If you've always wanted to discover what a "Vegi-Mite" sandwich was or just scuba dive to one of the world's most incredible reefs, Australia might just be the destination wedding and honeymoon site for you.
Wedding Logistics
Australia has no blood test or residency requirement for brides and grooms. There is, however a thirty-one-day filing period for document processing. You can get all the necessary documents from one of the seven Australian consulates in the United States. To get the number of the closest consulate to you, call the Australian embassy in Washington, D.G., at 202-797-3000.
Different states in Australia have varying marriage license requirements. Some states like Victoria and Tasmania require an additional fee if the wedding is over the weekend or in a special venue such as a park or restaurant.
Best Time to Go
Australia's seasons are the reverse of ours here in the States. Hence, the prime summer season runs from December through March. Winter begins in July. The closer to the equator (or further north) you are, the stronger the sun. Of course, there are wide variations in climate from region to region. For example, southern Australia's climate is more temperate, while the northern third of the country is tropical. Temperatures in Sydney average in the low to high 70s, with hotter readings in the summer. By contrast, Queensland in the north has temperatures in the 80s.
Costs, Accommodations, and Getting Around
The best bargains may be the many air/hotel packages that are offered by tour companies. Airfare alone from Los Angeles can run $1200 per person in the high season. Contrast that to package deals that start at $ 1500 for both air and hotel.
For example, a sojourn to the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland at the Kwarra Beach resort runs $1598 per person. That price includes round-trip airfare from Los Angeles, five nights of luxury accommodations with all.breakfasts, cruises to the outer reef, three dinners, and one lunch. This tour, offered by Expanding Horizons (800-421-6416), is a best buy.
Want to take in Sydney, too? A fourteen-day package (offered by Swain Australia Tours, 800-227-9246) to both Sydney and the Great Barrier Reef runs $6300 per couple. That includes five nights- on Hayman Island at the Great Barrier .Reefs, outer reef excursions, four nights in Sydney at the Park Lane Hotel, a Sydney Harbor cruise, three nights at Silky Oaks Lodge in the. rain forests and, if that weren't enough, a rain-forest safari. The price also includes airfare. You can even get married on Hayman Island—the wedding package includes a justice of the peace, live music, and a reception.
What Makes it Special
The tremendous variety of sights and things to do makes Australia a fascinating honeymoon site. From cosmopolitan Sydney to the "garden city of Melbourne" (whose botanic gardens feature exotic plants and nineteenth-century landscaping), you can have a "civilized" trip or go for a little adventure. The island of Tasmania has lots of bed-and-breakfast inns and. rolling pastures and herds of sheep, similar, to pastoral parts of England. The northern territory is rugged and dry, highlighted by the aboriginal paintings and rock formations of Kakadu National Park. Gawler Range Wilderness Safaris (086/802020) offers safaris into South Australia's Gawler Mountain range. There aren't any roads, but lots of wildlife makes the rugged travel worth it.
Insider Travel Tips
The plane ride is a very long seventeen to eighteen hours. You may want to break up the flight with a stay in Los Angeles (if you are travelling from the East Coast) or in Hawaii.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Destination Wedding Locations: Kenya, Africa
Tired of the Caribbean? Looking for something more exotic? How about a safari wedding in Africa? Let's be honest here—a wedding in Kenya is not for everyone. The main appeal will be for wildlife enthusiasts and travel connoisseurs.
Wedding Logistics
Kenya requires a three-business-day residency before you can get your marriage license. Documents needed include a birth certificate and proof of a divorce (if previously married). There are no medical tests, and tour companies such as International Ventures (mentioned below) will arrange for document processing.
Local Bridal Customs
In addition to the standard wedding that comes as a part of International Ventures package, you can also hire a local children's choir ($95) or chukka drummers ($180.) The wedding ceremony can be held in a thatched chapel with a view of Mount Kenya. One interesting local wedding tradition: the bride and groom often have their wrists bound in grass as a symbol of their commitment to each other.
Best Time to Go
The peak season is May through mid August. Another peak season runs from December to January 15. Prices vary a small amount from high to low seasons.
Costs, Accommodations, and Getting Around
International Ventures offers an eleven-day safari wedding package for $2995 per person (low season) or $3245 per person (high season). Included in that price is round-trip airfare from New York, all meals except in Nairobi, game park entrance fees, and assistance in applying for wedding license. The wedding ceremony is held at the plush Mt. Kenya Safari Club resort and includes a wedding cake and complimentary suite upgrade. (Extras include a photographer $230, video $460, string quartet by river $690, horse-drawn carriage $50).
As for the safari, you will be flown over wildlife sanctuaries and driven out to view the African game in the area. The tour company offers different levels of "experience," ranging from "mobile quality tented safaris" (the least expensive) to "classic luxury tented" outings. The most expensive are the "premier lodge safaris," where guests stay in lodges during the outings instead of tents.
What Makes it Special
This is truly a one-of-a-kind experience. Each tour is limited to a small number of participants. In addition, the tour company makes a small donation for each tour to one of several wildlife conservation programs in East Africa. And how many of your friends can say they were married on safari in Africa?
Insider Travel Tips
Be prepared for the lengthy flight—a whopping fifteen hours from New York to Kenya via a direct South African Airways flight.
Wedding Logistics
Kenya requires a three-business-day residency before you can get your marriage license. Documents needed include a birth certificate and proof of a divorce (if previously married). There are no medical tests, and tour companies such as International Ventures (mentioned below) will arrange for document processing.
