How to Get Married in South Africa

In 2006, my Aussie brother married his long time Kiwi girlfriend in Cape Town, South Africa. Now, why would an Aussie, marrying a Kiwi, want to get married in South Africa? Despite the fact that it is incredibly beautiful with so much to see and enjoy, it’s a place very special to the heart of who they are as a couple.  Just what a wedding should be about- a memorable kickstart to a wonderful marriage. My husband and I, along with 10 other friends and family were invited to experience their piece of paradise, and have not just an enjoyable one day wedding affair, but a wedding adventure that lasted two weeks. Want to experience the same? Here’s how.

Send out Invitations
Start by inviting your family and closest friends.  Throw away the list of your mother’s long lost childhood friend, and the girl you shared crayons with in Kindergarten. As wonderful as these people may be, we all know you no longer talk to them, or have anything in common. No more guilty feelings of obligations. Getting married overseas gives you that excuse you’ve been looking for, to have only the most important people at your wedding, and to make it all about you.

Chase animals at Kruger National Park 

From Johannesburg, your meeting point, you can hire a vehicle to drive up to Kruger National Park. Kruger is often recognized as being one of Africa’s best wildlife viewing experiences.  Campsites and lodging places can be found all over the park. Kruger is about the size of the country of Wales, so before you go, do some research, and center your accomodation and driving experience around the best places to be.  The Lower Sabie rest camp is one of the best for all year round viewing, with a restaurant deck overlooking the river and the hippos that play there. Spend the early mornings searching for leopards and lion on the hunt, and the daytimes resting back at camp before enjoying a sunset drive.  Take a highly recommended walking safari, or for the less daring, an organized night safari drive. Come together in the evenings to braai (South African for BBQ) and drink to the night time sounds of roaring lions and elephants tearing down tree branches.

Rent a House with Views of Table Mountain

Fly down to Cape Town to prepare for the wedding. Rent a mansion, with views of Table Mountain from your bedroom window, on the hillsides of the Gardens district. Here you will be within walking distance to all the sights of Cape Town, and a short drive to gorgeous Cape Town beaches.  Enjoy breakfasts together as a wedding party family, explore Cape Town during the day, and return to the comfort of your luxurious home, for a swim in your private pool, and a celebratory evening barbecue party.  This was a welcomed luxury for backpackers like us, as we would usually never have the funds to enjoy accommodation like this. However, chipping in with a big group makes it an easily affordable vacation home.

Spend your Days Exploring the Delights of Cape Town

Cape Town is a beautiful, vibrant city with many sights to explore and experience.  Walk around the old, bustling  Victorian Harbour and watch seals playing under the watchful gaze of the majestic Table Mountain. Catch a ferry out to the historic Robben Island, the prison home of Nelson Mandela.  Take the cable car to the top of Table Mountain for amazing views of Cape Town, and either hike or drive up to the top of Lions head for awesome views over the Ocean.
Hire a car and take a driving tour of the Cape Headland Peninsula. Start by taking the world recognized, Chapman’s’ Peak Drive, where rocks threaten to cascade down from the stunning imposing mountain peaks above. From there you can drive down to the tip of the Cape of Good Hope, where baboons freely run amuck, and on the way back around you can play and swim with the penguins at Boulder’s Beach, Simon’s Town. While you have the car, why not visit Stellenbosch, the area renowned for exquisite South African wines.

Have a Combined Last night of Freedom Party at La Med, Clifton Beach

Home of the beautiful people, Clifton Beach is the place to see and be seen. During the day it’s a perfect place to sit at one of the many cafés that line the beach front and people watch.  Clifton has four interlocking, white sand beaches divided by granite boulders. The mystique of Table Mountain looms in the background, helping to make it the glamorous place for the beautiful people to languidly throw frisbees around, or watch the passing sail boats from their rented chairs. However, none dare enter the depths of the turquoise waters, as the Atlantic Ocean makes it far too chilly for anything more than a quick dip.

Make La Med, on Clifton Beach, the place to have a combined hens and bucks night (bachelorette and stag’s night). La Med has panoramic views of the ocean and mountains; undoubtedly the best sunset drinking views in Cape Town.  There is a beer garden deck out the front for you to sit with a few drinks and watch the setting sun.  Help the bride and groom send out their single status in style with games, party tricks, dancing, and drinking.

Get Married in Kirstenbosh National Botanical Gardens

Kirstenbosch Gardens sits at the foot of Table Mountain and is known as one of the seven magnificent botanical gardens in the world.  You may even feel in the mood for a quick hike up one of the many trails to the top of Table Mountain for views of the whole of Cape Town before the wedding.  The diversity and beauty of the plant life on display in the gardens along with the magnificent backdrop of the mountain makes it a beautiful setting for a small and intimate wedding.

Have Photos and Champagne at Llandudno Beach

A small, beautiful, boulder bordered beach along the Atlantic Seaboard, Llandudno beach is a local favorite among the surfers and nature lovers. It’s secluded location keeps the Cape Town winds away, and the lack of restaurants and cafes helps it to retain its natural charm. It’s the perfect spot to gather the wedding party together for photos and champagne as the sun sets and fires up the mountain behind it.

Have a Dinner Reception at Mama Africa Restaurant

After the fun of not just the wedding but the two weeks spent together, it’s time to kick up your heels in a final celebration at the reception at Mama Africa’s restaurant and bar. Mama Africa is in a historic building on Long Street, the inner city place of nightlife vibrancy. Sounds of African drumming music accompany traditional African cuisine, like kudu or crocodile, and an eclectic décor, of mostly handmade African goods, help to create a warm, African atmosphere.

Mama desires that all people leave at the end of the night with a full belly and a happy heart, and I can say our small, traveling wedding party, had beaming smiles of an adventure well enjoyed, when we departed ways. Mama Africa was the perfect end to an African experience never to be forgotten.
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Caz Makepeace has been living and traveling around the world for over 10 years with her husband, Craig, and now daughter, Kalyra. Caz and Craig share their insider tips and inspirational stories of backpacking, working abroad and world travel at their website and on twitter
All photo credit: teammakepeace | Caz Makepeace