Ask An Expert

Lofty Wedding Sites in Austin

I am trying to find a place to get married---your web site has been very valuable. we were thinking of going to Mexico, because we wanted an elevation change where we could have the ceremony up high, overlooking the water. But, we live in Texas and family would have trouble getting there. Do you have any connections/ideas as to upscale places in Austin/Travis Lake/Texas Hill country that meet that criteria? Your help would be so much appreciated.

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! One place that comes to mind is Lakeway Resort and Spa; it's up over Lake Travis and have some great views plus excellent dining options for an upscale reception. Some of the boat companies also do charters for weddings and receptions right on the water; the Flagship Texas leaves from Lakeway Resort and Austin Party Cruises (www.austinpartycruises.com) has charters on Lake Austin.

A good source of Austin wedding info is Austin Weddingpages (www.austinweddingday.com); it's a print magazine available in most larger bookstores and they also have info online.

Labels: Texas, US weddings

posted by Paris & John /Click for permalink 7:49 PM 0 comments

Altos de Chavon, Dominican Republic

Dear Love Tripper,
We really want to get married in St Stanislaus Church in Altos de Chavon (we visited 5 years ago). How do I contact the church? Please help - any advice would be appreciated.

We love that little church! We visited while staying at Iberostar Hacienda Dominicus (809-688-3600, www.iberostarcaribe.com). St Stanislaus Church is a beautiful spot for a wedding. We talked with the hotel and they said that the local wedding planners can make arrangements for weddings at the facility. Are you going to be staying at one of the nearby properties (Iberostar or Casa de Campo)? Both have onsite coordinators to help with the paperwork. If you need more info on the requirements for weddings in the Dominican Republic, you'll find a rundown at the end of this article of ours. Best wishes...and let us know how your planning goes!!

Labels: Caribbean weddings, Dominican Republic

posted by Paris & John /Click for permalink 7:40 PM 0 comments

Ideas for a Quickie Wedding

I wouldn't say that my Fiance and I are lazy, but we are looking for the easiest way to get married. Can you recommend anywhere- possibly in Europe- where we can simply drop in and get married while on vacation with out dealing with a lot of the pre-planning of legal forms and licenses that usually accompany a typical wedding? Is there a service that might do it for us?

Most of Europe has pretty strict wedding laws that prohibit really simple ceremonies like those you’d find in Vegas. Scotland has some of the easiest wedding laws but even there you’ll need a marriage visa and have some paperwork hoops to jump through!

In the US, Gatlinburg, Tennessee is second to Las Vegas in terms of both the number of weddings and ease of ceremonies; there are many, many wedding chapels in the area that range from touristy to beautiful.

Many islands in the Caribbean have very vacation-friendly marriage laws, a few make it possible to arrive and marry on the same day. You won’t find the many wedding chapels like Vegas on any of the islands but you will find many resorts that offer wedding packages...some free for guests...and wedding coordinators to handle every detail from paperwork to wedding officiant to wedding cake. SuperClubs and Sandals both offer free wedding packages for guests (you’ll pay the marriage license fee); we’ve seen many of these weddings and they’re nice with beach settings, a small wedding cake, etc.

Labels: Caribbean, destination weddings, Las Vegas, Tennessee

posted by Paris & John /Click for permalink 6:35 PM 0 comments

Ideas for Romantic Jamaica Getaway

I'm looking for a getaway with my boyfriend in Jamaica. Do you have some ideas?

Jamaica’s a great destination for romantics; you’ll find a huge number of romantic resorts from which to choose. Some factors to consider:

Do you have limited time? If your trip will just be three or four nights, minimize your travel time by booking a resort close to Montego Bay, the city into which your flight will arrive. Other resort areas are close to two hours from Montego Bay which will cut back on your beach time!

Are you watching your budget? All-inclusives can be a great way to go so you know how much to budget for the trip...no surprises in terms of transfers, tips, drinks, etc. Some of the top all-inclusive resort chains in Jamaica are Sandals (couples only), SuperClubs (check out the Breezes properties), and Couples (also couples only). Riu also has very reasonable all-inclusives on the island (although they also attract many families.)

