Wedding Planning Advice
At Sunpex Travel we have than 25 years experience in the travel business. Many times customers have come into the shop having decided after hours of research where they want their dream wedding & honeymoon only for us to point out that it is the monsoon season on the date they had decided. With this in mind it's crucial for you to decide where & when to have your dream wedding or honeymoon but it's even more important to find out the best time of the year. So let’s look at some popular destinations
No bride wants to deal with a hurricane on her wedding day or torrential rain on her honeymoon. At Sunpex Travel we will arm you with knowledge about these meteorological pitfalls, so that when you decide to make the right judgement call.
Weddings & Honeymoons- Caribbean and Mexico
The warm climate and sunny days make the Caribbean ideal for year-round weddings. Most islands see more rain in the latter half of the year but tropical showers tend to be brief and many hotels will re-arrange weddings if the heavens open. For example, Couples Tower Isle in Jamaica says that if a tropical shower is expected, the team will do everything in their power to provide maximum flexibility with the time of day, the venue and even the date if needs be.
Sunpex Travel Sample Package :Two weeks at Dreams Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic with charter flights costs £3,275 per couple next April. This includes a free wedding package when five or more rooms are booked for a wedding party (minimum seven nights).
To Book Your Wedding & Honeymoon just complete our simple booking enquiry form.
Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, Gulf and Pacific coasts are also plagued by hurricanes - the best time of year to visit is November through to May when the threat has receded and it's generally drier.
Sunpex Travel Sample Package: Two weeks' all-inclusive at the Sandos Caracol Eco Resort & Spa in Mexico costs £1,189 per person based on two adults sharing next February. Honeymooners get a bottle of rum and fruit basket.
The Caribbean hurricane season lasts from June 1 to November 30, peaking in September hurricane Ivan did major damage to Grenada, the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, St Vincent and Tobago in September 2004.SuperClubs's Hurricane Guarantee in Jamaica and the Bahamas reimburses the value of disrupted nights and provides a voucher for a future stay. Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao and Barbados lie outside the hurricane belt.
Weddings & Honeymoons- Africa & Indian Ocean
Kenya and Zanzibar are perfect in peak wedding season, July and August, As they are equatorial, temperatures hover around 30C. In addition it's the best time to witness the wildebeest migration.
Sunpex Travel Sample Package: A wedding at Ashnil Samburu camp in Kenya costs £1,190 and includes fees, licence, cake, sparkling wine, flowers, fruit basket and 72 photos.
Honeymoons: The best times to visit Mauritius are either April/May to mid-June or mid-September to December.
January to March is the warmest months but there's a risk of cyclones. July and August are the most requested by honeymooners although they are not the best weather-wise. They tend to be the coolest, with temperatures more in line with the UK and perhaps cooler at night.
Sunpex Travel Sample Package: Free accommodation for brides at the five-star Residence in Mauritius. Seven nights' half-board costs from £1,459 including flights, private transfers and lounge passes.
To Book Your Wedding & Honeymoon just complete our simple booking enquiry form.
Weddings & Honeymoons - USA
More than 120,000 couples get hitched in Las Vegas every year. It's a year round destination - either hot or very hot. But in the past we have found is best to avoid the winter season when it's slightly cooler as many outdoor hotel pools are closed.
The city is a big conference destination, and during November and February the hotels are usually booked out by conventions but at present, Americans are not flocking to Vegas and prices are at an all-time low, so go while there are so many offers
Sunpex Travel Sample Package: Three nights' room-only at the five-star Venetian from £715 per person, with flights. Wedding ceremonies onboard the resort's ornately decorated white gondola cost extra.
For adventurous couples, suggest combining a Vancouver stay with an Alaska cruise and bear-watching tour. The Alaska cruise season runs from May to September. Its summer but the weather can still be unpredictable. So the advice is to pack plenty of layers. Prices are lower in May and September and crowds are reduced too.
Sunpex Travel Sample Package: 13-night tailor-made holiday to Canada and Alaska, including four nights at the Fairmont Waterfront hotel, seven nights onboard MS Zuiderdam and a two-night Grizzly Bear and Wildlife Watching tour, from £2,755, including flights. Bear watching is available mid-May to mid-October, whale watching from April to October.
To Book Your Wedding & Honeymoon just complete our simple booking enquiry form.
Weddings & Honeymoons - Australasia
Whether barefoot on the beach or in its beautiful chapel, Hamilton Island in the heart of Australia's Great Barrier Reef is an idyllic setting for a wedding.
