Saying "I do" just became easier for couples - British Virgin Islands (BVI)

Tortola, British Virgin Islands, September 13, 2012 – Saying, “I do” just became easier for couples heading to the British Virgin Islands (BVI) for their nuptials: Brides and grooms can now get married 24 hours after arriving to the Territory!


On September 3, the BVI Government made significant changes by amending the Marriage Act (Cap 272): Residency requirements for ‘Special Licence’ were shortened from three (3) days to one (1) day, a new fee schedule was introduced, and the steps to obtain a licence were all transferred to the Civil Registry for a
‘One Stop Shop’ process.


Couples even have the choice of beginning their wedding application online before arriving in the BVI, by submitting their information through the Government’snew Civil Registry Information System (CRIS) at www.crisvi.gov.vg.


Prior to the improvements made to the Act, couples were tasked with stopping at three different locations to obtain the necessary documentation for the marriage licence application. Through these new changes, couples can complete the entire process at the Civil Registry where they will provide proof of their identity (passport) and marital status (original certified copies of Decree(s) Absolute for divorced spouses or original Death Certificate(s) of deceased spouse(s); apply for their licence, obtain a marriage certificate and present two witnesses.
The Special Licence fee is $220 and the Ordinary Licence is $120.
Additional fees are applicable based on the bride and groom’s wedding specifications: $220 for the Registrar-General or marriage officer to perform the ceremony, $120 for the ceremony to be held in the Civil Registry building and $2 for a certified copy of the marriage licence.


In the BVI, couples have many options for getting married and locations abound for conducting wedding ceremonies that are representative of the couple’s personality and style. The stunning group of islands and cays offer idyllic backdrops such as beaches, churches, yachts, hotels, villas, resorts, private islands, historic
ruins, national parks, the Civil Registry, and many more to suit their tastes.


There are also many experienced wedding, and event planners available to supply their requests. (For additional information visit the BVI Tourist Board website www.bvitourism.com) To apply in person for a marriage licence or any service surrounding the subject of marriage, please visit the Civil Registry and Passport Office, which is located upstairs of Burhym Electrical Services in Wickham’s Cay, Road Town, Tortola.


The office is opened Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. or telephone (284) 468-3442 for more information.

Big fat Indian weddings travel to exotic locations abroad

MUMBAI: Casino Square is popular among Grand Prix fans for being the best spot in Monaco to drown in the adrenaline-boosting, collective roar ofFormula One racing cars. Horses and elephants are not the kind of four-legged beasts one expects to see on this track. Over here, the word 'horse' is always paired with 'power' to talk about car engines and not about the animal whose female species leads the traditional North Indian baraat.

But on a nippy day in March last year, Casino Square changed gear and the thunder of race cars was replaced by a cacophony of noises that came from a fat, slow-moving Indian baraat. Riding a white mare, the Indian groom, the CEO of a luxury company, led a procession of guests, backed up by two elephants, all making their way to a five-star hotel in Monaco for an even fatter, Rs 44 crore Indian wedding.

Monaco may have not seen anything quite like that, but there are quite a few destinations across the globe where Indian weddings are not a rare sight. In the last three to four years, Indian weddings have not only been exported to unusual venues like Formula One tracks, but also to places conventionally preferred by couples in the West, like beaches, mountains and jungle resorts (in this context, the term, Indian wedding refers to couples who reside in India, but fly abroad with their family and friends to get married). These weddings are multi-crore events and evidently so, it is a niche segment. That is probably the only reason why foreign tourism bodies that are otherwise meticulous in data collection have not yet culled statistics to monitor the growth of the Indian wedding market. But there is enough anecdotal evidence that suggests that the past few years have seen a rise in Indian weddings made in foreign locales.

Last week, tourism officials from Mauritius flew into Mumbai with itineraries that included meetings scheduled with wedding planners. "In the last three years, at least 13 to 14 big Indian weddings with 200-1,200 guests have been held in Mauritius,'' said Micheal Yeung Sik Yuen, Mauritius's tourism minister. Though there are flights between India and Mauritius, Air Mauritius operated about five charter aircraft during these years to ferry the wedding guests. Though Mauritius does not attract as many Indian tourists, it has turned into a favourite wedding destination for the desis. So much so that last year, a special committee was formed by Mauritius to exclusively handle the wedding segment.

Another favourite wedding destination is South Africa, which has made its appearance on quite a few invite cards.

Hanneli Slabber, country manager, SA Tourism, India, said, "We probably receive 10-15 Indian inquiries per year. However, not all these are from Indians living in India, but from Indian couples living around the world. They include multi-cultural weddings where one of the couple is Indian."

