I’ve just see the newly redesigned of the Maui Weddings For You website. This site has a lot of animated photos on it which I really like. Gives you a great feeling for many of the couples who have come to Maui and gotten married there over the years.
They also have great Maui weddings packages.
I think the photos in particular will open your eyes a little about how exciting this wedding destination really is. Maui weddings are a one in a lifetime romantic adventure which are becoming more popular each year. So you might want to click on the links in this post and take a look for yourself.
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Why You Want to Have A Hawaii Wedding! Experience Maui Hawaii. Read the rest of this entry »
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Tags: hawaii weddings, maui weddings
Seven reasons why you want to consider getting married in Hawaii. Read the rest of this entry »
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Tags: hawaii wedding, hawaii weddings, maui wedding, maui weddings
Regulations for Beach Destination Weddings
Many islands have rules and regulations as to where wedding can and cannot be performed. Be sure to check on location regulations wherever you are planning you wedding. If you have chosen to use a destination wedding planner, she would be a likely source of what you can and cannot do.
In Hawaii, all beach weddings are now regulated. A permit is required to be pulled for any beach that you want to use for your wedding. This is why, at least in Hawaii, that you definitely want to make use of an experienced wedding planner for your a beach wedding.
The Best Rated Islands
There are many great island locales for your beach destination wedding. But of all the many places you can go, one island stands out. Each year the readers of Conde Nast Traveler are asked to rate the world’s island paradises.
It is interesting that only 11 islands in the world are rated above 80. And it turns out that 7 of the top 11 islands are found in the Pacific or in Australia. Four of the Hawaiian islands are rated in that group: Maui, Kauai, the Big Island and Oahu. But only one island in the world achieved a ranking over 90. And that was Maui. Take a look at this year’s list at World’s Best Islands.
Maui has stood alone atop the “best islands in the world” categories for over a dozen years. And it just happens to have the best western facing beach, many of which are very secluded and private and which are available for weddings. So you should seriously consider Maui for your beach destination wedding.
If you want to know more about having your beach wedding on Maui, take a look at our Maui weddings website. Maui is truly a great place to get married.
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Tags: beach destination wedding, destination wedding planner, maui beach weddings, maui weddings
All Wedding Destinations Have Pros & Cons
Before you zero in on any particular destination wedding location, you’ll want to determine what it is that you want. Its probably a good idea to sit down with your fiancé and write up a “Wish List” of things that you want from your weddings destination. Here are some suggestions:
1. A warm climate where you can swim.
2. A beautiful locale where your photography will be outstanding.
3. A location (preferably on an island) where you can enjoy a tropical wedding adventure. You probably want a locale that will have lots of activities that you two can enjoy.
4. A location that is not too expensive to reach for both you and your guests (if you are having any).
5. A safe environment in a country that is friendly to your nationality.
6. A weddings destination where you can easily get a legal marriage which will be honored in your own country.
The Best Time of the Year
How important is the climate of your venue? Beautiful pictures of a wedding venue don’t always tell the real story. Be sure to check out what the climate is like year-round. Some areas get very cold at night. Many locations have oppressive humidity at certain times of the year. If you end up standing on a beach when you are hot and sticky under a sweltering sun, you might wish you chosen a beach with less humidity.
How important is it that you have good weather? Will your wedding be indoors or outdoors? If you are planning an outdoor wedding in paradise (where most destination weddings are located) you’ll more than likely want to zero in on areas that are known for good weather.
What time of year will you be having your wedding? If you are going to have you wedding in the summer, will the weather in your location be too hot? If you are going to have it in the winter, will your proposed location be too cold? If you live in the northern hemisphere (like Europe or the United States) and are planning to travel to the southern Hemisphere (like Australia), that your winter is their summer and vice versa.
What are the chances of storms? Some very beautiful locations encounter storms on a regular basis during certain seasons. For example, if you are thinking of traveling to the Caribbean (to Aruba for example) you will want to consider if how close your date will be to their storm season. As you may well know, there are typically five or more killer storms each year that blow through the Caribbean.
Any time you are scheduling an outside weddings destination venue, weather is a major issue that must be taken into account. This is even more true if you are planning a larger wedding with guests coming a long way your destination wedding location. Keep in mind that in many areas of the world, storms can build up quickly. If you and your group have air reservations, accommodations and lots of detailed planning for your wedding — and a major storm is headed towards your island paradise — you might just end up in a destination wedding nightmare. So choose your destination wedding location knowing when will be the best probability of good weather.
