Vows on an African Safari.
When Lisa Tytler embarked on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to South America, little did she know that she would find everlasting love with fellow traveller Qamar Zaman. Soon the loved up pair, who live in Essex, made another life-changing trip – this time on safari to Kenya, where they exchanged wedding vows in the enchanting Masai Mara …
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Finding the One
We actually met whilst on tour in South America. I had joined the tour a few weeks earlier and Qamar joined whilst we were in Lima, Peru. The very first time we met I was actually unwell and the rest of my friends were out for the day visiting local markets. Our Tour guide knocked on my door to see if I wanted to meet the newbie joining the group and there was Qamar. I discovered almost straight away that he worked in the same insurance market I did in London and that he was a big Liverpool football fan. I am not sure that we can say it was love at first sight but definitely an attraction that grew and developed. There are a few of us that are so close now from that South American trip. Having spent so much time in each other’s pockets for so long, it is certainly one way of getting to know each other inside and out. We definitely feel our relationship is built on solid foundations as we met just being our natural selves from day one – no makeup, no smart clothes, no date nights – just laughter, good times and a big yellow Tucan Truck.
Location, location
We always said that we would get married abroad but I didn’t necessairily want a traditional beach wedding. It is something that we had previously spoken about so once Qamar had proposed we knew that’s what would happen. Since my travelling days Africa has always held a special place in my heart and I wanted to share that feeling with my Husband to be. We decided on the Masai Mara as, due to trouble there when I last wen,t I hadn’t spent any time there, so it would be a new experience for both of us at this special time.
The Proposal
Qamar propsed at home just before Christmas . It was the last day in work for me until after the New Year and we had always said that we would have a nice meal at home together. The last few weeks had been hectic and we had felt like we hadn’t spent any time together. I got in from work, Qamar ran a bath for me so I could relax whilst he was cooking and after getting comfy he served our first course of Scallops and Chorizo. It tasted delicious but then all of a sudden he produced a bunch of roses and got down on one knee. It was totally unexpected and emotional. I think it took me 10 minutes to actually say yes. I was shocked. The ring was perfect and it was the perfect size. We were so excited to tell our families that we didn’t end up eating the rest of the meal until about 10 pm – It all was just wonderful.
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The Planning
I basically knew exactly what I wanted and made all my own arrangements. Tropical Sky arranged our travel and were very helpful – in fact the whole trip was booked around six weeks after the intial proposal for us and our guests. We planned a lot before we went as well as arranging a UK party at Little Channels in Chelmsford as soon as we returned home for all those friends and family (110 people) who couldn’t share our special day in Kenya. We had outfits arranged, table plans and favours for Kenya, we sent over the flowers that we wanted and everything for our reception was organised before we left. The only thing we had to do on arrival in Nairobi was to obtain our marriage licence and then, once we got to the Masai Mara, choose the time and location of the ceremony.
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The Guests
There were 13 additional guests with us – my dad and stepmum Jane, Qamars Mum, two brothers and sister, Jane’s sister and boyfriend, Jane’s dad, two of Qamar’s best friends, which included the best man and his wife, and my bridesmaid Emily. We all stayed at the Porini Lion Camp for four nights. What made part of our wedding magical was that not only did we fulfill our dreams of getting married out in the wild, we also fulfilled the dreams of others who had always wanted to go on safari. We had a few members of my family who couldn’t make the trip for various reasons but otherwise we had full acceptance from the start.
