One of the first decisions you need to make after you decide to have a destination wedding is which destination is right for you. Are you looking to elope? Or, do you want a larger destination wedding? Whichever you decide, here are some things you need to consider in your destination wedding planning.
• Consider the marriage laws. Some locations in the US as well as some countries require more than just two people who want to get married before they let them say "I do." For example, a couple can go to Arizona, obtain their license and get married with no waiting period. But, if you're planning to elope or have a Wedding in Washington, DC, there is a five-day waiting period to receive your license, and the bride and groom must both be present to apply for a license.
In Massachusetts there is a three-day waiting period, but the couple can obtain a waiver by petitioning the court. And, in Colorado, where couples themselves may solemnize their own marriage if they apply to the County Courthouse, and cousins can marry each other, same-sex partners are not allowed to wed, although same-sex marriage is legal in Massachusetts, and civil unions of same-sex partners is legal in Vermont. You get the picture? Even in the U.S. you have to do your research to familiarize yourselves with marriage laws.
• Your budget. Another concern about the location is the cost of the wedding itself. Some locations are just more traditionally affordable than others. Traveling out of the country is going to cost you more in most cases then traveling to just another state. Take into consideration travel expenses (flying or driving) as well as the wedding-related expenses. In some cases it just makes sense to have an inexpensive elopement ceremony and spend the bulk of your wedding costs on the honeymoon.
• Does the location provide wedding planning help to you? If you're eloping that may be simply contacting a wedding officiant and having your ceremony on a public beach or park which allows ceremonies. However, if you're planning on a larger destination wedding ceremony with family and friends, you may need help coordinating everything. If you can spare the money and want fewer headaches, go with a resort which offers wedding planning services.
****RATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE***** PLEASE CHECK WITH VENUES ********
Georgia Mountain Wedding Location Top Inn & Resort in Pine Mountain, Georgia:
For your Georgia mountain wedding. Mountain Top Inn & Resort is located in the middle of Roosevelt State Park, Georgia's largest state park with one of the best hiking trails in the Southeast. Located just one hour southwest of Atlanta and known as the gateway to Callaway Gardens, Pine Mountain has become one hot wedding location.
Nestled among the oak trees, the Mountain Top Inn & Resort wedding chapel was made for weddings, and includes a separate bride and groom's dressing room in the rear of the chapel. Constructed of Georgia Pine and natural rock, the wedding chapel features stained glass windows, magnolia floral decorations and soft candlelight, and can accommodate up to 100 guests. (For smaller, more intimate outdoor weddings, you may also want to consider their Gazebo, which is only steps away from the Chapel. The Gazebo is also perfect for wedding photos.)
There are several different wedding packages available, from small Chapel and Gazebo packages starting from $450 to the Full Wedding Package starting from $3,625.00 which includes:
Chapel
Gazebo
Minister (couples can supply own officiate)
Flower Package, which includes bride's bouquet and groom's boutonnière
Photo Package - 30 4X6 photos on a CD or printed taken before, during and after wedding
3 camera DVD of the ceremony & reception
Reception in the Reception Center, with first 40 guests included in the price ($10 per person additional)
Bride and groom's Wedding Cake
Brides gift box which include toasting glasses
Rehearsal
If you wish, you can have the full wedding package with 2-nights lodging for $3,975.00 for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and $4,475.00 for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Area attractions include:
Roosevelt State Park
Callaway Gardens
Warm Springs, GA
FDR's Little White House
Roosevelt Stables
Contact Information:
Mountain Top Inn & Resort
P.O. Box 147
Pine Mountain, GA 31822
Local: 706-663-4719
Toll Free: 800-533-6376
mountaintopinnga.com
There are a few wineries in Colorado this is one of them. Grand Junction, Colorado is a nice beautiful wine country wedding. The Wine Country Inn, located near Grand Junction in Palisade, Colorado's first wine-themed hotel, situated in the middle of 21 acres of vines.
