Brides Fly, Stay & Play for Free!
That’s right, book your destination wedding with Apple Vacations groups department and if 20 full-paying adult guests attend your DESTINATION WEDDING, the Bride Flies, Stays and Plays for FREE!
Archive for the ‘Destination Wedding Wednesdays’ Category
Jamaica is a great place for honeymoons!
Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010Jamaica - a GREAT place for honeymoons!!
Looking for a tropical, romantic, affordable (or pricey too if you want) honeymoon destination? Jamaica has it all! Jamaica tops many of the “World’s Best Honeymoon” Lists every year. And, Jamaica has an amazing inventory of fantastic hotels with a variety of styles – no matter what your romantic preferences may be.Here are just a few of the many wonderful choices available to you. Let us help you plan your romantic honeymoon to Jamaica!
Goldeneye, once the home of Bond’s creator, Ian Fleming, is now a resort run by Island Outpost ( www.islandoutpost.com), a collection of five distinct small properties located in Jamaica and the Bahamas. Created by Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records and Palm Pictures, Island Outpost tries to create environments reminiscent of staying at a good friend’s home. Among its Jamaican properties are Goldeneye, Strawberry Hill and The Caves, all wonderful choices for romance. Throughout the resort’s 40 acres are beaches, a tropical forest, caves and secluded nooks. Five villas stand on a bluff over the Caribbean Sea, while Fleming’s former home overlooks a secluded cove.
The Caves, Island Outpost’s haven in Negril, is situated on a volcanic cliff honeycombed with grottoes. One such grotto is candlelit for dining, another features a hot tub. The Caves underwent extensive refurbishments, including upscale in-room extras and new facilities.
Negril’s Couples Swept Away is one of four Couples (www.couples.com) properties in Jamaica. This 234-room, 18-acre all-inclusive resort situated on one of Jamaica’s best beaches is highlighted by its spa and by five quality restaurants specializing in cuisine from Jamaican to Asian to Mediterranean. The mood is set by the private hammock that hangs outside each suite, in-suite Jacuzzis and the hors d’oeuvres that are delivered each evening to couples who wish to enjoy them with a glass of wine on their private balcony. The resort also has a special in-room dining menu available nightly. The property’s 10-acre fitness complex specializes in body shaping, yoga, Pilates and abdominal workouts. Other popular programs for those looking to grow a little closer are Soca dance classes, cocktail mixology and the Couples Resorts’ signature massage course. Here, couples learn the art of a romantic massage.
Half Moon (www.halfmoonweddings.com) recently added a Romance Concierge program, staffed by specialists who help plan weddings. A Romance Concierge is prepared to coordinate florists, chefs, spa therapists and other wedding services, as well as offer creative suggestions. Among the details he or she can arrange are gourmet picnic baskets or a champagne beach ride on horseback, with a private breakfast on the beach just after dawn. The Half Moon resort stretches across two miles of beaches, featuring manicured gardens, a semi-enclosed chapel, a spa and restaurants. Accommodations include suites, cottages and villas. Half Moon also features a recently renovated Robert Trent Jones, Sr.-designed 18-hole golf course, the Half Moon Golf Academy, 13 lit tennis courts, an equestrian center, fitness center, 51 swimming pools, a Dolphin Lagoon and more. Fern Tree, The Spa at Half Moon, recently opened with beachfront spa suites, hydrotherapy swimming pools, yoga pavilions and a host of treatments.
The 74-suite Royal Plantation Ocho Rios (www.royalplantation.com) is Jamaica’s only member of Leading Small Hotel of the World. The adults-only resort was originally opened in the 1950s, and its elegant British Colonial plantation style still recalls a time when luxury was much more exclusive. The resort sits on a bluff some 25 feet above the sea, with 74 suites looking out over the ocean. The “Royal Plan” allows guests to receive the added convenience of an all-inclusive.
Last November the resort won a World Travel Award as the Caribbean’s Leading Honeymoon Resort. The resort offers such activities as private cooking classes or a couple’s treatment at the Red Lane Spa. Set on 17 manicured acres, its flagship accommodation is a private, 3,000-square-foot, three-bedroom villa with a private pool and dedicated household staff. The resort, a Sandals property, underwent a complete renovation in 2004.
