Wedding Date on Feb 20, 2020

PURE AFRICA WEDDING ON THE ZAMBEZI OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS I HAVE RETURNED TO VICTORIA FALLS AS THE WEDDING FILM MAKER FOR A NUMBER OF ZIMBABWEAN COUPLES. THIS WEDDING WAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT AS CLAUDIA AND ARIEL TRAVELLED ALL THE WAY FROM MIAMI TO CELEBRATE THEIR WEDDING AT PURE AFRICA, ON THE BANKS OF THE ZAMBEZI RIVER. THE PROPOSAL (IN THEIR OWN WORD’S) CLAUDIA WAS BORN IN CUBA BUT SHE WAS CONCEIVED IN ZIMBABWE AND LIVED THERE TILL SHE WAS THREE. WHEN ARIEL HEARD THIS STORY FROM HER MOM AND HOW MUCH AFIRCA MEANT TO THEIR FAMILY, HE KNEW HE WAS TAKING CLAUDIA THERE TO BEGIN THEIR LIFE AS ONE. WITH THE VICTORIA FALLS MIST HITTING THEIR FACES, ARIEL GOT DOWN ON ONE KNEE AND SHE AGREED TO CONTINUE THEIR JOURNEY TOGETHER, ONCE AGAIN! A ZAMBEZI RIVER WELCOME I ARRIVED IN VICTORIA FALLS THE DAY BEFORE THE WEDDING AND AS I STEPPED OFF THE PLANE I WAS IMMEDIATELY HIT BY THAT ZAMBEZI VALLEY HEAT. I CHECKED INTO MY HOTEL ROOM AND ALMOST STRAIGHT AWAY I WAS PICKED UP AND TAKEN TO THE ELEPHANT CAMP TO MEET CLAUDIA AND ARIEL. AS I WAITED FOR THEM TO RETURN FROM A PHOTOSHOOT I LOOKED OUT ON AN IMPRESSIVE VIEW. THE LANDSCAPE WAS A LUSCIOUS GREEN AND THE MIST FROM VICTORIA FALLS ROSE INTO THE CUMULUS CLOUDS, AS THEY BUBBLED INTO THE SKY. I IMMEDIATELY SET UP MY CAMERA FOR A TIME LAPSE, AND AS I WAITED, I WATCHED THE IMPENDING STORM CLOUDS GROW. CLAUDIA AND ARIEL ARRIVED A BIT LATER AND EVERYONE IN THE WEDDING PARTY GOT READY TO LEAVE FOR A SUNSET CRUISE ON THE ZAMBEZI RIVER. JUST AS WE ARRIVED AT THE PURE AFRICA RIVERSIDE VENUE, THE HEAVENS OPENED AND THE RAIN BEGAN POURING DOWN AS EVERYONE RAN ACROSS THE JETTY ONTO THE BOAT. TEN MINUTES LATER IT WAS ALL OVER, THE CLOUDS PARTED AND GOLDEN SUNLIGHT SHONE THROUGH, GLISTENING ON THE ZAMBEZI RIVER. BIRDS FLEW ACROSS THE SKY IN PERFECT V FORMATIONS AND THE EVER PRESENT HIPPO'S COULD BE HEARD GRUNTING AND SNORTING AS WE DRIFTED DOWN THE RIVER. I MINGLED WITH GUESTS, GOT TO KNOW WHO EVERYONE WAS AND HOW THEY FITTED INTO THE STORY. THIS WAS ALSO THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO CAPTURE SOME CANDID MOMENTS BETWEEN PEOPLE, AS THE LATE AFTERNOON SUN BATHED THEIR FACES WITH GOLDEN LIGHT. THE ZAMBEZI RIVER MIRRORED A FIERY SUNSET, WHICH TURNED FROM PINK TO PURPLE AS DUSK FELL AND THE BOAT MADE IT'S WAY BACK TO SHORE. THE WEDDING DAY I WAS UP BEFORE DAWN TO FILM THE VICTORIA FALLS AT SUNRISE. I HEADED STRAIGHT TO THE DEVIL'S CATARACT. THE RISING