Posts Tagged ‘destination weddings’

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Tips for a destination wedding Part 2 (Cost)

Monday, August 8th, 2011

With the average wedding in the UK costing £20,000, your money can go a lot further abroad depending on the exchange rate. So here are some tips to help you make savings.

Tip 1: Hotels have a number of offers. If you stay in the hotel for x number of nights you can get your wedding free or if your guests stay for at least 3 nights you can get your accommodation free. So check the possibilities at your chosen venue.

Tip 2: One of the obvious ways of saving on cost with a destination wedding is to combine the wedding and honeymoon.

Tip 3: Keep travel costs down by avoiding having your wedding during Christmas, Easter or school holidays as these are the most expensive times to travel.

Tip 4: If you want amazing flowers at your wedding to save on cost pick locally grown exotic blooms which will be far more reasonable in price rather than imported flowers such as roses, which can prove quite costly.

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Tips for a destination wedding part 1

Monday, August 1st, 2011

This month we wanted to keep it simple and offer tips to couples considering a wedding abroad. As we all know its your family and friends who really make your wedding day special so our first tips this month is focusing you on them.

Tip 1: It’s important for guests to see this as an opportunity for a holiday and not just one day – your wedding. Give guests as much notice as possible so that they are able to save and book flights and hotels as early as possible.

Tip 2: Give guests a choice of accommodation around the wedding venue to fit their budget.

Tip 3: Consider having pre-wedding drinks or arranging excursions so that guests get to know each other and have a good time in the lead up to your wedding day.

Tip 4: Put a gift bag in your guests rooms with details of the area, things to do, with little touches such as fans, mosquito spray and sun lotion so they know how much you appreciate them making the journey.

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Transporting your destination wedding dress

Tuesday, February 1st, 2011

With a business colleague of mine in the throes of trying to find her dream dress for her wedding later this year, I thought this post would be quite useful.

As we all know the wedding dress is the centrepiece for your entire wedding.  So the hunt to find the dress that brings out your best features and makes you look and feel a million dollars is of paramount importance – that’s why you need plenty of time (at least 6 months) to shop around.

For those of you having a destination wedding, when looking around you will also need to think about the following,

i) Finding the right type of fabric that will not only drape well but is crease resistant and;

ii) Being able to get that perfect dress to your chosen destination.

Focusing on the latter this week, here are a few of my top tips:

1. Most bridal gowns come with a garment bag, until it is time to travel the dress should be stored according to the retailer’s instructions. If none is provided, hanging the dress should suffice. However do not store it in the bag for long-term storage, as it does not allow for changes in humidity, which can cause condensation and mold.

2. If you are flying, many airlines no longer hang special occasion garments. To avoid any problems I would suggest contacting the airline and finding out the specific size of its overhead locker so you can pack it in a box of the right size.

3. There are a number of companies that now offer travel boxes but make sure the box is sturdy enough to protect your dress from any accidents, is breathable and is ph neutral.

4. Pack the dress carefully with acid-free tissue paper, which softens any creases as you pack.

5. And finally once you arrive at your destination hang the dress for a day or two and arrange for your hotel to press or steam your wedding gown prior to your wedding, eliminating any final creases.

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Episode 7: Save on the wedding, don’t scrimp on the photographs..Caribbean edition

Sunday, August 1st, 2010

In the seventh episode of ‘The Butterfly Journal: An Inspiring Wedding Guide, host Michelle Pierre-Carr talks to Steve Cumberbatch from Magical Moments Photography based in Barbados about some of the things that wedding couples need to think about when choosing a photographer for a destination wedding, plus how digital photography has changed the way wedding days are captured.

Standard Podcast [ 11:07 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Episode 7: Save on the wedding, don’t scrimp on your photographs..Caribbean edition

Sunday, August 1st, 2010

So you are in the throes of planning your wedding and attention has turned from finding that perfect venue to choosing your dress to now finding the right suppliers. But there is one key supplier I would suggest that is too important to overlook and that is your photographer.

Why? Because there are essentially two things that survive your wedding day – your marriage and your photographs and by choosing the right photographer that will capture and document your special day so well that they re-ignite your memories every time you, your kids and your family look at them for years to come is without a doubt priceless.

I would recommend starting your research for a photographer as soon as you set the date as really good photographers are often booked well in advance. But if your knowledge on choosing the right photographer is limited this month’s Butterfly Journal podcast is for you.

How to find the right photographer, what to look for and the various styles on offer are just some questions that will be covered. But in the first part of two episodes covering this topic we talk to destination wedding photographer Steve Cumberbatch, owner of Magical Moments photographic services in Barbados, whose 17 year experience of exclusively photographing weddings makes him the ideal person to speak about destination wedding photography.

I can hear you say but aren’t all photographers the same regardless of where they come from. The easy answer has to be no and Steve will quickly point out that the Caribbean though blessed with great weather being close to the equator has a different quality of light compared to say the UK as it tends to be a lot harsher. Therefore  one tip from Steve is you need to be careful when you schedule the time of your wedding because in the summer months the light is better at certain times of the day than in the winter months for example and only a seasoned pro who is used to dealing with that kind of  light will really understand how to use and manipulate it best to their and your advantage.

To give you an idea of the Steve’s work see a couple of pictures below;

And to hear Steve’s full interview head to the Butterfly Journal podcast  at www.pierrecarr.com/podcast.

As always I would love to receive your comments about your experiences on finding a photographer or any of the topics we have covered so far.