If you decide to have your wedding at the Inn, you can choose from several different sites on the property, from the outdoor Pavilion among the vines, a landscaped courtyard, the Vineyard Ballroom, or several smaller sites for more intimate ceremonies. For your reception, you can have the Chef create any type of event you want, from a formal dinner to a more casual hors d'oeuvres reception. And, before or after the wedding, you and your guests will have many opportunities for wine tastings, as the Inn is adjacent to two wineries and a short drive to many more.
The area around Grand Junction is truly an outdoor lover's paradise. For hikers, you have the awesome Grand Mesa National Forest, the world's largest flat top mountain, dotted with hundreds of lakes. Grand Junction is also located at the confluence of the Gunnison and Colorado Rivers, a dream location for rafters and kayakers.
For more information on having your wedding at the Wine Country Inn, you can call 970-464-5777, or email them at inquiries@coloradowinecountryinn.com. Their website is located at ColoradoWineCountryInn.com
Devil’s Thumb Ranch
3530 County Road 83
Tabernash,CO
Devil's Thumb Ranch is west of Denver, offering a 2,900 square foot barn with views of the Continental Divide for your "I do" moment. The Broad Axe Barn was built with wood recovered form a Civil War-era barn in Indiana, and accommodates up to 140 perople. For those seekign a smaller, more intimate wedding space, they also offer the Timber House, which can accommodate up to 30 people, and offering views of the Continental Divide as well.
Devil's Thumb Ranch is a perfect Colorado Destination wedding location, affording you and your guests numerous activities to keep everyone happy: hiking, snow shoeing, cross-country skiing, fly fishing, raft trips on the Colorado Rive, as well as their own Ranch Creek Spa, which offers body soaks, scrubs and wraps, massages, facials and foot and hand treatments.
You can get more info on hosting your wedding at Devil's Thumb Ranch by calling 800-933-4339, emailing them at www.devilsthumbranch.com, or by going to their website at Devilsthumbranch.com.
While searching around for Caribbean wedding packages recently I came across this little gem at Bolongo Bay Beach Resort on St. Thomas Island in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
If you're thinking of eloping, or wanting a small intimate wedding with the two of you and a few family members and friends, then you might want to consider the "Barefoot on the Beach Wedding" package for $1,000 which includes:
Wedding planning services
Clergy for ceremony
Bottle of champagne
2 keepsake flutes
Bolongo Bay bride & groom t-shirts
witnesses
They also offer another small wedding package which features a sunset ceremony aboard a Catamaran. This package costs $3,000 and includes the following:
2-hour wedding cruise
Wedding planning services
Clergy for ceremony
1 hour with a professional photographer
Wedding photo album
Bouquet & boutonniere
Fresh vegetable crudités
Assorted cheese & fruit tray
Open bar including champagne
The Catamaran cruise wedding package accommodates up to 20 people, with additional guests costing $55 per person. The Catamaran holds 49 people.
Bolongo Bay hotel is located on the beach on St. Thomas, which is a U.S. Virgin Island, which means U.S. citizens don't need passports. They offer work out room with exercise equipment, as well as a water-sports center, with complimentary use of kayaks, sunfish sailboats, windsurfers, aqua tri-cycles, swim mats and snorkel equipment to their hotel guests. Their freshwater pool has a swim-up bar. For more information regarding wedding packages, you can email weddings@bolongobay.com.
Lake Las Vegas Resort and Casino Wedding Package
Las Vegas is a hugely popular wedding destination. But, when most people think of a Vegas wedding, they either think of those little cheap wedding chapels, or an expensive resort on the Strip. Lake Las Vegas Resort and Casino is a little different. It's in Henderson, Nevada - close enough to the Strip, but also close to the beautiful Lake Mead National Recreation Area. This gives you and your guests ample things to do, from gambling in the casinos to taking in nature.
