Love in Far Off Lands: 4 Romantic Getaways
The experience of an exotic destination adds another level of bonding to weddings and honeymoons. Destinations around the world want to present themselves as idyllic settings for the main event. While these locales may be a little too late for this year’s June brides, they make it worth a couple’s while to marry outside the June zone. While Ireland may be within the temperate zone, Thailand and India can at least promise warmth the year round.
Destination weddings can be especially effective when the friends and family are already scattered in different locations around the U.S. and the world. In that case, the wedding serves as a neutral destination. It’s always smart to choose resorts that have wedding planners available. For the modern honeymooner look to make a combination of active traveling and laid back time in a resort setting.
South Asian Romantic Experience
Ancient Himalayan monasteries in Bhutan, the rain forests of Sri Lanka, top end resorts in the Maldives, the national parks of India and more. South Asia has become much more accessible to luxury travel with the emergence of Dubai as an aviation hub.
Dubai has become a great place for high end stopovers as well. South Asia, with its legendary commitment to spirituality would make an ideal honeymoon setting for the right couples. Greaves Tours LLC, a specialist in South Asia, created a new 28-page honeymoon destination guide to India as well as other regional destinations like the Maldives, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Dubai. Greaves can handle even the most opulent honeymooners. One program includes the operator’s private plane.
“We’ve designed this destination guide to help couples think beyond the traditional for their honeymoon by showcasing options such as dining at an elephant camp, climbing to the top of an ancient monastery and sipping tea with local monks, or diving into the Indian Ocean straight from their over-the-water villa,” said Ian Cambata, Greaves’ director of business development. Any trepidation about sending a young couple to such exotic far off locales should be assuaged by Greaves’ 30 years of customizing journeys in the region.
Buddhist Beach Nuptials
On the idyllic Thai island of Phi Phi, out in the Andaman Sea, couples can take their vows in a traditional barefoot Buddhist ceremony on a white sand beach at Zeavola. Couples can plant a 'love tree' as part of the ceremony. The Thai Wedding Ceremony Package involves monks and is conducted in the morning, with the reception, cocktail and dinner in the evening. It includes a Buddhist prayer ceremony, holy water pouring and bonding ceremony, a floral arch, champagne and cake cutting ceremony.
Zeavola’s wedding planners can assist couples with special requests and in navigating the sometimes complete legal requirements of marrying in Thailand. The wedding specialist can organize a Thai marriage certificate.
The weddings are enhanced by the resort’s teak wood villas. Zeavola's Pool Villa Suites include private gardens, outdoor rain showers and more. For the Western Wedding Ceremony Package, a celebrant conducts a blessing ceremony with an exchange of vows. If a couple wants the ceremony to be traditionally Christian, a priest can be arranged at extra cost. Divers love the resort because it’s set within a national marine park. The resort can also offer weddings underwater.
The Thai Wedding Ceremony and Western Wedding Ceremony are priced at 71,000 baht ($2,192) and 65,000 baht ($2,007) respectively. Beverages are extra and so are a host of other options including make-up and hair, manicure and pedicure, Thai costumes for the bride and groom, photography, VDO and scuba diving. An array of live entertainment options is also available.
Vows at an Irish Estate
With its 550 acres of sweeping lawns and formal gardens, the K Club makes a fine setting for the blessed event. The hotel is located in a 19th Century Georgian estate about a half hour outside of Dublin on a private stretch of the River Liffey. This is the wedding destination for Downton Abbey fans seeking a magical day to live like the upper crust of another time with everything from clay pigeon shooting and horseback riding to falconry and fly fishing.
The K Club is also home to a 20,000-square-foot K Spa, where the bridal party can indulge in relaxing treatments, with a full service salon for pre-wedding hair and beauty appointments. Two Arnold Palmer-designed championship courses are available to guests including the Palmer Course, venue for the 2006 Ryder Cup, and The Palmer Smurfit Course, has hosted the European Open from 1995 to 2007. The K Club’s in-house Wedding Specialist, Susie Hopkins-Burke customizes all of those resources from start to finish.
The destination can be invoked with a bagpipe procession or literally with a traditional Irish “tying the knot” ceremony. The hotel’s kitchen is famous for the fresh ingredients used in its cooking and the historic manor house offers two rooms, rich in period detail, for intimate receptions. For larger celebrations, there are multiple options across the estate. The K Club also features the Straffan House, a French Chateau-inspired home adjacent to the hotel with seating for 16 in the homes main dining room, 10 ensuite rooms that come complete with full staff.
Retiring to the Cave
For something completely different, couples could begin the matrimonial journey at the Argos, a luxury cave hotel in Cappadocia a region famous for its bizarre formations, its numerous caves and the subterranean ruins of ancient cities. The four-night Argos Luxury Honeymoon Escape is priced from $4,390 (for two) and includes wine tastings (from the hotel’s vineyards) in the private underground cellar, Turkish and international cuisine at Seki Restaurant to suite accommodations with a private, in-suite swimming pool. A romance concierge sees to the couple’s requests and arranges horseback riding for two (during season), a pottery-making session, and a one-hour hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia’s Goreme Valley.
