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Adventure Weddings Tips
Adventure Themed Weddings
Ideas for adventure-themed weddings are limited only by your imagination (and your budget). Such weddings can be as simple as a romantic wedding on the beach in Jamaica or as exotic as a native wedding ceremony in the Amazon jungle.
To begin planning your adventure-themed wedding, brainstorm with your fiance to come up with a few ideas that reflect your tastes and interests. Are you both scuba fans? Consider an underwater wedding. Wine lovers? Perhaps a wedding in a hot-air balloon over the rolling hills of Provence is best for you. Almost any sport or interest can be transformed into a unique and memorable wedding.
Adventure weddings are best planned with the assistance of a destination wedding planner. Not only are their services free to you, but their contacts, ideas, and experience are invaluable. Because adventure weddings require coordinating a number of details, it's best to contact a wedding planner around a year in advance.
Planning weddings in the Caribbean can easily become overwhelming if you let it. However, the experience can be simple and stress-free if you take advantage of services of a destination wedding planner and follow a few tips. Here are few ideas for planning your Caribbean wedding:
1. Keep it simple. The beauty of a Caribbean wedding is that you don't have to do much to decorate the wedding site; it's already spectacular. In addition, the carefree island atmosphere lends itself to a relaxed, casual wedding rather than a rigid, formal affair. Take advantage of this and keep your arrangements simple.
2. Don't try to do it all yourself. A destination wedding planner or resort wedding planner can guide you through all of the wedding details. Make sure to take advantage of this (usually) free service. For instance, they can tell you that a Caribbean-style wedding cake will cost a fraction of what a tiered wedding cake will cost. They also have connections with quality photographers, florists, and other island service personnel.
3. Leave the paperwork to the locals. The wedding license and other paperwork necessary for getting married in the Caribbean is best left to the locals. Each island has its own requirements and the people that live on the island will know how to navigate the government regulations and be able to get the necessary forms. All you have to do is sign them and appear at the license office. Most resort wedding packages even include the transportation back and forth to the office.
4. Look for resort specials and offers. Many resorts offer incentives for couples to get married during the less popular times of year. For instance, Sandals Resorts offers a free set of china for couples booking a six-night or longer honeymoon within one year of the wedding. Other resorts offer free nights, complimentary amenities, and discounts off of the wedding party's room rates.
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Top Destinations for Outdoor Weddings
An outdoor wedding is romantic, scenic, and often exotic. From the Caribbean to the South Pacific, beaches, forests, and other outdoor venues offer a special alternative to the traditional church wedding. Among the top places to have an overseas, outdoor wedding are:
Tahiti. The islands of Tahiti have captivated visitors since Paul Gauguin escaped France to paint the islands' beautiful landscapes. Today, Tahiti boasts many secluded beaches and luxury resorts, such as the Bora Bora Resort with its over-water cottages. Tahiti is also known for its friendly hospitality.
Jamaica. Known for its all-inclusive resorts, picturesque beaches, "no problem, man" hospitality, and lush tropical foliage, Jamaica is a favorite of couples looking for a "one-price-covers-everything" wedding and honeymoon. Resorts vary from basic accommodations to the most luxurious, such as the Tryall Resort or Sans Souci.
Turks and Caicos. Located just southeast of South Florida, Turks and Caicos are easy to reach from the United States and remain relatively undeveloped. The six-mile beach on Providenciales is one of the most lovely in the Caribbean and that island's Grace Bay Resort offers romantic suite accommodations and a charming seaside, open-air restaurant.
Scotland. The Scottish highlands offer another sort of romantic spot for an outdoor wedding. The dramatic hills, lakes, and forests make a spectacular wedding setting. Add a bagpipe player and have the groom wear a kilt and you've got a scene worthy of "Brigadoon."
Bali. Dubbed "Paradise on Earth," the Indonesian island of Bali is a favorite of Hollywood and music stars. The tropical island combines the colorful island history and cultural arts with long stretches of white sand and a carefree attitude.
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Destination Weddings Tip: Advantages to a Cruise Wedding
A cruise is a great place to have a wedding. The ship acts as the wedding site as well as the honeymoon destination, and cruises allow you to visit multiple ports without the hassle of packing and unpacking and checking in and out of hotels.
Many cruise lines, including Carnival Cruises and Princess Cruises, have special wedding chapels on all of their ships. Similar to a country church, these chapels have the traditional wedding aisle, organ music, and altar, and may be adapted to host weddings in most religious faiths. The Princess chapels even have a live web cam so that family and friends that are unable to attend the wedding can watch the ceremony live.
