Destination Wedding Travel Costs: Reducing Costs of Traveling and Lodging When Marrying Abroad
Couples planning a Caribbean wedding, a Kauai wedding or ceremony in the snow will agree: traveling to a destination wedding can cost a lot. Try to get the best bargains and save on travel and lodging expenses with these easy-to-follow tips.
Be Flexible With the Destination
Sure, the Maldives is a beautiful location, but staying there for a week can cost a fortune. Why not opt for locations such as the Virgin Islands, Mexico or Jamaica? These counties are equally as beautiful and won’t cost as much.
Heading over to Europe? Choose for countries that are not so expensive. Getting married in Paris can be really expensive, but a marriage in sun-drenched Croatia will cost only half as much. Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam are also good options for those not wanting to pay too much. A nice and tasteful dinner in these countries can cost anything from $2 to $10, drinks included. Lodging prices are equally as cheap, but expect to pay a little more in the big touristic areas like Thailand’s Phuket.
Play With the Dates of the Wedding and Honeymoon
It is absolutely necessary to get married during the busy holiday period? If not, couples can save a lot on airfares and lodging expenses just by avoiding travel during the holiday season.
Most hotels will offer cheaper rates for the same amenities during low-season and room rates can even drop $350 a night. Also, calling the hotels and inquiring about special deals (like honeymoon specials or room-rate promotions) can do the trick. Don’t mind about getting hitched during the hurricane season? Then benefit from the special promotions offered by hotel resorts located in the Caribbean area, Florida or Mexico and save hundreds of dollars.
Boarding the plane on a Tuesday or Wednesday instead of a Monday or Saturday can also save a lot of money. Check airfares on Tuesday nights, that’s when the best bargains can be found.
Choose for All-Inclusive Packages or Rooms With a Kitchenette
Why pay $35 for a meager breakfast? Get a room with a kitchenette and buy food at local stores. Cook up a nice meal and save tens of dollars a day or spend the saved amount on a dinner splurge.
For couples who don’t like to cook themselves but don’t want to pay an arm and a leg for breakfast and dinner each day, an all-inclusive package is the best option. These packages include 3 meals a day (often in buffet style), several snacks during the day, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and ice-creams. Beware though, couples planning to spend a lot of time on excursions or daytrips will not benefit from these kind of packages. Not being at the hotel means not being able to profit from the free food and drinks.
Check Exchange Rates of the Wedding Destination
Off course currencies fluctuate on a daily basis, but some countries always offer the best value, not matter the financial climate. These include Slovakia, Poland, Czech Republic, South Africa, South-East Asia and Argentina.
Being Flexible will Save Money
Choosing an affordable destination for a wedding and/or honeymoon and being flexible with dates are two easy ways for couples wanting to save money. Destination packages and traveling outside the busy holiday season are also great money savers.
Read MoreChoosing the Right Pillow
Pillow has become a vital component in our day to day life as, the work we do, the more it tends to sitting around a desk, more issues a pillow can resolve. Just think about it, how many of us, who sits around the computer the whole day, is suffering from back or neck pain? Most of the time, we used to think that, there’s something wrong in our body but more often than not, it can be due to a very simple reason – the wrong alignment while sitting for a long time which creates tension along the spinal cord resulting in pain.
Now there’s nothing we can do as, we have to face adverse situations in work place and we do have to endure it. What is in our control, is that, while sleeping, we can provide the neck and the back, the perfect alignment with which, all these pain related issues can be resolved up to some level if not completely.
This where zonkd.com helps you in choosing one basic aspect of sleeping…. The Pillow. Generally pillows are made for with taking into account of how large number of people will want. But the end result is devastating. It will be a neither here nor there. No two persons are same and they have different habits. So how one pillow can suit them all?
Wouldn’t it have been nicer had you had options while choosing a pillow? With zonkd.com, now there is indeed a solution. Zonkd.com provides you with the options to choose the right pillow for you. No one will dictate what type of pillow you should use but only you.
If you love to sleep on the stomach, then zonkd.com provides a flat pillow so that, even while sleeping, the body remains in an angle which eases the tension and much of the body weight is evenly distributed rather than putting all in the same place thus avoiding the issues of future pain. Not only that, but even if you sleep in different position than above, zonkd.com can help you in choosing the right pillow for that occasion too. Supposing you love to sleep on the side, a flat pillow isn’t a suitable replacement as it was in the case above. For you, a puffy pillow will be needed which will take the body weight thus maintaining the angle of the body while sleeping sideways. With the option of choosing from puffy pillows in various ranges, you also have the opportunity to use them as leg spacers.
The main aspect to notice here is, you aren’t bind to anything. With years of research behind their back, zonkd.com has devised various customization by which, you can chose the pillow that’s right for you. Even there’s a hybrid type where a balance between flat and puffiness is met which is used for people sleeping on their back.
It’s the quality and nature of the material which distinguishes each of the categories. Pillow was never considered an important aspect in our life, but as years turning, many researchers have come to conclusions that, it is the pillows and the core material from which they are made, can make a big difference.
