Destination weddings don’t come cheap—-for the bride and groom or their guests. I got married in Hawaii—-one of the most popular spots for destination weddings–only it wasn’t considered a destination wedding since I was born and raised in the Aloha State. However, many of our guests considered it a destination wedding given that they flew thousands of miles to attend the ceremony.
With Valentine’s Day just a few weeks away many couples are finalizing the details of their February destination weddings. Meanwhile, many other couples that get engaged on February 14th will soon be making their own plans for a getaway wedding.
If you read the POP CULTURE blog then you know most destination weddings are far from inexpensive. Celeb couple Eddie Murphy and Tracey Edmonds just exchanged vows a few weeks ago in a lavish multi-million dollar destination wedding on a private island off French Polynesia’s Bora Bora. Sure, they broke within days of retuning from the tropical paradise, but I doubt the location had anything to do with that. The point is if you are looking for seclusion, destination weddings go a long way to guarantee privacy on your big day.
Bora Bora is considered a hot spot for luxury destination weddings, but so is Necker Island. It’s where 34-year-old Google co-founder Larry Page just said “I do” to his 27-year-old bride. Billionaire Sir Richard Branson owns the 74-acre island in the British Virgin Islands and you can host your wedding there for about $47,000 a day, with a five-day minimum stay. As part of the island’s destination wedding package your guests can stay in the eight-bedroom Great House or in one of the five smaller Bali houses that dot the island; together they sleep 28 guests. You can then choose between an informal beachfront wedding and a more formal ceremony indoors. Other amenities included in the wedding package are a couple’s massage, access to water sports, lessons with a professional tennis pro, all meals and drinks, and boat transfers from Virgin Gorda or Beef Island (Tortola) airports.
Besides Necker Island, other up and coming ultra-luxe destination wedding sites include Turtle Island in Fiji and Ireland’s Ashford Castle. Both offer all-inclusive wedding packages, which feature luxurious lodging and top-notch amenities. One & Only Reethi Rah in the Maldives is another destination wedding site that is becoming increasingly popular with couples big wedding budgets. The resort is situated in the Indian Ocean’s North Male’ Atoll. While budget conscious couples can take advantage of the Legendary Sunset Wedding Package for a mere $2,480, couples who want the entire 109-acre island all to themselves (and their wedding party) for three full days will have to shell out $1.2 million.
Did you spend big bucks hosting a destination wedding?
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