Round Hill Hotel and Villas (www.roundhilljamaica.com), is a luxury resort in Montego Bay. The resort sits on a former pineapple plantation on a 110-acre peninsula, where guests may be accommodated in either the 36-room Pineapple House Hotel (recently designed by Ralph Lauren) or in one of the 27 individually owned villas with suites overlooking the sea. The resort features gardens, a secluded beach and a spa in an 18th-century Great House at the edge of the sea. All suites have huge verandas, air conditioning, ceiling fans and Jamaican antiques.
Sandals (www.sandals.com) spent $6 million and four months renovating its Whitehouse Hotel European Village Spa on the south coast of Jamaica, a project completed in December. Sandals Whitehouse opened in 2005 with government participation in order to bring tourism to a part of Jamaica that sees few visitors. Set within a pristine, 500-acre nature reserve, Sandals Whitehouse comprises three seaside European villages—French, Italian and Dutch.
The resort’s 360 rooms and suites in nine categories, all with beachfront views, are complemented by eight restaurants and six bars; the largest freshwater pool in Jamaica; and a European-style square, complete with duty-free shops, formal gardens and more. As with all Sandals Resorts Luxury Included vacations, Whitehouse offers exclusive butler service in select room categories, unlimited premium-brand wine and spirits, and championship golf, among other amenities.
Sandals offers many other stunning properties in Jamaica!
SuperClubs (www.breezes.com or www.superclubs.com) rechristened three Jamaican properties to the Breezes brand. Breezes serves a value-conscious market that’s every bit as interested in romance as the high-enders are. The Grand Lido Braco became Breezes Resort & Spa Rio Bueno. The Breezes Resort & Spa Rio Bueno houses within its grounds the Braco Village at Rio Bueno, a “hotel-within-a-hotel.” The Village includes a separate au naturel section with 52 beachfront suites and a 24-hour clubhouse serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Au naturel, or nude, bathing is offered at many Breezes resorts, but it shouldn’t be confused with the sort of market that Hedonism is reaching out to.
It’s more akin to the kind of bathing you find on the Mediterranean. All guests receive Rio Bueno’s Super-Inclusive amenities, including complimentary rounds on the resort’s golf course, a selection of dining options, room service in suite accommodations, cooking classes with the culinary team, and access to the sauna as well as the fitness center with floor-to-ceiling views of the beach.
Jamaica Inn (800-837-4608, www.jamaicainn.com) is an independent property that has been operating in Ocho Rios since 1950. This little jewel of 47 suites and cottages offers lodging without TVs, radios or clocks for the couple who seeks to get away from it all without forgoing luxurious comfort. Every suite and cottage has sea views that can be appreciated from balconies or verandas that are fitted out with a large sofa and breakfast table. The cottages are free-standing suites with oversized bathrooms featuring a separate shower and tub, and marble floors. Each has an outdoor shower and an infinity pool for plunging, just off the bedroom.
Cottages Three and Four are exclusively private, with their own entrances to the sea. A wet bar is located in the living room of each. Cottages are available by request only.
Consider a Destination Wedding
Thursday, January 21st, 2010
Destination weddings is the fastest growing trend in weddings!
There are so many good reasons to choose a destination wedding.
Here are just 7 reasons to consider a destination wedding:
- There are an endless number of spectacular destinations for you to consider for your romantic, perfect destination wedding!
- They offer a more intimate and personal experience for you, the groom and all your guests. Every detail can be hand crafted and customized to ensure the experience is exactly what you want.
- The Experience…That is exactly what a destination wedding is…an experience. One in which your guests get to participate in creating the memories that will stay with you for a life time. They are very much a part of customizing the details!
- Destination weddings give people an excuse to splurge and take a vacation. In today’s economic climate most people look forward to having a reason to get away and relax. I f having your guests participate and attend your wedding is really important to you then consider their needs when choosing a location. Your dream may be the Maldives in the Indian Ocean, but do consider if the guests you would like to have at your wedding will be able to attend the destination you choose. Keep in mind the costs, the travel expense as well as accommodations.. If children are involved is the location kid friendly or is it all adult? If your destination is international all your guests will need passports. Always give your guests at least 8 months notice to plan for your wedding.
- Destination weddings usually cost less and allow more to be spent on you and the guests experience at the wedding.
