Just Perfect!

WITH international destinations and places like Goa & Jaipur aggressively marketing themselves as wedding destinations, it comes as no surprise that wedding excitement in and around Mumbai had slowly begun to decline in the last few years. Added to that was the fact that there just didn’t seem to any viable venue options. The ones available were either too far out, unaffordable or just not grand enough.

With Discover Resorts in Karjat, this trend is gradually changing. Maharashtra is now a serious contender in the race for the ideal wedding destination. Located 10km from Matheran, 60km from Thane, 86km from Mumbai and 120km from Pune, at the foothills of the Sahyadri Mountains. Equipped with pool/mountain facing private residences and round the clock hospitality, this resort is ideal for the big day.


Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

The Largest Indian Wedding in Thailand

SPLASH Beach Resort, Mai Khao Phuket is positioned to become a favorite destination wedding venue in the region after Kishore Samtani, an entrepreneur from Hong Kong, hosted a reception banquet and 5 day destination wedding celebration for more than 1,300 guests at his son's wedding in the 19-hectare grounds during November 28 – December 3, 2018.

The wedding of Kunal Samtani, son of Kishore Samtani, to Divya Vaswani was the largest wedding ever held in #Thailand with five-day of festivities held at Splash Beach Resort where a 3,200 square metres air-conditioned marquee, Thailand’s largest, was built for the wedding celebrations. The resort served guests more than 25,000 meals, 12,000 coconuts, over 1,500 bottles of premium liquor and champagne including Dom Pérignon, Yamazaki Single Malt throughout the 5-day celebrations.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

A few days off . . .

HEADING off to bonnie Scotland for a family wedding so we'll be back on Monday.  

Slàinte!

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Wedding Tourism

THE recent global attention on the Royal Wedding of the Year between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle goes to show just how big the wedding and honeymoon business is.

Big weddings are not just for the British royals, though, and #Malaysia is keenly aware of the great potential the industry can bring to its tourism business especially from markets such as #India where it is estimated that more than 10 million #weddings are organised each year.

Tapping into this market, which is said to be a recession-proof industry is one of Tourism Malaysia’s strategy to boost its tourism revenue. Recently, Tourism Malaysia invited six of India’s top wedding planners from Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi to see what Malaysia could offer as a wedding destination for their clients. Also invited were a wedding magazine journalist and a wedding photographer.



Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Float down the aisle

WHY walk down the aisle when you can float? In its latest upgrade following completion of a two-year renovation, Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay has launched new ocean-view water weddings including Bali’s longest overwater aisle, measuring 57 metres, or 187 feet.

The floating venues – launched as part of a new Ultimate Water Wedding Experience – maximise the Resort’s unrivalled views and exotic ambience. Located in a quiet corner of Jimbaran Bay, the all-villa beach retreat blends traditional Balinese architecture with chic sophistication and 14 hectares (35 acres) of tropical gardens cascading down to the turquoise ocean.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK
Picture credit: Four SEasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay

Say I do in London

AS the UK gears up for the royal nuptials of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on 19 May 2018, London’s official visitor guide, visitlondon.com celebrates the very best of the capital’s reigning wedding venues.

Say ‘I do’ at the Zoo! ZSL London Zoo hosts around 40 weddings a year between its two venues, The Mappin Pavilion and Prince Albert Suite – both offering exciting views of the animal residents. Make your day even more special by getting up close and personal with the animals or host a drinks reception in Penguin Beach (or another animal house). You can even stay overnight at a one of the Gir Lion Lodges, where guests are encouraged to sleep with the windows open to soak up the sounds and experience ZSL like no other. ZSL is still available to book on the 19th May!

For those culture vultures, the soon-to-be newlyweds can immerse themselves and their guests in the charming setting of the Dulwich Picture Gallery, against a background of famous works by Rembrandt, Gainsborough and Canaletto to name a few.