More to follow in the next post . . .
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Tags: destination wedding locations, destination weddings, Weddings destination
In choosing a Destination Wedding Location, you will want to consider the following issues:
The Ease of Getting Married
If you are traveling to another country, there will be even more things to consider. You and your darling (and your wedding party) will probably all need passports. How easy will it be to have your wedding recognized in your home country? Some countries are simply more difficult in this area, and it is wise to know this in advance.
I should tell you that to counteract this potential issue, many couples will have a legal private wedding at home, and then have their photogenic wedding at their destination wedding.
Choose A Location With Fun Things to Do
Your wedding will be the highlight of your trip. But you should also seriously consider how much fun your destination wedding location will be for your honeymoon. Unless you are planning to fly off to “another paradise” after the wedding is over, you’ll want to select a spot where there are lots of fun things to do and see. Any guests you have will be more than likely to show up if you choose a locale that they would also like to visit.
Choose A Location Which Is Safe
There are many beautiful places in the world that are not very safe. If you look only a photographs of beautiful beaches, you may miss the fact that the surrounding island is in a world of poverty and the crime rate is high. Take a close look at online information on websites that give tourist warnings.
If you are planning a trip to any third world country it is essential that you check the area for personal security warnings. Locations like Mexico, Caribbean islands like Jamaica, islands in the Pacific Rim might all have security warnings. Even if you are not an American is is wise to check out the U.S. Department of State Travel Alert. They issue travel warning, travel alerts and give specific information for every country in the world.
How Difficult Will An Emergency Be?
Of course, you hope that there will be no emergencies in your trip. But if there is, how will you be able to cope with it? For example, if you are injured in an auto accident or on an activity, how comfortable are you with the idea of getting medical help in this country? If you needed a medical evacuation, how easy would this be to do in the country you are considering?
If you are robbed, how expensive or difficult will it be to get your valuables reimbursed? If you have to cancel your flight at the last minute (before you even leave), can you purchase travel insurance that will pay for the cost of that cancellation? Of course, there are trip insurance policies, but they do not work the same in different areas of the world. No matter where you decide to have your destination wedding, you definitely want to make sure that you are insured against some unforeseen emergency.
How Expensive Will Your Wedding Be?
There are many things to consider when you count the cost of your destination wedding. How much will airfare and accommodations set you back. Make sure that you also know the cost of a rental car and the price of the kind of activities you want to enjoy on your honeymoon. Are their any package deals going to your proposed location. Often you can get better prices if you book your air, accommodations and rental vehicle altogether (in a “tour package”).
And of course, what will it cost you to contract with an experienced destination wedding planner? Even if it will be just the two of you at your ceremony, you will still want to consider what options and prices you have available in their different destination wedding packages.
If it is just the two of you who are traveling to your destination wedding location, your Certain countries are well-known for offering great bargains. Mexico is a classic example of that. But if you are traveling to a high volume area (such as Cancun) you might find that the demand for the area causes your wedding price to escalate beyond what you might normally pay in another city in a third world country.
For more information on selecting your weddings destination, take a look at our main website pages.
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Tags: destination wedding, destination wedding locations, Weddings destination
Finding the Perfect Island for a Beach Destination Wedding
Yes, just imagine standing on a sandy beach in paradise — a golden sunset lighting up the horizon as you and your beloved offer a wedding toast for your future love. . . do wedding memories get any better than this?
Many choose are realizing that a beach destination wedding can be surprisingly affordable. But to have the wedding of your dreams, you must first select just the right island on which to have your once-in-a-lifetime wedding. So what should you look for? Here are a few of my suggestions:
1. You want a smaller island. Now their are many great beaches off of places like Florida, the east and west coasts of the United States, Australia, and in other locations. But the larger the continent or island, the more likely it is that you are going to find your beach to be crowded.
2. Choose a semi-tropical island. England is an island, but I wouldn’t recommend most of its beaches because of the weather conditions and crowdedness you are likely to encounter. No offense towards the British, its just not the perfect place for a beach wedding.
Nor do you want to go to a truly tropical island which will like also give you high humidity and lots of bugs. What you want to look for is a warm, hospital island that offers good climate.
