Category Archives: Destinations

Destination Wedding Planning

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So, you’re beginning to plan your wedding. Exciting, isn’t it? First you have to pick the venue for your ceremony. Luckily you chose one that won’t break the bank. Next there’s the venue for the reception. Uh-oh, the bank’s starting to bulge around the seams. That’s okay; everything will be fine as long as you keep the guest list down. Hopefully Aunt Gladys’ branch of the family won’t mind if they’re not…

Oh, they do mind.

And so does your cousin’s ex-girlfriend’s brother and his family. And your boss and her husband and three kids. Pretty soon your dental hygienist is perturbed that she’s not invited. Don’t look now, but your wedding budget’s going to explode. It’s about this time you wish you could just skip the wedding and go straight to the honeymoon on some tranquil island somewhere. Right?

Hm…maybe you can. It’s called eloping. Or, in some circles, a destination wedding with just the two of you.

It seems more and more people are foregoing the traditional big wedding for a smaller affair in some exciting destination with just the bride and groom, or perhaps a small number of close family members. And, why not. With the high price of wedding planning these days, a destination wedding or eloping just makes sense.

Of course, just because you’ve opted for eloping or a small destination wedding doesn’t mean you can throw your wedding planning checklist away. It’s just a smaller checklist. Let’s review what might be on your destination wedding planning checklist:

1. Choosing a Destination

This is the fun part. You have many fun choices before you. You can get married:

In a hot-air balloon over Colorado.

At Disneyland.

On a beach in Southern California with just you, your partner, the wedding officiant, and a million dollar view that’s costing you nothing.

On a roller coaster in New Jersey.

While snorkeling in Maui.

Overlooking Niagara Falls.

While bungee jumping in Las Vegas.

At a historic inn in Vermont.

While planning the location for your destination wedding or elopement, do keep in mind the time of year you’ll be getting married. You can keep the costs down considerably if you go during the off-season of the chosen location.

2. Make the Travel Plans

Making your travel plan far ahead of time will also cut down on costs. Also, be creative when considering the mode of travel. Maybe you could travel by train instead of by plane. A train can add some more romance to your wedding plans.

3. The Legal Issues

You need to check on the laws governing marriage in your chosen location. If you’re a U.S. citizen and you plan on getting married in another country, for example, be sure to research what documentation you might need. There might also be a longer waiting period from getting your marriage license to actually marrying. Also, make sure you have your passport up to date.

4. The Wedding Officiant

5. The Photographer

6. Cake and Champagne

Whatever location you choose, be it a New England inn or bungee jumping in Las Vegas, you will probably find a company which will provide the wedding officiant, photographer and cake and champagne, as well as limousine transportation to the ceremony site. Be sure to ask if they’re included in your package. If not, make sure you have them all lined up before your ceremony.

An elopement or destination wedding can be good for your budget and your stress level. And, if your Aunt Gladys is mad because she’s not invited, bring her back something from Maui. That should keep her happy.

Top Caribbean Cruise Destinations

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The Caribbean is one of the top cruise holiday destinations in the world, but with Caribbean cruises offering up so many fantastic destinations how do you choose where to go? This article takes a look at some of the best cruise destinations in the region, to give you an idea of what’s on off.

St. Thomas

We start with one of the Caribbean most famous destinations, St. Thomas. The island of St. Thomas is part of the chain of Virgin Islands and famed for its traditional Caribbean landscape. The island has a number of fantastic beaches, many of which are easily accessible from the island main port, Charlotte Amalie. It’s not just the beach life that’s on offer on this fantastic island however, taking the island’s Sky Tram up to Paradise Point will offer up some sublime views of the surrounding landscape and a tour of the famous Blackbeard’s Castle is a great experience as well.

St. Maarten

St. Maarten is a small Caribbean island located in the Netherland Antilles region. The island is split nationality, with the north of the island being French owned and the south Dutch. The island has a number of spectacular beaches and is a great choice for anyone looking for some marine based fun. The attraction for many though, is the island’s fantastic shopping! The main city on the island, Philipsburg, is well known for being one of the best places to get a shopping fix in the Caribbean. So visitors can spend the morning on the beaches and the afternoon in the shops.

Grand Turk

If you’re after the slightly more natural wonders of the Caribbean islands then the island of Grand Turk may be what you’re looking for. The island is one of the smaller islands in the chain known as the Turks and Caicos Islands. The quaint little island has some of the best views in the Caribbean and when combined with its brilliant beaches and fantastic snorkeling opportunities it makes for a great cruise destination. If you do decide to visit, then a trip to the island’s lighthouse is also a great idea; because of the flatness of the island, the views from the top are spectacular.

This is obviously just a small selection of the hundreds of fantastic islands in this beautiful region, there really is so much more to discover. So next time you’re looking for an exotic cruise holiday, why not take a look at the Caribbean?