Local Bridal Customs
In addition to the standard wedding that comes as a part of International Ventures package, you can also hire a local children's choir ($95) or chukka drummers ($180.) The wedding ceremony can be held in a thatched chapel with a view of Mount Kenya. One interesting local wedding tradition: the bride and groom often have their wrists bound in grass as a symbol of their commitment to each other.
Best Time to Go
The peak season is May through mid August. Another peak season runs from December to January 15. Prices vary a small amount from high to low seasons.
Costs, Accommodations, and Getting Around
International Ventures offers an eleven-day safari wedding package for $2995 per person (low season) or $3245 per person (high season). Included in that price is round-trip airfare from New York, all meals except in Nairobi, game park entrance fees, and assistance in applying for wedding license. The wedding ceremony is held at the plush Mt. Kenya Safari Club resort and includes a wedding cake and complimentary suite upgrade. (Extras include a photographer $230, video $460, string quartet by river $690, horse-drawn carriage $50).
As for the safari, you will be flown over wildlife sanctuaries and driven out to view the African game in the area. The tour company offers different levels of "experience," ranging from "mobile quality tented safaris" (the least expensive) to "classic luxury tented" outings. The most expensive are the "premier lodge safaris," where guests stay in lodges during the outings instead of tents.
What Makes it Special
This is truly a one-of-a-kind experience. Each tour is limited to a small number of participants. In addition, the tour company makes a small donation for each tour to one of several wildlife conservation programs in East Africa. And how many of your friends can say they were married on safari in Africa?
Insider Travel Tips
Be prepared for the lengthy flight—a whopping fifteen hours from New York to Kenya via a direct South African Airways flight.
Destination Wedding Locations: Greece
From ancient ruins to beach resorts, Greece offers a European destination wedding and reception with an added advantage: prices here are comparatively less- than other nearby countries. And the country's relatively lax marriage laws make tying the knot much easier than in, say, France or Italy.
Wedding Logistics
Greece has no residency requirements or waiting-periods to get a marriage license. For a civil ceremony, you apply to the mayor (or "president") of the community where you plan to get married. Greece requires couples desiring a religious ceremony to get a marriage license from the parish priest of that town.
The process of getting a marriage license in Greece is a little complicated—documents like, birth certificates must be translated, notices in Greek must be placed in local newspapers and there is a short "filing period" (processing time). Religious ceremonies have other restrictions and requirements. Despite the red tape, Greece is still easier than other European countries. You may want to seek the help of a professional wedding planner (see the end of this section), however, to wade through all the requirements and rules.
Here's another nice option: for a civil ceremony in Greece, you can actually use a U.S. marriage license to tie the knot in Greece, as long as it is authenticated by a Greek consulate in the United States and translated.
Local Bridal Customs
Witnesses, who also serve as interpreters, are considered "spiritual" relatives to assist the priest in bringing the couple to holy matrimony. In addition, the Unique Tours wedding package we describe below incorporates other Greek wedding traditions into the ceremonies, flowers, music, and so on.
Best Time to Go
Greece has a bewildering series' of high and low seasons, depending on where you are. As you might expect, beach-front resorts have a high season in the summer months (June through August). Meanwhile, Athens and other mainland cities have discounts at those times. Islands also have their own high and low seasons. For example, Petassos Beach Hotel on Mykonos island has a low season from April through mid-May and in October—rates are nearly 40 percent less than high season, which runs mid-June through September. The bottom line: check carefully for the best deals at each location.
Costs, Accommodations, and Getting Around
Unique Tours is the foremost authority on Greek nuptials. Company's wedding and honeymoon packages are priced on an a la carte basis.
For example, a Christian wedding ceremony in Athens runs $555 (the same ceremony on an island is $615). This fee covers processing of all documents for a marriage license, a priest, and two witnesses. Extras include document translations ($7 per page), flowers ($112 for a bride's bouquet and groom's boutonniere), and photography ($343 in Athens, the islands are $375) which yields fifty photographs. Video services run $380 in Athens to $440 on the islands. Add it all up and a basic wedding on a Greek island with flowers, photographer, and video is about $1600.
A ten-day honeymoon package that includes time on two islands plus a stay in Athens runs $2639 per couple in high season or $2228 in low season. That price includes airfare between the islands, but not international airfares. We should note that Unique Tours wedding packages require a ten-day stay.
The company also has other theme tours including an "Early Christian Experience" package, which mirrors travels by the apostles, and a "Cruises with Epirotiki" plan with classical Greek themes plus an excursion to Turkey. One of the more interesting honeymoon accommodations in Greece is a replica of a windmill that is actually a three-story luxury villa overlooking the Mediterranean. Three nights here run $948 per couple.
Overall, we liked the way you can mix and match various destinations and outings instead of being locked into a rigid schedule.
What Makes it Special
Greece offers a wide variety of things to do for a destination wedding and honeymoon: cruises between the islands, sightseeing at ancient ruins, a history that dates back several thousand years, both early Greek and early Christian heritage, museums in Athens, island hopping, and more.
Insider Travel Tips
If you plan to wed in Greece on a Unique Tours package, all your documents must be to the company's office at least two months prior to departure. As a result, you may need to begin planning a Greek wedding and honeymoon a good three to six months in advance.
Wedding Logistics
Greece has no residency requirements or waiting-periods to get a marriage license. For a civil ceremony, you apply to the mayor (or "president") of the community where you plan to get married. Greece requires couples desiring a religious ceremony to get a marriage license from the parish priest of that town.
The process of getting a marriage license in Greece is a little complicated—documents like, birth certificates must be translated, notices in Greek must be placed in local newspapers and there is a short "filing period" (processing time). Religious ceremonies have other restrictions and requirements. Despite the red tape, Greece is still easier than other European countries. You may want to seek the help of a professional wedding planner (see the end of this section), however, to wade through all the requirements and rules.
