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weddings & honeymoons
stars in their eyes
Taking those vows abroad, and perhaps the honeymoon, can be the ultimate experience – and it’s cheaper too. Rowena Marella-Daw offers some bespoke ideas
T
he romance of the American West beckons as we drive through jaw-dropping cathedrallike formations, a preview to Zion’s phenomenal landscapes spanning 229 square miles of towering buttes, slot canyons and arches. It took over 150 million years for these swirling patterns and towering red sandstone cliffs of striated contortions to form. At Zion Mountain Ranch in Mt Carmel, our luxury cottage backs onto a sprawling prairie populated by buffalo – a scene straight out of a Wild West flick. Under star-filled night skies, we are able to gaze at huge nebula clusters without binoculars. All the cottages benefit from privacy, particularly the Honeymoon Suite, which is equipped with a large whirlpool bath and a cosy fireplace. Off-track and en route to the famous Monument Valley sits the irresistible five-star Amangiri, a retreat ensconced within Canyon Point’s moon-like terrain. The stunning backdrop makes weddings here pretty special – if they wish couples can even opt for a unique Navajo sunrise
ceremony. The resort pool is wrapped around a million-year old canyon rock, while the spa is an oasis of calm – the perfect recipe for a relaxing honeymoon. These days adventurous couples are spoilt for choice when it comes to wedding destinations and honeymoon experiences. They can be swept off their feet in the Maldives, spoilt rotten aboard a luxury train to Venice, or chill out on a boutique cruise along the Mediterranean. But for my husband and I, it is this road trip through Utah and Arizona that delivers the magic.
The world’s their oyster
Getting married abroad brings many benefits, with the average cost pegged at £7,500 (excluding flights) or less, compared to getting hitched in the UK which, based on a recent survey, averages between £27,000 and £34,000. Keeping wedding and honeymoon costs low can be down to timing – off-peak season bookings can slash the price of packages, accommodation and flights. And, according to the Weddings Abroad Guide, some of the most affordable wedding destinations are
Mauritius, Malta and Sri Lanka. Paul Britchford, Europe Product Manager for Elegant Resorts, says: “Most hotels that take weddings have co-ordinators who are invaluable in making the big day run smoothly. Sometimes, once booked we even put these co-ordinators in direct contact with the client, and where possible, any extras booked are then commissionable to both travel agent and operator. “Weddings abroad seem a particularly popular option for people entering into a second marriage.” Foodies can indulge in Spain and Peru; carefree couples can hit the road in North America, Australia or South Africa, romantics can embark on rail journeys perusing the heights of the Andes or the Canadian Rockies, whilst wildlife lovers can fall for Africa’s luxury private reserves or Namibia’s haunting coastal landscapes. Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge chose to honeymoon in the Seychelles in 2011 and with British Airways’ new Heathrow-Seychelles route it is easier than ever tie the knot in the Indian Ocean destination.
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Weddings & honeymoons.indd 8
5/29/18 05:54 PM