Remember last time when you had woken up with a big headache? It may very well can be attributed to you sleeping in a position which your body may not sustain thus working up the pain receptors which will in turn initiate the pain. With zonkd.com, now you simply have the opportunity to choose the right pillow for you and freedom from all those headaches or back pain.
Read More
How to celebrate your 15 year anniversary
If you wake up one day and realize that you are soon going to celebrate 15 year anniversary, it would make you both nostalgic as well as emotional. You are going to complete 15 years of association with the person you walked the aisle with. 15 years is indeed a very long time. Considering the changing world and lack of time one has for others, being with the same partner for 15 years in by no stretch of imagination a mean task. You are among the chosen few who have been privileged to remain committed and nurtured over and over again. Nobody can make the event special than you yourselves – the couple.
15 year anniversary is also a stark reminder that you are not going to get any younger. It is a gentle tap to remind you to continue your course with your life partner. If you are looking for a unique gift, take a look at slateplate’s 15 year anniversary gift. You can consider a diamond ring. A diamond is forever. Like the luster remains dazzling, so should your partnership. A diamond ring would make an ideal 15 year anniversary gift for your partner. If you can go a bit further, you can surprise your partner with a pair of wedding band. If possible renew your wedding vows as well and bring back memories of the beginning of 15 years of love, sacrifice, and affection.
Just finding out a 15 year anniversary gift is not enough to celebrate the auspicious moment. What is the point of celebrations if you cannot be with your partner on the anniversary day? So the first gift that you can give your partner is your time and attention. Be together from the morning till the midnight and do everything together. I can give an idea about the food. Cook the lunch at home (together) and go for a candle light dinner at night. Do not forget to cut a cake.
For those who are trying to figure out the perfect 15 year anniversary gift – crystal is the theme used for 15th wedding anniversary. But let me tell you, 15 years you have been with your partner and you know what he/she needs. Buy one gift that is always useful for your partner. This will give your partner the comfort and safe feeling – My wife/husband knows what I need.
Read MoreTop five 15 year anniversary gifts that can be given
If you are married to the same person for more than a decade, you are one of the most fortunate beings on this planet. If one has spent 15 years of his or her life with the same partner, it is a testimony of the understanding they have with each other. So, to bless the couple with the most thoughtful gifts, we bring you our list of 15 year anniversary gifts.
A pair of coffee mugs:
There is something about the coffee mugs that can excite people of all ages, once they are able to hold it. If it has the name of either one inscribed with writing – ‘the best husband in the world’ and ‘the best wife in the world’, you know you have created an impact!
A photo frame:
Memories are precious, more so because they are the only remaining strands of the good times that we had. Capture the memory in a click; put it in a photo frame and you know you are all set to make the memory immortal. A photo frame would be a good 15 year anniversary gift for the deserving couple. Look for something that is in a retro design and you would know that you have already found the perfect gift for the couple.
A ticket for a holiday:
For those who can spend that extra buck to see a smile or two in your loved one’s face, it would be a good idea to gift the couple a ticket to a holiday destination. Everybody needs a break from the routine to recharge their minds and bodies. The couple who has spent 15 years together deserves time to be spent alone, away from the melee of their professional life.
A sculpture:
If you are looking for something that scores high in terms of aesthetic value, but not much in utility, then you can look to gift a well-sculpted statue or even a cast. A sculpture of a couple sitting with their handheld says quite a lot of things that words cannot. A sculpture of a couple kissing also would not be a bad idea for 15 year anniversary gift.
A romantic novel:
This isthe gift for the couples have a penchant for reading. A romantic novel can rekindle those dormant feelings and reveal the love that prevails in the air. If the couple is not the reader kind, a set of romantic movie DVDs would do!
Read MoreEdward VIII Wedding Chateau in the Loire Valley: Chateau de Cande where the Duke of Windsor Married Wallis Simpson
Duke and Duchess of Windsor: Marriage of the Century
In France it was hailed as the marriage of the century. Hounded by the world’s press, the former King married the twice-divorced American socialite on 3 June 1937 in the secluded Chateau de Candé just outside the little town of Monts in the Loire Valley. The marriage gave her the title Duchess of Windsor.
Despite being situated in one of the most visited parts of France because of the many grand chateaux in the area, Chateau de Candé is comparatively unknown. It stands on a hilltop surrounded by over 600 acres of parkland with woods and a lake.
Charles and Fern Bedaux
At the time of the royal wedding, the chateau had recently been bought by Charles Bedaux, a millionaire engineer and his American wife, Fern. They knew Mrs Simpson and offered it to her as a discreet venue when the new King George VI, Edward’s brother, told them to find somewhere away from the prying eyes of the press.
Wedding of former King Edward VIII and Mrs Wallis Simpson
The marriage ceremony was held in the large library which has floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and a superb 3000-pipe organ, one of only three of its kind in the world still in working order. On the wedding day a leading organist was engaged to play a Handel march as the bride entered.