- One of the biggest reasons to consider a destination wedding is the ease of limiting the number of guests attending and cutting your costs. Typically, people don’t expect to get invited to destination weddings. So, that 3rd cousin on your dad’s side of the family that is loud and always embarrasses himself at the family reunion…you can get away with not inviting him by saying you are having a very small group of close family and best friends in an exotic locale.
- Many resorts such as Sandals offer wedding packages to make planning a destination wedding easier. Some basic wedding packages are even free! Resorts often have on site wedding planners to assist you with your destination wedding.
Destination (Wedding) Wednesdays November 4, 2009
Thursday, November 5th, 2009
Jamaica Mon! No problems Mon!
Tropical palm lined beaches, clear aquamarine waters with white sand beaches, sailing, snorkeling, gourmet ala carte dining, piano bar, beach bonfire, nightly entertainment, gorgeous sunsets, friendly service staff just waiting to accommodate your every whim…amazing rooms, handy swim up bar, top shelf liquor, outstanding beach club services, laughter, all this and great friends to enjoy it with! Does it sound like you missed out on something fun and exciting? Ya Mon…. you did!
You really need to take a look at the wonderful island of Jamaica to experience first hand the gentile hospitality of the Jamaican people and Couples Resorts. They have four properties to choice from all with their unique personality and style but yet consistent first class service.
Here are our top 10 reasons we love Jamaica and Couples resorts:
1. They speak English Mon!
2. You can drink the water without getting Montezuma’s revenge! A big plus if you don’t want to spend your trip on the porcelain thrown!!!!
3. The spirit of the Jamaican people is warm, friendly, full of personality and truly gentile. Their true desire it that you will have the best time of your life so you will return to the island over and over again.
4. The food is outstanding and the unlimited adult beverages…anyone for a Dirty Monkey? Seemed to be the adult beverage of choice for the group.
5. Every beach chair has a floatie to use and relax in the crystal blue Caribbean Sea. You will never fight for a beach chair…. there is an abundance of chairs.
6. Getting to Jamaica from most US destination is easy and won’t eat up your precious beach time.
7. It’s all included…FREE! Couples Resorts includes more activities and amenities than any other resorts on the island. Whoda thought scuba diving lesson and scuba trips would be free? 18 holes of golf…FREE. A beach party throw down that would rival the best luau in Hawaii…FREE. Sunset catamaran cruise, included. And the best of all….. no tipping!
8. Clean, Clean, Clean, the grounds and the beach were always groomed and clean and made ready for the next days beach goers.
9. Au natural beaches for those who want to step out of the box and get a full bronzed body tan. Careful not to get a burned booty…Ouch! I think I need some aloe there. No worries mon…. if stepping out of the box is not your thing, they have regular swim suit beaches. For inquiring minds, no one in our group felt brave enough to step out of the box to achieve that overall sun kissed bronzed body.
10. We have to finish with lazy afternoons and amazing sunsets…if you can’t unwind and relax here mon your top is wound far to tight…..remember that profound Jamaican wisdom…no problems mon, only situations….so therefore no worries mon!
We loved our Jamaican getaway and the warm tropical breezes, sunny smiling faces and the incredible hospitality of Couples Resorts. The only problem to contemplate is which resort to return to!
Destination (Wedding) Wednesdays October 28, 2009
Wednesday, October 28th, 2009Planning the Perfect Honeymoon in Hawaii
(TIP: It’s more than just buying the air fare!)
Kauai's stunning Napali Coast
I once had a bride call to book a honeymoon cruise in Hawaii. I asked her if they might like to fly to Oahu a day early to have some time on the island before the cruise. I told her about Honolulu, Waikiki, Diamond Head, Don Ho, and of course, Pearl Harbor. To my utter amazement she said (in all seriousness) “What’s Pearl Harbor?”
Hawaii is an amazing and diverse collection of islands in the South Pacific. Before you even begin planning your honeymoon, DO read up on as much as you can aboout Hawaii! If you want a fabulous honeymoon with an opportunity for Polynesian Culture, white sand beaches, tropical rainforests, adventure and activities, gourmet restaurants and more, then Hawaii is for you! Each island offers a different atmosphere and different opportunities. If you have the time to visit more than one island, you should! We recommend at least 4 nights on each island, which islands you pick is up to you!
