Travel plan idea blog

The good and the bad

I don't know if you're in the mood for a rant about how bad flying is these days, but here you go anyway. You at least have to appreciate the proposed solution:

The one solution I can think of to all of these problems is for Congress to pass a law insisting that all airline CEOs fly on their airline's longest flight in coach class once a week. After a few weeks, they're bound to either make some changes or leave the airline business. I'd be happy to accept either outcome.

Airline issues dominate this travel Q&A.

On a happier note, this article starts off with a hilarious photo of a 'Hello Kitty' themed wedding in Japan. It then goes on to talk about destination weddings. The Hello Kitty couple is not the only crazy couple getting hitched:

She has had some bizarre requests. "Once we had a client ask if we could provide penguins for a wedding in Las Vegas. As you can imagine, that did not happen," she says. A US groom-to-be once asked her to plan a surprise wedding in Florence and Thornton-Brown arranged everything from the location for the proposal to the bridal gown. "His unsuspecting girlfriend had no idea her holiday to Italy was going to be her wedding and honeymoon," she says. "Thankfully, the big risk did pay off and the wedding was amazing."

Here's another happy vacation experience, and in some detail. The itinerary goes by time of day so we really get a feel for the painting vacation.

Destination wedding scam in the Dominican Republic

We talked about destination weddings not too long ago and how they are supposed to reduce stress. That isn't happening for British and Canadian couples who had destination weddings in the Dominican Republic but haven't gotten their marriage certificates.

Of course the wedding planner says to hire a professional, but how does a wedding planner in your home country know if whoever is doing the ceremony has the proper credentials?

And if you're curious about America's changing wedding culture this article may be of interest. Scroll down to see the mention of destination weddings near the end.

Destination weddings - how much easier are they?

According to this article, one advantage of having a destination wedding is easy for the couple:

"Everything is pretty much handled for them,” Goetschel said. “It’s not really a do-it-yourself wedding. The couple is treated as a guest even if they are stars of the show. They don’t have to do the extra labor, either."

Since my wedding was in Korea, my wife got stuck with making most of the arrangements but is was a substantial amount of work for her.

And I remember when my sister got married - she and her husband had a lot of work to do and were real busy making plans.

So I wonder if anyone here has had a destination wedding and if it really was easy.

Naturally there are some disadvantages. For example, destination weddings are often expensive. This article talks about extremely expensive ones. For normal people, though, I don't know if it would be much more expensive for the couple getting married, especially if they honeymoon where or near the place of the wedding.

However, for guests who live near the bride and groom the extra plane fare might be a big deal.

Reader needs help planning a honeymoon

Reader submitted question: My soon to be finance has put me in charge of planning the honeymoon. Any specific specific resorts/locations to recommend? I googled for vacation planning websites but didn't see anything that good. Any specific booking/planning sites out there? My original thought was to go to Italy but I don't think it will be affordable.

My answer: Firstly, this vacation planning blog is pretty good...

Seriously though, I honeymooned in Italy in 2001. It is more expensive now, and we don't know what your budget is like, but personally I wouldn't be afraid of an expensive honeymoon, even if it means spending less on the wedding. My wife and I soent 9 weeks in Italy on our honeymoon and it was incredible. Sure we were paying off loans to various relatives the next 18 months, but it was well worth it for us.

We do have a few resources on this site, including several blog entries about Rome and an interesting discussion about honeymooning in Disney World. Let's see what else we can find you.

Other people's ideas:

1. You can't go wrong with a beach like Maui, but it should really be about what you guys are into. If you like Europe but think Italy might be too expensive, some of the eastern European countries might work for you. I've not been personally, but I've heard really good things about the Czech Rep/Prague and Hungary/Budapest. It also depends on what time of the year you are planning on going...

2. I leave for my honeymoon on sunday. I'm doing St Lucia with Sandals all inclusive resort. The whole thing cost us about 5k including airfare and we are staying in a honeymoon suite. We have access to all three sandals resorts that are on the island we are staying at the Halcyon.

Whatever you do go all-inclusive or get a Caribbean cruise. I personally like Western Carribean (it's much less crowded in Cozumel, Isla Mujares, Belieze and Roataan), but most people prefer Eastern. Anyway, a cruise is usually stress free which is nice after a big wedding.

