Every bride wants to feel that her special day really is special. And as getting married abroad has become almost commonplace, traditional favourites like beach weddings and ceremonies at local town halls may feel a little pedestrian for some clients.
Celebrities are leading the trend, with Russell Brand and Katy Perry tying the knot at the luxurious safari camp Aman-i-Khas in Rajasthan, and Devil Wears Prada star Emily Blunt getting hitched at Villa D’Este on Lake Como.
Happily, there’s a world of thrilling options out there offering couples something a little bit different. Check out our rundown for some inspiration.
1. Flying high
Where else but in Las Vegas? The bride and groom can soar above the lights of the Strip in a helicopter, make their vows midair and return to earth as a married couple.
Ceremonies start as dusk falls, and the chopper cruises past icons such as the Bellagio, the Venetian, Stratosphere Tower and the space beam of Luxor Pyramid.
Sample package: Virgin Holidays offers a Cupid Night Flight from £549, including ceremony in a private helicopter with up to three guests, a wedding cake and champagne, rose cascade bouquet, rose buttonhole, and limo transfers for the bride and groom. vhols4agents.com, 0844 557 4011
2. Sleigh bells ring
For a real contrast to a beach wedding, Thomas Cook will introduce wedding packages in Lapland from this December.
Its Traditional Lappish Wedding package starts with a reindeer sleigh ride through the snow to the Kota, a tepee in the heart of the forest. Couples exchange vows by a glowing fire, surrounded by up to 25 guests, who’ll toast their union with mulled wine.
Sample package: Thomas Cook offers the Traditional Lappish Kota Wedding from £1,859, including civil ceremony and fees, marriage certificate, admin and handling fees, decorated venue, one-tier wedding cake, return transfers for the wedding couple to the venue and a wedding coordinator. thomascookworld.com,
0871 230 2399
3. Mamma mia
Couples can head to Skiathos, location for the filming of the movie Mamma Mia, and have a civil ceremony onboard the Planitis, a 72-foot traditional Greek wooden sailing boat.
After vows are made in the harbour, the newlyweds and up to 38 guests can cruise off to see idyllic views of Skopelos, the National Marine Park of Alonissos and the deserted island of Kyra Panagia.
Sample package: Olympic Holidays can arrange hire of the Planitis for £2,500 per day, including the ceremony. The vessel is operated by Santikos Hotels, which owns the Skiathos Princess Hotel. olympicholidays.com, 0844 499 0055
4. Falling in love
For a wedding to really get their pulses racing, suggest a ceremony on the edge of Victoria Falls, the largest sheet of falling water in the world. Clients can get married on Livingstone Island, right above the falls, and be serenaded by an African choir.
Sample package: Bridge & Wickers offers a wedding ceremony on Livingstone Island with an African choir, sparkling wine, flowers, wedding cake and boat transfers to the island, plus four nights’ all-inclusive in a house at Tongabezi Lodge and flights from London to Livingstone via Johannesburg. This package costs from £3,745 per person. bridgeandwickers.co.uk, 020 7483 6555
5. Choo choo I do
The lavishly restored historic carriages of the Napa Valley Wine Train run through one of the world’s most famous wine areas. Couples can make their vows on the observation deck as they chug through the stunning vineyard scenery, and then enjoy a gourmet meal with up to six guests.
Sample package: Virgin Holidays offers a Napa Valley Wine Train wedding package from £1,289, including a minister, 90 minutes of photography, lunch or dinner and a welcome glass of sparkling wine for the couple. Each additional guest costs from $150. vhols4agents.com, 0844 557 4011
6. Keralan calm
The tranquil, beautiful backwaters of Kerala, India’s southernmost state, are the ideal location for those who want to escape the potential stresses of their wedding day.
The luxurious Zuri Kumarakom resort holds wedding ceremonies in a temple overlooking the Vembanad Lake, and the couple can spend their wedding night on a Honeymoon Houseboat accompanied by their own butler, chef and captain.
Sample package: The basic wedding package starts from £568, including marriage registration, services of a minister, legal fees and a marriage licence. A night in a honeymoon houseboat starts from £213 plus taxes and rooms in the hotel from £156 per night. Zuri Hotels can be booked through Preferred Hotels. thezurihotels.com, preferredhotels.com, 00800 3237 5001
7. Islands in the stream
A private island might seem beyond the budget of many couples, but at Secrets Sanctuary in the Dominican Republic they can get married on one for just $500.
Just off the main resort, the private island is surrounded by the clear blue waters of the Caribbean and a wedding gazebo is set up beneath the swaying palms.
Sample package: Caribtours offer seven nights in a Castle Suite oceanfront room from £1,811 per person, including British Airways flights and private transfers, plus a complimentary wedding package including the ceremony, a wedding organiser, bouquet, buttonhole, and cake and sparkling wine for up to 10 guests. Legal fees are extra and the private island location costs $500. caribtours.co.uk, 020 7751 0660
8. Take it to the bridge
The perfect wedding for adrenaline junkies – and a no-no for those with vertigo – is a Sydney Harbour Bridge wedding.
After a private bridge climb for the couple and guests, the ceremony takes place on a specially designed sundeck at the very summit of the bridge.
Sample package: Kuoni offers seven nights’ room-only at the Park Hyatt Sydney, Qantas flights, transfers and the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb Wedding from £4,700 per person. The wedding package includes private climb, minister fees, marriage licence, group photo at the summit, certificate, sparkling wine toast, chauffeur-driven wedding car, cake and, if required, witnesses. kuoni.co.uk, 01306 747008
9. Saddle up
Couples can literally ride off into the sunset together in Jamaica, where they can marry on horseback at Prospect Plantation in Ocho Rios.
The bride and groom can clip-clop among the lush grounds of banana, cassava, sugar cane and allspice, and the bride needn’t ruin her hair with a riding hat, as the horses will be held in place during the ceremony.
Sample package: Thomson offers this wedding package from £1,465 including all legal documents, transfers to and from the wedding location, cake, champagne, a bouquet and a buttonhole, and a wedding coordinator. thomson.co.uk, 0871 664 0131
10. Top table
Married couples should feel on top of the world, and getting hitched at the summit of Table Mountain can only help enhance their special moment. After riding to the top in the 360-degree rotating cable car, the bride and groom say ‘I do’ while looking out over Cape Town and the Atlantic Ocean.
Sample package: Virgin Holidays offers a Table Mountain Wedding from £1,049 including the services of a wedding coordinator, bridal bouquet and groom’s buttonhole, one bottle of sparkling wine, entrance fees to Table Mountain and limousine transfers from hotel. vhols4agents.com, 0844 557 4011