Clothing: The islands of Hawaii each have many different climates – including snow! Consider what activities you plan to enjoy, then pack (fleece jacket if going to Haleakaka, sturdy hiking shoes if hiking on the lava fields). There are many useful guidebooks that offer in depth information on various activities and what to wear. Overall dress is “aloha wear”. Be casual. You do not need to bring a suit, dress slacks, or fancy cloths (unless you want to!)
Weather, Water and Sun: October to May the temperature averages mid 80’s during the day and mid 60’s to mid 70’s at night (light jackets or sweaters are recommended for the evening). These months see more rain but unless there is a weather system, the rain doesn’t usually last long. May to October averages mid to high 80’s during the day and mid 70’s at night. The year-round average water temperature is a warm 74 degrees. The sun is very, very strong. Waterproof sunscreen with maximum protection is essential.
Hotels, be sure to ask: Many hotels offer discounts for honeymooners or extended stays. They may also offer room upgrades or amenities for honeymooners. Just because a hotel is on a beach does not mean it’s on a “swimmable” beach. What does “partial” ocean view really mean? Is there a charge for parking? Is there a “daily activity fee”?
Time and Money: Hawaii does not observe daylight savings time. During the Spring and Summer months, when the clock is turned ahead, Hawaii is 6 hours behind Eastern Standard Time (EST), 3 hours behind Pacific Standard Time (PST).
The islands have many banks and ATM’s. We do recommend traveling with more than one ATM or credit card in case something happens to your primary card. Check with your bank before you go about fees they may charge for using your ATM out of network.
Common Sense and Need to Know: Do NOT leave valuables in your rental car, on your beach blanket, or loose in your hotel. Use the safe in your hotel room if you must bring valuables that you won’t be carrying on you. If renting a convertible is a MUST (which we think it is!) rent a convertible with a lockable trunk.
Be sure to ask about discounts when booking activities (AAA, military) and do book the most popular activities in advance. Research and read up on vendors and talk with them directly before you arrive. Beware of special deals where you get a free dinner or activity if you go to a time share presentation. Although you may actually get a free dinner, what’s the point.? Your time in the islands is so limited, use it wisely!
Car Rental and Driving: The islands do not have great public transportation – and with the exception of Honolulu, you will need a rental car. There are major roadways that will take you along beautiful coastlines, to waterfalls, through rainforests, and even to a live volcano! If you are under 25, do check with the rental agency about their policies. Auto insurance is a must. Be sure to check with your auto insurance policy and your credit card about what, if any, protection they offer before you leave.
Start your honeymoon planning at the Hawaii Visitor’s Bureau : http://www.gohawaii.com/
Before you go to Hawaii, buy yourself a guide book and do your homework!
Simplicity Life Travel recommends, Wizard Publications: Ultimate Kauai, Big Island Revealed, Maui Revealed, Oahu Revealed
When you arrive at the airport, be sure to look for, and pick up, the updated ACTIVITY and VISITOR GUIDE for that island. They’re often in stands near the baggage claim. Go, relax and have the honeymoon of your dreams!
Oh and be sure to create a honeymoon registry with Simplicity Life Travel! You can fill your registry with fun activities like snorkeling at Molokini Crater, a Napali Coast Boat Cruise, a visit to Pearl Harbor, couples massage on the beach, Zip Line Tours, biking down Haleakala…. the list of fun and romantic activities is endless!
Destination (Wedding) Wednesdays…
Wednesday, October 21st, 2009Imagine your perfect wedding…
Destination (Wedding) Wednesdays for all your destination wedding and honeymoon tips.
Has he said “Will you?” and you’ve said “I will” (or visa versa)? Is your dream wedding on a beach? Is it in a stunning tropical paradise? Maybe it’s high on a mountain top? Are your friends and family surrounding you as you exchange your vows?
“Fiji has a way of making dreams come true. Be assured of one thing in this South Pacific Paradise… say “We do” in Fiji and you will experience a dream wedding that will provide fantastic memories that will last a lifetime….”
On Wednesday’s we will post ideas about where to have the perfect Destination Wedding or just the perfect honeymoon with tips and recommendations about making your dream come true!
Simplicity Life Travel can help you book your dream destination wedding. And don’t forget, even if you have a destination wedding, you can still create a fabulous honeymoon registry!