Lake Las Vegas Resort and Casino surrounds a 320-acre private lake, and offers lakeside lodging, as well as two world-class golf courses. They offer several different wedding packages, but this one for a small wedding celebration really caught my eye. It's for small weddings up to 20 guests, for $3,250.00, and includes:
Two night's one bedroom lake view accommodations
Use of Celebration Plaza Gazebo, Town Heart Courtyard, or Grand Gardens ceremony venue
Chair Rental up to 20 guests
Non-denominational wedding Officiant
One hour rehearsal with Officiant
Wedding Planning Service
Pre-recorded ceremony music
Bride's Color Choice of: Brides 12-Rose hand-tied satin ribbon bouquet, Groom's Boutonniere, Maid of Honor 5-Rose Bouquet, Best Man's Boutonniere, 4 bags of rose petals
Professional Staff Photographer
24-Wedding Photos on CD Format
First Dance
Champagne & flutes
They also offer a wedding package for up to 40 guests, and a wedding package up to 150 guests. For more information call 866-399-2747 or email jkgreen@intrawest.com
White Mountains of New Hampshire Wedding Spot
New Hampshire is dotted with quaint and lovely bed and breakfasts perfect for an intimate wedding. So, which one do you choose? Here's one that specializes in small weddings from just the two of you on up to 80 people. But, what it has that many others don't are year-round stables. And that means a grand entrance on a white horse or a romantic carriage ride any time of the year.
Farm By the River Bed and Breakfast with Stables
2555 West Side Rd.
North Conway, NH
Just two miles from the village of North Conway (near the Maine border), the Farm By The River sits on 70 acres in the Mt. Washington Valley of the White Mountains of New Hampshire. It's a great location for the outdoor enthusiast, no matter your passion:
downhill skiing
cross-country skiing
horseback riding
hiking
snowmobiling
mountain climbing
ice climbing
For winter weddings you can have an intimate ceremony of up to 20 people, performed in front of the fireplace. Larger weddings (up to 80 people) can take place in the warmer months in the garden. A Justice of the Peace is conveniently located on site (for an additional fee), and you can customize any wedding package with:
champagne
flowers
wedding cake
chocolates
carriage or sleigh ride
dinner package
For those of you looking for an elopement package, they have that as well. Priced at $700 (Fall foliage and holiday prices are a bit higher), the just-for-two package includes:
3 night stay in a super deluxe room with two-person whirlpool tub and fireplace
king or queen bed with mountain views
full patio/fireside breakfast each morning
complimentary sleigh ride/carriage ride for two or two horseback rides (weather permitting)
complimentary bottle of champagne
small cake and flowers
For more information please visit them at farmbytheriver.com. You can also email them at info@farmbytheriver.com, or reach them by phone at 1-888-414-8353.
Montana Destination Wedding Location
Izaak Walton Inn
290 Izaak Walton Inn Road
Essex Montana
The Izaak Walton Inn is located in Essex, Montana, right on the edge of Glacier National Park, and perfect for those couples who enjoy the outdoors.
Built in 1939 by the Great Northern Railroad, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Izaak Walton Inn has racked up quite a few awards in recent years:
Voted by Sunset Magazine as one of the top ten 2008 "Spring Flings"
Named by Snow Country Magazine as "best cross country ski resort" in the Mountain Region, 2003
Izaak Walton Inn is situated in an area which affords couples and their guests the best the Glacier National Park area has to offer:
Whitewater rafting
Backcountry skiing
Cross-country skiing
Hiking
The Izaak Walton Inn boasts 33 rooms which can accommodate up to 101 guests, including 4 authentic cabooses used as "caboose cabins." And, yes, there is a "honeymoon caboose."
For your wedding, you have several different locations at the inn to choose from, including the Frank Krshka Outdoor Pavilion, which is a large open-air covered pavilion with raised cobblestone area; the Signal Room, which is an indoor facility; and the Fireside Lobby, for more intimate weddings.
