congrats! you are engaged, now what?

March 8th, 2010

Is it just me or is everyone getting engaged?  Perhaps you love birds took advantage of Valentine’s Day falling on a long weekend this year. Congratulations if you are one of the lucky few we have spotted around town recently betrothed. Now let the planning begin! To help, here are few suggestions of locales to have the perfect destination wedding.

CARIBBEAN

Parrot Cay, Turks & Caicos
Getting married at a private island resort in the Caribbean is a fantastic kick-off to a new life.  Parrot Cay offers two beachfront setting for wedding ceremonies – a boardwalk aisle that leads to an unspoiled beach, or the beachfront of a private villa available for rent.  Parrot Cay also insists that stress need not be a part of the preparations; all weddings include the dedication of a planner to assist with all preparations, including reserving the dates, food and beverage details, music and entertainment, photography, and any other service requested.   Parrot Cay can accommodate small, intimate weddings, or can be bought out for larger weddings (up to 120 guests). 

Rosewood Mayakobá, Mexico
Weddings at Rosewood Mayakobá are all about choices – choose stunning outdoor venues like the white sand beach or the Plaza with views of the resort, lagoon, and tropical jungle.  Three different restaurants are available to cater.  Retreat to the privacy of a private plunge pool after the ceremony, or come down a day early with the wedding party and receive treatments at the resort’s spa, Sense, which is its own private island. 

NANTUCKET

White Elephant, Nantucket
The landmark White Elephant offers the perfect venue for an in-town wedding with 64 beautifully appointed rooms, suites, and stunning spa.  The hotel can also accommodate guests in the newly added White Elephant Loft, a luxurious three-bedroom, four-bathroom Loft complete with gourmet kitchen, gas fireplace, exquisite living room and dining room, sitting room, and massive skylights.  Also new this year are the White Elephant Hotel Residences – a collection of 25 one-, two-, and three-bedroom Hotel Residences just steps from the White Elephant.  At White Elephant, Nantucket Island Resorts can arrange for an array of ceremonies, from the sandy beaches of Brant Point Light to the green lawn overlooking Nantucket Harbor. The Sun Deck at the Brant Point Grill caters to up to 60 guests; for larger receptions of up to 300 people in the spring and fall, couples have the option of reserving the entire hotel and holding the reception under a tent on the lawn.   And if the soon-to-be newly-weds need to relax from all the hectic planning, guests can go off to town for shopping and biking, or the 32 miles of beach, while the couple can relax at the White Elephant Spa, complete with champagne and strawberries.


The Wauwinet, Nantucket
For those couples seeking a truly intimate experience, The Wauwinet offers an unrivaled location for the most elegant and classic weddings. Wedding season at The Wauwinet is in May or October, and the inn can accommodate up to 150 guests. Located nine miles outside of town on the peacefully secluded northeast tip of the island, guests can relax in one of the 28 guest rooms with bay or garden views or in one of the four garden cottages.. With a backdrop of Nantucket Bay at sunset, those who wed at The Wauwinet are hard-pressed to find a more romantic location. The Wauwinet offers the services of the highly-lauded TOPPER’S Executive Chef David Daniels who caters food to a pristine tent on the lawn overlooking the Bay.   Pre-wedding jitters can be taken care of with a couples’ massage at The Wauwinet Spa by the Sea.

THAILAND

Anantara Golden Triangle Resort & Spa, Chiang Rai, Thailand
Perched amidst luxuriant tropical forests, Anantara Golden Triangle is culturally rich and naturally beautiful – a meaningful setting for an intimate garden wedding.  The resort offers two wedding packages that include everything necessary to make it a celebration to remember. The “Regal Elephant” wedding adds a Thai touch to the ceremony as the bride and groom share a memorable elephant ride.  

Anantara Hua Hin Resort & Spa, Thailand
The gentle lull of rolling waves and rose petals strewn on golden sand makes a wedding at Thailand’s original seaside resort paradise a favorite.  The “Western Wedding” at the Anantara Hua Hin provides a ceremonial cabana for the wedding, along with cake, decorations, and music.  For a more traditional Thai ceremony, The “Thai Wedding” includes sacred chanting by Buddhist monks during the “Rod Nam Sang” well-wishing holy water ceremony. 

Anantara Bophut Resort & Spa, Koh Samui, Thailand
Choose a stylish indoor ceremony or a beachfront exchange of vows at Anantara Bophut. Awaken to the sound of jovial drumbeats and the festive “Hae Khaan Maak” parade, as the groom escorts his bride from her chamber. Adorned in traditional Thai costumes and flower garlands, tie the knot in front of family and friends, followed by blessings from Buddhist monks and well-wishers during the “Rod Nam Sang” ceremony.

Anantara Si Kao Resort & Spa, Thailand
Glide into marital bliss on a catamaran weaving through the islands of the Andaman Sea off the coast of Trang. Anantara Si Kao offers these exotic options for exchanging vows.  For those looking for a more traditional approach, the resort also arranges for land ceremonies and receptions.

MALDIVES

Anantara Dhigu Resort & Spa and Anantara Veli Resort & Spa, both in the Maldives, offer several different packages for unique destination weddings.  Wedding experiences offered include getting hitched aboard a yacht sailing through the sea, or walking down a torch-lit aisle to the beat of island drummers.  Both resorts provide for all the necessities of a wedding ceremony; from photographers to flowers and cakes to spa treatments for bride and groom.

Cocoa Island
A private island in the South Male Atoll, Cocoa Island has just 33 suites and villas – so forget about crowds of strangers peering in on the ceremony.  Weddings are Cocoa Island are purely ceremonial (not recognized by law), so maybe the perfect place to take those gorgeous wedding photographs after a less aesthetic wedding at City Hall.

SOUTH ASIA

Uma Paro, Bhutan
Take part in an intimate and spiritual marriage blessing ceremony at the magnificent shrine of the Kyichu Lhakhang, one of Bhutan’s oldest temples. Wed amidst the splendor of this 7th-century temple’s magic orange trees, bearing fruit year-round. During the two-hour ceremony, 20 monks will conduct prayers, accompanied by drums, horns, and cymbals.

INDONESIA

Uma Ubud, Bali
Choose a legal marriage, commitment ceremony, or even a simple, traditional Balinese blessing in the quiet, culture-rich countryside of Bali. Arrange for your ceremony to take place in the remote meditation bale, a site for some of Bali’s most inspiring views of the River Oos and the Tjampuhan Valley. Let the resort do the work for you, covering everything from table settings, to flowers, even traditional masked fire dancers and Balinese music.

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