Leopard Beach Resort & Spa

Leopard Beach Resort & Spa sits on Diani Beach, on Kenya's south coast below Mombasa, within 28 acres of tropical gardens. Ukunda airstrip is about 5 km away, Mombasa Town 34 km and Mombasa International Airport 43 km, with the Miritini rail terminus at 45 km.

It is a large resort, with 178 rooms across villas, suites and cottages, plus private residences that share the resort's facilities. That scale is the draw for a bigger group. A dedicated wedding team handles everything from holding the date and the schedule to choosing the spot for your vows and the food and drink, so you are working with people who do this often.

The resort runs four Chui packages: Gold, Silver and Bronze weddings, plus a renewal of vows. Depending on the package, they include a decorated ceremony site with a bamboo aisle, palm walkway and arches, an on-site coordinator, a Maasai guard of honour, a tiered cake, bubbly for the toast and a private dinner at Chui Grill. The packages are built around the couple, and the resort tells us it hosts weddings of up to 300 guests. Ask the team how the packages scale, and about beach or garden ceremony spots and the music curfew. Saffron, Lemongrass and the outdoor Coco Mchana are worth asking about for a reception or welcome evening.

With 178 rooms on site, most guests can stay where the wedding is. Ask the team about room blocks and the residences for family groups. The Uzuri Spa and Afya Gym are on site, the Little Leopards Kids Club helps if children are coming, and there are water sports for all ages. The Wasini day excursion makes a good group outing after the wedding. On the legal side, the wedding coordinator lodges the paperwork with the Kenyan authorities, but you must bring the originals of all legal and religious documents with you, so start gathering them early.