3. If you want intimacy and quiet solitude, go to Maui/Hawaii (big Island). Whatever you do... DON'T go to Honolulu. Too commercial and cheesy-touristy. If you are feeling adventureous look at renting a villa instead of staying at a resort. We have done both and enjoy both. At a Villa you are much more "on your own" as far as things to do but the privacy of your own pool on your honeymoon is priceless. At a resort you will meet more people and have all the resort amenities at your convenience. If your looking for privacy, go with the villa. My wife and I went to La Bagatelle Villa in Soufrie, St. Lucia. Awesome!

4. Antigua was nice for doing absolutely nothing, if relaxation is all you want. But there isn't much doing beyond sitting around. Ditto for Aruba. The best part about Aruba is the food. Great restaurants and nice people. But the beaches are very windy and there is no snorkeling to speak of. Not a very pretty island either, as it is desert, not tropical.

5. If you want something different and have the money, the Greek Islands are amazing. my wife and I went to Santorini, Rhodes and Mykonos. A honeymoon should be, in my opinion, once in a lifetime, and the Greek Islands were just that! If you can only do one, Santorini is the perfect honeymoon spot!

If you can add something, please leave a comment.

July 7, 2007: Lucky day to get married?

I blogged about getting married in Vegas before, but on July 7, 2007 many more couples than normal will be visiting one of those 24 hour chapels and letting Elvis lead them through their vows.

If Vegas isn't your thing, and spending $77,777 sounds lucky (rather than insane or impossible), this article suggests something special in New York:

Ritz Carlton, New York has a lucky number wedding package for just: $77,777. It includes the wedding reception for you and your significant other and 75 of your friends and relatives (total:77), plus cocktail hour with an open bar and a 7 canapés tasting.

Reception with dinner, dessert, and a custom 7 tier wedding cake. A 7-bottle champagne toast to commemorate the occasion.

Floral arrangements by celebrity florist Jane Packer including centerpieces on the 7 guest tables. 7 diamonds for the bride from Tiffany & Co.

7 manicures and pedicures for the bride and six close friends in La Prairie at The Ritz-Carlton Spa.

Luxury accommodations in The Ritz-Carlton Presidential Suite, Room 2107, for the lucky couple on their wedding night including a rose petal turndown, a bottle of champagne, chocolate covered strawberries and an Old Fashioned Rose Bath drawn by the Bath Butler.

A 7-night honeymoon at any Ritz-Carlton Hotel in the world.

Hopefully all the lucky couples getting married on the 7th are already pregnant so they can give birth before the end of the "year of the golden pig".

This article says the year of the golden pig happens once every 60 years, but if I know my Chinese calendar, it's actually once every 600 years:

And, as surely as spring follows winter, China will be facing a baby boom in the new Year of the Golden Pig, which comes around once every 60 years. China's maternity wards are being booked months in advance in expectation of the millions of babies being born this year to the newlyweds of 2006 - far more than China's maternity wards can handle. Baby-product companies are salivating over the sudden prospects of a booming market: Kimberly-Clark says the disposable-diapers market will grow 60% this year.

Debate: traditional wedding vs. extravagant honeymoon

This is actually a homework assignment for students in my debate class, but regular readers are welcome to play.

The topic is eloping and splurging on a honeymoon (this includes destination weddings) vs. spending a bunch of money on a traditional wedding and spending comparatively less money on the honeymoon.

For example, my sister was talking to me about her wedding ceremony and reception in Boston for 150 or guests. It's going to cost a lot of money. I told her to forget about the reception, spend as little as possible on the wedding, and spend as much as possible on the honeymoon.

That's my honest advice because I barely remember my wedding reception - it was fine but nothing special compared to my 9 week honeymoon in Italy. I'll remember those 2 months in Italy forever.

However my sister went for the big wedding reception because she wants to share her wedding day with as many friends and family members as possible.

So enough about me and my sister. What do you think is better between:

a) a traditional wedding (expensive) and a normal honeymoon OR
b) a cheapo wedding (with only a few guests like immediate family) and an extra expensive honeymoon?

Review of Traveler's Joy honemoon registry web site

The following is a paid review:

I've blogged a few times about Honeymoon registries so when I was contacted about reviewing Traveler's Joy honeymoon registry web site, I decided to do it.

