04-06 market focus 19/9/08 15:29 Page 5
aking
Setting a trend
More the merrier
overseas nuptials
Parents and friends often travel
with the couple, so wedding
groups can sometimes reach 30
or 40 people. Groups tend to opt
of weeks on a beach. Twin or multi-centre trips for short-haul destinations, but
are more common, with newlyweds combining the Caribbean and Indian Ocean
an African safari with a beach holiday in the attracts those wanting to make
Indian Ocean, several Caribbean islands or their own holiday out of the
contrasting areas of the US. This has been occasion. Such bookings can
partly fuelled by the new “weddingmoon” trend top £50,000, particularly when
where couples marry in one destination and wedding parties take over an
honeymoon in another. entire hotel or private island.
According to a survey of more than 2,000 Kids come too
honeymooners by Teletextholidays.co.uk, The rise in second marriages,
around 89% spurned the traditional two-week where one or both partners have
beach holiday and 25% opted for a two- children, and couples who had
centre honeymoon. In what is described as a children before tying the knot,
“mini-moon” trend, more newlyweds take a has led to a new market of child-
short-haul luxury break straight after the friendly weddings. Lapland is a
wedding followed by a long honeymoon a popular winter choice, as are
few months later. The survey also revealed Greece and Cyprus in summer.
the average cost of a honeymoon in 2008 is Long-haul choices tend to be the
£2,580. Caribbean or Mauritius where
The news is also good for agents. A families often go all-inclusive.
survey by MSC Cruises discovered that Vow renewals
38% of couples booked their honeymoon This market has come from
in person at a travel agency – the rest nowhere over the past decade,
Exotic honeymoon booked online or by phone, or the holiday was and is popular with couples who
destinations (clockwise booked for them by a third party. had a traditional church wedding
from left): Antigua; Most hotels offer special honeymoon packages, in the UK and want an overseas
Machu Picchu in Peru; and operators highlight these in their brochures. ceremony. Popular choices
Explora hotel in ITC Classics even produces its own romance include the Maldives, Mauritius,
Atacama, Chile brochure targeted at couples looking for a Caribbean and Mexico.
romantic escape. Gay ceremonies
These are split between civil
VENUES WITH A TWIST partnerships, which are legally
Couples face a mind-boggling array of choices. binding and conducted in
They can choose to say “I do” in underwater destinations including Canada,
ceremonies in the Caribbean Sea or Indian Ocean; South Africa and New Zealand,
a helicopter flying over the Grand Canyon; and commitment ceremonies,
which are more ceremonial.
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