The best months for getting married in the Whitsunday Islands are June, July and August. Sunny days and a nice cool breeze mean there's less chance of clients sweltering in formal wedding clothes, and it's not peak season for Australians so there should be more choice of venues. The region's wet season runs from December to March.
Hamilton Island Weddings is the only company with a commercial permit to conduct weddings on stunning Whitehaven Beach - a helicopter transfer adds to the glamour.
Sunpex Travel Sample Package: Sydney, Ayers Rock and Hamilton Island itinerary, starting from £2,999. This includes flights, five nights in a Deluxe Opera House View Room at the Shangri-La in Sydney, two nights at the Desert Gardens Hotel in Uluru and five nights on Hamilton Island.
To Book Your Wedding & Honeymoon just complete our simple booking enquiry form
For outstanding landscapes, you can't beat New Zealand. Best times are November, December, March and April over the summer peak of January and February. These shoulder seasons still see nice sunny days but it is less busy. For a honeymoon with a difference we recommend staying in Queenstown in July and August and hiring a car to drive to the ski resorts. Queenstown is buzzing in winter time and wrapping up warm makes for a cosy honeymoon. The New Zealand ski season combines well with the dry season in the South Pacific islands.
Sunpex Travel Sample Package: Wine, Whales & other Delights is a 16-night itinerary from £1,999, including flights and car hire. For an extra treat, add on Wings over Whales in Kaikoura, a 3D-minute whale-watching flight, costing from £60.
Weddings & Honeymoons-Latin America
Continuing the adventurous theme, Latin America offers exciting wedding and honeymoon opportunities. If warm weather is a deal-breaker, look at Brazil. For a wedding with style, book Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana
Palace. But avoid Carnival season in February if you're not keen on crowds. Rio's beaches will also be packed in December and January when the locals are on holiday. The off-season from May to October has lower hotel prices but you run the risk of temperatures dipping as low as 15C and forcing you off the beach. The dry season in the more tropical north-east Brazil runs from September until March.
Sunpex Travel Sample Package: Two week's all-inclusive at Breezes Costa do Sauipe costs from £2,160 per person based on two sharing, next March. The wedding package is free when couples stay a minimum of seven nights.
For an alternative to the traditional beach holiday, consider Patagonia. One of our best-selling honeymoons spans the southern tips of Argentina and Chile and is perfect for couples who enjoy the outdoors.Patagonian winters in May to September can get quite cold with plenty of snow. Be warned that some hotels don't open and access can be an issue. She adds: It never gets hot in Patagonia but December to March can be pleasantly warm definitely T-shirt weather. For trekking in the Peruvian Andes, June to September offers the driest weather.
Sunpex Travel Sample Package: 14-night tour of Buenos Aires, Torres Del Paine national park and Santiago for £4,450 including all flights, luxury accommodation and excursions.
To Book Your Wedding & Honeymoon just complete our simple booking enquiry form.
Weddings & Honeymoons-Europe
Late spring/early summer and late summer/early autumn are the best times to marry in the Mediterranean. In Cyprus, Greece and Malta, it's best to avoid the summer peak. In July and August, extreme temperatures can make conditions more than uncomfortable, whilst having large numbers of people in hotels and resorts is not ideal.
Cyprus is a better year-round destination than Greece as it's the most southerly island in the Med. It's best to perfect timing Weddings & Honeymoon avoid the second May bank holiday, as this is the most popular period. November as the best time to marry in Cyprus: "The weather is still summer-like and there are no crowds."
Sunpex Travel Sample Package: Civil weddings at Capo Bay Hotel in Protaras. This costs £200 for the admin fee, €282 for the licence, €17l for the registrar and €500 for the venue hire.
For couples wanting a frosty start to married life some winter wonderland settings in Scandinavia. These include Kakslauttanen in Finland and Kirkenes Snow Hotel in Norway. Terhi Sivonen, Best Served Holidays wedding expert, says romantic nights in ice hotels are possible from mid-January to early April. There is less risk of the hotel melting the further north you go - Kirkenes, the most northerly ice hotel, typically stays open until mid-April.
Sunpex Travel Sample Package: A romantic honeymoon in Norway with the prospect of sipping bubbly in a hot tub while watching the Northern Lights starts from £1,190. This includes flights, transfers, five nights' B&B (one night in an igloo hotel) and snowmobile safari.
To Book Your Wedding & Honeymoon just complete our simple booking enquiry form.