Click here to read the entire article....

Japanese magazine promotes Dubrovnik as perfect wedding destination

See for yourself the amazing selection of destination weddings we offer in Croatia - http://www.weddingsabroad.com/#/dubrovnik/4567235002

Japanese magazine promotes Dubrovnik as perfect wedding destination - Travel News - Croatian Times Online News - English Newspaper

Design your own wedding shoes!!

This weeks fabulous find - perfect for those weddings abroad or closer to home.....bespoke bridal shoes...design your own wedding shoe...how amazing is this concept?  Read a little about the Milk & Honey Shoes website below...if you do order any please pop back here and let us have a sneak peek!

Milk & Honey Shoes

You found your soul mate, now let us help you with your sole mate! It’s your wedding day and you are the bride. Shoes that fit your unique style and match your vision of your perfect day are just a click away. And with our custom-designed bridal shoes, you can even choose to have blue insoles to make your shoes extra special.

Your bridal shoes should be beautiful, comfortable, fun and unique – just like your fiancée.

Create your Own Bridal Shoes

If you don’t see your perfect pair of shoes here, please go to our shoebuilder to create your very own ideal bridal shoe. Whether you’ve been dreaming about a particular shade of bridal pumps, height of wedding sandals, comfortable bridal flats you can wear all night long or style of bridal wedges, your bridal shoes should be exactly what you want, from style, to color to heel height.
Remember, the only thing that makes a shoe worthy of the title “bridal shoe” is that you wear it on your wedding day – don’t feel pressured to get “traditional” shoes. We see brides wearing all different amazing styles of bridal shoes for their big day. Since you’ll never be able to wear your dress again, think about ordering shoes that you’ll get a lot of use out of. You can design your shoes in rich metallic’s or shiny, fun glitter. All of our shoes are made to order, so there’s no doubt you’ll have the bridal shoe that is exactly what you want!

Perfect Union of Design and Quality

With Milk & Honey™, it’s not just about turning your dream bridal shoe into reality. It’s about pulling out all the stops and making bridal shoes that are made from the finest materials. From glitter bridal shoes to elegant ivory or a fun animal print, we can ensure you have a shoe fit for a bride as unique as you. Our bridal shoes have genuine leather soles and extra padding to make sure you stay comfortable long after your first dance as a bride.

Vegan Bridal Shoes

If you are looking for bridal shoes that match your values, we also offer vegan bridal shoes. Using all animal-free materials we will handcraft your shoes using only the finest animal-free materials. From faux leather and faux patent to velvet and glitter, our animal-friendly materials create the look you want without sacrificing fashion for compassion. Soles are rubber instead of leather, and the insole is lined in a high-end, non-leather alternative.

Uniformity, not Conformity, for Bridesmaids

Our bridal shoes are also ideal for your bridesmaids. Milk & Honey™ is a great way to coordinate your bridesmaids’ shoes without sticking your friends with shoes they’ll never wear again. You can select the material and color and let each of your girls design their own shoes. It’s the perfect way to get uniformity without conformity!

For further information....click here to visit the Milk & Honey Shoes site.........

*New* Weddings Abroad - Dubrovnik Weddings

Dubrovnik, Croatia

 Couples in search of romance are flocking to this wondrous city on the southernmost stretch of Croatia’s coast, as enchanted by its beauty today as the Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw, who once proclaimed, "If you want to see heaven on earth, come to Dubrovnik." 

The city has been magnificently restored to its former glory to emerge as one of the most fashionable vacation spots in all of Europe. Dubrovnik's resurgent popularity should come as no surprise, however – this “jewel of the Adriatic,” as the coastal resort town is often referred to in tourist brochures, is breathtakingly beautiful and a magnet for dreamy-eyed lovers in search of a romantic getaway. 


The city's fortified old town overlooks the dazzling Adriatic from a shelter of limestone cliffs and its marble-paved streets are lined with marvellously preserved churches, stately palaces, squares, and terracotta-roofed townhouses. Meanwhile, down below, along the seaside coast, fine beaches beckon – as do a slew of offshore islands – making Dubrovnik uniquely appealing to just about any taste. - Source Shermans Travel




Click here to see our new selection of destination weddings in Dubrovnik from WeddingsAbroad.com

Barcelona FC player Andres Iniesta marries longtime girlfriend

Barcelona FC player Andres Iniesta marries longtime girlfriend - hellomagazine.com

Weddings Abroad - Tip of the Day

Enlist Dancing Instructors......

