Marriage/honeymoon disaster.

Tilikum

Hello All,

Just looking for a little advice. My fiancé & myself wanted to marry & honeymoon in South African/Mozambique this summer. We looked online at what exactly we were looking for then found a South African based travel company.
My misses emailed this company (over 50 emails between them & her) telling them exactly what we were looking for......a simple wedding ceremony done somewhere along the trip (just the two of us & witnesses)They came back to us and told us that it could be done in Kruger park whilst we were on safari.

My fiancé asked multiple times if this would be legally done, to which they replied Yes. So we paid our deposit to them £1500. We also booked our own flights another €1500.

They've now emailed us on Friday saying it can't be done. Their supplier has told them that due to a change in regulations with the South African home office, tourists can no longer marry there? We've checked online & can find nothing about this.

They've told us today to if we want to cancel it's a 30% loss on our deposit.

I'm just wondering, would we not be entitled to a full refund as they're not providing what they said they would?

My fiancé is in bits over the whole thing. Should I be getting onto the South African ombudsman?

TitianGerm

Tilikum wrote: »

Hello All,

Just looking for a little advice. My fiancé & myself wanted to marry & honeymoon in South African/Mozambique this summer. We looked online at what exactly we were looking for then found a South African based travel company.
My misses emailed this company (over 50 emails between them & her) telling them exactly what we were looking for......a simple wedding ceremony done somewhere along the trip (just the two of us & witnesses)They came back to us and told us that it could be done in Kruger park whilst we were on safari.

My fiancé asked multiple times if this would be legally done, to which they replied Yes. So we paid our deposit to them £1500. We also booked our own flights another €1500.

They've now emailed us on Friday saying it can't be done. Their supplier has told them that due to a change in regulations with the South African home office, tourists can no longer marry there? We've checked online & can find nothing about this.

They've told us today to if we want to cancel it's a 30% loss on our deposit.

I'm just wondering, would we not be entitled to a full refund as they're not providing what they said they would?

My fiancé is in bits over the whole thing. Should I be getting onto the South African ombudsman?

Why don't you have a small wedding here and go to South Africa for a great honeymoon, seen as the trip is paid for?

road_high

Have a civil non-binding ceremony out there then do the legal bit here? Don't loose your holiday over it anyhow.
Unless you're South African or something, what's the big deal with having your wedding recognised there?

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Miaireland

I agree with yhe others, have a civil cermony here.

I am not sure what the situation regarding consumer law there but I would guess that it wouldn't be straight forward given you are based here.

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jimmycrackcorm

Email or phone these people to check: http://www.krugerpark.org/African_Dream_Wedding_Locations-travel/marriage-officers-services.html

Tilikum

Thanks all,

To everyone saying have a civil ceremony here, we didn't want that. We wanted something a little spontaneous & romantic.

Tilikum

emmetkenny wrote: »

Why don't you have a small wedding here and go to South Africa for a great honeymoon, seen as the trip is paid for?

The main reason for going there was to get married. They emailed us last thing Friday evening with literally zero information, leaving my misses in a heap. All the good is gone out of it now.

TitianGerm

Tilikum wrote: »

The main reason for going there was to get married. They emailed us last thing Friday evening with literally zero information, leaving my misses in a heap. All the good is gone out of it now.

I know it's disappointing but you have the trip paid for and you could turn it into an amazing honeymoon.

Your in an enviable position of been able to go on a once in a lifetime trip so try get her to look on the positive and go all out and turn your trip to SA into something you will never forget!!

Cheshire Cat

Tilikum wrote: »

Thanks all,

To everyone saying have a civil ceremony here, we didn't want that. We wanted something a little spontaneous & romantic.

If you organise and book it all beforehand, your definition of spontaneous is different to mine

dartboardio

The bad news has been delivered, of course you're feeling not upto it - "Nah - there's no point now" kind of thing, but you should definitely organize other small ceremony arrangements, knowing in the back of your mind you two the newly wed have a trip of a lifetime to enjoy together so soon after being married!

nuac

Mod
Sorry for y our trouble but cannot give legal advice here
Thread closed