Here's another nice option: for a civil ceremony in Greece, you can actually use a U.S. marriage license to tie the knot in Greece, as long as it is authenticated by a Greek consulate in the United States and translated.
Local Bridal Customs
Witnesses, who also serve as interpreters, are considered "spiritual" relatives to assist the priest in bringing the couple to holy matrimony. In addition, the Unique Tours wedding package we describe below incorporates other Greek wedding traditions into the ceremonies, flowers, music, and so on.
Best Time to Go
Greece has a bewildering series' of high and low seasons, depending on where you are. As you might expect, beach-front resorts have a high season in the summer months (June through August). Meanwhile, Athens and other mainland cities have discounts at those times. Islands also have their own high and low seasons. For example, Petassos Beach Hotel on Mykonos island has a low season from April through mid-May and in October—rates are nearly 40 percent less than high season, which runs mid-June through September. The bottom line: check carefully for the best deals at each location.
Costs, Accommodations, and Getting Around
Unique Tours is the foremost authority on Greek nuptials. Company's wedding and honeymoon packages are priced on an a la carte basis.
For example, a Christian wedding ceremony in Athens runs $555 (the same ceremony on an island is $615). This fee covers processing of all documents for a marriage license, a priest, and two witnesses. Extras include document translations ($7 per page), flowers ($112 for a bride's bouquet and groom's boutonniere), and photography ($343 in Athens, the islands are $375) which yields fifty photographs. Video services run $380 in Athens to $440 on the islands. Add it all up and a basic wedding on a Greek island with flowers, photographer, and video is about $1600.
A ten-day honeymoon package that includes time on two islands plus a stay in Athens runs $2639 per couple in high season or $2228 in low season. That price includes airfare between the islands, but not international airfares. We should note that Unique Tours wedding packages require a ten-day stay.
The company also has other theme tours including an "Early Christian Experience" package, which mirrors travels by the apostles, and a "Cruises with Epirotiki" plan with classical Greek themes plus an excursion to Turkey. One of the more interesting honeymoon accommodations in Greece is a replica of a windmill that is actually a three-story luxury villa overlooking the Mediterranean. Three nights here run $948 per couple.
Overall, we liked the way you can mix and match various destinations and outings instead of being locked into a rigid schedule.
What Makes it Special
Greece offers a wide variety of things to do for a destination wedding and honeymoon: cruises between the islands, sightseeing at ancient ruins, a history that dates back several thousand years, both early Greek and early Christian heritage, museums in Athens, island hopping, and more.
Insider Travel Tips
If you plan to wed in Greece on a Unique Tours package, all your documents must be to the company's office at least two months prior to departure. As a result, you may need to begin planning a Greek wedding and honeymoon a good three to six months in advance.
Destination Wedding Locations: Turtle Island, Fiji
Winding white beaches, dense jungle foliage, a crescent-shaped cove below black lava cliffs,
coconut groves through which Chinese pheasants run wild, rainbow colored fish in incredibly clear blue water." That's an account of a fictional South Pacific island from a 1906 novel that was later adapted for the 1980 film, "Blue Lagoon," starring Brooke Shields. When Columbia Pictures searched for locations to shoot the movie, the studio considered over a thousand islands and finally decided on the one that best matched the above description: Turtle Island, Fiji.
Wedding Logistics
Quite simple. Basically, the resort takes care of all the details. You bring your birth certificate (or a copy), a passport, and a divorce decree (if divorced). Two types of ceremonies are available on Turtle Island: Roman Catholic and Methodist. For Catholic weddings, the resort recommends that you contact your parish priest in the United States and find out what his requirements are. For example, some diocese require completion of a marriage preparation program, proof of baptism, etc. All this paperwork should be sent to the Catholic priest in Fiji about four months before the wedding. Another additional requirement: Catholic couples must be in Fiji three days prior to the wedding, since the license must be in the hands of the local Fijian priest at least two days before the wedding day.
With Methodist weddings, there is no waiting period or residency requirements. (We should note, however, that the resort recommends you fly in on a weekday at least three days before your wedding day. This time is used to obtain the license, get fitted with the traditional Fiji attire, and plan the wedding feast.) Contrast this to nearby Tahiti, which requires a lengthy forty-day residency period and translations of documents into French.
Local Bridal Customs
Weddings on Turtle Island closely follow Fijian traditions. Held at sunset on the beach, the bride and groom dress in tapa cloth, traditional Fiji wedding attire. "Tapa is made from tree bark and hand-painted with traditional Fijian symbols in tan, brown, and black," the resort's wedding literature explains.
"The trumpeting of conch shells announce the. bride's arrival on the wedding raft (a bill bilx). Drums beat ceremonial rhythms as the bride disembarks and is escorted to her groom by two Fijian attendants. As they approach the archway of the outdoor altar, they are heralded by a robed Fijian choir. After the special kava ceremony (which seals the marriage), the newly-weds are carried on a throne to the wedding lovo, or feast, typically consisting of roast pig, fresh seafood, and other local delicacies."
Best Time to Go
The cheapest air fares from the States are during our summer months—June, July, and August. Since Fiji is in the southern hemisphere, seasons there are the reverse of ours. The Fiji winter (our summer) is the driest time of the year. The rainy season is December through early April, with most of the rain coming during March. Temperatures don't vary much year-round, with lows in the mid 70s and highs in the mid to upper 80s. May through October is marked by slightly cooler temperatures and lower humidity.