3. Select an island with great beaches. There are many nice islands which have limited beaches. You might be surprised to discover that many well know islands have very few sandy beaches. The Big Island of Hawaii is one example. Jamaica is another (Did you know that most of the resorts have trucked their sand in to create man-made beaches).
4. If possible select a beach on the west side of the island. Why? Well if you want to have you wedding at sunset, you need need to be facing into the west. Unless you want a sunrise, and then you’ll want to select an eastern shore beach. (BTW, sunrise weddings are MUCH harder to pull off, because you have to arrive in the dark for your wedding and time it perfectly).
Good west side beaches are hard to find on many islands. So if your heart is set on having a beach destination wedding at sunset, be sure and do your homework. In Hawaii, many of the islands don’t have very many good beaches on the west side. This is especially true of the Big Island, Kauai and Oahu. The best west side beaches in Hawaii are found on Maui. No wonder over 50 percent of all beach destination weddings in Hawaii take place on Maui.
5. Choose a secluded beach on your island. One of the big secrets to having a beach destination wedding, is choosing a location that is secluded. Without a little seclusion, it will be unlikely that you’ll have the private wedding that will excite your imagination with enduring memories.
Finding a private beach can be a challenge. But it can be done, especially if you have selected a destination wedding planner who has experience with what your island has to offer.
On Maui all of the beaches are public, but the more crowed beaches have been restricted from having weddings. You are really more likely to have a good experience if you choose a planner who knows the best spots.
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Tags: beach destination wedding, destination wedding planner
You are about to embark on the wedding of a lifetime. And because it will be at some exotic wedding destination, you will inevitably need to be involved with a lot of planning in order to make certain that you have the wedding of your dreams and not a destination wedding nightmare.
Destination wedding planning is a very important, especially if you are going to have a large affair. If you are not the kind of person who likes to do things in advance, or if you are the kind of person who prefers just to “wing it,” You might not want to do much of the planning for your destination wedding. Here’s a little snapshot of . . .
What Needs to Be Done
The bigger your wedding, the more you will need to take care of. Of course there are all of the obvious things like obtaining passports, visas, the wedding license in the wedding destination country, the flights, the accommodations, and booking some fun activities . .
For the wedding itself, you have to select the exact venue. Will it be on a public or private beach? Will it be on a private lawn overlooking the beach? Will you select a church, chapel, garden or a water fall location? Will there be site fees? Will your guests need directions to get to the site? Will you be able to provide transportation to the site.
Will you have chairs for your guests? Flowers for yourself and a runner down the isle? Will you be having a reception where you’ll need a DJ, tables, and catering. Will you have music and entertainment at the wedding and also at the reception (if you have one)?
Will you hire a destination wedding photographer? Unless you absolutely don’t care what your pictures look like — for your own sanity — you want to hire a pro. Even if you have a “good” photographer among your friends, the chances are very good he will simply NOT get the images you were hoping for.
Will you hire a wedding videographer? And if so, will he shoot digital or in high definition? A truly professional videographer will be able to capture some of your best wedding memories for a lifetime worth of enjoyment.
Who will officiate at your ceremony? Have you know anything about this minister? Are his ceremonies online so that you can read them? Is he a “legal” minister in his country? Do you want a “true minister” who is similar to what you have at a home? Do you want to bring your own minister (which I’ve seen many times), and if so, will it be legal?
Who are you going to invite to your wedding? Even more important how many of your family and friends do you think will actually be able to attend your wedding? Will you help your guests book their travel and accommodations, or will they have to fend for themselves? If they fend for themselves, what is the likelihood that they will have a difficult time getting to your wedding site on time. Trust me, waiting for some important guess to arrive (like the mother of the groom) can ruin a perfect wedding).
Even if its just the two of you (or a few close friends and family) at your wedding there is a lot to think about and do to make your wedding a success. And you want this destination wedding to be dream come true not a destination wedding disaster. This is why, even for small weddings, I highly recommend the you hire a destination wedding planner.
More about wedding planners in my next post . . .
Or just take a look at our main website: Weddings Destination
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Tags: destination wedding nightmare, destination wedding planning, Weddings destination
Should you do your own destination wedding planning? I’ve met many couples where either the bride or the groom — and in some cases where both — just love to plan and work all of the of many details of their wedding. It certainly depends upon you two. I’ve seen flawless and elaborate wedding productions come off without a hitch, where the bride planned everything herself. But let me be honest. That is rare.