Image courtesy of Flamenco Pasion

Many couples like to include their culture and heritage into their wedding and wedding dances are a perfect opportunity to do so. Alternatively if you have chosen to have your wedding in Spain enlist the help of some professional Flamenco dancers to inspire your guests to get up on the dance floor...it adds great fun to your wedding.


The same can be done if it's a Mexican wedding...Salsa dancers will sweep your guests off their feet.  There's no limit to the options... African traditional spirited dancing, Italian Folk Dancing like the Tarantella, Irish Céilí dancing....

11 Couples To Tie The Knot At Disney World On 11/11/11

Couples Find Special Meaning In Unique Day

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Dozens of couples will tie the knot on Friday, 11/11/11, at Disney Parks destinations around the globe.

If the 11/11/11 number isn't uncanny enough, there are exactly 11 couples who plan to say their vows on Friday at the Walt Disney World Resort, a number that the worldwide marketing and business development director for Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings & Honeymoons, Korri McFann, says is purely a coincidence.

McFann says her staff didn't even realize the similarity until they started counting the weddings planned for Friday. Needless to say, it's going to be a busy day.

"You will be hard pressed as a regular day guest at the Walt Disney World Resort not to see a couple somewhere," McFann said.

Friday's weddings will take place at a variety of locations around the resort, including Disney's Wedding Pavilion, Epcot, Disney's Boardwalk and Disney's Polynesian Resort.

McFann says each of the couples has a unique explanation for why they wanted to get married on such a unique date. A Jacksonville couple has made a wish every day at 11:11. For a couple from Pennsylvania, Nov. 11 is the date of the groom's grandparents' 56th wedding anniversary. Another couple from Hawaii took the date more symbolically.

"They thought the 11/11 looked like two people coming together. People are deep!" McFann said. "People really want something meaningful behind their weddings. They want something to remember it by. If you can have a clever date, why not?"

Several of the couples were engaged at Disney. Another, a local Orlando pair, actually met when they were working at Disney's Hollywood Studios together. But not every one of the thousand weddings that Disney helps plan each year started with a mouse.

"A lot of people who may have never been to Walt Disney World travel here. We're known in the destination weddings business of being able to handle absolutely everything," McFann said.

With Florida's weather, McFann says, couples travel here year round to say "I do."

On Friday, four couples will say their vows on board the Disney Cruise Line, three will get married at Aulani, Disney's new resort in Hawaii, and eight will mark the occasion at the Disneyland Resort in California.

In all, Disney says 40,000 couples have married at Walt Disney World, Disneyland and on the ships of the Disney Cruise Line.

And as for 12/12/12? McFann says the requests are already rolling in.

To read the entire article: http://www.wesh.com/themeparks/29738414/detail.html#ixzz1dNb4olfg

Here comes the bride and her TWO MILE train: Italian village brought to standstill by record-breaking wedding dress

This bride went a tiny bit over the top with her wedding dress with a train that takes some stopping.

They say it’s a day you should never forget – and that’s certainly the case for Italian bride Elena De Angelis and the village of Casal di Princice.

She has broken the world record for the longest wedding dress by arriving to the church with a mammoth, 3km (1.86 mile) long veil.

Hundreds of schoolgirls and their mothers turned out to help the bride-to-be along the streets of her village.

The Gianni Molaro designed cream dress, which is made from 6,000 metres of silk chord, is expected to be confirmed as the world’s longest by the Guinness book of Records.

 

It’s apparently 28 times the length of Manchester United's Old Trafford pitch and would take Usain Bolt running at blistering world recording pace almost five minutes to run its full length.

Driven to the church in a vintage car Elena was applauded by the entire village.

The veil literally stretched for miles and had to be carefully collected by designers after Elena arrived in the church.

Click here to read the article in full.....

A marriage Jim, but not as we know it: Lesbian couple celebrate civil ceremony with Star Trek-themed service

A lesbian couple has boldly gone where no-one has gone before and celebrated their civil partnership with a completely Star Trek-themed wedding.

Walking down the aisle dressed in matching white outfits modelled on hero Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Anita Bayliss and Margaret Wood are so obsessed with the cult television show they even forced loved-ones to dress up as characters at the ceremony in Swansea, South Wales.  

The couple met on an internet forum and from that shared passion for sci-fi they eventually decided to live long and prosper together by tying the knot.

To look their best on the day at Swansea City's Liberty Stadium the happy couple both got their unique outfits shipped in from Hong Kong.

Click here to read the article in full

A mob of 49 dancing carrots take the cake when it comes to wedding proposals

We have all heard about unusual marriage proposals, but this one takes the (carrot) cake.

At the weekend Pang Kun and 48 of his friends took to the streets of Qingdao in east China's Shangong province dressed as carrots and he proposed to his girlfriend, Zhang Xinyu, who was out on a shopping trip.