Costs, Accommodations, and Getting Around
The wedding package described above runs $1000, plus 10 percent tax. Considering all you get. (minister, choir, apparel, flowers, photography, video, and reception) this is a pretty good deal.
A one-week stay on. Turtle Island runs $6270 per couple. Accommodations are beach front cottages, each of which has a separate sitting room and two bathrooms. The price includes all meals, snacks, beverages, airport transfers, and activities—fishing, scuba diving, r horseback riding, water sports, and sunlight cruises. You can reserve private beaches for private champagne picnic lunches. The only place to spend extra money is the gift shop.
There is no high or low season on Turde—the price stays the same year-round. If those prices are too high, there are several other resorts in Fiji which run $2000 to $3000 per couple per week. Of course, those prices don't include meals or airport transfers.
Airfare to Fiji from Los Angeles runs about $750 per person in low season (summer) and $1050 per person in high season (winter).
What Makes it Special
What impressed us most about the Turde Island wedding/honeymoon package is the all-inclusive package. The ceremony steeped in native traditions, the no-hassle honeymoon that includes all meals, and the spectacular setting makes Turde Island a wonderful destination.
Another plus: the five-hundred-acre resort only-has fourteen cottages and encompasses all of Turtle Island. There are no huge crowds or throngs of tourists on Turde.
Insider Travel Tips
The flight time from Los Angeles is thirteen hours, which includes a stopover in Hawaii. You may want to break up the trip back home with a brief one- or two-night stay in Hawaii.
coconut groves through which Chinese pheasants run wild, rainbow colored fish in incredibly clear blue water." That's an account of a fictional South Pacific island from a 1906 novel that was later adapted for the 1980 film, "Blue Lagoon," starring Brooke Shields. When Columbia Pictures searched for locations to shoot the movie, the studio considered over a thousand islands and finally decided on the one that best matched the above description: Turtle Island, Fiji.
Wedding Logistics
Quite simple. Basically, the resort takes care of all the details. You bring your birth certificate (or a copy), a passport, and a divorce decree (if divorced). Two types of ceremonies are available on Turtle Island: Roman Catholic and Methodist. For Catholic weddings, the resort recommends that you contact your parish priest in the United States and find out what his requirements are. For example, some diocese require completion of a marriage preparation program, proof of baptism, etc. All this paperwork should be sent to the Catholic priest in Fiji about four months before the wedding. Another additional requirement: Catholic couples must be in Fiji three days prior to the wedding, since the license must be in the hands of the local Fijian priest at least two days before the wedding day.
With Methodist weddings, there is no waiting period or residency requirements. (We should note, however, that the resort recommends you fly in on a weekday at least three days before your wedding day. This time is used to obtain the license, get fitted with the traditional Fiji attire, and plan the wedding feast.) Contrast this to nearby Tahiti, which requires a lengthy forty-day residency period and translations of documents into French.
Local Bridal Customs
Weddings on Turtle Island closely follow Fijian traditions. Held at sunset on the beach, the bride and groom dress in tapa cloth, traditional Fiji wedding attire. "Tapa is made from tree bark and hand-painted with traditional Fijian symbols in tan, brown, and black," the resort's wedding literature explains.
"The trumpeting of conch shells announce the. bride's arrival on the wedding raft (a bill bilx). Drums beat ceremonial rhythms as the bride disembarks and is escorted to her groom by two Fijian attendants. As they approach the archway of the outdoor altar, they are heralded by a robed Fijian choir. After the special kava ceremony (which seals the marriage), the newly-weds are carried on a throne to the wedding lovo, or feast, typically consisting of roast pig, fresh seafood, and other local delicacies."
Best Time to Go
The cheapest air fares from the States are during our summer months—June, July, and August. Since Fiji is in the southern hemisphere, seasons there are the reverse of ours. The Fiji winter (our summer) is the driest time of the year. The rainy season is December through early April, with most of the rain coming during March. Temperatures don't vary much year-round, with lows in the mid 70s and highs in the mid to upper 80s. May through October is marked by slightly cooler temperatures and lower humidity.
Costs, Accommodations, and Getting Around
The wedding package described above runs $1000, plus 10 percent tax. Considering all you get. (minister, choir, apparel, flowers, photography, video, and reception) this is a pretty good deal.
A one-week stay on. Turtle Island runs $6270 per couple. Accommodations are beach front cottages, each of which has a separate sitting room and two bathrooms. The price includes all meals, snacks, beverages, airport transfers, and activities—fishing, scuba diving, r horseback riding, water sports, and sunlight cruises. You can reserve private beaches for private champagne picnic lunches. The only place to spend extra money is the gift shop.
There is no high or low season on Turde—the price stays the same year-round. If those prices are too high, there are several other resorts in Fiji which run $2000 to $3000 per couple per week. Of course, those prices don't include meals or airport transfers.
Airfare to Fiji from Los Angeles runs about $750 per person in low season (summer) and $1050 per person in high season (winter).
What Makes it Special
What impressed us most about the Turde Island wedding/honeymoon package is the all-inclusive package. The ceremony steeped in native traditions, the no-hassle honeymoon that includes all meals, and the spectacular setting makes Turde Island a wonderful destination.
Another plus: the five-hundred-acre resort only-has fourteen cottages and encompasses all of Turtle Island. There are no huge crowds or throngs of tourists on Turde.
Insider Travel Tips
The flight time from Los Angeles is thirteen hours, which includes a stopover in Hawaii. You may want to break up the trip back home with a brief one- or two-night stay in Hawaii.
