There are many wondrous places in the world to have a wedding. But few hold the special magic of South Africa, a captivating country of rolling plains and big game. For couples intrigued by the idea of a safari-centric celebration, Boulders Lodge at the Singita Private Game Reserve is the ultimate setting. Known for its unfettered elegance, Boulders mixes the modern with the bushveld in a community of luxurious chalets. "Singita is Africa at its finest," says celebrity event planner and South African son Colin Cowie. "To exchange your vows surrounded by Mother Earth and the animal kingdom sets the foundation for a great marriage."
Begin the wedding weekend as family and friends arrive and are greeted with cool passion-fruit drinks. They can delve into their perfect-for-Africa goody bags—bush hats for the men, cowrie shell jewelry for the women, sunscreen, disposable cameras, and some native sweets such as hertzog cookies and soetkoekies; recipes can be found at africhef.com and 3men.com.
The wedding day begins with some morning pampering. The bride relaxes with a massage on her private deck, followed by some private moments in her room.
Boulders offers a room with a view. Here, the reserve's open-air lobby.
Boulders Lodge at the Singita Private Reserve, singita.com.
Bougainvillea wreaths grace the beds.
The day's main event unfolds just before sunset. The wedding ceremony will take place underneath an arch of suspended, flickering lanterns.
The bride walks down a burlap runner to her groom. Hand-painted with a tribal motif, the runner is customized with the bride and groom's names, and extends to a marula tree, a symbol of fertility.
Identity and Filaments rings, by H. Stern, hstern.net.
No limo? No problem. A ruggedly charming Land Rover transports guests to the wedding reception.
Instead of throwing rice, guests toss bush-willow pods as the couple makes their way (via Land Rover) to the boma, an intimate enclosure of acacia branches where the wedding feast will take place. Here, mud-cloth covered chairs surround a long table decorated with beaded Zulu chargers, antique African dishes, and pyramids of brightly colored fruit.
Mud cloths, bowls, and pedestals add tribal panache. Pier 1 Imports, street fairs, museum shops, and gift shops with a global outlook are good sources for rough-hewn wooden objects as well as African fabrics.
Place cards made from torn paper and burlap are accented with porcupine quills. Menu and place-card calligraphy by Ellen Weldon Design, 212-925-4483.
First-course fare is a chilled-tomato soup with crème fraiche hearts, followed by a traditional meal featuring roasted leg of kudu venison. Meerlust Cabernet Sauvignon, one of the country's elegant blends, is served as everyone is serenaded by the clicking of crickets and the crackling of the boma's campfire.
After-dinner entertainment is provided by native performers who encourage everyone to join in the merriment. Here, a South African dancer gets the party started.
Wearing ceremonial feathers and skins, Shangaan tribal members singing native wedding songs bring the crowd to their feet. African music CDs are widely available in shops and online; afropopshop.org has a huge selection.
Feathers and beads adorn a wedding cake, flavored with amarula cream liqueur.
A bouquet of wild savannah grass and an African wedding bowl.
Guests freshen their hands in floral-and-citrus water.
Signs of your time are recorded in a bark-covered guest book, fastened with porcupine quills.
