Best Wedding Chapels
Weddings & Honeymoons - Six of The Best Wedding Chapels
Organising what should be the most important day in a couple's life is a daunting task, but it is one that is becoming easier because of the ever expanding choice of fabulous overseas destinations where Brits can tie the knot. Couples were increasingly looking for somewhere different for their nuptials, such as iconic locations like the Sydney Opera House or off-the-beaten track destinations such as Fiji or San Francisco.These days everyone is looking for something more unusual than an average beach wedding. Possibly for this reason, Scandinavia, and in particular Lapland, has seen the biggest increase in bookings in the past 12 months.
Sydney Opera House, Australia
Why is it special?
Not only is this one of the greatest iconic structures, but the Opera House is also situated on one of the most beautiful harbours in the world. The wedding takes place overlooking the harbour with Sydney Harbour Bridge as the backdrop.
Other facilities on offer: Sunpex Travel recommends couples stay at the funky Vibe Hotel in Sydney, which has a heated rooftop pool, sauna, gym and a restaurant with Australian-style cuisine.
What's in the area?
Couples could celebrate their marriage by climbing Sydney Harbour Bridge or, for the more sedate, taking a lunch or dinner cruise around the harbour. Recommended excursions include a day trip to the famous Bondi surf beach, hiring a car and driving to the Hunter Valley wine-growing region, or joining a sightseeing tour to the Blue Mountains where you can ride on a scenic railway.
Red tape: Getting hitched Down Under is relatively easy but all relevant documentation must be presented to a wedding co-ordinator in Australia at least 31 days before the wedding.
Sample Package: Sydney Opera House starts at £2,259 with Sunpex Holidays. The price includes sparkling wine and a bouquet, orientation and guidance meeting and witnesses if required. Two weeks' room only at the Vibe Hotel, including flights, starts at £1,800 per person, departing in July.
For latest prices & deals just complete our simple booking enquiry form.
Cancun Resort And Spa Mexico
Why is it special?
Imagine saying your vows on a cliff top, surrounded on three sides by the crystal clear Caribbean Sea. It is this unique spot, where the hotel has cited its weddings gazebo that draws couples to the hotel, for their nuptials for a sunset wedding.
Other facilities on offer: there's a spa with whirlpools, plunge pools, sauna, a massage menu, reflexology, aromatherapy and a Turkish steam room. There's also a fitness room, yoga and, for diehard romantics, outdoor movies. For a unique wedding celebration, bride and groom can swim with dolphins as the resort is home to Mexico's first-ever dolphinarium.
What's in the area?
The four-star property, built in traditional Mayan style, is also well-located in central Cancun, close to the bars and nightclubs, so it appeals to a fairly young market. Kayaking, golf and water sports are available nearby.
Red tape: for weddings in Mexico, all documents required for the marriage, such as birth certificates and passports, must be legalised by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London. Also, original documents, such as birth certificates, must be certified by a solicitor.
Sample package: Sunpex Travel offers wedding packages from £665. A seven-night stay starts at £929 including flights, all-inclusive accommodation and transfers in September.
For latest prices & deals just complete our simple booking enquiry form.
Langjokull Glacier, Iceland
Why it is special?
This is a great spot for couples who hanker after a white wedding. They'll tie the knot in a mobile glazed lodge with floor-to-ceiling views of the desert ice cap, which stretches as far as the eye can see. The ceremony is followed by a seafood buffet and an exhilarating snowmobile safari across the glacier.
Couples staying at the Hotel Borg in the capital, two hours from the glacier by jeep. The Borg is to Reykjavik what Claridges is to London - very posh, very plush, with elegant furnishings and private facilities.
What's in the area: Reykjavik is one of the coolest capitals in the world in more ways than one, but when couples tire of the sightseeing and the nightlife there are lots of excursions on its doorstep. Not to be missed are the Blue Lagoon, whose warm mineral waters among the black rocks of lava are supposed to provide health benefits to bathers, the giant stalagmites and stalactites of Gullfoss, plus the famous Geysir area.
Red tape: Weddings in Iceland are quite straightforward to organise, though Sunpex Travel need at least six weeks' notice to get the paperwork in you must have a non-impediment to the marriage certificate from your local registry office, dated within four weeks of the wedding.