MIST SHROUDED THE VIEW BUT EVERY NOW AND THEN IT CLEARED AND THE SUN SHONE THROUGH, ILLUMINATING THE IMMENSE WATERFALL, AS IT TUMBLED INTO THE GORGE. AS I WALKED THROUGH THE RAINFOREST I CAUGHT A GLIMPSE OF A BUSHBUCK, BROWSING IN THE DENSE FOLIAGE. I COULD HAVE STAYED THERE ALL MORNING BUT BEFORE I KNEW IT I HAD RUN OUT OF TIME AND I HAD TO GET BACK TO PREPARE FOR THE REST OF THE DAY. I RETURNED TO THE ELEPHANT CAMP TO START WITH THE BRIDE AND GROOM PREP. WHEN I ARRIVED CLAUDIA WAS SITTING ON THE BED WITH HER SISTER, MAKING SOME FINAL ADJUSTMENTS TO HER VOWS. EVERYONE WAS IN HIGH SPIRITS WITH ANTICIPATION OF THE CEREMONY. I CAUGHT SOME LOVELY DETAILS AND GENUINE, CANDID MOMENTS AS THE BUSY ACTIVITIES WENT ON AROUND ME. THE CEREMONY TOOK PLACE AT PURE AFRICA, ON THE BANKS OF THE ZAMBEZI. THE COORDINATION AND DECOR WAS HANDLED BY VIC FALLS OCCASIONS. IT WAS A REALLY HOT AFTERNOON AND THE GUESTS FANNED THEMSELVES AS THEY MADE THEIR WAY DOWN TO THE RIVER. CLAUDIA ARRIVED AT PURE AFRICA WITH HER MOM, IN A VINTAGE 1929 CHEVROLET AND THEY WALKED DOWN THE AISLE TOGETHER. IT WAS AN EMOTIONAL CEREMONY AND MANY TEARS WERE SHED AS THEY EXCHANGED PERSONAL VOWS. EVERYONE ULULATED AS CLAUDIA AND ARIEL WERE PRONOUNCED HUSBAND AND WIFE. FANS FLUTTERED AND PETALS FLEW AS THEY MADE THEIR PROCESSIONAL. GUESTS SHELTERED FROM THE HEAT UNDER THE CANOPY OF MAGNIFICENT ZAMBEZI RIVER TREES. MARIMBA MUSIC PLAYED WHILE GUESTS REFRESHED THEMSELVES WITH COCKTAILS AND CANAPES, BESIDE THE TRANQUIL ZAMBEZI RIVER. THE ELEPHANTS WERE BROUGHT TO THE PURE AFRICA VENUE FOR SOME PHOTO'S. IT'S ALWAYS AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE TO BE SO CLOSE TO THESE MAJESTIC ANIMALS. ORANGE CLOUDS TURNED PINK AS THE DAY DREW TO AN END. THE CANDLE LIGHT CREATED A WARM AMBIENCE AS DINNER WAS SERVED. TEARS FLOWED AS EMOTIONAL SPEECHES WERE READ. THE BRIDE AND GROOM CUT THE CAKE AND THEN SHARED THEIR FIRST DANCE AS HUSBAND AND WIFE. TRADITIONAL NDEBELE FOLK DANCERS PUT ON AN IMPRESSIVE PERFORMANCE AND INVITED EVERYONE TO JOIN IN THE FESTIVITIES. THE PARTY CONTINUED LATE INTO THE NIGHT AND TO CAP IT ALL OFF WE WERE JOINED BY THE FIRE DANCERS, WHO PUT ON A MESMERISING DISPLAY, AS THEY SPUN THEIR TORCHES AND BLEW FLAMES INTO THE NIGHT SKY. KIND WORDS "THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CREATING THIS MAGICAL VIDEO FOR US, IT IS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL. MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS ALL CALL ME CRYING. YOU TRULY DID A FANTASTIC JOB. CLAUDIA."