Mariette du Toit Photography
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ELOPE in
Namibia

Photographed by someone who lives here.

Plan your elopement

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

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local.

——→ A local, not a visitor

I don’t fly in for your wedding. I drive you to it.

I’m Mariette, a Namibian photographer based in Walvis Bay. I’ve photographed this country since 2014, after years in tourism and lodge management, so I know which lodge gets you into Deadvlei before the crowds and which mornings the coastal fog will lift. My work is documentary at heart: the whole morning, not only the portraits.

Mariette

In this issue

Mariette du Toit photographing among the dead camelthorn trees of Deadvlei, Namibia
Fig. 1 — The editor at work
Red dunes of Sossusvlei casting long shadows in the late afternoon light

Hier is die stilte groot.

Here, the silence is big.

THE PLACES

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Groom dipping his bride for a kiss on the white clay of Deadvlei
Fig. 2 — Sossusvlei
Couple on granite boulders beside a white tree under a deep blue sky in Damaraland
Fig. 3 — Damaraland
Bride and groom looking out over the desert plains and mountains near Sossusvlei
Fig. 4 — The Namib
Next-morning elopement portraits Spitzkoppe Namibia golden light
Fig. 5 — Spitzkoppe
Couple at the water’s edge on their elopement day in Etosha National Park
Fig. 6 — Etosha

Six places to say it.

Read the location guide →

Deadvlei · The Skeleton Coast · Spitzkoppe · Damaraland · Etosha · NamibRand

PHOTO ESSAY

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One morning in Deadvlei.

set the alarm for four.

Bridal bouquet of white roses and eucalyptus on the cracked clay of Deadvlei

06:10

Flowers on the clay.

Bride walking among the dead camelthorn trees of Deadvlei on her elopement morning

06:40

The vows, among the trees.

Close-up of the couple’s hands and wedding rings

07:15

Married.

Newlyweds celebrating with arms raised beneath a dead tree and red dune in Deadvlei

09:00

Walking out into the heat.

“

Mariëtte really went above and beyond to make sure we got the best possible photos despite a very challenging setting. Her local knowledge and photographic experience were invaluable.

Ben McBain · Wedding · Google review

WAYS TO ELOPE

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Three ways
to do it.

Every elopement includes help choosing your location and lodge, introductions to local suppliers I trust, a timeline built around the light, and an online gallery with print rights.

most couples choose 1.

Check my date →
Couple embracing in front of a red dune at Deadvlei, Namibia

I.

Sunrise at Dead Vlei

The pre-dawn drive, your vows at first light, breakfast on the pan. One flat, all-inclusive price.

from €2000

Guests on an open safari vehicle during a game drive at Okonjima, Namibia

II.

The Road Trip Story

Two to four days on the road with you, and a ceremony wherever it ends up.

from €5000

Couple walking hand in hand among the granite boulders of Damaraland

III.

Lodge & Safari

A ceremony at your lodge, with a game drive, sundowner or balloon flight built in.

quoted for your lodge

Couple sitting together beneath the rock arch at Spitzkoppe, the groom in a kilt

FEATURED ELOPEMENT

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——→ Spitzkoppe · October

In the
eye of a mountain

Ben & Sije · from Scotland & Norway

Ben worked in Namibia and couldn't think of a better place to marry the love of his life than Spitzkoppe.

Elopement ceremony under a draped arch with the granite peaks of Spitzkoppe behind
Couple framed by the natural rock arch at Spitzkoppe, Namibia
Read their story →

PLANNING

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Couple beside a vintage safari vehicle under a large camelthorn tree near Etosha
Fig. 7 — The route, decided on the bonnet

Planning?

Everything I tell couples on our first call, from gate times and visas to the paperwork and what to wear, is in the local’s guide.

Read the local’s guide →

gates, visas & the fine print

01

A call

02

Route and light

03

The day

04

Your gallery

WRITE TO ME

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Dear Mariette,

Tell me a little about the two of you and what you’re imagining. I reply within two working days, usually with a few questions of my own.

Couple under an acacia tree in the Namibian savannah at golden hour
Bride in a long gown walking across the white clay of Deadvlei

see you at four a.m.

More on Instagram @travelling_namibian