Enjoy your day in the beautiful surroundings of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park with a wedding at the ArcelorMittal Orbit, the UK’s tallest sculpture. Journey to the top of the 262ft viewing platform to say your vows against the stunning panorama of London’s skyline. For a more unusual start to married life, adrenaline-seeking couples can also hire The Slide, the world’s tallest and longest tunnel slide.

For something a bit more historic, the happy couple need look no further than Middle Temple - one of the four ancient Inns of Court. The Elizabethan Hall boasts a soaring, double hammer beam roof, stained glass windows, and comes complete with its own Minstrel Gallery. The Hall was famously the setting for the first performance of Twelfth Night, with Queen Elizabeth I and Shakespeare himself in attendance.

Give your wedding a touch of glitz at the May Fair Theatre at the May Fair hotel, the official hotel to the British Film Institute and London Fashion Week. As well as weddings, the May Fair’s luxury screening room is home to film premieres, screenings and theatrical performances.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

I Do . . .

IMAGINE walking towards the rest of your life over a glass-bottomed aisle, accompanied by ancient turtles and kaleidoscopic fish. Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru now offers its most breathtaking bridal backdrop: a “floating” overwater pavilion that elevates the #beach #wedding concept to a spectacular vantage point, allowing couples to pledge forever above the infinite life and endless beauty of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve ocean in the #Maldives.

Located off the northeast tip of the island, accessible only by boat, the overwater Wedding Pavilion is a freestanding, pillared structure: light and airy with lofty vaulted ceilings (maximum height 6 metres or 20 feet); shimmering titanium-polished concrete floor with glass bottom “aisle”; and wrap-around, bi-folding floor-to-ceiling glass doors to three sides, opening onto timber decking.

“Landaa’s wild natural beauty has hosted so many incredible weddings and celebrations,” comments Regional Vice-President and General Manager Armando Kraenzlin. “Our UNESCO Biosphere Reserve location really sets up apart, and our vision with the Wedding Pavilion was to incorporate this in a way that surpassed anything we’d offered before. Now wedding couples can surround themselves by – and draw inspiration from – the power, possibility and abundant beauty of the ocean.”

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Wedding Tourism given a boost in Greece & Cyprus

THE first and only international platform for booking a date for a civil wedding in Cyprus and Greece, BookYourWeddingDay.com was launched with great success last year. Most of the most popular hotels in Cyprus and Greece, town halls, tour operators, and wedding planners participate in the platform, which has already gained a great number of visitors from UK and other countries.

The platform, a Cyprus-born idea, revolutionizes and simplifies the procedures needed to book a date for civil marriages. The lengthy procedures could take from 6 to 8 weeks, but users are now able to instantly check availability of the venues and hotels and book the desired venue with the click of a button. This is expected to increase wedding tourism in Cyprus and Greece, the countries currently participating in the platform.

The recent partnership between travel giant TUI UK and BookYourWeddingDay.com, looks to reinforce the wedding tourism wave towards Cyprus and Greece, offering improved, automated, and simplified booking procedures.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Club Med Weddings

NOW introduced at three Club Med resorts – Club Med Sandpiper Bay (Florida), Club Med Cancun Yucatan (Mexico) and Club Med Punta Cana (Dominican Republic) - a dedicated wedding planner is located onsite to assist couples with every detail.

Each of the three new packages begins with a wedding planning consultation via phone or email and ongoing communication leading up to the special day to ensure each ceremony and reception is flawless. 

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Boom in beach brides as Brits opt for overseas weddings

TRAVEL agents are seeing increased demand for #beach #wedding locations, according to research by Post Office International Payments. 

The research, which involved telephone interviews with 115 travel agents, has shown that Cyprus was the number one overseas wedding destination over the course of the last 12 months and travel agents predict this will continue over the next year. There is confidence that international weddings market is set to grow over the coming year, with 58 percent expecting budgets for overseas weddings to increase by an average of 12 percent, compared to just five percent who think budgets will get smaller.

The top five destinations for overseas weddings all offer a high chance of sunshine, with the Caribbean Islands the second most popular destination followed by Greece, Italy and Mexico. 