Do we want a couples-only or adults-only resort? Good couples only choices are Sandals (many locations on the island; check out Sandals Royal Caribbean in Montego Bay for luxury, Sandals Montego Bay for the absolute closest location to the airport, or Sandals Inn for the lowest prices) and Couples (two locations each in Ocho Rios and Negril.) Adults-only choices include the always popular, somewhat wild Hedonism II and III (II is in Negril and is on a great beach; III is in Runaway Bay east of Montego Bay and is newer.)

Labels: all-inclusive resort, Jamaica

posted by Paris & John /Click for permalink 6:27 PM 0 comments

Castle Wedding for Two

We are thinking about planning a castle wedding in Scotland, England , or Ireland. It is a second marriage for both of us and there will probably only be the two of us. Is this feasible since there will be no reception or wedding party? We want to have the reception back in the States.

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! Castle weddings are beautiful (and make great wedding photos!); you'll find several that offer packages just for two:

In Scotland, Ballindalloch Castle allows small weddings and the owners will help with wedding details. Also in Scotland, Barcaldine offers small weddings.

Duns Castle in Scotland allows weddings with just two people, although it's a large, prominent venue. You might remember the castle if she's seen the movie "Mrs. Brown," featuring Dame Judi Dench as Queen Victoria. The castle stood in for Balmoral in the movie.

In Ireland, about an hour from the Shannon Airport, Ballyportry Castle offers wedding packages for parties of 12 or less.

For planning the wedding, check out our book, The Castle Wedding Workbook, for details on other castles plus planning everything from music to decorations.

Best wishes!

Labels: destination weddings, Ireland, Scotland

posted by Paris & John /Click for permalink 6:20 PM 0 comments

Vow Renewal in Sicily

I hope you can help me - my parents would like to renew their wedding vows (40 years!) during their stay in Taormina, Sicily this April. However, after being given sound assurance from the travel agent that this wouldn't be a problem, they have just been told that no one can do it. They are really disappointed as you can imagine and I am trying to find out if there is anything that can be done. My parents are staying somewhere called Hotel Caiparhina, not sure if I've spelt that right but I believe it's like the drink! I'll check though if you don't know it. They'd like to renew their vows on the 9th April (their anniversary) although I know this is a Sunday so that might be a problem especially as they are Anglican and not Catholic! Don't think they have a venue in mind, just somewhere nice. I'd really appreciate any tips or advice.

We weren't sure about an answer for this question so we went to the experts: Regency San Marino. We forwarded the above letter to these wedding planners based in Italy and soon had an answer:

This is Sharon Strauss Becchi, one of the senior wedding coordinators from Regency San Marino. I will be happy to answer you so you can tell her what we have to say. I will write below some information and please feel free to take from the answers what you wish to run in your mailbox section.

In fact for us it is very easy to plan a memorable renewal of vows ceremony in Sicily. I am surprised that your reader was told otherwise, but happy that I may be able to help them! Please have them contact me directly at sharon@weddingsitaly.com and also check out our website to see testimonials and other information about our company.

In addition to working with Catholic priests for church weddings we also have the unique ability to have Anglican ceremonies. The ministers speak perfect English and travel all over Italy for us. We are lucky to have an exclusive relationship with these ministers which have permission from the Minister of Interior to perform religious ceremonies outside of the church - so in private locations such as villas and castles and hotels.

I would be happy to contact the hotel where your reader's parents are staying (I think she meant the Caperina?) and see if they will allow us to set up a romantic intimate ceremony on their grounds - if not we have other beautiful possibilities as well.

Sunday April 7th is open for one of our ministers to celebrate the renewal of vows and the couple can also add their own wording and readings as well. Our renewal of vows ceremony packages start at 1300 Euros and include all of our coordination fees as well as the cost of the minister to travel and perform the ceremony in Taormina. It also includes a bouquet and boutonniere for the couple if they wish as well as a violinist for the ceremony. Additional costs would be any cost that the location asks us for to set up the ceremony on their grounds as well as any other services the couple wishes to have - such as a photographer.

I hope this information has been helpful and I hope to be able to work with your reader's parents and make them have an anniversary to remember forever - this is one of the best parts of my job!!

Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Kindest regards,

Sharon Strauss Becchi
Regency San Marino s.rl.

Labels: destination weddings, Italy

posted by Paris & John /Click for permalink 6:13 PM 0 comments

Where Should We Honeymoon?

This week we've had two requests from readers looking for a special getaway...but they don't know where to start. What should you do when the two of you want to plan a special getaway but you don't know where?

I am having a very hard time trying to find the perfect location that I can afford. Do you have any suggestions.

We are happy to help. We’d suggest first asking yourselves some questions:

• What time of year do we want to travel?

• How many days will we travel?

• How much is our travel budget?

• What do we want from the trip: relaxation, sightseeing, adventure, etc?

• Do we want to stay in the country or travel internationally?

With that information in mind, you can decide if you’d like a car trip or something further from home so you can begin to narrow down your list of options.

We had a similar question from a reader in Guatemala:

Please give me real romantic and good places to our honeymoon; we live in Guatemala so we will prefer in in North America or Caribbean.

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding. We’d suggest first asking yourselves some questions:

• What time of year do we want to travel?
• How many days will we travel?
• How much is our travel budget?
• Do we want seclusion and privacy with a country or a resort getaway or do we want to be in the middle of the action with a city getaway?
• What do we want from the trip: relaxation, sightseeing, adventure, etc?

With that information in mind, you can decide on options. A few top North America honeymoon options are New York City, San Francisco, Niagara Falls, Quebec City, Colorado ski country, Santa Fe (New Mexico), Miami, Orlando, the Florida Keys, and others. In the Caribbean, you’ve got lots of choices depending on how busy you’d like the vacation to be and what activities you’d like (nightlife in Puerto Rico and Aruba, privacy in the Grenadines, scuba diving in Grand Cayman, etc.)

Labels: Honeymoons

posted by Paris & John /Click for permalink 6:06 PM 0 comments

September Beach Weddings in Mexico

I am helping my daughter with some wedding plans and she is considering a barefoot beach ceremony in Mexico. Do you have any suggestions for that time of year or is it to hot and risky because of Hurricane season. Thanks for your help! -- Teresa, Oregon

Happy to help! Hurricane season on the Caribbean side of Mexico runs from June 1-Nov 30 although the months of August and September are the worst. The Pacific hurricane season is just about the same time period.

However, even in September there are many years when no storms hit Mexico; it’s all just a matter of luck. The good thing is that forecasting warns of the potential for a storm days in advance.

With that in mind, if your daughter does decide on a September beach ceremony, here are some things to consider:

* in the event of bad weather, what are the ceremony venue alternatives? If she’s looking at a beach ceremony at a resort, they’ll have a bad weather contingency plan, often a restaurant, meeting space, or other indoor venue.

* Does the resort have any kind of hurricane guarantee? Many Caribbean resorts offer a hurricane guarantee which means if your trip is interrupted by a hurricane, you’ll receive compensation. (The amount varies but some, like Sandals resorts in the Caribbean, offer you a new vacation for the length of your original planned vacation, regardless of the number of days you missed due to the storm. Check with resorts in Mexico for similar guarantees.)

It is hot in Mexico in September but the coast is generally nice because of the coastal breezes. If you go further inland, such as to Chitzen Itza, it can be very toasty.

Two other items to consider for a Mexico wedding: most Mexican states require blood tests to be performed in Mexico and wedding ceremonies must be performed in Spanish. Most wedding coordinators can serve as interpreters.

Labels: destination weddings, Mexico

posted by Paris & John /Click for permalink 6:02 PM 0 comments

Galapagos Weddings

What tips (legal as it relates to matrimonial issues and adventuresome travel) might you share regarding getting hitched in / on the Galapagos Islands? We’re planning a trip for late June. Sounds like the blue-footed boobies would be among our bridal party. -- Tina, Salt Lake City

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! Galapagos would be a really neat place for a small wedding. Check out this interview on our site about Galapagos romantic travel.

The company that gave the interview sets up weddings; there are also some links on that page sites with additional wedding options. Here’s another site with some info on some locations in the Galapagos that offer weddings.