Destination Wedding Locations: Cancun, Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
One of the best bargains for a destination wedding and honeymoon is Mexico. Compared to the sky-high prices of the Caribbean and Hawaii, Mexico looks darned affordable. And when you compare hotel prices here with a stay in Europe . . . well, it's no contest.
That's not to say that a wedding and honeymoon in Mexico is free. When you factor in airfare, hotel, meals, and shopping during a week's stay at a nice resort, the total tab can run $2000 to $3000. Package options, as we'll discuss later, are the most affordable way to go. A basic wedding will run you about $500, with more elaborate options at $1000 and up.
Perhaps the most difficult decision about planning a far and away wedding in Mexico is which location to choose—each resort area has its own style and character. Here's an overview of what we consider the best places to tie the knot: Cancun/Cozumel, Acapulco, and Puerto Vallarta.
CANCUN/COZUMEL. The best thing about Cancun and Cozumel is that you can get Caribbean water at a Mexican price. The white sand beaches, the plush resorts, a plethora of water sports—you get the idea.
Seasoned travellers tell-us Cancun is a young person's resort. And, as evidenced by the throngs of spring-breakers who flock here once a year, this fact has not gone unnoticed.
A thirty minute flight from Cancun is the island of Gozumel. Here you'll find some of the best scuba diving and snorkeling in the country. The shopping is limited, but the leisurely pace stands in contrast to Cancun.
A few hours away from Cancun are two famous Mayan ruins, including Chichen Itza, which is the largest and most fascinating.
ACAPULCO. On the Pacific coast, Acapulco is famous for its culture and history. The water and beaches aren't as outstanding as Cancun, but the hotels, private homes, and villas are stand-outs. The hustle and bustle here continues well past sunset with a busy nighdife. Great restaurants overlook the harbor and shopping is fantastic.
PUERTO VALLARTA. Further up the coast from Acapulco is Puerto Vallarta, made famous by the 1964 movie, "Night of the Iguana," starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. This resort has a totally different feel than Cancun or Acapulco. Cobblestone streets and outstanding restaurants give the town an international ambience, enhanced by the sporty boutiques and great shopping. Take a day trip into the jungle for a mini-safari. On the down side, Puerto Vallarta has only "average" beaches and water, according to travellers we've interviewed.
Wedding Logistics
Only civil marriages are legal in Mexico. As for requirements and documentation, each federal district (roughly the equivalent of states) of Mexico has its own rules and regulations. Some require blood tests and a medical exam with chest X-rays by a Mexican doctor. Fortunately, most of the tourist areas have relaxed marriage license rules that do not include such extensive medical exams.
There is no residency period, but you must have your birth certificate certified or notarized (unlike other regions of the country, the three destinations we highlight here require no translations). There are a few more paperwork requirements and the bureaucracy in Mexico is famous for its red tape. Hence, we strongly recommend that you use the services of a professional wedding planner or a resort's wedding coordinator to ensure you've complied with all the rules. The bottom line: with all the paperwork and regulations, it takes about three to five days processing time to get a marriage license in Mexico.
Local Bridal Customs
Mexican weddings are full of ethnic traditions and color. From mariachi bands to bridal bouquets of flowing bird-of-paradise flowers, you can pick and choose different options. The most common wedding-cake is a single-layer "tres leche" confection of white cake. At receptions, friends and family circle the bride and groom while they dance their first dance.
Best Time to Go
High season runs from Christmas through April, with prices at their peak. Perhaps the best time to visit is from November 28 through December 15—the weather is quite nice and the premium prices haven't kicked in. Other discounts can be had during the off season in the summer and fall.
As for the weather, the coastal areas boast a tropical climate, with temperatures in the 70s and 80s in winter and 90+ in the summer. Each region of Mexico has a different climate, so you may want to research an area before making plans.
Cost, Accommodations, and Getting Around
Compared to Caribbean destinations, Mexico is one of the most affordable destinations around. You could pay as littie as $140 per night for a standard room in a nice resort in low season, up to $ 185 in high season. Overall, a Mexico hotel stay runs about 30 percent less than a similar room at a resort in the Caribbean or Hawaii. Dinner at a nice restaurant costs about $50. Contrast that with Hawaii, where dinner for two can often run $75 to $100 or more.
Some of the more interesting packages we discovered include Acapulco's Westin Las Brisas (800-228-3000), which offers rates from $980 per couple for three nights to $2176 per couple for seven nights in the low season (April 18 to December 18). That price includes continental breakfast, one dinner, a rental jeep, and all gratuities.
In Cancun, the Ritz Carlton Cancun (800-241-3333) has a three-night package for $1330 in low season and $1482 in the high season. Extra nights are $247 to $293, respectively. The plan includes a candlelight dinner on a private balcony and a day excursion to the ancient Mayan city of Tulum.
So diving is your passion and Cozumel your ultimate destination? We discovered that the Stouffer Présidente Cozumel hotel (800-HOTELS-l) offers an eight-night package for $1260 per couple in the low season, which includes breakfasts, one dinner, and gratuities.
Puerto Vallarta may be the most affordable of all, with a seven-night package at Fiesta Americana (800-FIESTA-1) costing a mere $920 per couple; this includes breakfast, one dinner, and rental car discounts.
That's not to say that a wedding and honeymoon in Mexico is free. When you factor in airfare, hotel, meals, and shopping during a week's stay at a nice resort, the total tab can run $2000 to $3000. Package options, as we'll discuss later, are the most affordable way to go. A basic wedding will run you about $500, with more elaborate options at $1000 and up.
Perhaps the most difficult decision about planning a far and away wedding in Mexico is which location to choose—each resort area has its own style and character. Here's an overview of what we consider the best places to tie the knot: Cancun/Cozumel, Acapulco, and Puerto Vallarta.
