Weddings at Castle Gwynn, Triune, Tennessee
Is it possible to get married at Castle Gwynn in Triune, TN? --contributed by N.R.Captured in all its fairy tale beauty in Taylor Swift's video "Love Story," romantics have been fascinated ever since by this medieval-inspired masterpiece in Arrington-Triune, Tennessee. A private residence, weddings cannot be performed at the castle or on the immediate grounds.
However, wedding ceremonies can be conducted throughout the month of May on the grounds
across the street from the site as the area is transformed into Covington Glen for the annual Tennessee Renaissance Festival. A member of the festival's staff reports that the following three areas are available for weddings:
1-Winter's Fairy GardenThe winter's fairy garden is a flat treed area surrounded by stone walls that can accommodate 25-30 people.
2-Winter's Fairy Garden GazeboThe decorated gazebo is a perfect area for the clergy and the wedding party while the 10-15 guests surround the gazebo.
3-Our New Special Events AreaOur New Special Events Area is an ideal location for a larger number of guests. It is situated in our tree-covered forest and more private for you and your guests and close enough to enjoy the festivities of the festival.
A number of factors determine the final cost of a wedding held on festival grounds, including the size of the wedding party, number of guests and the amount of time allotted for the nuptials.
For more information:Photo courtesy Tennessee Renaissance FestivalLabels: US weddings
posted by Paris & John /Click for permalink 6:29 PM
Planning a Caribbean Wedding
Hello I am an Englishman (Widower) living with my Fiance in Peru. I have a British Passport and a Peruvian Resident Visa. My fiance is Peruvian and she is single and has a Peru Passport and a ten-year US Visa.Can you please tell me what paperwork we would need to get married in the Caribbean. we would like a simple wedding for just the two of us and I am not familiar with the Caribbean so would like some suggestions on the best places to go. My fiance has a birth certificate and a certificate to say that she is single. I have a birth certificate for me and one for my late Wife, a Death Certificate and a Cremation Certificate.I look forward to hearing from you soon. --JohnDear John,
Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! Each country in the Caribbean has its own laws governing weddings so they're all a little different in regard to paperwork, residency requirements (the number of days you have to be on island before you can be married), etc.
You both have just about all the paperwork you could need to get married on most islands. Your fiance might need her birth certificate translated into English (assuming it's in Spanish) to get married on a few islands; if you get married at a Spanish-speaking destination such as the Dominican Republic, you might have to have your own paperwork translated. The translations need to be official so you have to allow additional time for that.
Some of the easiest destinations for weddings are Jamaica and the Bahamas. These destinations require a very short residency period. You'll be able to do most of the paperwork via fax and email with your wedding planner before you arrive. We always suggest wherever you plan to marry, look for a resort with an on-site wedding coordinator. She can help you with all the paperwork duties even for the simplest weddings.
You'll find free weddings at several resorts. In Jamaica, Couples Resorts,
SuperClubs Resorts, Sandals Resorts, and Sunset Resorts offer free weddings (you'll pay the government marriage fee); the free packages include a variety of things such as the services of an officiant, wedding planner, decorated wedding site, etc. A few years ago we had a vow renewal at a Couples resort and it was lovely. All the resorts have on-site photographers and can arrange any add-
ons you like: a cake, champagne, music, etc.
The only islands where it's very difficult to get married are the French islands: St.
Barts, St Martin (just the French side...the Dutch side does many weddings), Martinique and Guadeloupe.
Primarily French residents are married on those islands.
The most important step, after
choosing your island, is to go ahead and select your resort; you can then begin working with the wedding coordinator. You'll want to allow several weeks for her to file your paperwork and arrange all the details.
Best wishes! Paris and John
Labels: Caribbean weddings
posted by Paris & John /Click for permalink 3:16 PM
Where to Honeymoon in September?
We want to go on our honeymoon September 9, 2009 and we are worried about where to go because of the season. What options do we have with beautiful beaches and great weather during that season? -- submitted from Virginia
Congratulations on your upcoming wedding and honeymoon! Yours is a good question because early September is the peak of the Caribbean and Atlantic hurricane season and is also a very active time in the Pacific hurricane season.
However, there are destinations located south of the hurricane zone. The far southern islands of the Caribbean--especially Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao--are considered south of the "hurricane belt" so they generally miss the storms which develop and move to their north. You'll find great beaches--and beautiful days on each island. Aruba is especially noted for its around the clock fun, from great beaches like Eagle Beach and Palm Beach to its shopping and nightlife fun (not to mention sports activity--it's a windsurfing capital). Bonaire is far quieter and is a real favorite with scuba divers. Curacao offers a variety of beach properties and natural attractions.
As far as other destinations during hurricane season, usually you'll be just fine...but always check and see if the resort you're considering offers a "hurricane guarantee." These guarantees will cover your honeymoon if it's interrupted by a hurricane.