The Galapagos are part of Ecuador so we’d also recommend checking with the Ecuador Embassy for info on their marriage laws so you’ll have all the paperwork you need in plenty of time. This page lists consulate offices for Ecuador in the US:
http://www.ecuador.us/info/consulate.htm

Best wishes!! Paris and John

Labels: destination weddings, Ecuador

posted by Paris & John /Click for permalink 5:56 PM 0 comments

Gatlinburg Winterfest Trolley in January

I saw you enjoyed the trolley tour of Gatlinburg lights. Your new website says it runs on Saturdays only when we'll there. Our family will be making our first visit to Gatlinburg in mid-January, and it looks like the day we check in is the only chance we'll have to take the trolley. Do you have any contact information? Phone number? Email? Website? We'd like to find out what times it departs and if we can make reservations. Thanks! --Debbie, Nashville, Tennessee

We do have some contact info for the trolley rides. You’ll want to call the Gatlinburg Aquarium Welcome Center at 865/436-0535. The trolley departs from there and the welcome center also handles the reservations and tickets. (You can hold a reservation with a credit card then pay for the tickets when you arrive.)

Happy travels! Paris and John

Labels: festivals, Tennessee

posted by Paris & John /Click for permalink 5:49 PM 0 comments

What Traditions Are Found in Weddings in Trinidad & Tobago?

My godchild is getting married and I am part of the planning group. Can you please tell me what are some of the traditions that people from Trinidad & Tobago incorporate into their wedding ceremonies? -- CB, Kansas City, MO

Thanks for your note; it sounds like you will have a lot of fun planning this wedding. In Trinidad and Tobago, it's traditional for wedding receptions to include curried crab and dumplings.

Also, the wedding cake is usually the traditional black cake, a Caribbean cake that's similar to a very heavy rum-soaked fruitcake (sometimes iced). At the reception, dances such as the reel and jig and the quadrille are traditional.

Heritage Festival hosts an annual Old Time Wedding every July that features some old time wedding traditions (like the cake transported on a guest's head; it is covered in mosquito netting.) We watched the ceremony once; there's more about it on Lovetripper in an article on Heritage Festival.

Good luck with your planning!

Labels: destination weddings, Trinidad and Tobago

posted by Paris & John /Click for permalink 2:24 PM 0 comments

Sandals Weddings

What do you think about the Sandals Resorts' WeddingMoon? --Helen, Shreveport, LA

We’ve seen several Sandals weddings and they’re nice. They're for some couples and not for other couples, depending on the type of wedding you would like.

At peak times (actually MOST times), you definitely won’t be the only couple getting married on a particular day so it’s not for couples who really want the all-day attention of a wedding coordinator or those who want lots of special details.

On the other hand, for couples who want some choices but not to be overwhelmed with choices (and don't want to turn the wedding planning into a part-time job), the Sandals package is a good option. The free wedding is an incredible deal and you have your selection of several wedding venues at each property. The properties are beautiful and offer a very extensive all-inclusive package.

Sandals also sells a Preston Bailey wedding package (Preston Bailey has done many celebrity weddings) that has some nice touches at a reasonable price.

We’ve stayed at most of the Sandals resorts and been very happy with our stay and the all-inclusive package. Best wishes! Paris and John

Labels: Caribbean, destination weddings

posted by Paris & John /Click for permalink 2:15 PM 0 comments

Island Hopping in the Bahamas

My girlfriend and I are going to the Bahamas this weekend. We're flying into Nassau on Thursday afternoon at around 2:00 pm and flying out of Nassau at about 4:00 pm on Sunday (so we'll be there three nights). She read a little about the pink sands of Harbour Island and Eleuthera and wants to go there for a night.

I'm concerned that we'll lose most of our trip if we go there. She is the type of person that likes quiet out of the way type places more than places like Paradise Island. For example, she hates Vegas.

I guess I'm just wondering whether it's worth going there during our trip. I would really appreciate hearing your thoughts on this.

Personally, we think that would be a lot of time spent in transit for such a short trip. The flight isn't that long but you've got the drive to the airport, the check-in time, waiting time, etc....that's a lot of missed vacation time for such a short trip.