CANCUN/COZUMEL. The best thing about Cancun and Cozumel is that you can get Caribbean water at a Mexican price. The white sand beaches, the plush resorts, a plethora of water sports—you get the idea.
Seasoned travellers tell-us Cancun is a young person's resort. And, as evidenced by the throngs of spring-breakers who flock here once a year, this fact has not gone unnoticed.
A thirty minute flight from Cancun is the island of Gozumel. Here you'll find some of the best scuba diving and snorkeling in the country. The shopping is limited, but the leisurely pace stands in contrast to Cancun.
A few hours away from Cancun are two famous Mayan ruins, including Chichen Itza, which is the largest and most fascinating.
ACAPULCO. On the Pacific coast, Acapulco is famous for its culture and history. The water and beaches aren't as outstanding as Cancun, but the hotels, private homes, and villas are stand-outs. The hustle and bustle here continues well past sunset with a busy nighdife. Great restaurants overlook the harbor and shopping is fantastic.
PUERTO VALLARTA. Further up the coast from Acapulco is Puerto Vallarta, made famous by the 1964 movie, "Night of the Iguana," starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. This resort has a totally different feel than Cancun or Acapulco. Cobblestone streets and outstanding restaurants give the town an international ambience, enhanced by the sporty boutiques and great shopping. Take a day trip into the jungle for a mini-safari. On the down side, Puerto Vallarta has only "average" beaches and water, according to travellers we've interviewed.
Wedding Logistics
Only civil marriages are legal in Mexico. As for requirements and documentation, each federal district (roughly the equivalent of states) of Mexico has its own rules and regulations. Some require blood tests and a medical exam with chest X-rays by a Mexican doctor. Fortunately, most of the tourist areas have relaxed marriage license rules that do not include such extensive medical exams.
There is no residency period, but you must have your birth certificate certified or notarized (unlike other regions of the country, the three destinations we highlight here require no translations). There are a few more paperwork requirements and the bureaucracy in Mexico is famous for its red tape. Hence, we strongly recommend that you use the services of a professional wedding planner or a resort's wedding coordinator to ensure you've complied with all the rules. The bottom line: with all the paperwork and regulations, it takes about three to five days processing time to get a marriage license in Mexico.
Local Bridal Customs
Mexican weddings are full of ethnic traditions and color. From mariachi bands to bridal bouquets of flowing bird-of-paradise flowers, you can pick and choose different options. The most common wedding-cake is a single-layer "tres leche" confection of white cake. At receptions, friends and family circle the bride and groom while they dance their first dance.
Best Time to Go
High season runs from Christmas through April, with prices at their peak. Perhaps the best time to visit is from November 28 through December 15—the weather is quite nice and the premium prices haven't kicked in. Other discounts can be had during the off season in the summer and fall.
As for the weather, the coastal areas boast a tropical climate, with temperatures in the 70s and 80s in winter and 90+ in the summer. Each region of Mexico has a different climate, so you may want to research an area before making plans.
Cost, Accommodations, and Getting Around
Compared to Caribbean destinations, Mexico is one of the most affordable destinations around. You could pay as littie as $140 per night for a standard room in a nice resort in low season, up to $ 185 in high season. Overall, a Mexico hotel stay runs about 30 percent less than a similar room at a resort in the Caribbean or Hawaii. Dinner at a nice restaurant costs about $50. Contrast that with Hawaii, where dinner for two can often run $75 to $100 or more.
Some of the more interesting packages we discovered include Acapulco's Westin Las Brisas (800-228-3000), which offers rates from $980 per couple for three nights to $2176 per couple for seven nights in the low season (April 18 to December 18). That price includes continental breakfast, one dinner, a rental jeep, and all gratuities.
In Cancun, the Ritz Carlton Cancun (800-241-3333) has a three-night package for $1330 in low season and $1482 in the high season. Extra nights are $247 to $293, respectively. The plan includes a candlelight dinner on a private balcony and a day excursion to the ancient Mayan city of Tulum.
So diving is your passion and Cozumel your ultimate destination? We discovered that the Stouffer Présidente Cozumel hotel (800-HOTELS-l) offers an eight-night package for $1260 per couple in the low season, which includes breakfasts, one dinner, and gratuities.
Puerto Vallarta may be the most affordable of all, with a seven-night package at Fiesta Americana (800-FIESTA-1) costing a mere $920 per couple; this includes breakfast, one dinner, and rental car discounts.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Destination Wedding Locations: Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
A friend of ours who is a golf fanatic moved to Myrtle Beach a couple of years ago and thought he had died and gone to heaven. The area's numerous world-class courses, combined with mild
winter weather, was a dream come true. Of course, there's more to this popular resort
than golf—the boardwalk, shops, and carnivals, plus sixteen miles of beaches make
Myrtie Beach one of the country's top destination wedding and honeymoon sites.
Wedding Logistics
Compared to- neighboring states, South Carolina's marriage requirements are a breeze. There is no blood test or medical, exam. While there is a twenty-four-hour waiting period between the time you get a license and when you can be married, this can be waived by applying for a license ahead of time in writing. The cost is $15.
By comparison, Georgia requires a test for venereal disease to get a marriage license, and North Carolina is even worse: brides and grooms must be checked for mental incompetence, tuberculosis, venereal disease, and rubella. No wonder South Carolina looks like a better bet for a destination wedding.
Local Bridal Customs
As with other southern states, you're likely to encounter groom's cakes at wedding receptions in South Carolina. This is a separate chocolate cake that is theoretically for the groom, while a wedding cake is the "bride's" cake.
