Safari Wedding at Lion Sands Private Game Reserve in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve or Tinga or Narina Lodges in the Kruger National Park - pledge your vows in the company of close friends, relatives and the African wilderness.

 

The exclusive Lion Sands Private Game Reserve (Sabi Sands Game Reserve) and sister lodges Tinga & Narina (in the Kruger National Park) are such romantic safari wedding destinations that most only dream of! We are able to tailor make a wedding celebration which is completely unique and in true African custom.

There is arguably no better place to celebrate the start of a very special union than in the African bush. Whether small and intimate (just the two of you), or more extravagant, Lion Sands Game Reserve is highly flexible and can accommodate groups of up to 96 guests across 4 lodges.

• Lion Sands River Lodge: 20 suites for 40 guests
• Lion Sands Narina Lodge: 9 suites for 18 guests
• Lion Sands Ivory Lodge: 8 Villas and 1 Two Bedroom Villa for 20 guests
• Lion Sands Tinga Lodge: 9 suites for 18 guests

A condition of booking a wedding at one of Lion Sands lodges is that wedding guests must be accommodated with us. Should we not have the capacity for the full entourage, additional guests may be accommodated at adjacent lodges (we will gladly take care of these arrangements for you).

 

We have some wedding packages here from 10 guests upwards but if you are looking to get married at Lion Sands and it is going to be a smaller affair, we will quote on an individual basis (from just the 2 of you). This gives you the flexibility to chose exactly what you want. This takes a little bit of time to get the costs together but we can assure you, it will be worth the wait! Send us an This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with your dates, number of people and an idea of what you would like us to include and which lodge you would prefer.

 

All rates are based on the number of people so send us your information and you can use these packages as a guideline.

Basic Wedding Package (Be Mine) Includes:

A private wedding venue for your exclusive use,
Legal fees which include fees for your abridged marriage certificate (a full marriage certificate must then be applied for which can take up to 2 months to process in South Africa. Once completed it will be mailed to your address),
A Christian minister to officiate the ceremony. If you require another religious ceremony, this will have to be contracted out (for your own account),
Dedicated on-site coordinator to ensure the experience runs smoothly,
Elegant wedding venue set-up, inclusive of white & cream tablecloths and overlays,
A specially created wedding menu (exclusive of drinks). Menu can be discussed with our chef,
A handcrafted single tiered wedding cake,
Champagne for the bridal couple,
Romantic in-room breakfast the morning after the wedding.

 

All the above Standard Wedding Package inclusions plus:

Special Gift for the Bride & Groom,
Bridal Bouquet,
Romantic Turndown,
Groom's Button Hole flower,
Couples Spa Treatment,
Champagne for guests to toast the bridal couple (1 glass per guest).

 

All the above Standard & General Wedding Package inclusions plus:

A selection of canapes for the guests to enjoy while waiting for the bridal couple,
A photographer to capture special moments during the day (excluding accommodation & transport costs),
Hairdresser & make-up artist for exclusive use of the bride,
Flowers - x2 bouquets at the ceremony,
Complimentary overnight stay for the bridal couple (1 night only).

 

Rates are quoted in South African Rand, include VAT and does not include accommodation which is compulsory when booking a wedding ceremony.

 

The following additional services may also be arranged - will be quoted on at time when wedding is being booked:

Live entertainment/music; table décor - colour specific; additional or specific flowers; gifts for guests; additional décor items, such as candle holders etc; marquee or bedouin tent - really, it is limitless so let your imagination run wild!

At our Onelife MORE retail boutique at Lion Sands Game Reserve, we are able to offer a range of unique high-end wedding gifts for guests to select from – personally selected by the bridal couple. This one stop bridal experience ensures that guests can easily select unique gifts that will forever resemble the bridal couple’s wedding destination. We can personalize the wedding register and prepare the packing and wrapping of the gifts.

 

While at Lion Sands, why not treat yourself to a night under the stars? The Lion Sands Treehouses have been described as ‘The Ultimate Bush Bedrooms’, where you get to truly experience nocturnal Africa in its rawest form. Slumber directly beneath the Milky Way where you may well lose count of the shooting stars.

 

The Treehouses at Lion Sands are for the hopeless romantic (ideal as a wedding treat), the adventurer, the person who needs a complete disconnect and digital detox, or the wildlife enthusiast who prefers the bush au-natural.