Sample package: Sunpex Travel organises weddings in Iceland from October to April. Prices have yet to be fixed for next winter but last season they cost from £1,990 per person for a five day package including flights, transfers, four nights' bed and breakfast, the wedding, wedding breakfast, and cake and snowmobile safari.
For latest prices & deals just complete our simple booking enquiry form.
World Yacht , New York
Why is it special?
World Yacht, which cruises down the Hudson River past New York and the island of Manhattan, is a room with one of the best views in the world. Couples are married on the deck before the public boards for the evening cruise.
Other facilities on offer: after the evening wedding ceremony on board, the yacht will take the couple on a romantic three-hour cruise, passing close by the Statue of Liberty, during which they'll be served a four-course Ambassador service dinner, including champagne and a wedding cake. There will be dancing too.
What's in the area?
Couples will stay in Manhattan where there are endless sightseeing and shopping opportunities. Must-see attractions include the Empire State Building, Central Park and tours of Harlem, the Bronx and Brooklyn. The bride and groom could splash out on a helicopter tour of the city or simply see it on foot.
Red tape: You need to arrive in New York at least 24 hours before the wedding to prepare for the ceremony but there are no onerous legal requirements.
Sample package: Wedding and dinner cruise costs £864 per couple, which includes a limousine transfer to the yacht from the hotel, booked through Sunpex. Six nights' room-only at the Edison Hotel, located in the Broadway theatre district, costs from £727 per person in June, including flights.
For latest prices & deals just complete our simple booking enquiry form.
Santo Winery, Santorini, Greece
Why is it special?
The bride and groom exchange vows outside on a roof terrace overlooking the smoking caldera across the sea. The best time for the ceremony is one hour before sunset, when it is cooler and the colours more romantic. Couples can buy a commemorative bottle of wine to celebrate their wedding. Optional extras include beauty treatments, a wedding car and musicians. The bride will have a hairdresser and beautician on hand and a local photographer and video camera man are available.
Couples, who stay at the chic but minimalist Tamarix Del Mar Suites, will have breakfast in bed and wine in their room on arrival
What's in the area?
Santorini, with its unique volcanic landscape, is one of the quietest, most traditional of the Greek islands. It offers secluded beaches where bride and groom can relax before and after their wedding, picture-postcard villages with blue-domed churches and white-washed houses.
Red tape: Prior to the wedding, all documents must be legalised by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and then translated into Greek. Both bride and groom must obtain documents confirming their single status from their local registry office, dated within three months of the wedding.
Sample package: Sunpex offers wedding packages at the Santo Winery from £459, including the cake and sparkling wine for the bride and groom. Seven nights at the Tamarix Del Mar start at £569 in September, including flights.
For latest prices & deals just complete our simple booking enquiry form.
One & Only Resort Le Saint Geran, Mauritius, Indian Ocean
Why is it special?
For couples who enjoy barefoot luxury, this resort takes some beating. They have a choice of wedding locations on the beach, in the hotel's garden, overlooking the blue lagoon or in a private villa. Other facilities on offer: three gourmet restaurants, golf, a gym and a Givenchy Spa, plus live evening entertainment. There is also a lap pool down to the beach. Scuba diving is available to the east and north coasts of the island and the resort's new Kite Surfing Centre offers courses for all levels. Additional water sports include water skiing, windsurfing and boat rides. The resort's sports team organises tennis, mini football, beach soccer, badminton and volley ball matches, yoga classes and cross-island bike rides.
What's in the area?
Trips to nature reserves, hiking trails and trips to the Botanical Pamplemousses Garden can be arranged by the hotel the capital Port Louis is good for shopping and there's a naval museum at Mahebourg.
Red tape: Divorced women or widows cannot remarry in Mauritius less than 300 days after the date of their decree absolute or from the date of the death certificate of their late spouse, unless they have a medical certificate issued in Mauritius stating they are not pregnant.This will be taken care of by Sunpex Travel for you.
Sample package: Sunpex Travel offers weddings from £2,665 per person in August. The price includes flights, private transfers, seven nights' accommodation, a decorated arch at the wedding location, bouquet, floral arrangement, cake, bottle of champagne, candlelit dinner, wedding photos, facial for the bride and massage for bride and groom, a boat trip and breakfast on the beach.
For latest prices & deals just complete our simple booking enquiry form.