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For Grooms Who Want To Get It Right UK Wedding Requirements & Guide Wedding Related Biblical Readings |
Ten Original Wedding Ideas Forget a white wedding in a church. Forget the expensive reception, the doves and the rice. That's old and boring. Now imagine getting married on the beach of a Polynesian island. Or in the heart of Middle-Earth, the stunning setting of The Lord of the Rings in Queenstown, New Zealand. Even better: exchanging vows while underwater or in the middle of a bungee jump.The wedding industry is changing, and the hottest trend is destination weddings. Ceremonies away from home are not only original and exciting, but also much cheaper than a traditional church service with a reception (provided you only bring a few guests, if any). And best of all, you'll already be at your honeymoon spot. Check out 10 of the best wedding destinations and get married in style (all listed prices are in US dollars). Rainforest
Wedding Australia's jungle is as famous as its coral reef, and just as visually stunning. You can get married in this lush tropical forest, surrounded by nothing but ferns, palm trees, and a symphony of wild birds. A private boat takes you to a secluded location that no one else can access, and a priest marries you then and there. A wedding package also includes music, flowers, a witness, champagne, and cake. If the rainforest is a bit too, well, wild for you, Australia also offers weddings on the beach, in incredible gardens, inside temples and churches, and even at the famous Sydney Opera House. Penthouse
Wedding If what you're really looking for is a wedding overlooking the world's greatest city, look no further than the Tribeca rooftop, a 15,000-square foot penthouse with a view of the Empire State Building, SoHo, Chinatown, and the Hudson River. With indoor and outdoor sections, glitzy chandeliers and a mezzanine balcony, this is a wedding site for truly fashionable people who enjoy big-city nights. A night here will run you $225 per person, for a maximum of 360 (this includes open bar and buffet). Band, DJ, florists, and photographers cost extra. Volcano
Wedding Your new wife is hot and your relationship often erupts into fevers of passion? Why not wed in a place symbolic of your union? The fairy-tale Greek island of Santorini, besides being a breathtaking romantic getaway, has a volcano, which offers the perfect backdrop for a ceremony. For under $2,000, you get a traditional Greek wedding complete with donkeys, musicians, dancers, dessert, champagne, and other drinks. You can also choose to wed on a sailing ship or in a winery. Beach
Wedding Saying your vows to the sound of crashing waves is one great way to remember one of the most important days in your life. On the island of Oahu, you can wed on the white sand with the ocean on one side and coconut trees on the other. After the exchange of rings, carry your new wife into the surf and get drunk on rum punch. Approximately $420 buys you a minister, bouquet, cake, limousine service, and 24 photos. Mountain
Wedding South Africa is a place of unbridled splendor, with forests, mountains and fields that seem endless. The KwaZulu Natal district is especially striking with its warm climate and mountainous scenery. Here you can get married in a manor, a mountaintop chapel, a national park, or several inns and lodges. Then enjoy yourself at golf courses, resorts and hiking trails. To make it a truly African experience, you can include the 12 symbols of African life (wine, wheat, pepper, salt, bitter herbs, water, a pot and spoon, a broom, honey, a spear, a shield, and a copy of the Bible or the Koran) in the ceremony, and follow with a traditional wedding feast known as karamu. Depending on your choice of venue, you can pay from $260 to $700, plus about $30 per person for a dinner reception. Ice
Wedding Have a white wedding -- literally -- where everything is covered in snow and housed in sculpted ice. This is Sweden's Ice Hotel, a popular tourist attraction that also offers ceremonies for brave and cold-loving couples. Tie the knot in a chapel made entirely of ice after arriving in a reindeer sleigh. You'll be treated to a traditional dinner of Lappish (North Swedish) delights. Then sleep on an ice bed covered in reindeer skins and be woken up to a hot drink. For the more daring, an optional safari across the snowfields or a snowmobile ride are available. For a flight to the hotel from London, the ceremony, dinner, and three nights accommodation (two nights in an Aurora cabin to check out the Northern Lights and one in the hotel), you can expect to pay about $3,400. Underwater
Wedding Diving enthusiasts can have it their way, too. In Maui, you can get married while marveling at the colors and liveliness of the underwater world. The ceremony begins on a spacious private boat or on the shore. Then the bride and groom dive in with their gear and exchange vows with hand signals and underwater slates. Finally, the ceremony is completed on the boat or back on shore. About $1,050 will cover you for the boat, scuba gear and wedding officiant. Underwater photography or video is not included. Cajun
Wedding For fun-loving, jazzy, Deep South nuptials, there's no better spot than the Big Easy. Travel to a Cajun chapel through the French District in a horse-drawn carriage. Or sail the Mississippi and say "I do" while passing the city's orgy of lights. A truly Cajun wedding features a procession to a jazzy marching band, in which the father of the bride leads with a white umbrella, while guests strut and dance behind him with handkerchiefs. About $365 per couple is the price for two nights at a French Quarter hotel that includes a ceremony in the courtyard, the reception, breakfast, champagne, and cocktails. Traditional
Thai Wedding If you've got an itch for the mysticism of the Far East, Thailand will let you immerse yourself entirely in its culture. A traditional, legally recognized Thai wedding is the best choice for seekers of the exotic. The Garden of Streams near Chiang Mai is a secluded, dreamlike natural space with sculpted gardens and quaint wooden cabins, where you can have your ceremony and spend several days basking in serenity. You and your bride wear traditional Thai wedding dresses and arrive at the ceremony in tuk-tuk carts. After a ceremonial Thai feast, you can head to a temple where you release birds, fish and/or turtles into the wild as a symbol of merit for this life and the next. A party with Thai dancers and musicians caps off the celebration. And you can choose between a real Thai Buddhist wedding or a Christian ceremony with an Eastern twist. But it's pricey: approximately $1,700 with the right to six guests. Extras, such as dancers, fire balloons and even elephants, will cost you more.
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