Considering new twists to tying the knot

Wedding alternatives by Liz Bird

Considering new twists to tying the knot

Operators come up with an increasing range of new options for couples wanting to go further afield to marry

New wave: more couples are looking for something different to the traditional beach wedding

Gone are the days when getting married on a beach in St Lucia was regarded as exotic. Now everyone is doing it.

British Airways Holidays weddings product executive Liz Stagg said: “Getting married in the Caribbean has almost gone out of fashion.”

But operators are devising more unusual locations and destinations – Kuoni has already had one booking for its Atlantis Submarine Wedding package in Barbados introduced for next year.

The couple will enjoy a 15-minute scenic coastal cruise before the ceremony is performed during a 50-minute dive in the submarine.

Some of the smaller, more exclusive Caribbean destinations are also being introduced such as Peter Island in the British Virgin Islands. Here Kuoni is offering couples a choice of which idyllic beach they want the ceremony to be performed on.

Other Caribbean destinations set to take off include Cuba which has recently relaxed its red tape for wedding couples.

Now the bride and groom only need a valid passport to get married. “Previously, all the certificates had to be translated and legalised by the Foreign Office and Cuban Consulate which would additionally cost between £500 and £800,” said Stagg.

Meanwhile, charter-based operators including JMC and Thomson have realised the potential of short-haul weddings and introduced destinations such as Cyprus, Crete and Rhodes.

Alternative spots to get hitched

On a traditional Arabic dhow in Kenya: couples can exchange vows aboard a traditional boat at the Turtle Bay Beach Club on the north coast. The property is located on a white sandy beach within the Watamu Marine National Park. The wedding couple will be treated to breakfast in bed in the morning before the ceremony and a wedding dinner in the beachfront à la carte restaurant.

Operator: British Airways Holidays.

Lead-in price: the wedding package costs £515 per couple plus an additional £149 per couple for the wedding aboard the Arabic dhow. Seven nights at the all-inclusive Turtle Bay Beach Club costs £705 each between June 25 and July 22 next year, with flights.

Making overtures: Tradewinds offers a variety of weddings Down Under, including a ceremony at the Sydney Opera House

Australia: guaranteed to provide that wow factor. The bride and groom can get married in a hot-air balloon in Cairns, Queensland, and watch kangaroos and other wildlife as they fly over rainforest during the 60-minute balloon ride. A car tracks the flight so it can transfer the couple back to the hotel. Alternatively, the couple can choose to get married in the Sydney Opera House or at Ayers Rock in the Outback.

Operator: Tradewinds.

Lead-in price: £449 for the hot-air balloon wedding package, which is valid between January 2001 and March 31 2002. This includes the marriage licence; balloon ride; in-flight wedding photo; champagne breakfast in a rainforest location or on a beach; return transfers to the hotel; a bouquet and buttonhole. The package must be booked in conjunction with a holiday from the operator’s worldwide brochure.

Lapland: couples looking for a more exclusive and unusual destination can get married at the Arctic Circle in Finnish Lapland. This is in a church or a snowdome, with the groom arriving by snowmobile and the bride on her own husky-drawn sleigh. The huskies will then take the couple on a romantic trip back to the hotel. Couples stay at the Levitunturi hotel, which has a health spa and pool.

Operator: Cosmos.

Lead-in price: £689 per person for three nights at the Hotel Levitunturi. In addition the wedding package is £699 for a church wedding at the Chapel of Maria, or £999 for the Snowdome wedding. The package includes ceremony; marriage licence and certificate; bouquet and buttonhole; cake and sparkling wine.

Note: weddings are limited and available for departures between December 5-26 for three or four-night periods.

Lapland: an exclusive place to getmarried