WEDDINGS & HONEYMOONS
Fabulous hotels, secluded beaches and excellent service make Thailand the perfect exotic backdrop to the big day
T WEDDINGS 16
Thailand offers extra special touches for ceremonies. Many resorts are able to arrange elephant rides, blessings from Buddhist monks or incorporate the
TOP TIPS
Weddings, honeymoons and romance are a major focus for the Tourism
Authority of Thailand (TAT) in 2014. A special website details 100 places to pop the question, and there’s lots of literature available too, including: a Celebrate Your Marriage in Style booklet; a 200-page book called Dream Weddings in Thailand; a 140-page book called Honeymoon Destination in Thailand; and a To Love To Share brochure. The TAT’s special website is an
excellent source of information:
www.circleoflovethailand.com
Look out for Inspired by Asia’s new dedicated 20-page Thailand
Weddings & Honeymoons brochure.
www.inspiredbyasia.co.uk
here are many destinations with a gorgeous beach to entice
honeymooners, so what makes Thailand extra special? Well
there’s a particularly wide choice of those lovely beaches, and when you add year-round sunshine, stylish hotels and famously good service, you’ll see why Thailand has become a firm romance favourite. What’s more, the country’s lux-for-less value brings treats like swankier rooms, special dinners and spa pampering within reach. Better value also means guests are more likely to be able to join the happy couple for their wedding should they wish.
SUMMER HONEYMOONS Koh Samui enjoys some of the best of Thailand’s summer weather, making it a good choice for couples marrying in the UK seeking a sun-drenched summer honeymoon
The typically high staff-to-guest ratio at Thai hotels makes for excellent service
HOTELS ROMANTIC VENUES
Sareeeya Villas and Suites, Samui
Various wedding packages at this popular hotel incorporate Thai traditions like giving alms to monks, releasing flying paper lanterns, water blessings and drum processions.
sareeraya.com/wedding
The Sarojin, Khao Lak Couples can get married or dine beside a waterfall in candlelit jungle, or take a private spin in the boutique resort’s own motorboat. Other very special tailor-made adventures can be organised by an inhouse ‘Imagineer’.
thesarojin.com
Laguna Phuket
The glass-sided Chapel-On-The- Lagoon is a popular setting for weddings at this resort which actually incorporates seven different hotels.
lagunaphuket.com/weddings
Soneva Kiri, Koh Kood Couples can dine like real lovebirds in a woven pod in a tree, snuggle up for outdoor movies and stargaze in the resort’s observatory. A variety of ‘Romantic Experience’ packages are available at the hotel.
soneva.com
”
Centara Hotels & Resorts A new dedicated wedding site includes packages from around £390 at selected Krabi, Samui, Phuket, Trat and Koh Chang resorts, including beach wedding ceremony, flowers and dinner.
tropicalweddingvenues.com
Amari Hotels & Resorts The hotel group’s dedicated weddings website showcases Thai and Western-style ceremonies. At the Amari Palm Reef Resort, Samui, a Buddhist monk blessing, drum procession and water blessing ceremony are possible.
weddings-thailand.com
tradition of hand-tying into the vows. The release of candle-powered balloons, now popular in the UK, is another Thai tradition. Adventurous couples who are certified divers can really take the plunge, joining the record-breaking mass underwater wedding that takes place every Valentine’s Day off picturesque Koh Kraden near Trang. A Bangkok stay is legally required for completing paperwork, so plan in some city romance. Book a hotel with a riverside garden, a dinner cruise on a teak barge and Champagne toast on a skyscraper top (see Bangkok p.19). Even shopping can be a couple’s experience – browse night markets or choosing stylish homewares at Siam Discovery Center mall, for example. “Twin centres are popular in Thailand, and with many flights via Bangkok it’s easy to stop in the city for a few nights before heading to the beach,” says Kuoni commercial and product manager, Dagmar Marrocco. “One of Kuoni’s top sellers, Rocky’s Boutique Resort in Koh Samui, is an ideal spot to get married. The family- owned boutique resort is set over three pretty beaches with great food, friendly service and an intimate, romantic atmosphere. We offer Western or Thai
”
ALL LOVED UP
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32