The wacky Chinese man danced away in a square in the suit, which was orange - his girlfriend's favourite colour - and when he finally did get down on bended knee, she gladly accepted his proposal.

Saturday August 6 was the Chinese version of Valentine's Day, and so Pang put some special thought and attention in to planning the proposal.

In all, the idea took three weeks to perfect and execute, and cost him over £9,300.

Pang, who had installed a microphone into his costume, began jigging and then caused shoppers - including his girlfriend - to become bemused by recounting the couple's first date, six months previous.

'Six months ago I met you,' he said as he danced. 'I still remember your shyness on our first date, my longing for the next date, and my excitement the first time I held your hand at the movie theatre.'

And when he began peeling off his costume the crowd chanted to his girlfriend 'marry him, marry him', which she promised to do so.

His proposal has led him to become an Internet sensation, and online users have nicknamed him 'carrot boy', which has temporarily become one of the most searched terms in China.

To read the entire article - click here

Weddings Abroad - Tip of the Day - Outdoor Wedding Weather

Outdoor Wedding Locations

There are many lovely outdoor wedding locations - beach weddings, lakeside weddings, rainforest weddings, mountain weddings, garden weddings...the options are endless! With any outdoor wedding, it is vital that the bride and groom work with their wedding planner to establish a backup plan in the event of bad weather. If the wedding location is in the grounds of a hotel, coordinate ahead to have a room ready for you in the event of inclement weather. This option may cost a little more, but it will save you worry and potential heartache later! Another option is to plan to have only the ceremony outdoors and the reception inside (or inside with an outside section). In the event of inclement weather, you can simply hold the entire event in the room you planned to have the reception in - without incurring extra costs! 

I Love, Love, Love.......Kosibah Couture Bridal

Yemi Osunkoya is the designer behind the Kosibah label. Kosibah is an exclusive brand specialising in figure enhancing Bridal, Evening and formal Daywear using luxurious fabrics and sumptuous embellishments.

Yemi’s signature use of corsetry and boned bodices cleverly recreates the classical and elegant hourglass figure, producing gowns that curve, shape and flatter the wearer. All gowns are made to measure from the Kosibah Atelier in Camden,NW London.

The team at Kosibah are committed to providing exceptional quality of service and meticulous attention to detail. The designs, made from individual body measurements, use luxurious fabrics, sumptuous embellishments and couture techniques.

Click here to read more about Yemi and Kosibah Couture Bridal

 

Films to Inspire a Destination Wedding

Roman Holiday (1953) – Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck set in 1950’s Rome

Mamma Mia (2008) -  Film adapted from the West End musical based on the songs of ABBA. Most of the filming was done on the small Greek island of Skopelos.

A Room With A View (1986) – A Victorian love story set in Florence - a well executed intrigue set in 1907 and blended from a book by E.M. Forster.

Captain Corelli’s Mandolin ( 2001) - When a fisherman leaves to fight with the Greek army during WWII, his fiancée falls in love with the local Italian commander.

Casanova (2005) -  Heath Ledger plays the fabled romantic as a man who, after failing to win the affection of a particular Venetian woman, strives to discover the real meaning of love.

French Kiss (1995) - A woman flies to France to confront her straying fiancé, but gets into trouble when the charming crook seated next to her uses her for smuggling. Romantic comedy with fabulous soundtrack

Amelie (2001) - Amelie, an innocent and naive girl in Paris, with her own sense of justice, decides to help those around her and along the way, discovers love. A romantic French fable set in Montmatre

Weddings Abroad - Tip of the Day

Take Care in the Sun

In the days leading up to your wedding, be careful when basking in the sun - tanned skin looks great, but burnt and peeling skin doesn't! Best book a course of fake tan treatments before you go - check out our favourite James Read the UK's Leading Self Tan Expert - Tantalist

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Weddings Abroad - Tip of the Day

Don't Assume All Of Your Guests Have Passports

Provide invited guests with a "Save the Date" card to ensure they have enough lead in time to get passports 

You are the air that I breathe: Divers have marriage blessed at London Aquarium

While many use Valentine's Day as an annual excuse to splash out on a bunch of roses or a nice dinner, some couples take the celebration just a little bit further.

James Oliver and Kathryn O'Connor celebrated February 14 with an underwater blessing at the London Aquarium.

Kathryn wore a flowing white gown under her diving apparatus while James accessorised with a sea-blue tie.

Giant green sea turtles, cow-nose rays and shoals of colourful tropical fish swarmed around the couple during the blessing. 

