Plan a Game Park destination wedding

Your why matters.

Destination weddings work best for couples who want their wedding to be a unique experience for everyone. And Game Parks offer exactly that. Without all the little luxuries of a modern wedding venue, a destination wedding in the game park can give you a meaningful unforgettable experience and bring joy to you and your guests.

Your choice matters.

Some of the options available to you here could be having both the ceremony and reception at a Game Park or just the ceremony in the park and then a reception elsewhere. If you're hoping to do everything in one place, most parks have private hotels and resorts on the park grounds. These hotels offer services like changing rooms, on-site catering and equipment rentals.

Timing is key.

Like any other events venue, Game Parks have peak seasons in which tourists flood in their numbers. This means, in periods like this, your wedding won’t be accommodated very smoothly in the most popular tourist areas. You’ll want to work with your wedding planner or your Game Park representative to find a secluded spot where you won’t be interrupted by tourists or consider making bookings in the off-peak period. 

Grab yourself a permit.

All Game Parks require some type of wedding permit. You want to get this permit well in advance. Remember most permits will require at least a month to process.  You want to make sure this is obtained during the off-peak tourist periods otherwise queues may become another wedding hustle.

Get yourself a wedding planner.

Planning a Game Park wedding is no walk in the park, it is big game and you need an experienced wedding planner by your side. Get one to relieve you of the hustle but one whose experience at planning destination weddings precedes them. They should be with you on-site.

Remember guests will be travelling from everywhere. Directing people to the right locations for ceremony and reception will be very key and so will reserving for and settling them in their accommodation. This goes for vendors too. You need a person to answer phone calls, give directions to lost guests, and make sure wedding vendors get where they need to be  and do what they need to do as you focus on getting married.

A guest list and schedule.

A Game Park destination wedding is an intimate affair. A small guest list will comply with most park’s guidelines. Send invites out early to make sure guests can plan their travel in advance. Have a good schedule ready for the invites, because you need to include specific directions for your guests to completely understand where the ceremony will be, when to arrive, and what the parking situation will be.

Communicate! Communicate! Communicate!

Communicate all the resources your guests need to plan in their invitation and even prior. Whether it is using WhatsApp groups, phone calls and emails, do it often and repeat it continually. Information overload in this case is better than the paucity of it. Include options for camping and hotels where they are available.  Include links and phone numbers to the Game Park site, safety precautions etc. Let them know what to wear to be comfortable. Keep guests updated on the weather conditions, and make it easy to get their entry permit in advance. Give good hotel options for people who don’t want to camp in the park.

Don’t ignore the bathrooms.

Find out what the park’s bathroom facilities are like. It will be important both for camping and the ceremony. You want your guests to be prepared. Also, let everyone know which bathrooms are closest to your ceremony site.

Safety precautions.

Experience working in these settings will be handy for your vendors.  That’s why it is better that they are professional. Nevertheless precautions need to be taken to keep everyone safe. You may consider taking out liability insurance for the period of the wedding for both guests and vendors just in case it’s not part of the wedding permits.

There is also need to plan for safe handling of food around wild animals. This includes both carnivores and herbivores. Even with access to indoor facilities, you need to plan for how to keep food stored so it’s not accessible to animals.

Stick to the park’s regulations.

It’s essential that you leave the park just as beautiful as it was when you first arrived both for posterity but also for nature. Some few rules and restrictions may limit your décor and camera lights or audio equipment. Please abide by them, the game wardens have reason for them.

Take steps that will keep things simple and be environmentally conscious. Focus on letting the natural beauty of the park be your wedding experience.