 

The Treehouses, including Chalkley’s Treehouse and Kingston Treehouse (Sabi Sand), and Tinyeleti Treehouse (Kruger National Park) are booked in conjunction with your accommodation. Pack an overnight bag with your essentials, while leaving your other belongings back in your room at camp.

 

Arrive at sunset to a scrumptious picnic dinner, and spend the hours of dusk fully appreciating the vastness of the bushveld as it transforms from day to night.

 

 

Lion Sands
This International Award Winning private game reserve is located in the finest territory of the world famous Sabi Sand Game Reserve (and now incorporating Tinga & Narina Lodge in the Kruger National Park). It stretches for kilometres along the perennial Sabie River which forms its natural boundary with the Kruger National Park. The land, which has been owned and managed by the More Family for four generations, is a place of rarity and carries with it a passion which can only be instilled by a great family history.

Nicholas and Robert More, brothers & fourth generation owners of the land, opened Lion Sands Private Game Reserve to guests in April 2001 with Lion Sands River Lodge & Lion Sands Ivory Lodge. Their passion to deliver a world class luxury safari experience is equaled by their complete commitment in ensuring a pure balance between the preservation of this pristine “bushveld” (wilderness area), allowing access for guests to observe some of Africa’s greatest mammals in their natural habitat and ensuring the benefits are shared with local communities.

It has exclusive access to the Sabie River. The source of the River includes the famous Mac Mac falls flowing from its source high up in the Drakensburg mountain range. This River is central to why Lion Sands delivers an incomparable safari experience in Africa. Where there is water there is life, coolness, sanctuary from the heat of the African sun, a place where the wildlife travel great distances to quench their thirsts, rejuvenation and so much more. This is the natural wonder which can be experienced at Lion Sands.

The Lion Sands Game Reserve offers a safari experience that is highly personalised, allowing guests the time and flexibility to savour the natural beauty which abounds. Come to Lion Sands, spend a little time with us, man and animal, and you will experience a feeling of belonging and at the same time a sense of freedom that comes from those who believe in sharing instead of possessing.

IVORY LODGE

 

It’s not everyday that one gets to appreciate the African bush in such lavish comfort and style. Ivory Lodge is the ‘Piece de Résistance’ of Lion Sands Sabi Sand. Utterly private, very intimate and astonishingly beautiful, the Lodge offers a discreet and personally tailored experience to guests who are connoisseurs of Life’s finer things.

 

The Lodge has been built on the banks of the Sabie River with magnificent views, extending onto the open sand banks of the Kruger National Park. The Lodge faces due South and is approximately 100 meters upstream of River Lodge.

There are 8 ultra luxurious suites with en-suite bathroom, outdoor & inside shower, courtyard, lounge with fireplace, wooden viewing deck, patio & private plunge pool. The bedroom & bathroom area are air-conditioned and overhead fans cool the bedrooms and lounges. All rooms have telephone and internet access. The suites are 165 m2 in size and are positioned at least 20 meters apart, being linked to all areas by raised wooden walkways. They all have breathtaking views over the Sabie River, a setting where game viewing can be done from the luxury of one’s private suite – Africa’s finest bedrooms!

 

Each suite is operated as a private Villa, which combines a glorious escape from reality and feeds ones soul with a kaleidoscope of sunset blues, pinks and purples. Intensely vibrant and quietly wild, Ivory Lodge is a place you would like to keep a secret but you will not be able to resist sharing with friends and family, alike.

 

There is also the Fish Eagle Villa which is the ultimate private safari experience for families and smaller groups of friends, and comes with its own Chef (meals are prepared within the Villa’s kitchen), as well as dedicated Field Guide and private safari vehicle. The Fish Eagle Villa also has its own wellness area (with double treatment room) and private exercise facility – as well as lap pool and jetty overlooking the Sabie River.

RIVER LODGE

 

Lion Sands River Lodge has been built on the banks of the Sabie River. It faces due East catching the sun as it rises over the Kruger National Park and is approximately 100 meters downstream of Ivory Lodge.

A view like we have of the Sabie River cannot be wasted, which is why we insisted on giving each of the 20 luxuriously thatched bedrooms at River Lodge its own private wooden viewing deck. With the quietly rambling river outside your room, you won't have to go far to see wildlife or to drink in the surrounding Sabi Sand Reserve whilst overlooking the world- famous Kruger National Park, all at one glance.