For more information you can go to their website at: IzaakWaltonInn.com; email them at: stay@izaakwaltoninn.com; or call them at: 406-888-5700
Honolulu Wedding Packages for a Lovely Beach Wedding
The New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel
2863 Kalakaua Ave Honolulu, HI
Tel: (808) 923-1555
Located 9 miles from the Honolulu International Airport, The New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel is located on the shore of Kaimana Beach, at the far end of historic Waikiki.
Other than being a beautiful, ocean-front venue for a wedding, the Kaimana property also has some interesting history behind it. In the early 1900s, the site used to be the home of a prominent Honolulu family, and also contained a hau tree, under which sat none other than Robert Louis Stevenson. The original home is gone, replaced by the hotel, but the tree remains.
The Kaimana offers two very affordable wedding packages, one called the "Let's Be Together" wedding package ($1,320), which includes 2 nights ocean front room, and the "Families United by Marriage" wedding package ($1,730), which includes an ocean suite for the whole family. Both packages also include:
>>Ceremony in the Sans Souci Room or the Imperial Lanai
>>Non-denominational minister
>>(2) Fresh flower leis
>>Chilled bottle of champagne for toasting
>>Fresh pineapple welcome amenity
You can call them at 808-921-7016 or email them at hawaiianwedding@kaimana.com. for more information.
Paradise Cove
Located at the Ko Olina Resort on the leeward coast of Oahu, Paradise Cove is one of the largest luau shows in Hawaii, with 12 ocean-front acres.
You have three choices for locations at Paradise Cove: Paradise Cove Beach; Imu Gardens with an ocean backdrop; and The Point, surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and Waianae Mountains. They offer two wedding packages, Package A for $1,470 and Package B for $1,365. Too bad the beauty of the location didn't inspire a more creative package name than A or B The only difference between the packages is that Package A includes a deluxe Luau package for the wedding couple. Both Packages include:
>>One-way limousine transfer from Waikiki
>>Non-denominational minister or officiant
>>Hawaiian seasonal lei for the wedding couple
>>One tier wedding cake
>>Bottle of champagne or sparkling cider for toasting
>>Two keepsake champagne flutes
The ceremony for both packages is 1 hour. Paradise Cove will also help with your reception, with catering and entertaining. You can get more info by emailing events@paradisecove.com.
For more information on weddings on Hawaii, particularly waterfall weddings and how to plan a Hawaiian wedding, you can also go to our website pages at Weddings on Hawaii and Weddings on Maui .
Florida Private Island Resort for Your Wedding
It's the Little Palm Island Resort & Spa, a private island resort, which has been listed among the top resorts in the world by Condé Nast Traveler and Travel+Leisure magazine. Oh, and it also has won numerous other awards, including receiving a Spa Finder Magazine's Reader's Choice Award, and considered The Best Hotel Suite by Zagat survey in 2006. Not shabby.
Now, is it all-inclusive. Rate includes complimentary valet parking, boat transfers to and from the island, all watersport amenities including kayaks and small motor boats, concierge service, fitness center, a welcome bottle of champagne, and all non-alcoholic beverages throughout your stay. You may also choose a plan which includes your three meals, which would make it all-inclusive. You can also choose a plan where your meals are a la carte.
They have many different wedding packages available, from simply hosting your ceremony (which includes a ceremony for just the two of you, for all you eloping couples out there), to weddings up to 40 people.
Little Palm Island Resort & Spa looks simply gorgeous. The hard part would be deciding among the different locations at the resort to have your wedding: the white sandy beach, the tropical Zen Garden, their Sunset Dock, or their harbor-view Palapa Point gazebo. You can find more information by emailing weddings@littlepalmisland.com
Have a look for yourself at Little Palm Island.
Another Florida Spot
In addition to Club Med Sandpiper, there's also the Amelia Island Plantation, located at 6800 First Coast Highway on Amelia Island, Florida. The resort offers 72 holes of championship golf, 3 1/2 miles of beach, a spa, 23 clay tennis courts, and more.
