18 January 2023

Following on from my recent blog about getting married abroad, I wanted to share my hints and tips on how to make your destination wedding a reality. WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU? Sounds obvious, doesn’t it? In truth sitting down with a good old fashioned pen and paper and putting down your thoughts about what your dream wedding day would look like is a great place to start. For me, I wanted a small intimate wedding day to be full of exquisite food, mesmerising photo opportunities and for it to be unlike any other wedding I’d been to before. Some questions to think about: - When you picture the ceremony, what is it like? Indoors or outdoors? If outdoors, is it on a beach or in a garden? Perhaps you’re thinking of a religious service in a church setting. What kind of outfits are you and your bride / groom wearing? - How big is it going to be? Do you love to be centre stage and are always the life and soul of the party? Is it a wedding for two that you’d prefer? WHEN AND WHERE TO GO? Once you’ve worked out what the most important facts are, it’s time to think about the when and where. Often the date for your wedding is largely decided by the location you choose. The picture-perfect Caribbean beaches look dreamy year-round, but would you be comfortable to travel during the infamous hurricane season? How hot do you like your holidays to be? I am not someone who sunworships at all, so we felt going somewhere warm rather than hot was a good way to go. Perhaps your career plays a part in settling on a date – teachers or key workers are a great example. How far you’re prepared to travel can also really help you to decide the location for your wedding abroad. My husband and I wanted to have our parents and grandparents attend our special day, no ifs no buts. As such, we knew that a short flight with minimal transfer times and not too much walking was important. We had friends that wanted to join us, but couldn’t commit to a whole week away for a variety of reasons (childcare, annual leave and budget to name but a few). Italy worked brilliantly for this reason! Our guests stayed in a real variety of hotels and apartments to suit their budgets and timeframes. We actually travelled to Italy by car so we could take plenty of stuff with us (so my dress was a bit of a big one) – great option for couples and their guests who prefer not to fly, as is travelling by rail. THE FINER DETAILS Like weddings held in the UK, there are a great variety of options available to couples wanting to enhance their weddings. This can range from the usual bridal bouquets and wedding cakes, to a full entertainment programme for your guests – with plenty in between. For my own wedding, I opted not to have a reception back at home upon our return, and didn’t want to have a DJ / disco in Italy, so we opted instead to charter our own lake cruise, treating our guests to fabulous views of Lake Garda whilst sipping prosecco. The perfect entertainment for us! The suppliers I work with all have a wealth of experience in this field and work alongside me to help craft the wedding you want, not the bog standard off-the-shelf variety. Depending on the destination and how much you’re looking to spend, cocktail receptions, exclusive excursions, steel drum bands, casino nights and much more can be organised. It’s your day – no dream is too big or too small! In terms of venues themselves, there are so many. The world really is your oyster. I have organised beachfront weddings, hotel based weddings….I have attended a wedding at the renowned Santo Winery in Santorini which had views to take your breath away. My own wedding was in the stunning Scaligero Castle in the Italian resort of Malcesine. The Cloisters in Sorrento are a really popular choice too! THE LEGAL STUFF There are some destinations that are difficult for British passport holders to get married in. Some destinations offer a symbolic ceremony which looks like a wedding, but is not legally recognised in the UK. In this situation you could look to have a simple wedding in the UK, then jet off to your chosen location for the day you dreamed of. Other countries have a minimum stay requirement prior to your wedding day, and many require the completion of forms and submitting of documents. I will be glad to discuss this all with you! HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT IT? Get in touch with me and let’s chat. I love to share my own experiences as well of those of brides and grooms I’ve helped with their destination weddings.