Next week we look at tips and questions to ask a photographer?

Until then Happy Planning!

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Episode 6: Choosing a unique wedding venue….The Caribbean

Thursday, July 1st, 2010

Deciding on your wedding venue is indeed one of the most important decisions you will make for your wedding. Whether you are getting married at home or abroad the location you choose will set the mood and the tone for your whole wedding, and will be the focus of your pictures and videos for years to come.

This is where I believe a good wedding planner can come into their own, as they not only get to know you both but will know what you are like and what you are looking for. They therefore should be able to provide you with a number of properties that hopefully you will not only fall in love with but will also accommodate your guest numbers and fit your budget.

As the owner of Pierre Carr, Exclusive Tropical Weddings I am always on the look out for unique wedding locations, so for this month I wanted to give you a little insight into some of the places I have discovered and why they are unique.

Focusing on the Caribbean first,  in the sixth episode of The Butterfly Journal I speak to William Gordon, owner of Fustic House a private estate on the West coast of Barbados, whose property is described by the national trust as the ‘Jewel of the Caribbean’.

Set in 11 acres of land, which dates back to 700 ad, William explains in the episode about the beauty of the property. With designs by Oliver Messel, the discovery of the Arawak caves and the very private and personal service that you would receive when you are on property all which helps to make it unique.

To give you an idea of the property see a couple of the pictures below.

For another option there is the Half Moon resort in Jamaica, which has long, been the destination of choice for the world’s elite. Set on 400 acres of land bordered by an idyllic two-mile white sand beach, Half Moon has everything, including a dolphin lagoon, which in our podcast Myrtle Dwyer, Director of Sales and Marketing explains how Bruno (the Dolphin) can participate in your nuptials.

With a combination of  30 unique locations to get married as well as the dolphins, Half Moon again offers something quite unique. See below for a couple of pictures.

To hear the full interviews by William Gordon & Myrtle Dwyer on the Butterfly Journal podcast go to  www.pierrecarr.com/podcast.

As always I would love to receive your comments about your wedding locations and why you chose them. So please do leave a comment and let me know how you are finding the blog.

Next week we look at tips to help choose your wedding location. Until then,  Happy Planning

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Episode 5: What’s stopping you from having a wedding abroad?

Tuesday, June 1st, 2010

With a large majority of couples now paying for their own weddings, the decision to get married somewhere exotic with close friends and family looking on, now means that destination weddings has become increasingly popular.

According to Mintel one in six, that’s 16% of British weddings now takes place abroad. That equates to an estimated 51,300 overseas weddings, a massive 43% increase since 2003.

By mixing great weather with high standards of service, UK couples now realise that an overseas wedding really can be the way to go. However, whilst many brides dream of a wedding abroad there are a number of reasons why many back out.

Thats why in the fifth episode of The Butterfly Journal podcast, I try to dispel some of these reasons by discussing tips with experts who help to make dream destination weddings a reality in the Caribbean.

To give you an idea of what we discuss – the first major concern for any couple wishing to get married abroad is the Cost, but it doesn’t need to be. With the average wedding in the UK costing £20,000 pounds, your money can go a lot further (depending on the exchange rate) abroad. How?

Well as most Caribbean islands work in dollars £10,000 pounds  = $30,000 Barbados dollars therefore you can get so much more for your money and you’ll also have those great sunset shots to show for it as just one example.

Cedric Lynch and Devon Chase from the Barbados Tourist Board understands this fact as they often have queries on destination weddings to answer.  So in the fifth episode of The Butterfly Journal: An Inspiring Wedding Guide, we discuss the different options that are available in order to stretch those pounds.

The second major concern for couples is often the Guests, as deciding on having a wedding abroad is always exciting for the couple but a lot of consideration has to be made for guests as they are investing more for your wedding.

In this situation I believe it’s important for guests to see this as an opportunity for a holiday and not just your wedding day.  I suggest giving guests as much notice as possible so that they are able to attend and have the time  to save and book flights and hotels as early as possible.  

Carla Risha-Wright from the Ritz Carlton, Jamaica agrees with this point offering sound advice in the Butterfly Journal for occupying guests time before and after the wedding.

Legalities are another major concern as the holiday island you love may not be recognised by UK law should you wish to marry there. I suggest you always check with your destination’s embassy for the exact details or hire a wedding planner like Pierre Carr to sort out the details for you. However, where ever you choose to get married its very important to understand the legal requirements.

Peter Meyer from The Rose Hall Resort and Spa, Jamaica discusses this with me in the podcast referring to the amount of days you need to be in Jamaica before you can tie the knot and the paperwork required.

You can hear more tips on What’s stopping you from having a wedding abroad’ by going to The Butterfly Journal podcast.

And if this post or the podcast  has inspired you please leave a comment or send an email to press@pierrecarr.com. As ultimately this podcast is to help inform you!

Next month, we look at ‘Unique Wedding Locations’.

Until then,  Happy Planning

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Episode 5: What’s stopping you from getting married abroad?

Tuesday, June 1st, 2010

In the fifth episode of ‘The Butterfly Journal: An Inspiring Wedding Guide, host Michelle Pierre-Carr tries to dispel some of the reasons couples back out from having their dream wedding abroad.

Joined by travel and destination wedding experts Cedric Lynch & Devon Chase from the Barbados Tourist Board, Carla-Risha Wright from the Ritz Carlton and Peter Meyer from the Rose Hall Resort and Spa, Jamaica they offer useful and practical tips to make a wedding abroad a realistic reality.

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