If it were us, we'd consider the south coast and west coast of the island. You could rent a car for the day and explore the island; once you get out of the city of Nassau and Paradise Island, the island is very "real" with some small communities and a quiet atmosphere. There are some pretty areas on the south coast that are really different from the hustle and bustle of town.

If you do decide to do some island hopping, we'd suggest scheduling it for the very beginning or end of your trip so that you arrive and then make your island-hop or do your island-hop then head straight to your departure flight for home. That would cut back on the transfers and check-in times.

Happy travels!!

Labels: Bahamas

posted by Paris & John /Click for permalink 6:11 PM 0 comments

Ideas for Secluded Island Getaway

This summer is my 40th birthday. My dream is a secluded island stay for 3-5 days with my wife. I would like a place that is private. I deal with people all day and I want to only see my wife. Price is not a huge issue but $2,000 a day might be a little steep. A great beach is a must. A nice villa, an umbrella, a chair, a bunch of cold Coronas and I am happy. I live near Dallas.

Good news: since your birthday is in the summer, you’ll find lower prices than during the winter months. There are quite a few private island resorts; most include a small number of villas but they are usually spread out enough across the island that you have some degree of privacy. Here’s a selection of some of our favorites:

Cayo Espanto, Belize: very pricey but very exclusive; you don’t have to see any other guests if you don’t want to. You’ll have a butler assigned to you who will come take drink orders, dinner orders, etc; meals are delivered to your villa.

Little Palm Island, Florida Keys: Villas are somewhat smaller and now as spread throughout the property; there are some public areas that are shared by all the guests (dining area, pool, etc.)

Peter Island, British Virgin Islands. The island has just one resort but several beaches.

You also might think of a getaway on a secluded island. You wouldn’t have the expense of a private island getaway but would still have the peace and privacy. Some good choices:

Little Cayman: you’ll find some villas here; check with Cayman Villas for a good selection. To reach Little Cayman, you’ll fly to Grand Cayman then take a prop plane from there. This is a nice island with a population of about 100 residents; great for just doing nothing at all. There are direct flights from Houston to Grand Cayman.

Anguilla: great beaches but pricier than some islands.

St. John, USVI: There’s a huge number of villas on this island; you can opt to add on services such as a caterer to bring some meals or to pre-stock your pantry. Check with McLaughlin-Anderson for a good selection. Many villas have their own private pools; some are located on the beach.

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos. This island is becoming more developed but is still pretty quiet and has absolutely beautiful beaches.

Happy travels! Paris and John

Labels: Belize, Caribbean, Florida

posted by Paris & John /Click for permalink 6:16 PM 0 comments

Planning a Cozumel Cruise Wedding

My boyfriend and I are Katrina victims from Louisiana getting away from the hustle and bustle of our daily lives and decided to book a cruise. We are leaving from Galveston on April 17th traveling to Yucatan and Cozumel. We are on a strict budget and have decided to get married while we are away from it all; it will be just the two of us. Can you lead us in the right direction as to HOW to get started...

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!! Cozumel is a beautiful island and will be a memorable spot for a wedding.

Your best starting point is your cruise line; start soon because some limit the number of weddings they can assist with while in port. Most cruise lines have staff members who can help with all the wedding details; their packages are some of the most reasonable. Since you’ll be on island for a short time, you’ll need to have assistance getting all the details worked out to make the most of your time. Also, you’ll need witnesses which the wedding coordinator can help arrange and, if the two of you don’t speak Spanish, they can also help with translating the ceremony. (Weddings in Mexico must be performed in Spanish so usually the wedding planner acts as translator.)

Everything we’ve read indicates that you will need current passports but check with the cruise line (and if they don’t know, check with the Mexican consulate’s office closes to your home. Like the US, each state in Mexico has its own marriage regulations so they vary just a little from location to location. Generally you need a valid passport as well as blood tests; the blood test rules vary from location to location as well and can sometimes be performed in your home state within 15 days or so of your wedding date.)

Best wishes and keep us posted on your progress!

Labels: cruise, destination weddings, Mexico

posted by Paris & John /Click for permalink 6:41 PM 0 comments