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A South African Safari Destination Wedding

Since her family is from South Africa and her favorite thing to do is to go on safari, it’s a no-brainer that Kirsten and Matt opted to have a destination wedding in Pilanesburg National Park, South Africa. And dang, it was an adventure in the most fantastic sense.

Friends from all over flew in to Johannesburg and then piled into a bus for the long trek to the Bakubung Bush Lodge for a multi-day celebration. There was a ukulele serenade, marimba music, a traditional cookout, an epic sunset safari drive (complete with lions, rhinos, elephants and giraffes), and an end of the evening jump in the pool to top it off. There’s epic weddings and then there’s this one off in its comfortable yet exciting league of its own.

a view of south african sahara through the front of a safari truck with the father of the bride and maid of honor in the foreground
a wedding ceremony underneath a thatched roof pavilion in pilanesberg national park, south africa
traditionally dressed marimba players
wedding guests arriving in a safari truck
groomsmen huddled together with arms around one another beneath a thatched roof pavilion
a pastor greets a bride and her twin sister as they arrive to the ceremony in a safari truck
bridesmaids in bright red dresses climb down from a safari truck
the best man pats the groom on the shoulder as the bride arrives

a wedding ceremony under a thatched roof pavilion in south africa
pilanesberg national park south african wedding
a guest performs a song on a ukulele at a destination wedding in south africa
bouquets featuring protea and eucalyptus
a close up of a musician playing a wooden marimbe
marimba musicians playing the first dance song while the newly married couple dances

he's her lobster wedding cake topper

south african destination wedding reception
an elephant crossing the road in front of two safari trucks
an elephant in pilanesberg national park, south africa
a bride and groom in wedding attire on a safari drive
groomsmen watching in awe when they spot an elephant on a safari drive
a rhino being confronted by a pack of lions at a water hole
a rhino charging a pack of lions after being confronted at a water hole
a landscape view of the south african sahara with a park ranger seen in a side view mirror of a safari truck
wedding guests greeting the groom from a safari truck
groomsmen leaning out the windows of a safari truck with grasslands in the background
a bride shares a laugh with a groomsman during a safari drive
a giraffe reaching up through trees
a bride and groom in wedding attire an zebra printed tom's shoes ride in a safari truck at sunset
a bride and groom pose together in front of a wooden fence with grassland, a lake and mountains in the background at sunset in pilanesberg national park, south africa

a bride and groom pose on a safari truck in pilanesberg national park, south africa
a evening scenic view of sahara, a lake, and mountains in pilanesberg national park, south africa
a warthog in pilanesberg national park, south africa
an antelope in pilanesberg national park, south africa
a pair of male lions walk through bushes in the sahara of pilanesberg national park, south africa
a hot air balloon floating over mountains and sahara at sunset in pilanesberg national park, south africa
the sun setting behind mountains in pilanesberg national park, south africa
a family of rhinos seen with a bright searchlight at night in pilanesberg national park, south africa
four groomsmen and the groom all wearing full wedding attire jump into a pool late at night
a groomsman handing the groom his wedding band after finding it at the bottom of the pool

** No wedding rings were perpetually lost in the end of the night pool splashing.

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