoons and CC Africa
you will be swept away to a land of sweeping savannahs,
breathtaking scenery, captivating cultures and
magnificence wildlife.
Couples
can travel from the airport to their first hotel
stay in style and chose to arrive by vintage car,
Harley Davidsons, landrovers covered with flowers
or by helicopter. Theme wedding invitations can
be carved from wood, with leather embossed invite
featuring a photo of giraffes with necks entwined
or carved into a South African candle. Options
for a wedding rehearsal dinner abound while on
safari. Couples and their wedding guests can enjoy
a special African wedding dinner at Moya in Johannesburg
or Cape Town, dinner at Johannesburg Zoo with
private night tour, dine at Le Quartier Francais
in the heart of the historic village Franschhoek,
enjoy a Bush dinner at Makweti Safari Lodge or
an elephant back safari.
Londolozi,
situated in the heart of the Sabi Sand Game Reserve,
sits on the border of Africa's most famous park
- Kruger National Park which is one of the most
romantic sites in Africa to be married at. For
a small wedding Livingstone Island by Victoria
Falls, the Illyria House gardens in Pretoria,
aboard Rovos Rail or Cape winelands are other
possibilities.
The
twelve symbols of life important in African culture
may be administered as part of the wedding ceremony
for couples wishing to include special African
wedding traditions into their wedding service.
These twelve symbols are wine, wheat, pepper,
salt, bitter herbs, water, a pot and spoon, a
broom, honey, a spear, a shield, and a copy of
the Bible or the Koran. Each one represents a
different aspect of the love and strength, which
unites two families. The Zulu tribe has a tradition
of weaving beads into Zulu 'love letters'. Every
color has a different meaning and a Zulu woman
can weave a message of love into her patterned
creation. Young Zulu girls, in particular, use
the vocabulary of the beads to send sweet thoughts
to their loved ones. The groom's parents can be
asked to compensate the father of the bride for
the loss of his daughter in marriage (lobola).
Traditionally he pays with cattle, but a symbolic
exchange can be made. In pre- colonial period,
the marriage payment included cattle (four or
more), chickens and a cow (if the girl was a virgin).
This payment went to the mother in appreciation
for giving birth to the girl. Other payments are
demanded nowadays -- a chitenge cloth, canvas
shoes and a dress -- 2 blankets, a pair of shoes
and a suit for the father.
Bush
décor at the wedding ceremony site can be
very romantic. For day weddings local flora (fynbos)
with proteas can set the stage and for evening weddings
candlelight and a flickering fire with shangaan
warriors will be a dramatic bush wedding ceremony
setting. For entertainment an Africa choir or drumming
circle would be appropriate background music. Couples
and wedding guests could also take part in elephant
back safaris. A wedding webcast can be arranged
so that family and friends at home can be a part
of your wedding day celebrations.
Romantic honeymoon registry considerations while
on safari include a dusk elephant back safari just
for two with a guide, pampering spa treatments at
a bush lodge, blessing from a village chief or sangoma,
bush dinner for two and a helicopter ride into Vic
Falls Gorge for lunch.
Mauritius
The island of Mauritius, set in its turquoise sea,
is an oasis of peace and tranquility and the perfect
conclusion to your African safari or a beautiful
setting for your destination wedding and honeymoon
Couples can be whisked away upon arrival by limousine
or helicopter to any of these beautiful resorts
- One&Only Le Saint Geran, One&Only Le Touessrouk
or Taj Exotica Spa and Resort. A private pre wedding
barbecue dinner can be arranged with Mauritian specialties
served on the beach with an array of Island punches
and local entertainment such as a Sega show around
a bon fire and belly dancing.
A wedding reception at the at the One&Only Le
Touessrouk Resort is hosted in an exquisite wedding
pavilion in Hibiscus Garden on the resorts beaches
and gardens and on the exotic Ile aux Cerfs where
the Paul et Virginie Restaurant provides both a
stunning environment and legacy of love.
On this island of love and life, young love was
immortalized in the pages of Bernardin de St.
Pierre’s legendary novel ‘Paul et
Virginie’ in the 1700s. Centuries later,
under the sway of coconut palms and lush tropical
bloom, with air kissed with the sweet scent of
frangipani and the salt of the sea, romance endures
with a true Mauritian welcome for couples-to-be
and newlyweds.
A romantic dinner for two under the stars of the
Indian Ocean can be arranged aboard a swimming
pontoon in the lagoon (you will be transported
by a small boat) as a special honeymoon registry
request.
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