Say “I do” to the beach
THE most memorable Christmas I ever had was when I traveled to Venezuela to be a bridesmaid for my girlfriend, Alexandra at her wedding in 1994. (Major TB!) The wedding was held just before Christmas and it was amazing, but what was even better is that after she got hitched, I got to spend a PERFECT Christmas Day soaking up the sun at a beach on an exotic island. No snow, no stress, no presents, no family drama and no food coma – it was simply pura vida! If you and your love are thinking of tying the knot, or even planning a honeymoon somewhere warm this winter, Transat has some pretty sweet suggestions to make your getaway or special day a most unforgettable one.
Me and my friend Alexandra and her sisters and nieces. Venezuela, 1994
Before even deciding which tropical destination would float your boat, I would get in touch with Transat and give your Transat Travel destination wedding specialist an idea of your budget and tastes and they can come up with a custom trip for you. Speaking of boats, they also offer a variety of exciting cruise packages. If tying the knot is what you want, they can help you plan the perfect wedding right down to the finest details. Not only are destination weddings less expensive than those on home turf, they are entirely less stressful because the resorts have a ton of expertise when it comes to matrimonial guests. Why settle for just one special day when you can celebrate for a whole week with your closest friends and family?
Pineapple centre-piece (Pinterest)
If I were to choose a destination wedding, I would want the location to be picture perfect, so on top of researching the hotels and resorts websites, I would further investigate (cyber-stalk previous brides) on Pinterest and Instagram using the geo-tags of the resorts Transat offers in their wedding packages. Secondly, I would want to make sure that there were plenty of activities for my guests to do before and after the ceremony, so I would look into the various excursions to see which cool local attractions my guests would want to check out. Lastly, I would want my guests to feel appreciated so I would make sure to find a way to thank them, like with a bottle of bubbly in their room upon arrival with a thank you note for being there. If you’ve chosen a destination wedding, your guests are making a substantial financial investment to attend so personally, I would also be sure to include a no-gifts-please note with my wedding invitation.
Guest Gift Bag (Pinterest)
To sweeten the destination deal, Transat offers advantages for the bride & groom to be, like upgraded seating on your flight and a special travel compartment for your gown. Plus, $500 toward future travel (think Babymoon!) and a $100 credit for any of your pre-booked excursions.
Want more inspiration for a destination wedding? Check out the Transat WEDDINGS brochure, which includes 16 pages of tips & tricks from WeddingBells’ experts, including the hottest dresses for 2017-18.
If you do send out those invites in 2017 for a killer sun destination, let me know where you’ve chosen to make your love legal.
This article is sponsored by Transat, opinions are my own.