Source: James Ruggin
Destination weddings can be especially effective when the friends and family are already scattered in different locations around the U.S. and the world. In that case, the wedding serves as a neutral destination. It’s always smart to choose resorts that have wedding planners available. For the modern honeymooner look to make a combination of active traveling and laid back time in a resort setting.
South Asian Romantic Experience
Ancient Himalayan monasteries in Bhutan, the rain forests of Sri Lanka, top end resorts in the Maldives, the national parks of India and more. South Asia has become much more accessible to luxury travel with the emergence of Dubai as an aviation hub.
Dubai has become a great place for high end stopovers as well. South Asia, with its legendary commitment to spirituality would make an ideal honeymoon setting for the right couples. Greaves Tours LLC, a specialist in South Asia, created a new 28-page honeymoon destination guide to India as well as other regional destinations like the Maldives, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Dubai. Greaves can handle even the most opulent honeymooners. One program includes the operator’s private plane.
“We’ve designed this destination guide to help couples think beyond the traditional for their honeymoon by showcasing options such as dining at an elephant camp, climbing to the top of an ancient monastery and sipping tea with local monks, or diving into the Indian Ocean straight from their over-the-water villa,” said Ian Cambata, Greaves’ director of business development. Any trepidation about sending a young couple to such exotic far off locales should be assuaged by Greaves’ 30 years of customizing journeys in the region.
Buddhist Beach Nuptials
On the idyllic Thai island of Phi Phi, out in the Andaman Sea, couples can take their vows in a traditional barefoot Buddhist ceremony on a white sand beach at Zeavola. Couples can plant a 'love tree' as part of the ceremony. The Thai Wedding Ceremony Package involves monks and is conducted in the morning, with the reception, cocktail and dinner in the evening. It includes a Buddhist prayer ceremony, holy water pouring and bonding ceremony, a floral arch, champagne and cake cutting ceremony.
Zeavola’s wedding planners can assist couples with special requests and in navigating the sometimes complete legal requirements of marrying in Thailand. The wedding specialist can organize a Thai marriage certificate.
The weddings are enhanced by the resort’s teak wood villas. Zeavola's Pool Villa Suites include private gardens, outdoor rain showers and more. For the Western Wedding Ceremony Package, a celebrant conducts a blessing ceremony with an exchange of vows. If a couple wants the ceremony to be traditionally Christian, a priest can be arranged at extra cost. Divers love the resort because it’s set within a national marine park. The resort can also offer weddings underwater.
The Thai Wedding Ceremony and Western Wedding Ceremony are priced at 71,000 baht ($2,192) and 65,000 baht ($2,007) respectively. Beverages are extra and so are a host of other options including make-up and hair, manicure and pedicure, Thai costumes for the bride and groom, photography, VDO and scuba diving. An array of live entertainment options is also available.
Vows at an Irish Estate
With its 550 acres of sweeping lawns and formal gardens, the K Club makes a fine setting for the blessed event. The hotel is located in a 19th Century Georgian estate about a half hour outside of Dublin on a private stretch of the River Liffey. This is the wedding destination for Downton Abbey fans seeking a magical day to live like the upper crust of another time with everything from clay pigeon shooting and horseback riding to falconry and fly fishing.
The K Club is also home to a 20,000-square-foot K Spa, where the bridal party can indulge in relaxing treatments, with a full service salon for pre-wedding hair and beauty appointments. Two Arnold Palmer-designed championship courses are available to guests including the Palmer Course, venue for the 2006 Ryder Cup, and The Palmer Smurfit Course, has hosted the European Open from 1995 to 2007. The K Club’s in-house Wedding Specialist, Susie Hopkins-Burke customizes all of those resources from start to finish.
The destination can be invoked with a bagpipe procession or literally with a traditional Irish “tying the knot” ceremony. The hotel’s kitchen is famous for the fresh ingredients used in its cooking and the historic manor house offers two rooms, rich in period detail, for intimate receptions. For larger celebrations, there are multiple options across the estate. The K Club also features the Straffan House, a French Chateau-inspired home adjacent to the hotel with seating for 16 in the homes main dining room, 10 ensuite rooms that come complete with full staff.
Retiring to the Cave
For something completely different, couples could begin the matrimonial journey at the Argos, a luxury cave hotel in Cappadocia a region famous for its bizarre formations, its numerous caves and the subterranean ruins of ancient cities. The four-night Argos Luxury Honeymoon Escape is priced from $4,390 (for two) and includes wine tastings (from the hotel’s vineyards) in the private underground cellar, Turkish and international cuisine at Seki Restaurant to suite accommodations with a private, in-suite swimming pool. A romance concierge sees to the couple’s requests and arranges horseback riding for two (during season), a pottery-making session, and a one-hour hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia’s Goreme Valley.
Source: James Ruggin