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Weddings & Honeymoons


getting more demanding. Far from pared-back romance, some now expect all the trappings of a UK big day but overseas. “They want things


like shellac nails and photo booths… obviously we try our best,” says commercial and product manager Dagmar Marrocco. Mauritius remains


Kuoni’s number one weddings destination while another favourite, Sri Lanka, has dipped slightly, possibly due to increased legalities. “We’re seeing a rise in weddings in Italy and New York; people don’t necessarily want to get married on a beach,” adds Marrocco. Italy is also doing well


for Northumberland-based Travel Counsellor Lizzie Adamson-Brown, who specialises in weddings and honeymoons. “It’s short-haul, it’s


beautiful and those who have children with them know they’re really welcome in restaurants; also the pound is strong against the euro,” she says. The Italy trend, along


with Greece and Cyprus, is borne out by Classic Collection for both weddings and honeymoons. In fact, its honeymoons are increasingly “very high value” multi- centre Italy bookings with rail travel between locations. Santorini is meanwhile popular for short-haul honeymoons through Simply Luxury by Travel 2. Senior purchasing manager Ricky Wason recommends the Mystique Resort, which can arrange candlelit dinners in its wine cellar, and combining the destination with Crete. In Kuoni’s perennial


honeymoon and renewal of vows favourite, the Maldives, this year’s star is a new arrival, the all-inclusive Kandolhu. Also trending are villas in Ubud, Bali and, with the pound strong against the dollar, multi-centre US trips.


Global Travel Group’s Excelle Travel books


many Indian Ocean honeymoons but has also noted the US multi-centre trend, with California fly-drives with Hawaii especially popular. “I recently booked a wedding for two ladies who married in San Francisco and stayed there for five nights, then drove down to LA and San Diego before finishing in Las Vegas,” says managing director Alison Wood. “The feedback from them was great, as it was a perfect mix of idyllic beaches, adventure and nightlife.”


Travelling in style Sri Lanka and Cuba are hot this year for W&O honeymooners, according to general manager Matt Rushbrooke. “We’re finding more people are interested


in a twin-centre to combine two different experiences. For instance, cultural touring in Sri Lanka followed by the Maldives; safari and beach in South Africa; or New York or Miami twinned with the Caribbean or Bahamas,” he says. For adventure within a beach honeymoon, W&O recommends Cap Maison, St Lucia with a private overnight cruise to the Grenadines. Prestige Holidays has also noticed a shift from


fly-and-flop honeymoons. “Less bathrobes, champagne and roses; more pensions, hiking boots and maps,” says general manager David Skillicorn. “Quite a few couples don’t even mention their trips are honeymoons when booking; they don’t want any fuss. We find out from their feedback when they return,” he says, the Plitvice Lakes in Croatia proving a particular favourite. Though the Indian Ocean with Emirates is


Adamson-Brown’s bestseller, the Travel Counsellor says her honeymooners increasingly want “safaris, to get involved in ecotourism, or to drive a soft-top car down the US coast”. Her most adventurous couple requested heli-skiing in Alaska. For Kuoni, group weddings tend to be


short-haul and with 12-15 people while Adamson-Brown’s party size varies widely, topping out around 40 or 50, she says. Jennifer Anniston and Justin Theroux may


recently have raised eyebrows with a “friendmoon”, when after a wedding at home, they invited celebrity friends to “keep the party going” at the Four Seasons Bora Bora, but it seems the trend has yet to take off here. When it does, there are plenty of great private villa options for a house party. In Vietnam, Six Senses Ninh Van Bay has just


unveiled a three-bedroom Hilltop Reserve, while new in the Caribbean are thatched villas with grill decks and cabanas at Paradise Beach Nevis. Kuoni recommends boutique Astroea Beach, Mauritius or Keyonna Beach, Antigua for private take-overs. It also finds some honeymooners seek company on small group tours, through private touring is more common.


Sharing the love Already well established is the “familymoon”, on which newlyweds holiday with their children. Simply Luxury by Travel 2 recommends Domes


DESTINATIONS  WINTER 2015  TTGLUXURY.COM  67


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