Added: 01/13/2006 |
Cruise and abroad weddings
Cruise weddings can take place onboard in a public room on the ship, or on a romantic shore such as a beach or a glacier.
The price range of a cruise wedding is just like the one of an ashore wedding - from a few hundred dollars to thousands. You will need to consult with a cruise travel agent, an independent wedding planner, or the cruise line's wedding department to select the best package for you. Although the options may seem to be endless, many packages are similar. Just be sure that your dreams and your budget are in sync.
Examples of Wedding Packages on Princess Cruise Ships
The intense interest in a millennium wedding prompted more than 2.4 million couples across the United States to tie the knot in the year 2000.
As churches, temples, reception halls and hotels were booked quickly, more than 160 of these couples found a unique alternative that combined the wedding ceremony and honeymoon vacation into one complete, special package. The trend towards cruise weddings that started near the end of the millennium has continued into this century.
Princess' largest "Love Boat," the 109,000-ton Grand Princess, provides the opportunity for couples to say "I do" during either a 12-day European summer cruise or a seven-day Caribbean sailing.
The first and only line allowed to perform legal at-sea weddings, Princess Cruises offers all-inclusive wedding/honeymoon packages aboard Grand Princess that bring the couple, family and friends together in a romantic setting to share in this important event.
By August 2000, 97 couples had said "I do" on board Grand Princess.
Princess' wedding program offers passengers a choice of three separate packages that include music, champagne, a bridal bouquet and matching groom's boutonniere, a photo package, a video recording of the ceremony, a wedding cake, a souvenir parchment wedding certificate and a special lithograph painting of Grand Princess signed by the captain.
More extensive packages include music performed by an organist or string quartet, candlelight, floral arrangements and pre-ceremony spa treatments for an additional cost. Prices range from $1,400 to $2,400 per couple.
The three Princess wedding packages offered include:
Diamond Package: Complemented by candlelight, flower arrangements and a string quartet. Dom Perignon champagne with presentation glasses, wedding cake, orchid bouquet and boutonniere are also included. The bride will receive a facial and professional hairstyling in the ship's salon. To remember the day, a deluxe photo package, ceremony video, lithograph painting of Grand Princess and wedding certificate are included. Total cost is $2,400.
Emerald Package: Complemented by candlelight, flower arrangements and an organist. Moet Chandon champagne with presentation glasses, wedding cake, rose bouquet and boutonniere add extra charm. For the bride, professional hairstyling in the ship's salon is included. To remember the day, a photo package, ceremony video, lithograph painting of Grand Princess and wedding certificate are included. Total cost is $1,800.
Pearl Package: Includes a bouquet of mixed flowers and matching boutonniere, Korbel champagne with presentation glasses and wedding cake. To remember the day, a photo package, ceremony video, lithograph painting of Grand Princess and wedding certificate are included. Total cost is $1,400.
Couples can also select one of three different receptions available on board Grand Princess, which begin at $70 per person for up to 80 people. All reception packages include music, hors d'oeuvres, beverages and a wedding cake.
If you are not impressed by a cruise wedding, but still do not want to get married in your home town, or to spend all the wedding festivities in a wedding hall, restaurant or even at home, you can consider an abroad wedding.
Getting married abroad is becoming increasingly popular and with so many exotic destinations to choose from it's hardly surprising.
For many couples jetting off to somewhere exotic that you've always dreamed of visiting is the most romantic way to pledge your vows. The idea that everything is organized for you and all you have to do is decide whether you want a beach location or a tropical garden setting for your ceremony.
Wedding ceremonies abroad are usually non-religious, unless specifically requested. The service is similar to the civil ceremony in your country. Marriages don't need to be registered when you return home.
Many couples opt to bring their family and friends with them to be there on your special day, but if it's just the two of you, your hotel can arrange witnesses, or you can ask any new friends you meet on holiday. If you are traveling alone, make sure you have a video taken to share with everyone back home, you may also like to consider having a party to celebrate on you return.
So, if you have decided on an abroad wedding, here are its pros and cons.
Pro: A complete package. Resorts and tourism organizations have seen the dollar signs behind this trend and so work hard to keep an abroad wedding stress-free and simpler. As a part of a package deal, many offer the complimentary services of their on-site wedding consultant who will help you coordinate all of the ceremony essentials (marriage license, cake, officiant, etc.) Also talk to your wedding coordinator about organizing activities for your guests such as sightseeing, SCUBA or snorkeling excursions, sports, or shopping.
Con: Planning a Wedding Long Distance and Legal Red Tape. If your wedding location is in a foreign country or even another state, you might run into complications when trying to get a marriage license. Consider hiring a coordinator, who specializes in abroad weddings and may help you to over these speed bumps. Check with those tourist boards, which may have literature available to help you find local florists, photographers, and venues.
Pro: Avoiding stressful family situations. With a smaller invitation list, you can avoid feeling "forced" to invite the cousin you can't stand, or the in-law that everyone fights with. Just invite your closest friends and family to the intimate ceremony and celebration, or keep it romantic and don't invite anyone. You can always send them pictures.
Con: Family members and friends you love may not be there particularly; some guests may not be able to attend due to the expense, or the difficulty of getting a day off. Older guests may not be able to travel so far away from home. Talk to those who are truly essential before you book tickets and send invitations. On the plus side, you'll have far more time to spend with the guests, who come to a destination wedding, than those, who come to a more traditional wedding.
Pro: You'll save money by not having 200 people at reception. Spending a luxurious wedding weekend in a dramatic location can often cost less than a seated dinner at a nice location. Abroad Wedding Etiquette calls for the bride and groom to pay for the hotel rooms, food and most of the guests' expenses. Guests pay for their own airfare. If money is an issue, look to domestic locations or countries with a favorable exchange rate, and consider keeping the guest list short.
Pro: By combining wedding and honeymoon, you can afford to go to that dream wedding and honeymoon location. Instead of spending your honeymoon at a Bread and Breakfast close to home, you can have the trip of a lifetime in a glamorous location. Best of all, you'll have an excuse to return there for a 5-, 10-, or 25-year anniversary.
Con: With your family around, and a wedding to worry about, will you really get a honeymoon? Of course, you'll be in a beautiful place, but will you have enough romantic alone time? To get around this, make sure you schedule it and insist on it. Arrive a few days before everyone else (you may need to do this anyway for marriage license requirements), or have a honeymoon nearby afterwards. If neither of these is possible, find interesting things your wedding party can do, while you and your fiancι spend time together.
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