Wedding Style Magazine

by Bob Curley

Lisa Light has organized destination weddings in the shadows of the Great Pyramids and under the shade of olive trees in Greece, in a manor house beside Lake Como in Italy and within the adobe walls of a colonial Mexican chapel. For a ceremony atop Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, an expert climbing guide led a couple to the summit, where the groom donned a top hat and the bride unfurled a veil as they exchanged vows. Later, the newlyweds went on safari to Ngorongoro Crater, a refuge for the rare black rhino.

"A destination wedding is an opportunity to create a once-in-a-lifetime experience, not just for the couple but for their family and friends, as well," explains Light, a wedding planner and author of the book Destination Bride.

The world is full of exotic and appealing wedding locales. The One & Only Palmilla resort in Los Cabos, Mexico, for example, is known for its Spanish church and casita-style rooms; a champagne-colored Hummer is on call for guest use. "The staff knows personal things like sizes for guests' slippers and their robes," says Light. "They ask ahead of time for your favorite drinks so the mini bar in the Hummer and the rooms are properly stocked."

Another of Light's Mexican favorites is the nearby Las Ventanas, which she calls "a perfectly balanced point of paradise on earth."

"Ventanas is Georgia O'Keefe meets Gauguin," she says. "The colors are fantastic; the beachfront suites seem to be set exactly where the sea and sky meet forever. I love this property most for its serene edgeless pools and its organic elegance."

Europe remains the classic destination for an overseas wedding, and Greece and Italy are renowned for luxurious resorts set amid timeless and unforgettable vistas.

The Perivolas resort on Santorini, for instance, is perched cliffside above the Aegean Sea. "The rooms were created from 300-year-old caves," explains Light. "Perivolas offers privacy, history, and elegant simplicity, and the purely Greek scents of the sea mixed with lemon blossoms. It's a boutique hotel that's the perfect size for a wedding party to take over."

Described as "heaven on earth" by writer Herb Caen, the Villa D'Este on Italy's Lake Como is known for its sophistication and attention to detail, says Light. "Think old European elegance mixed with modern amenities, international cuisine, and a Zen spa," she says. The Hotel Danieli, on the other hand, is "the epitome of Venetian romance and elegance" – a 14th Century private residence just steps from the Piazza San Marco.

For a taste for the exotic, consider the Mena House Oberoi Hotel, a circa-1869 palace just outside Cairo, with views of the pyramids at every turn. Light suggests "a Bedouin night wedding, with a camel trek to a desert encampment and all-night dining and dancing." At the other end of the continent is Sabi Sabi Lodges in South Africa, where couples can marry in a clearing in the bush before settling in for their wedding night at Salati Camp's presidential suite.

India's incomparable Taj Lake Palace seems to float in the middle of Lake Pichola, luring couples with a mix of colonial charm and eastern mystique. "Imagine marrying on a ceremonial barge, with a spectacular view of your accommodations," says Light. "Perhaps you could begin your wedding with an elephant procession, and finish with fireworks over the lake."

The Amanpuri resort in Thailand has an entire fleet of boats that can be used for wedding celebrations. "Traditional Thai lodges and villas are strewn with flower petals, jasmine and orchid garlands for a wedding, which usually takes place by the pool with the Andaman Sea in the background," Light explains.

Planning a destination wedding takes more than putting a finger on a map. Light says couples need to consider factors such as safety, local marriage customs and restrictions, and distance as well as accommodations, catering, and the availability of a beautiful sunset. She warns that couples may unintentionally limit their guest list if they pick a destination that requires excessive travel – even if they indulge in the "ultimate luxury" and charter a private jet for their guests.

"I can't tell you how many times I've had couples cancel because they didn't know grandma was deathly afraid of flying," says Light, who recommends that couples run their plans by 'must-have' guests before making any final decisions.

Each wedding is memorable in its own right, but a destination wedding done right can surpass even the most lavish event a couple could organize at a hometown venue, says Light.

"You spend a lot of time and effort planning your wedding day, but typically the reception is over in six hours," she says. "With a destination wedding, you can spend several days together with your loved ones. It's the best way for the two families to merge, so by the time the wedding rolls around it's a great party, because everybody knows each other."