Cruises are another option; most Caribbean and Mexico cruises make daily port stops so you can hit the local beaches. If there's a weather problem, cruises just reroute and head to another sunny isle!
Happy travels! Paris and John
Labels: Caribbean
posted by Paris & John /Click for permalink 6:33 PM
Getting Married in Paris or London
My girlfriend and I will be visiting London and Paris for the first time. We're very excited about it because it's in 3 weeks!I was wondering if it is at all possible to elope while we are there (or in Belgium?) I know it probably seems sudden and that we haven't prepared at all but I would like to know if its an option.I've read that one spouse-to-be must be living in Paris for 40 days prior to the wedding in order to get married there. I also read something similar for London. Is that true? I know its easy enough to get engaged while we're there but i was thinking of taking it one step further.Thanks for your email! You are right: both England and France are just about impossible for destination weddings if one of you is not already a resident. If you have time for a train ride up to Scotland (and can begin the process before your trip), it is pretty easy to marry there, however! The town of Gretna Green is known as one of the most popular destination wedding places in Europe and it's located near the border. Here's one of many sites about planning a destination wedding in Gretna Green, Scotland:
http://www.gretnaweddings.com/Unfortunately Belgium is about like France in terms of residency; one of you has to be a resident there. It's the same with the Netherlands as well. Germany does offer weddings to non-residents, though; Italy does a lot of non-resident weddings! (The added difficulty when you pick a non-English-speaking country, though, is that you usually need to get your documents officially translated into the local language.) Italy has many wedding planners who specialize in destination weddings and can help obtain the translations. We've got a special section on Lovetripper with the
marriage laws from other countries.
Even in the countries where it's easiest (like Scotland and Italy), plan on a few days to get everything done in terms of license. A wedding planner can help get as much as possible done beforehand. In Scotland, for example, you have to file your papers
before your arrival and you have to have proof of single status. (Unfortunately, it's not as easy as an elopement here, such as in Las Vegas.)
Whether an engagement trip or a wedding/honeymoon trip, it sounds like you have a very memorable trip planned! Best wishes!! Paris and John
Labels: destination weddings, France, United Kingdom
posted by Paris & John /Click for permalink 6:37 PM
Island Hopping in the Bahamas
My girlfriend and I are going to the Bahamas. We're flying into Nassau on a 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 8:47 AM
Groom's Attire for a Vegas Wedding?
We are getting married in Las Vegas in August. My girlfriend saw a guy in a wedding magazine wearing white pants, a white shirt and a black sport coat, with a tie of course. The wedding will be fairly casual being in Vegas, plus it will be in August. Does this sound acceptable? -- MB, MontanaDear MB,
Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! Las Vegas is a very casual city and you'll find all types of dress are appropriate, depending on the formality of your individual ceremony. We've seen very traditional wedding attire at some of the hotel ceremonies and very casual wedding dress at wedding chapels as well as hotel chapels.
If you are planning an outdoor wedding, realize that August will be VERY hot so the sports coat might be difficult unless it is a morning ceremony. If it's an indoor wedding, you'll be right in style and white pants, white shirt, and black sports coat sounds just right. Best wishes!
Labels: Las Vegas, US weddings
posted by Paris & John /Click for permalink 6:44 PM
What are the Benefits of a Private island Resort?
Dear Lovetripper,I'm planning my honeymoon for August 2009 and have been reading about private island resorts. The places I've seen look great...but what's the benefit of staying at a private island resort rather than another small resort? Thanks, Patti, Seattle, WADear Patti,
Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! Private island resorts are a popular option for honeymooners because they do have two very important assets that many honeymooners are seeking: privacy and an island setting.
Since the public isn't allowed on the island, you'll find a quiet atmosphere any time of the day, giving the island a home away from home setting. Private island resorts are generally small properties so the limited number of guests also keeps the mood quiet (no games of Marco Polo at the pool). Couples have the amenities of a larger hotel but their villa or cottage becomes home base rather than busy public areas. Tucked away from the mainland, there's no traffic noise, no beach vendors. Security is almost a non-issue.
Also, the privacy afforded by this type of resort means you can ask for special extras that wouldn't be possible at other resorts. For example, at
Petit St. Vincent, a romantic private island getaway in the Grenadines, you can opt for private dinners for two anywhere on the island--you can enjoy champagne and lobster under the stars on your own white sandy beach, hammock or dock. In the photo above, honeymooners Danilo and Thais Teixeira selected the Windward Dock gazebo to celebrate their new life together.
Other private island options? A few others include Peter Island in the British Virgin Islands,
Little Palm Island in the Florida Keys,
Cayo Espanto in Belize.
Photo courtesy Petit St. VincentLabels: Caribbean, Honeymoons
posted by Paris & John /Click for permalink 8:39 AM