Between June and September, traditionally the busiest months for weddings, Post Office International Payments sees a 40 percent increase in the average value of payments sent abroad for wedding-related expenses compared to the rest of the year.

Rob Scott, MoneyGram® manager Post Office, said: ‘With the risk of rain ruining wedding photos in the UK, it is easy to see the attraction of getting married on a beach in the sun. It is no longer a case of eloping abroad; with cheap flights and hotels people increasingly hold the full scale celebrations for large numbers of guests overseas.

‘Organizing an international wedding inevitably involves a lot of high value payments to overseas suppliers. But the cost of these payments can really mount up if you automatically use a High Street bank, which often charges around £25 per transaction. Specialist international payments providers are an easy way to reduce these costs, offering peace of mind as couples can lock in an exchange rate for up to a year saving themselves money if the pound weakens in that time.’

Although beach locations were the type of destination showing the biggest growth in popularity, one in three travel agents also reported growth in demand for countryside locations, and 28 percent for city locations. Others reported increased demand for getting married near historical monuments, in mountain or jungle locations, or on cruise ships.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: Timeless Love via photopin.com

How to splash out – or not – on honeymoon costs

#TRAVEL money company No.1 Currency has compiled a list of the most sought-after five-star hotels in ten top #honeymoon #destinations, coupled with business class and economy flights for people planning to tie the knot this summer. 

For the ultimate honeymoon fantasy – privacy and perfect beaches – you will need to splash the cash. A two-week stay at the St Regis Bora Bora Resort will set you back more than £16,000. And of course you will have to find a way of getting there, so for the whole package – flights and accommodation – you’ll be looking at a price tag of between £20,000 and £30,0000, depending on whether you decide to fly business or economy. If you can’t afford quite that much but still want a luxurious get-away, there’s the Seychelles.

For those on a slightly tighter budget, Mexico and the Greek island of Santorini offer value for money. With the peso being one of the only currencies to weaken against the UK pound in the last year, sterling will go much further if you decide to head to Mexico. While they are cheaper alternatives, they do offer all the perks of luxury holidaying – beautiful beaches, master suites, and amazing scenery.

Simon Phillips, retail director at No.1 Currency, comments: ‘Weddings are one of the biggest days in a person’s life and it’s no secret that they cost a small fortune – an average wedding in the UK costs around £20,500, and that’s excluding the honeymoon.

‘Bora Bora’s beaches are considered some of the most stunning in the world, making it a magnet for those wishing to relax in luxury and escape the hustle and bustle of daily life. But you’ll have to be willing to loosen the purse strings if this is your idea of the perfect honeymoon getaway. With honeymoon prices soaring to almost £30,000, shopping around can help when it comes to choosing the ideal honeymoon location. Keeping an eye on the exchange rate can also help to cut costs, especially since the pound is so volatile at present. Cape Town and Mexico might be a good shout, given that their local currencies are the only two that Sterling has strengthened against in the last year.

“Although Sterling has fallen against the Thai baht, Thailand still offers great value for money. With its lush jungles, mouth-watering food, stunning beaches, and cheap prices, it’s no wonder Thailand is a popular option. Despite the weakening pound, Thailand still offers honeymooners with smaller budgets the prospect of inexpensive but lavish accommodation.’

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Say ‘I do’ at 450ft

IMAGINE saying ‘I do’ at 450 feet. From September, couples will be able to do just that on British Airways i360, the world's tallest moving observation tower opening this summer on Brighton beach.

The pod, which can hold up to 198 people for wedding ceremonies, provides 360o views across the ocean, Brighton, and the coast.

There is a Sky Bar, where guests can toast the bride and groom before descending to the beach building where celebrations can continue.

Wedding reception menus will use the local ingredients from the South Downs and Sussex region. For those wanting a more informal style celebration, British Airways i360 wedding packages include a BBQ and bowl food option … and there’ll be a wedding planner on hand to help with, er, wedding planning

Wedding reception packages start at £70 per person.

weddings@britishairwaysi360.com

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Win a wedding!