Best Time to Go
Summer in South Carolina can be a steam bath, with temperatures in the 90s. Cooler temperatures and fewer crowds make April and May (after Easter and before Memorial Day) nice months to visit, as well as September and October.
Costs, Accommodations, and Getting Around
One of the best things about a wedding/honeymoon in Myrtle Beach is the relatively moderate cost. Most resort hotels on the beach are in the $150-per-night range. For example, the Breakers Resort (800-845-0688) offers a three-night package during high season (June 26 though August 15) for $490. You get a one-bedroom suite, flowers, champagne, and breakfast in bed every day. The room has an ocean view, double whirlpool bath, plus a full kitchen. Seven nights runs $1110. In the slower months like April, the same room rents for $331 for three nights and $739 for seven.
What Makes it Special
Myrtle Beach has fifty, that's right, fifty golf courses. A variety of activities, including horseback riding and hiking, will keep you busy. And, unlike other parts of the country, the locals are quite friendly.
Insider Travel Tips
As with other coastal areas along the Atlantic seaboard, hurricane season runs from June through September. Be prepared for rain, especially in the spring and fall.
winter weather, was a dream come true. Of course, there's more to this popular resort
than golf—the boardwalk, shops, and carnivals, plus sixteen miles of beaches make
Myrtie Beach one of the country's top destination wedding and honeymoon sites.
Wedding Logistics
Compared to- neighboring states, South Carolina's marriage requirements are a breeze. There is no blood test or medical, exam. While there is a twenty-four-hour waiting period between the time you get a license and when you can be married, this can be waived by applying for a license ahead of time in writing. The cost is $15.
By comparison, Georgia requires a test for venereal disease to get a marriage license, and North Carolina is even worse: brides and grooms must be checked for mental incompetence, tuberculosis, venereal disease, and rubella. No wonder South Carolina looks like a better bet for a destination wedding.
Local Bridal Customs
As with other southern states, you're likely to encounter groom's cakes at wedding receptions in South Carolina. This is a separate chocolate cake that is theoretically for the groom, while a wedding cake is the "bride's" cake.
Best Time to Go
Summer in South Carolina can be a steam bath, with temperatures in the 90s. Cooler temperatures and fewer crowds make April and May (after Easter and before Memorial Day) nice months to visit, as well as September and October.
Costs, Accommodations, and Getting Around
One of the best things about a wedding/honeymoon in Myrtle Beach is the relatively moderate cost. Most resort hotels on the beach are in the $150-per-night range. For example, the Breakers Resort (800-845-0688) offers a three-night package during high season (June 26 though August 15) for $490. You get a one-bedroom suite, flowers, champagne, and breakfast in bed every day. The room has an ocean view, double whirlpool bath, plus a full kitchen. Seven nights runs $1110. In the slower months like April, the same room rents for $331 for three nights and $739 for seven.
What Makes it Special
Myrtle Beach has fifty, that's right, fifty golf courses. A variety of activities, including horseback riding and hiking, will keep you busy. And, unlike other parts of the country, the locals are quite friendly.
Insider Travel Tips
As with other coastal areas along the Atlantic seaboard, hurricane season runs from June through September. Be prepared for rain, especially in the spring and fall.
Destination Wedding Locations: Tahoe
Less than a day's drive from the West Coast is the largest alpine lake in America: Lake Tahoe. Straddling the California/Nevada border, the twenty-of two-mile-long lake offers the best of both worlds: skiing and gambling (on the Nevada side, of course).
Wedding Logistics
As long as you're on the Nevada side of the border, getting a marriage license is relatively easy. There is no waiting period or blood test—-just bring your driver's license and $40 cash. California's more restrictive marriage laws require a medical examination (see the article on getting married in San Diego).
Best Time to Go
Like most ski resorts, the Lake Tahoe area is busiest the week after Christmas and during spring break in March. The ski resorts (most of which are on the California side) are packed during those times. Meanwhile, the Nevada resorts tend to charge lower prices during the winter than the summer. Hence the best time to go depends on what you want to do— gambling, skiing, outdoor hikes, or just relaxing by the pool?
What Makes it Special
Nine area ski resorts (including Squaw Valley and Heavenly) combined with the casinos make Lake Tahoe a unique winter destination. In the summer, a variety of outdoor activities (hiking, river rafting, golfing) is supplemented by several music and theater festivals. Typical events include a microbrewery beer fest, the Kokanee Salmon Festival, Autumn Food and Wine • Jubilee, Oktoberfest, and Snowfest winter carnival. Fans of the "Bonanza" TV show might enjoy a visit to the Ponderosa Ranch, where the show was filmed. Of course, the casinos have another draw besides slot machines and blackjack: big-name entertainers like Bill Cosby regularly come through town.
Insider Travel Tips
The elevation of Lake Tahoe (between 6000 and 8000 feet above sea level) may take some adjusting to—take it easy the first day and drink plenty of fluids.
The north and south shores of Lake Tahoe really have two different atmospheres. The north end of the lake is more quiet and relaxed, with rustic lodges and 1 a calmer pace. Meanwhile, the south side is frenetic and crowded—the many casinos attract a younger and noisier crowd.
The nearest airport is Reno, about an hour's drive away A new carrier, Reno Air, has sparked an airfare war there with bargain-basement air fares. As a side note, American Eagle (the commuter arm of American Airlines) does fly into the South Tahoe airport.