According to their website, the all-inclusive package includes:
* Choice of spacious accommodations
* Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner in nearly all of their reataurants (excludes alcohol, room service, PLAE and Member Clubhouse)
* Unlimited greens fees on Oak Marsh, Ocean Links or Amelia River (formerly Royal Amelia) with cart and practice balls prior to play. Advance tee times (including arrival and departure days) may be booked at the time room reservations are confirmed
* Unlimited tennis court time; use of ball machine and round robins
* Use of Health & Fitness Center (workout room, whirlpool, sauna, steam room, lap pool and lockers)
* Beach chairs and umbrellas
* Nature Tours on property (excludes kayaking and Segways)
* Fishing rods and reels for surf fishing
* Beach Towels at Beach Club
* Bicycles (single speed)
You can find more by going to their website at aipfl.com. Among their awards are:
***AAA Four Diamond Resort 27 Consecutive Years
***Condé Nast Traveler- 2004 Gold List: The Reserve
***Travel & Leisure T & L 500- “Ultimate Guide to the Greatest Hotels in the World” – 2004
Santa Fe WeddingLove the southwest? Then a Santa Fe wedding should be on your destination wedding short list.
Some favorite wedding venues in Santa Fe include:
Georgia O'Keeffee Museum
217 Johnson Street
Hyde park Lodge
740 Hyde Park Road
JW Eaves Movie Ranch
105 Rancho Allegre Road
But, our favorite is the Loretto Chapel, located at 207 Old Santa Fe Trail. (We'll talk about other Santa Fe wedding venues in future posts).
The Loretto Chapel was recently showcased on the Style Network's series "Married Away," and is host to more than 200 weddings a year.
Built in 1878, the Loretto Chapel was modeled after Sainte-Chapelle in Paris, and has consistently been named "the best place to get married" by the Santa Fe Reporter's "Best of Santa Fe."
Why is the Loretto Chapel so special? Try thge 150-year-old stained glass windows and Italian gothic altar for starters. But the real draw is the mysterious staircase to the choir loft twenty-two feet above, with two 360-degree turns and no visible means of support, a design very innovative for its time and still perplexing experts today.
In the late 1800s a mysterious man came to the chapel looking for work and built the staircase after expert carpenters concluded that a staircase couldn't be built due to the small size of the chapel. Legend has it that the mysterious staircase-builder was none other than St. Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters.
So, what better way to celebrate the mysteries of love than in a chapel with a mysterious staircase?
Those looking to elope to Santa Fe are in luck, with a wedding package for just the two of you at the Chapel for $750 for an evening wedding lit by chapel candles.
Those couples looking for more elaborate weddings will want to check out the "Sant Chapelle" package which includes the minister, flowers, photography and a string quartet for $5,500.
Call for more information at 505-982-0092.
And, what's eloping or a wedding without a honeymoon? Our recommendation is La Fonda Hotel on the Plaza. The plaza is a great place to stay to experience all that Santa Fe has to offer. Call them at 1-800-523-5002 for more information.
Photo by Matt Howry
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mhowry/
One&Only Ocean Club
Paradise Island Bahamas
www.oneandonlyresorts.com
Self-coined as “the absolute pinnacle of luxury and service in The Bahamas”, One & Only Ocean Club certainly lives up to it. After undergoing a $100 million renovation and expansion in 2000, the property boasts opulent rooms and suites that offer awe-inspiring views of Paradise Island’s tranquil beaches, as well as three private 4,000 square foot villas featuring infinity-edge lap pools and landscaped gardens.
In addition to the luxury accommodations, The Ocean Club’s Dune Restaurant by renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten marks a culinary delight set romantically on outdoor patios looking out to sea. Other amenities include full-service spa villas, water sports & recreation, tennis and a most impressive Ocean Club Golf Course created by famed pro golfer and course designer Tom Weiskopf.