PLANNING a marriage and looking for an unusual – and quite special – luxury venue? Appleby Castle, dating back to early Norman times and in 27 acres of Cumbrian countryside, could be it. 

The castle’s wedding licence has been renewed, and its first wedding fayre is scheduled for March 20. The names of couples attending the event will go into a draw, the prize being a free #ApplebyCastle #wedding.

Able to handle small parties to groups of 200+ guests – and with five wedding packages on offer – the castle has numerous rooms for civil ceremonies. 

They include the Great Hall (15th century, refurbished in 1686); the 15th century old Chapel; the Lower Hall, with seating for 100; and the Bee House, renovated in 1652.

Some of the bedrooms for guests – and the happy couple – have four-posters, and there are 17th century cottages available as self-catering accommodation. 

The castle is also available for business conferences, filming, and sporting events. It holds history tours, stages open-air theatre and battle re-enactments, and other activities for holidaymakers include golf, fishing, and shooting. 

www.applebycastle.co.uk/AC

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Waiting for the wedding …

GETTING married abroad can be romantic but also a bureaucratic nightmare. You have go through legal processes of one sort or another everywhere, but in these countries it’s little less of a headache than in many others … 

Cyprus
All paperwork is in English and couples don’t have to spend a certain period of time on the island before they get married, so they can have the wedding and honeymoon within a week.

Rhodes, Greece
Getting married in Greece is relatively straightforward, although the couple do have to be in the country for a full week before the wedding so they will need to book a fortnight holiday and get married in the second week. Santorini is another big wedding island in the Aegean.

Barbados
The Caribbean has long been one of the most popular overseas wedding destinations for British couples and Barbados, arguably the most ‘British’ of all the islands in the region, is a safe bet. Couples need to register only 48 hours before getting married, so it is easy to organize.

Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is popular because it’s good value and has unusual wedding options – few places allow the bride and groom to ride off into the sunset on the back of an elephant, or marry on a moonlit beach to the hypnotic sound of drums. On a practical note, the couple need to be in Sri Lanka at least five working days before the wedding. Good flight connections from the capital Colombo mean it is easy to combine a Sri Lankan wedding with a honeymoon in the Maldives.

St Lucia
Another favourite Caribbean option, a special licence allows couples to be married within 24 hours of arrival and the choice of venues ranges from a deserted beach to a botanical garden, church, or yacht.

Las Vegas, US
Getting married here isn’t quite as uncomplicated as popular myth has it; there is paperwork. Both parties must appear in person at a Clark County Marriage Bureau location and present identification with ages and names. It, though, almost instant. There's no waiting period; couples will get their marriage licence on the day they apply for it … and the marriage bureau is open from 8 a.m. to midnight daily. Divorce in the state of Nevada, of course, takes somewhat longer.


Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/28113499@N08/5526299075">"Endless love"</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">(license), http://www.flickr.com/photos/44124348109@N01/150969285">Runaway Bride</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license)

Bahamas top spot for weddings

The #Bahamas have been named 2015 Leading Wedding Destination at the World Travel Awards. 

‘We in The Bahamas know our islands present an idyllic setting for destination weddings, so it is an honour to see such recognition from a prestigious organization such as the World Travel Awards,” says Ellison “Tommy” Thompson, deputy director general at the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism.

On the Bahamas couples can marry on one island and honeymoon on another, have a ceremony underwater, or have dolphins in attendance, says the ministry. For accommodation, there are large resorts, private villas, and small guest houses.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Fly Away Bride

WITH many UK couples looking for reliable weather and lower wedding costs, the trend for getting #marriedabroad is increasing. Airport Parking & Hotels (APH) is hoping to assist Fly Away Brides to plan ahead with a comprehensive guide which compares airline policies for transporting wedding dresses and cakes abroad. 