Do you really want to spend your wedding day stressing out over what you might have forgotten to do? The bigger the wedding, the more you need a wedding planner. The more you want to enjoy this first step into your new life, the more you are wise to turn over some of the responsibilities to a professional.
If a destination wedding planner is truly a professional with a little bit of seasoning and experience under her belt, she is worth her weight in gold. Trust me on this. A good wedding planner will take so much stress out of your destination wedding planning so that you can concentrate on each other. And on the day of your wedding things are much more likely to go as planned.
When you leave your home and travel to an exotic locale for your dream wedding, you’ll need to put a lot of effort in to pulling all of the details together. Being in a long way from home it is so much easier (and safer) to have your destination wedding planning done by a planner. She will arrange all of the services (like photography, flowers, minister and music) so that you can experience a dream wedding, and not a nightmare.
Most important of all, you want to concentrate on your beloved. While the ceremony and the wedding planning are important, falling more in love with each other is what you want most to accomplish in your dream destination wedding. So most couples usually find that choosing an experienced destination wedding planner is the best solution.
What to Look For in a Destination Wedding Planner
Look for a wedding planner to who is:
1. Honest. If you are dealing with a planner who is in another country from where you are located, it is very important to be sensitive to any signs that she is not honest. She there some kind of consumer group with whom the company has a reputation (either good or bad)? Do a little checking before you plunk down the deposit for your wedding.
2. Personable. Not everyone is easy to get along with. Some planners just seem to have bristles. If you have problems with her during the booking and off-site planning, you can count on having problems later at the wedding.
3. Affordable. Some planner charge a high amount, but with that price does not necessarily come better service. Make certain that her company will give you good value for your money.
4. Available. You want your destination wedding planner to have room on her schedule. But you also want her to be available to contact you in a dependable way. Does she get back to you through email? Does she return phone calls (if it isn’t overseas)? Is she available to answer your questions and meet your needs.
If you would like to find a great destination wedding planner, let me recommend Susan Souter. She has been coordinating tropical island weddings for over eleven years in Maui, Hawaii. You can take a look at her Maui Weddings website. The home page is long, and it will give you a great idea what services she offers.
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Tags: destination wedding planners, destination wedding planning, Weddings destination
Even though destination weddings are inexpensive when compared to many weddings at home, that does not mean that such weddings are cheap. So you will be wise to look for the best value in a wedding coordinating service that you can fine. The best way to do this is to get a planner who offers destination wedding packages.
Most professional destination wedding planners will offer wedding packages. The reason for this is that it helps them save time and money preparing your wedding. If the wedding coordination service has four packages, they know what to expect when a couple selects “package number two.” It takes them less time to plan your wedding, and they can therefore pass their savings along to you.
So when you search for and choose a wedding planner, make certain that she has destination wedding packages which appeal to you.
How to Choose A Destination Wedding Package
When you are considering a wedding planner, take a look over her packages to see what’s included in each. Inevitably some vendors will include “bare bones” destination wedding packages. These usually leave out something that you will want (like the services of a photographer), or the cost of renting the wedding site.
Make absolutely certain what each wedding package actually contains. If there is something important missing, you want to know what extra cost you will incur in order to obtain it. Beware of companies who like to hide things. I personally ever hate to hear those words, “Oh, that’s not included in your package.” Some companies prefer to use their package prices as “come ons.” But that’s not what you’ll end up actually paying in the end.
Compare packages to see what you are not getting that you might want in a higher package. Total up what you think you will be paying before you ask the vendor for a quote. In this way you can tell if there are some things missing, that you’ll have to pay later.
Some couples want to be barefoot on the beach; while others prefer to stand on grass overlooking the ocean. You definitely will want to know if the wedding venue is included in the package, or will there be additional fees? In many cases, the venue is not included in the package.
Let me suggest that you take a look at some Maui Wedding Packages which will give you an idea just how reasonable a wedding can be in a place like Hawaii. These are found on the Maui Me website (as in “will you Maui me?”).
To read more about Weddings Destinations please take a look at our main site.
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Tags: destination wedding packages, maui wedding packages, Weddings destination
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