Mandarin Oriental Miami
500 Brickel Key Drive
Miami FL
305.913.8383
momia-reservations@mohg.com
www.mandarinoriental.com/miami/
Mandarin Oriental, Miami is one of Americas finest hotels. Ideally located on prestigious Brickell Key, its deluxe, waterfront location perfectly befits the opulence youll find within.
The rooms and suites are sumptuous. The award-winning restaurants and bars are some of the finest in Miami. And our Spa, with its uninterrupted view of the bay, is one of the most beautiful in the world. No wonder the hotel is popular with celebrities and captains of industry alike.
The hotel is ideally situated and equipped for business and our extensive leisure facilities make it the perfect choice for a holiday in Miami. So whatever the purpose of your visit, why not take a little time to explore our site and view the luxury that awaits you. We hope you enjoy it
Cap Juluca
Anguilla British West Indies
www.capjuluca.com
Hailed as one of the most beautiful resorts in the world-Cap Juluca is the hallmark of elegance and sophistication.
The sprawling 179-acre property located on the British West Indies island of Anguilla is surrounded lush coral reefs and pristine beaches-creating ultimate paradise. It has received countless accolades for the uniqueness of its Moroccan architecture--luxurious rooms, suites and Moorish-style villas adorned in Caribbean motifs, and textured interiors.
In step with its tranquil nature, Cap Juluca offers its guests A-list spa rituals including massage lessons for couples. Guests that are interested in snorkeling can observe the rare, tropical fish found in the protected marine reserve, Little Bay, while on land, receive a guided horticultural tour of the resorts blossoming gardens. Tennis and croquet are played on the premises. The new Greg Norman designed 18-hole championship course is minutes away at the Temenos Golf Club. Golfing excursions to St. Martin or Nevis can be arranged, as well as day trips to neighboring islands.
Mandarin Oriental Riviera Maya, Mexico
Delivering an unrivaled experience of pleasure and exclusivity, Mandarin Oriental Riviera Maya, Mexico offers one of the most naturally glamorous settings in the world for your wedding. The hideaway resort is set on 36 secluded acres offering the ultimate sanctuary, where verdant tropical jungle meets pure white, pristine beach. You will find magnificent mangroves, crystal-clear lagoons and a spectacular cenote, a deep, freshwater reservoir sacred to the ancient Mayan that serves as the resorts centerpiece.
The resort design allows creative effects to make a visually stunning wedding. An outdoor terrace can be a theatrical scene with the night sky filled with stars and candlelight highlighting the lush greenery. At the end of the evening, after all the glamour and glitz, you can walk to the beach and relax together, listening to the peaceful lap of waves with the sand cooling your toes.
The 25,000-square-foot Spa at Mandarin Oriental Riviera Maya is an enchanting complex of contemplative space, where crisp lines and vibrant hues are soothed by natural colors and organic textures. A stunning vision of free-flowing space and contemporary design, it is an extraordinary enclave of rejuvenating experiences. The Spa has merged Mayan techniques and philosophies with those from the world over into a potent blend of treatments, ensuring an optimal wellness experience. The splendid riches of ancient Mayan philosophy, when harmoniously blended with Asian rooted healing rituals, create a force of great power and inspiration. Reserve simultaneous treatments in our VIP Couples Suite, this is the ideal wedding gift to yourselves.
With dining serving as a focus of the resorts innovation and imagination, a tantalizing selection of restaurants and bars excite the palate, accompanied by mesmerizing vistas of lagoons, mangroves and the calming ocean. Creative international cuisine is influenced by sophisticated Mexican fare at Ambar, the resorts signature restaurant; panoramic ocean views define Aguamarina, with its striking, ultra-modern, minimalist design colored with ocean blues, sleek silver and natural woods; the beachfront Ceviche Cha Cha Cha serves the catch of the day; healthy fare is found at the Caf Mayana, and the Lobby Lounge is a stylish retreat for afternoon drinks.
Other wedding locations try this link:
http://www.locationweddings.net/Location_Weddings.html