08 December 2022

Destination weddings With the ever increasing cost of living and our general desire to seek out sunnier shores, it’s come as little surprise to me that more and more clients are getting in touch to find out about getting married abroad. Having got married in Italy myself back in 2010, I feel like this is my area of expertise! Neither my husband nor I like being the centre of attention, and we dreamed of getting married somewhere stunningly beautiful with just our nearest and dearest there to witness our special day. Months later, after viewing countless hotels and venues in this country and various places online, our hearts were set on the Instagram-worthy Malcesine Castle on the shores of Italy’s Lake Garda. I’d loved visiting Malcesine as a teenager with my family – what’s not to love about the constant supply of pizza and gelato, never mind mountain and lake views for miles around?! The vista when we stepped out of the Monte Baldo cable car just blew me away, and I guess it always stuck with me. We found a destination expert to arrange all our wedding plans for us, and researching all the extras (wedding breakfast, canapes, flowers etc) was a massive part of the enjoyment. I fell in love with the idea of having a wedding that nobody I knew personally had done – I wanted to be able to celebrate in style and be talking about it forever! Getting to our wedding day was a bit of a journey in itself – in more ways than one. The Icelandic ash cloud drama looked like it was going to ruin our plans (I started getting panic quotes in from coach companies to take everyone across the continent!), but thankfully it subsided in time. We travelled by car and enjoyed breaking up the journey with stops in the French Alps overnight, and even took the TGV to Paris for a few days at the end. Of course the main reason we wanted to get married abroad was so we could enjoy getting married outside – the plan was to say our vows in Italian on top of one of the turrets of the castle. We definitely got some dramatic wedding photos after our ceremony – mainly due to the horrendous thunderstorms that hit the day of our wedding! Despite the dramas, we treated our guests to a (choppy) prosecco lake cruise and canapes by the waterfront after the service. A highlight was being cheered by a group of school kids who were visiting the town on a trip, and they couldn’t wait to have their photo taken with me – pure delight for them and I. The Italians told me ‘a wet bride is a lucky bride’ – I think I’ve been pretty lucky since! Since my own wedding abroad, I have arranged many weddings abroad in Greece and Cyprus, and loved being able to attend our close friends’ wedding in Santorini. The Santo Winery affords incredible views over the island whilst taking your vows, and the much-loved Pyrgos Taverna was the perfect backdrop for a wedding reception to remember forever. I work with the best suppliers around to ensure your destination wedding isn’t just good, but absolutely great and what you’d always dreamed of. Do get in touch if you’d like to learn more!

06 October 2022

I am often asked by clients about where is best to travel to, and what’s booking up for the coming weeks and months. The reality is of course that we all aspire to enjoy different holidays – having a stomp round city sights is relaxing for some, whereas the Maldives or Seychelles are the perfect place for R+R for others. For me going on holiday is all about creating memories that we’ll cherish forever, whether this is a family fun break or ticking off somewhere on my bucket list. Here are my favourite places I’ve been to so far… NEW YORK The Big Apple really delivered on all my expectations, and some. I always wondered if it would be like it was in the movies and it absolutely is! The chaos of Times Square was so full of life and people seeing if their American dream would come true there. Walking down the immigration centre’s steps on Ellis Island was incredibly humbling, and I was fascinated to venture inside the Statue of Liberty. The best way to explore NYC is on foot. Never have I walked so much in such a short space of time. Looking back at Manhattan from the Brooklyn Bridge made for some fabulous photos! I’d definitely recommend checking out a sporting event whilst in the city if time allows, relaxing with a picnic in stunning Central Park and having time to reflect in some of the many museums. Make sure you have a pause at the Carnegie Deli for a pastrami on rye sandwich! ICELAND Without question my visit to Iceland remains at the top of my list of places I’ve been fortunate enough to visit. A stay in Europe’s northernmost capital, Reykjavik, is truly unique with all manner of weather conditions, cuisines and excursions to enjoy. No trip to this fascinating country would be complete without chasing the Northern Lights during the winter months, or exploring the wild and rugged landscapes on the Golden Circle tour. Standing at the top of the spectacular Gullfoss waterfall took my breath away – quite literally as we experienced temperatures colder than ever before! Warming up with a bowl of hearty Icelandic soup was the perfect tonic. Top tip – if venturing to the Blue Lagoon’s thermal waters, definitely indulge with an in-water massage. Absolutely out of this world. BERNESE OBERLAND I had never imagined that I would love visiting Switzerland as much as I did when I booked a simple mobile home holiday in Lauterbrunnen, a place that many say inspired the Lord of the Rings movies. With picture postcard views of waterfalls, rivers and mountains on all sides I love hauling on my walking boots, and taking one of the many trains, cable cars or gondolas to explore on foot. The walk between Mannlichen and Kleine Scheidegg remains my favourite walk I’ve ever done – and believe me, I’ve done a lot! Try out the funicular railway at Harder Kulm, over looking Interlaken and lakes Brienz and Thun. For film buffs, why not check out the revolving restaurant at the top of the Schilthorn – it was used to shoot some of the scenes in the James Bond film, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. I’d love to talk to you about your dream holiday itinerary – get in touch with me today and let’s make it happen!