Then everyone proceeded to the panelled music room for a short service where a small altar had been installed. A lavish wedding buffet with a 5-tier wedding cake was laid out in the dining-room which is medieval in style with walls hung in gold-embossed leather and a richly painted oak beam ceiling.
Photographs of the Duke and Duchess were taken on the decorative stone balcony at the entrance to the chateau and also in the Renaissance-style salon-rouge beyond it. This room is sumptuously decorated with locally-woven red silk on the walls and a huge fireplace with a carved wooden surround.
Chateau de Cande’s History
The oldest part of the chateau dates back to the 16th century but it was extended in the 19th century and then modernised by the Bedaux in the 1930s. They installed luxuries like central heating, en-suite bathrooms and even a telephone exchange. In the grounds they created a golf course where the Duke played during the month he and his bride spent there waiting for her second divorce to be finalised.
She occupied an elegant bedroom suite, now prettily decorated in buttercup yellow and refurnished in 1930s style. Its lavish art-deco bathroom still has the original blue mosaic tiles surrounding a large washbasin and free-standing bath – all very avant-garde at the time. Beautiful 1930s dresses are on display in her dressing room.
“Cande For Ever” Exhibition
Also on show today is a permanent exhibition, “Cande for Ever”, devoted to the chateau’s connections with the royal couple. It includes historic memorabilia, photographs and documents. Preparations for the great day were particularly fraught as by French law the marriage ceremony had to be conducted in public so the local mayor was reluctant to officiate. Eventually he was persuaded on condition that the estate’s wrought-iron entrance gates were left half-open.
The chateau was bequeathed to the local community by Mrs Bedaux who died in 1974. It opened to the public in 2000 and can be visited between April and September from Wednesday to Sunday.
Read MoreHow to Have a Different Wedding in New Zealand: Getting Married Down Under can be an Adventurous Event
When New Zealander Angie Watson and her British fiancée Marc Brierley decided to get married in New Zealand, they wanted to make it an extra special day. Family and friends would be crossing the globe for the event and the future Mr and Mrs Brierley planned to make it an occasion they would all remember.
Rotorua Duck Tours Transported Guests to the Blue Lake
Guests assembled at the Rotorua Information Centre where they were collected by Rotorua Duck Tours in ‘The Duck’, an amphibious vehicle that transported them on a scenic tour to the Blue Lake and into the lake itself. During the tour, guests were entertained by the operator’s lively oratory on local history, geography and culture. After paddling out into the Blue Lake guests were returned to shore then taken for a scenic drive along fern-fringed roads to nearby Lake Okareka where the groom was able to command the vessel.
Skyline Skyride Management Coordinated a Fleet of Four-Wheel Drive Vehicles
Having delivered his passengers safely ashore Marc Brierley handed the helm back to the Duck Operator and guests were taken to their next port of call, Skyline Skyrides, where the bridal couple and guests were to be lifted onto the slopes of Mount Ngongotaha. Here misfortune struck. The gondola operation had experienced mechanical difficulties and was temporarily shut down.
Skyline Skyride management quickly came to the rescue, co-ordinating a fleet of four-wheel drive vehicles to transport the wedding party to a grassy plateau where guests could enjoy a glass of champagne while awaiting the bride and groom. Each member of the wedding party was also presented with a voucher so that they could enjoy a gondola ride at a later date. Skyline Skyrides: 185 Fairy Springs Road, Rotorua, New Zealand, Ph: 7 64 347 0027 enquiries@skylineskyrides.co.nz www.skylineskyrides.co.nz.
At sunset, overlooking Lake Rotorua, Angie Watson and Marc Brierley became husband and wife. The ceremony was conducted by a local marriage celebrant who had helped the couple write their individual wedding vows. The temperature was unusually cold for the summer season in New Zealand but emotions were warm as guests looked on.
The Bride and Groom Arrived at the Reception by Luge
Some of the older guests chose to be chauffeured in four-wheel drive vehicles down to the permanent marquee in a stand of redwoods where the reception would be held. The more adventurous, including the bride and groom, and all the younger members of the wedding party elected to don crash helmets and take the luge.
By the time the reception was underway darkness had fallen in the redwood grove. Fairy lights sparkled in the marquee and a gas brazier kept guests warm while they enjoyed a buffet dinner and danced to the music of a jazz duet.
“This was a really different wedding for people in the UK,” says Angie Brierley. “Our UK guests were a bit bewildered when we told them we’d be getting married on the side of a mountain. Afterwards, everyone said what a brilliant day it had been – nothing like they could have imagined.”
Getting Married in New Zealand
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Anybody can marry in New Zealand as long as they are both legally free to marry.
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Marriages may be solemnized by certified Marriage Celebrants.
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If a couple elects to be married by a Marriage Celebrant, the ceremony can take place at any day and at any time on which the couple and Marriage Celebrant agree.
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Registry Office marriages can take place Monday – Friday 9:00am to 4:00pm.