Valentine's Day has traditionally been the day for romantic gestures since the 14th Century and is celebrated all over the world in increasingly inventive ways.

London also saw people queuing up to give Bruce Willis a kiss - his wax model that is.

Madame Tussaud's let the public choose who they wanted as their Valentine's 'Heartthrob.'

The Sixth Sense actor came top of the list. Closely followed by BAFTA winner Colin Firth and Brokeback Mountain star Jake Gyllenhaal.

In New York, Stephanie Hull and Air Force Captain John Wu - both from Louisville, Kentucky - got married on the 86th floor of the Empire State Building.
The pair were one of 14 couples from all over the United States who got married in one of New York's most famous landmarks.
They had all competed for the prize during the17th Annual Empire State Building and TheKnot.com Valentine's Weddings Event.

Fourteen competitive couples in Pattava, South Thailand, all tried to break the record for the World's Longest Continuous Kiss.

The pairs were clearly taking the challenge very seriously, they were dressed as if they were about to go to an exercise class and even had little steps to stand on if there was a big height difference between the two smoochers.

Seven of the pairs broke the previous record of 32 hours, 7 minutes and 14 seconds which was set in 2009 by a couple in Germany - although one participant fainted just 34 minutes into the competition.

Rules stated that couples were not to sit, sleep or leave the venue while kissing. They were allowed bathroom breaks every three hours but had to continue kissing while using the toilet, accompanied by staff to verify the fact.
And they were allowed to eat and to drink water, coffee, milk or juice - but only through straws while keeping their lips firmly locked together.

Kissing en-masse was also on the cards in Beijing's Happy Valley amusement park.

Couples get two-for-one entries into the park from the 14th to the 17th of February. Happy Valley holds kissing and singing games for enthusiastically loved-up pairs over the romantic period.

It wouldn't be Valentine's Day without a couple of mass weddings.

In Palawan, western Philippines, at least 150 couples defied the rain by getting married and planting mangrove trees at a 'Love Affairs with Nature' themed mass wedding.

Back in Thailand, couples took to the skies to make their wedding vows.

Sontaya Tiemjun and Praputson Mahavong were one of the couples who hung from rappelling ropes during their mountainside ceremony.

Getting married in mid-air is a popular way for thrill-seekers to tie the know in Thailand's Prachinburi province.

Nicaraguans used Valentine's Day as an unusual excuse to promote animal protection laws.

An English Cocker Spaniel dog called Blondie and a American Staffordshire Terrier dog called Katar were given their own wedding ceremony in Managua to raise awareness of the law.

Click here to read the entire article......................................

Weddings Abroad - Turkey

Turkey, at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, offers couples an exotic locale with modern amenities. With world-class hotels and resorts, endless sightseeing opportunities, exceptional shopping and thousands of miles of turquoise waters, couples can enjoy privacy, history and luxury in a country that offers it all.

Turkey boasts some of the world’s most extraordinary scenes for an ideal wedding or honeymoon. And with weddings on offer that range from intimate and traditional to extravagant and exotic, properties throughout Turkey make that special day, and those following, romantic, convenient and memorable.

We have great experience in this field and we have helped many couples organise the wedding of their dreams in Turkey. As we offer tailor-made services, whether it is just about getting the paperwork done and dealing with the formalities or actually organising the wedding day with all the trimmings, we can offer you the expert help you need.

Click here to view our full selection of weddings in Turkey.....

Getting married abroad on April 29th? - Journalist Request

Journalist Request

A leading UK magazine are putting together a feature on couples who are getting married on 29th April, the same date as Prince William.  If you are planning a wedding overseas on this date please get in touch.

The couple have to be under the age of 30 and be available for a shoot beginning of Feb. A fee will be paid

Please email info@weddingsabroad.com and we will put you in touch....thank you

Royally hosed: Couples planning April 29 weddings

Sharing date with Wills and Kate has some happy and excited, but others steaming mad 

Hell hath no fury like a bride-to-be scorned — especially when the scorning has come down from royalty itself.

For many couples getting married this spring, joyful planning turned to stunned horror when it came to light that the wedding of the century — between Prince William and Kate Middleton — would be happening on their own special day: April 29, 2011. On both sides of the Atlantic, engaged women — and a fair share of engaged men — swooned.

Chelsea Slipko summed up the nature of the dreadfulness while trying on wedding dresses at a London department store: “It’s like having your birthday on New Year’s or your anniversary on Valentine’s Day. It’s not just your day anymore.”

Anna Whitcomb, a wedding-gown shopper at the same store in London, had this to add: “I’m supposed to be the princess, and now I have a real princess to compete with!” 

Click here to read the entire article................