Of course, cruise ships also offer a number of other wedding spots. You can get married on the grand staircase, by the pool area, or on shore at one of the many spots on the cruise route.
Most cruise lines offer special cruise wedding packages that include the services of a wedding planner, flowers, taped music, the necessary paperwork, and the wedding site. You can generally add food and beverage, live music, the services of the ship's photographer, spa services, and other extras if desired.
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Caribbean Resort Weddings
A Caribbean resort wedding offers a dramatic setting combined with a fun and interesting vacation for you and your wedding party and guests. Many resorts offer special all-inclusive wedding packages as well as discounts to wedding parties that stay a certain number of days after the wedding.
Resort companies, such as the 13 Sandals resorts, Club Med resorts, and the 12 SuperClub resorts, offer one-price Caribbean resort wedding packages that include all of the basic components: paperwork, the services of an officiant or clergyman, flowers for the bride and groom, a Caribbean wedding cake, and the decorated wedding site. Of course, you can add extras, such as live music, photography, and food and beverage services. Many resorts also such things as a wedding gift or breakfast in bed for the wedding couple.
Staying at a Caribbean all-inclusive resort gives your wedding guests and party something for every taste without their having to spend extra. Most all-inclusive resorts include transportation to and from the airport, accommodations, all meals, bar drinks, a variety of watersports and activities, live entertainment, taxes and tips -- all in one price.
Those planning a Caribbean resort wedding are also wise to inquire about wedding specials. Many resorts offer discounts to wedding parties of a certain size staying at least three nights after the wedding. Other resorts offer gifts to the bridal couple for staying during the off-season or booking their honeymoon in conjunction with the wedding. It pays to ask.
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Destination Weddings Tip: Ideas for Exotic Caribbean Weddings
Some wedding couples are looking for something a little different from the popular beach wedding in Jamaica or the Bahamas. Don't despair; the islands offer a number of spots for exotic Caribbean weddings as well. Below are just a few ideas:
1. Jamaica's Blue Mountains. High above Jamaica's beaches are the Blue Mountains, a rolling range of dense, tropical foliage, dotted with small coffee farms and bed and breakfast retreats. The views from the mountains are sweeping and dramatic and the air is cool and fresh.
2. Underwater in Curacao. Diving enthusiasts can combine their love of the water with their wedding vows at Curacao, a Dutch territory in the southern Caribbean. Surrounded by coral reefs, Curacao offers some of the best diving in North America and the weather is consistently warm and dry.
3. A Palace in Old San Juan. Old San Juan is one of the oldest European settlements in the New World. The narrow streets, live music, and picturesque storefronts take visitors back to the 16th century. A number of government buildings, including the Fortaleza, may be rented for weddings.
4. A historic sugar plantation in Barbados. Barbados was one of the world's top sugar cane producers in the 17th and 18th century. Many of the former British plantations still remain, some restored and some left in their original condition. Getting married in a sugar plantation is a great way to combine history and a unique setting.
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Wedding Adventures
Have you always longed for a wedding that's different from the traditional church wedding? Perhaps this is your second wedding and you want it to be unique from your first wedding ... or you're an over-forty bride who desires a small ceremony with just a few friends in attendance. If so, then an adventure wedding is for you.
Wedding adventures can be as simple or as elaborate as you desire. It can be a simple ceremony on the beach in Hawaii with just you and two witnesses or a celebration for 100 or more of your friends and family in a villa in Tuscany, complete with music, a feast of local foods, and fireworks to cap off the ceremony.
Planning a wedding adventure is easiest and less stressful if you enlist the aid of a destination wedding planner. These travel professionals have access to inside knowledge about resorts and activities. In addition, because they deal with wedding adventures on a regular basis, they are in an ideal position to learn about new resorts and pricing as soon as it becomes available. The best part of using a destination wedding planner is that their services are free to you. (They are paid by the resorts and services that they recommend.)
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Destination Weddings Tip: Planning an Exotic Wedding
Planning an exotic wedding needn't be stressful and confusing. There are excellent resources and wedding planners, such as those at Destination Weddings.com, who can help you choose the locale that's just right for you as well as guide you through the legal requirements for getting married outside of the United States.
Destination wedding planners can save you time. While you are working or spending time with your fiance, they can track down just the right flower purveyor or a caterer that will prepare your soon-to-be husband's favorite dish. Such things are all but impossible via long distance on your lunch break.