All the luxurious thatched bedrooms have en-suite bathroom & wooden viewing deck. The bedroom area is air-conditioned with an over-head fan. All rooms have mini-bar & telephone access. The rooms are linked to all areas by raised wooden walkways.

 

There are 12 Luxury Rooms (66m2 / 711ft2) and 6 Superior Luxury Rooms (98m2/1054ft2). Besides the difference in size, the Superior Luxury rooms also have an outdoor shower (4 of the 6 Suites are inter-leading, and are therefore ideal for families). There are also 2 River Suites which are located further from the public areas and are therefore more private. They have incredible river views, best appreciated from the expansive decks. River Suites also have outdoor showers.

The lodge comprises the following: a private lounge and bar, an outdoor safari lounge, 2 swimming pools, wooden viewing decks, a secluded bird hide, a river island deck, conference room, gymnasium & health spa, curio shop & both an indoor and open-air (Boma) dining area.

River Lodge is the Soul of Lion Sands. Positioned on a site, which has trees dating back almost 800 years, the lodge is about spirit, warmth, nature & relaxation.

River Lodge offers you one of the warmest welcomes you could hope to encounter on your travels; hosted by our family of extraordinary handpicked staff, who will make you feel completely relaxed and at home. In River Lodge we feel like we have captured the spirit of the Sabie River, where the quiet luxury of our rooms provides a place of repose, after a day of overwhelming and enriching adventure.

Tinga & Narina Lodge

Tinga & Narina Lodge in the Kruger National Park have recently been incorporated into the Lion Sands portfolio (River Lodge and Ivory Lodge in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve) so this allows guests to traverse both the Kruger National Park and Sabi Sabi Game Reserve - this is unusual as usually only the animals can cross freely between the 2 parks.

Follow the footsteps of the leopard... We are always surprised at how a visit to Tinga can completely restore our energy and allow us to take a breath and relax. When you're right on the Sabie River, watching the animals, surrounded by bush and sky, you really feel like you've escaped from the world. With 5000 hectares/ of wild bush in this private concession within the world-renowned Kruger National Park, you can go exploring off-road and follow the footsteps of the leopard, track down a herd of elephant or simply wait for them to come to you.

Get close and be afraid (don’t worry you won’t be eaten)! There has to be a reason why this area is known as one of the finest safari areas in Africa and this can be attributed to the fact that it has one of the highest densities of wildlife per square hectare and this, coupled with the fact that through sound environmental practices; the wildlife do not feel threatened by us as visitors, results in regular sightings, often only a few meters from your private Land Rover, of some Africa’s most elusive predators and big game.

The Reserve is completely untouched and home to such a variety of wildlife that each and every day presents new and exciting interactions in an environment where all levels of the ecosystem fight for their survival in an environment where generally the rule is eat or be eaten.

Regardless of how many Animal Planet or National Geographic scenes you may have watched or even if you have traveled to some of the remotest areas on this planet, namely Alaska or Antarctica, you will not find a more natural and vibrant wildlife experience than at Tinga.

Guides are expertly trained to not only provide you with an encyclopaedia of information on all aspects of the ecology but are also well versed in being incredible hosts, passionate about making sure your highest expectations are met.

Life at Tinga has a timeless quality, where you can get lost in a moment, and take the time to really explore this piece of Africa on the banks of the Sabie River. If you want to escape from real life, Tinga is where you need to go. Tinga is subtle, sophisticated and serene - it's an escape that everyone should enjoy at least once in their lifetime.

The safaris take place in the morning and late afternoon moving into the early evening. The reason for this is that it is when the wildlife are most active due to the temperatures being the most moderate. It is also important to note that this area does not get affected by a migration of species which means that the game viewing is consistently good all year round and the only change in seasons is really to the surrounding landscape and daily temperatures.

Tinga was the exclusive host of the The Bachelor which; when aired was rated as the most romantic location ever screened, combining the excitement and adrenaline of being close to some of Africa’s wildest and most dangerous animals with the private and pure comfort of the incredible suites overlooking the Sabie River as it meanders past. Stay in the treehouse where The Bachelor stayed for a night (supplement will apply).