Costs, Accommodations, and Getting Around
Our pick as one of the best places for a destination wedding and honeymoon at Tahoe is the Cal-Neva Lodge in Crystal Bay (702-832-4000, 800-225-6382). Straddling the border of both states on the north shore of Lake Tahoe, the Cal-Neva has a classic hunting-lodge decor with plenty of wood and stuffed animal heads—a decidedly laid-back feel.
The resort/casino boasts a full-time wedding department that helps coordinate all the ceremony and reception details. Three locations are available to tie the knot, including two chapels and a white lattice gazebo overlooking the lake. The cost for the chapels are $250 to $300, while the gazebo is $400—this includes a minister and live music. Apparently the ambience of this place is not lost on brides and grooms—the Gal-Neva last year held over one thousand weddings!
As for the honeymoon, the lodge offers a three-night package that includes dinner for two, a cruise on a paddleboat with dinner and dancing, and two breakfasts. The price runs from $481 for a "premier room" to $841 for the honeymoon chalet in the summer. Winter prices (except for the week after Christmas) are somewhat less, running $416 to $743. Seven-night packages are also available, ranging from $933 to $1696 in the summer, and $1085 to $1924 in the winter.
If you want to stay on the south shore of Lake Tahoe and want to avoid die crowds, try Harvey's resort and casino (800-648-3361). Harrah's and Caesars are more popular but definitely more crowded. The Inn by the Lake in South Tahoe (800-877-1466) near Stateline has a three-night package for $468, five nights for $768 and seven nights for $ 1038; this includes a room with private balcony overlooking the lake and a complimentary show or boat cruise with the five- or seven-night stays.
Many ski resorts offer honeymoon packages as well. For example, the Tahoe Seasons resort (916-541-6010) at Heavenly Valley ski area has a two-night package that is $317 in the winter and summer and $250 in the spring and fall. Accommodations include a suite with fireplace, private spa, and breakfast.
Wedding Logistics
As long as you're on the Nevada side of the border, getting a marriage license is relatively easy. There is no waiting period or blood test—-just bring your driver's license and $40 cash. California's more restrictive marriage laws require a medical examination (see the article on getting married in San Diego).
Best Time to Go
Like most ski resorts, the Lake Tahoe area is busiest the week after Christmas and during spring break in March. The ski resorts (most of which are on the California side) are packed during those times. Meanwhile, the Nevada resorts tend to charge lower prices during the winter than the summer. Hence the best time to go depends on what you want to do— gambling, skiing, outdoor hikes, or just relaxing by the pool?
What Makes it Special
Nine area ski resorts (including Squaw Valley and Heavenly) combined with the casinos make Lake Tahoe a unique winter destination. In the summer, a variety of outdoor activities (hiking, river rafting, golfing) is supplemented by several music and theater festivals. Typical events include a microbrewery beer fest, the Kokanee Salmon Festival, Autumn Food and Wine • Jubilee, Oktoberfest, and Snowfest winter carnival. Fans of the "Bonanza" TV show might enjoy a visit to the Ponderosa Ranch, where the show was filmed. Of course, the casinos have another draw besides slot machines and blackjack: big-name entertainers like Bill Cosby regularly come through town.
Insider Travel Tips
The elevation of Lake Tahoe (between 6000 and 8000 feet above sea level) may take some adjusting to—take it easy the first day and drink plenty of fluids.
The north and south shores of Lake Tahoe really have two different atmospheres. The north end of the lake is more quiet and relaxed, with rustic lodges and 1 a calmer pace. Meanwhile, the south side is frenetic and crowded—the many casinos attract a younger and noisier crowd.
The nearest airport is Reno, about an hour's drive away A new carrier, Reno Air, has sparked an airfare war there with bargain-basement air fares. As a side note, American Eagle (the commuter arm of American Airlines) does fly into the South Tahoe airport.
Costs, Accommodations, and Getting Around
Our pick as one of the best places for a destination wedding and honeymoon at Tahoe is the Cal-Neva Lodge in Crystal Bay (702-832-4000, 800-225-6382). Straddling the border of both states on the north shore of Lake Tahoe, the Cal-Neva has a classic hunting-lodge decor with plenty of wood and stuffed animal heads—a decidedly laid-back feel.
The resort/casino boasts a full-time wedding department that helps coordinate all the ceremony and reception details. Three locations are available to tie the knot, including two chapels and a white lattice gazebo overlooking the lake. The cost for the chapels are $250 to $300, while the gazebo is $400—this includes a minister and live music. Apparently the ambience of this place is not lost on brides and grooms—the Gal-Neva last year held over one thousand weddings!
As for the honeymoon, the lodge offers a three-night package that includes dinner for two, a cruise on a paddleboat with dinner and dancing, and two breakfasts. The price runs from $481 for a "premier room" to $841 for the honeymoon chalet in the summer. Winter prices (except for the week after Christmas) are somewhat less, running $416 to $743. Seven-night packages are also available, ranging from $933 to $1696 in the summer, and $1085 to $1924 in the winter.
If you want to stay on the south shore of Lake Tahoe and want to avoid die crowds, try Harvey's resort and casino (800-648-3361). Harrah's and Caesars are more popular but definitely more crowded. The Inn by the Lake in South Tahoe (800-877-1466) near Stateline has a three-night package for $468, five nights for $768 and seven nights for $ 1038; this includes a room with private balcony overlooking the lake and a complimentary show or boat cruise with the five- or seven-night stays.
Many ski resorts offer honeymoon packages as well. For example, the Tahoe Seasons resort (916-541-6010) at Heavenly Valley ski area has a two-night package that is $317 in the winter and summer and $250 in the spring and fall. Accommodations include a suite with fireplace, private spa, and breakfast.
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