The research compares guidelines across 15 major airlines including easyJet, Virgin Atlantic, and Thomson Airways, and highlights policies for carrying dresses as hand baggage and hold luggage. The guide also highlights the airline regulations relating to how the dress needs to be packed and whether any additional baggage options are available.

All of the 15 airlines in the study were found to allow wedding dresses to be transported as hand luggage, although 14 of the airlines offer no additional baggage allowance for the bride. Couples who have booked a wedding package through Thomas Cook are entitled to 11kgs hand luggage spread across two bags for each person travelling, instead of the usual policy of 6kgs in one bag.

When it comes to packing wedding dresses, airlines such as Air Canada, British Airways, Lufthansa, and US Airways recommend that it is packed in a foldable garment bag to reduce creases and damage during the flight. Virgin Atlantic require the dress to be packed in a separate suitcase marked 'fragile wedding garments' if it is to travel in the hold.

Brides travelling with British Airways and Virgin Atlantic can ask for their dress to be hung in a wardrobe storage area if space is available. Ryanair will go one step further, allowing passengers to book an additional seat for their dress for the duration of the flight. They must pay the full ticket price for the seat occupied.

Three of the 15 airlines compared in the survey, including Aer Lingus, easyJet, and Flybe allow passengers to bring their wedding cakes onboard. For those travelling with Aer Lingus, there is the option of checking the cake in or carrying it as hand luggage, while easyJet says they must be carried only as hand luggage.

Travellers flying with Flybe and opting for a traditional Scottish wedding abroad should be aware that the kilt pin and sgian gubh (sock knife) can be carried only as checked luggage … for obvious security reasons. 

The research can be found in the Know Before You Go section of the APH website … www.aph.com/weddingdresses

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/96763131@N00/3622624786">Rp and Lauren Wave to Their Fans</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license)

Accolade for Blenheim Palace

BLENHEIM PALACE has won one of the 2015 Hudson's Heritage Award. 

It took the award for Best Wedding Venue, and was Highly Commended in Best Eating Out award.

Established in 2011, the Hudson Heritage Award programme is an independently-judged annual national scheme open to historic houses, gardens, museums, and heritage sites. 

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: "Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxon" by Francois Thomas via Wikimedia Commons

Weddings in the sun …

COUPLES-TO-BE have been inspired by George Clooney’s nuptials to opt for an overseas wedding, according to Kuoni.

The tour operator said it has seen a 20% increase in enquiries for Venice since Clooney married there last year.

And while the Maldives is still the run-away favourite destination for honeymoons, the company is finding more honeymooners are looking for adventurous destinations and experiences. 

Favourites include the United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Mauritius, and Mexico.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: "Bacino di San Marco in Venice 001" by Moonik - Own work. via Wikimedia Commons.

Jamaica tops for weddings

JAMAICA has triumphed at the World Travel Awards… the island won five awards, including the title of the world’s leading wedding destination. It also won the award for the world’s leading heritage project – for the port of Falmouth, where the town’s English colonial architecture has been preserved.

Round Hill Hotel & Villas at Montego Bay collected the award for the world’s leading villa resort.

Elizabeth Fox, regional director UK/Northern Europe for the Jamaica Tourist Board, said: ‘These awards reflect the extensive offering that Jamaica has to offer travellers in search of every type of holiday, from honeymoons to cruises to luxury get-aways.’

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: 'Montego Bay East' by WPPilot-Own work via Wikimedia Commons

Say 'I do' in Yorkshire

SELF-CATERING company Natural Retreats has gone into the weddings business, offering marriage ceremonies and receptions for parties of up to 200 at its property in Swaledale, Yorkshire.

Rental prices at the Sanctuary for the ceremony and reception start from £2,500. Receptions are held in the main building, and there are 18 3-bed self-catering lodges.

Packages include a personal wedding planner, spa treatments, and flowers on the big day.

www.naturalretreats.com/uk/weddings-yorkshire-dales

Go Holiday news

www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

For WEDDING INSURANCE try; http://govillasandcottages.co.uk/blue-wedding