Destination wedding planners can also save you money. Most companies offer their services at no charge to you (they are paid a commission by the hotels and services they recommend to you) and they frequently offer discounts on hotels and airfare that aren't available to you if you were making your own arrangements.
Because an exotic wedding requires your wedding party and guests to travel (and thus request time off from work and other responsibilities), it's best if you plan your wedding at least six months in advance. This also gives you the best availability as to accommodations, flights, and wedding sites.
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Hawaiian Wedding Adventures
A Hawaiian wedding mixes American culture with exotic, tropical beauty. The islands are easily accessible from the west coast of the United States, English is spoken, and you don't need a passport or visa to travel there. Hawaii also offers a wealth of dramatic wedding locales. Just a few of these are:
1. Fern Grotto on Kauai. There's a reason that Kauai is named the "Garden Isle" of Hawaii. The small, less commercial island is lush with tropical forests, flowers, and even a canyon that rivals the Grand Canyon. Kauai is also home to the fern grotto, a natural inland lagoon that has been a favorite of wedding couples for generations.
2. Waikiki Beach. Hawaii's most famous beach lines the waterfront in Honolulu. The wide expanse of white sand offers a romantic ocean view with Diamond Head peak in the background and the cityscape in the foreground. What's more: the nightlife and fine restaurants of Honolulu are just steps away.
3. Atop Mount Haleakala on Maui. Maui's inactive volcano, Mount Haleakala towers more than 10,000 feet over the beaches, golf courses, and tropical forests of Maui. Intrepid visitors rise before dawn and peddle down its slopes while enjoying the island sunrise. Wedding couples can incorporate this rugged beauty into their ceremony by planning their wedding on these same slopes.
4. On the black sand beach on the island of Hawaii. The big island of Hawaii is known for its black sand beaches, a remnant of centuries of lava flows. These dramatic sands make a spectacular setting for an island wedding.
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Destination Weddings Tip: All-Inclusive Weddings in the Caribbean
One of the easiest and most stress-free ways to host a Caribbean wedding is to choose an all-inclusive resort as your destination. Not only are these resorts located in lovely, tropical, beachfront settings, but they have onsite wedding planners to assist you with last minute details and extras.
One price covers everything at an all-inclusive resort. The basic stay includes accommodations, taxes, all meals, most bar and soft drinks, live entertainment, a variety of watersports and other activities, and transportation to and from the resort. In addition, most such resorts offer a standard wedding package that includes the necessary paperwork, the services of a local clergyman, a Caribbean wedding cake, the decorated wedding site, and a keepsake photo. Most resorts also allow you to add extras, such as photography, live music, and a reception following the ceremony.
Sandals Resorts, with seven resorts in Jamaica, three on the island of St. Lucia, and single resorts in the Bahamas and on Antigua, is the leader in all-inclusive Caribbean weddings. However, they aren't the only company that offers such packages. Other good choices include Jamaica's San Souci and Half Moon Bay Resorts, the Club Med Resorts in the Bahamas and in the Turks and Caicos, and the St. James Club Resort on St. Lucia.
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What to Wear for a Beach Wedding
A beach wedding -- in the Caribbean, Bermuda, Mexico, or other scenic spot -- is an ideal place to bend the traditional wedding dress code. You'll still want to look lovely and elegant, but you can replace the standard white, heavily-constructed gown with something a little more flowing, fun, and affordable. Here are some ideas:
1. A white or off-white sundress. This can be silk, chiffon, or even linen. All shades of white fit into the sun-drenched sand, sun, and water motif.
2. Bare feet. Three-inch heels on sand? Are you crazy? Go barefoot or wear simple strap sandals instead. Not only do heels look out-of-place in a tropical setting, but they can be downright dangerous.
3. Pareos and sarongs. Pareos are those brightly-colored, cotton wraps that can be tied in a number of different ways -- over one shoulder, above the bust line for a strapless look, or at the waist as a longish skirt. Sarongs are similar, Polynesian-style wrap dresses and skirts. Both offer a minimum of coverage and support and therefore are best suited to thin brides. Some companies even make special bridal pareos and sarongs.
4. Accessories. Keep the accessories to a minimum at a beach wedding. Why try to compete with the beauty of the bride and the beachfront setting? Use flowers as accessories, with a gardenia behind your ear or a sprig of blossoms pinned to your dress-strap.
4. For the groom. The groom doesn't have to get dressed up in a tuxedo for a beach wedding. In fact, such attire would look out of place in a seaside setting. A white linen suit or a casual white shirt over linen pants are acceptable looks. For a more formal wedding, add a white jacket.