A honeymoon registry is similar to a regular wedding registry but the gifts are different. Instead of blenders and things you get stuff for your honeymoon: plane tickets, hotel rooms, spa treatments, etc. I love the idea. My honeymoon was a 9 week trip to Italy and I recently recommended that my sister skip the wedding reception and spend the money on honeymoon travel instead (she didn't listen to me).

So I love the idea of a honeymoon registry, the question is how do I like the Traveler's Joy honeymoon registry web site. Traveler's Joy is not a travel agency and the couples themselves decide when and where to book their honeymoon. However they do make a few suggestions. After each suggestion they link to Travelocity.com deals and Amazon.com books. As regular readers here will know, several people have had problems with Travelocity and if there's one time you don't want a problem it's on your honeymoon. Still I can't knock them too much for promoting Travelocity - a lot of people use them happily.

Traveler's Joy makes money by charging a service fee of 7.5% of the total gifts received. That seemed steep to me but then I read their explanation (accepting credit cards online is expensive) and I also realized I have no idea what a normal wedding registry costs.

I didn't sign up for an account although I did try to. After wasting a few minutes filling everything in with my Korean address, I realized that your address has to be in one of a handful of countries (US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Ireland, South Africa). I do have a US address but I wasn't ready for a second try. Still if you live in one of those countries registration looks to be pretty easy.

My conclusion: Honeymoon registries are way better than wedding registries because traveling is way better than house stuff. Your honeymoon is something you remember forever but that blender you got will be forgotten when it gets replaced in a few years...

So about the web site? If you've decided on a honeymoon registry you have to consider Traveler's Joy.com but you should also shop around to see if 7.5% is the best you can do in terms of fees.

Wedding and honeymoon articles

Here's an interesting article on beautiful sounding weddings in Australia:

Daydream Island is situated five kilometres off the mainland in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and is the closest of the 74 islands to the mainland hub, Airlie Beach.

Just one kilometre long and 500 metres wide, its three beaches are fringed by outcrops of live coral while the centre of the island hosts a dense jungle of tropical vegetation inhabited by parrots and tiny sunbirds.

How's that for a dream wedding? And I bet it's cheaper than getting married in outer space.

If it's not you getting married, this article recommends some wedding gifts for travel enthusiasts from $50 coolers to $2,000 Hermes passport wallets.

If it is your wedding here are some honeymoon planning tips. It's all fairly obvious stuff like pick a romantic hotel, ask your partner what s/he wants, etc.

One romantic spot is Cost Rica and you might enjoy this honeymoon experience:

On our 10-day honeymoon last November , my husband, Pavlik, and I used about every form of transportation available, including boats, planes, and horses. Costa Rica, bordered by Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south, is small, about the size of New Hampshire and Vermont combined. But its terrain is so rugged and its roads so unreliable that travel agents advise against renting a car.

I don't care how small it is, I'm not going far on horseback! If I were going to Costa Rica, I think the Arenal Volcanic Spa sounds just great.

And then there's always Disney...

Where do you honeymoon after an outerspace wedding?

Sorry for yesterday's weak entry - after 12 hours of sleep with no taxes to worry about I feel like blogging again!

According to this article, couples are planning space destination weddings and companies like Rocketplane Limited in Oklahoma and Virgin Galactic (the world's first spaceline founded by Virgin Airlines founder Richard Branson) are there to charge help (and collect half a million bucks per wedding).

I didn't think you honeymoon in space but I was wrong. Sapce weddings are still a few years away so "For George and Loretta Whitesides, three years was too long of a wait to get married, but they had no problem deciding to wait that long to be the world's first couple to honeymoon in space." The honeymoon in space lasts longer than the wedding (2.5 hours) and costs less ($400,000). Is that a space travel bargain?

For real people with less money, we have other stories. Here's one about a guy who gets out of the navy, gets a job, books a honeymoon, and then gets reactivated (for the third time in 5 years). Orbitz and Alitalia refuse to give him a refund until the newspapers and the treat of bad press get involved.

I say it's too late for Orbitz and Alitalia to avoid the bad press. Shame on both companies but especially Orbitz. Alitlaia serves Americans, but Orbitz is actually an American company. For an American company to show such disregard for our troops (the guy is already in a tough spot getting reactivated for the third time in 5 years) is disgusting.

We also have an article on honeymoons in Costa Rica and Belize. Apparently eco-tourism honeymoons are becoming more popular and couples want to do more than just lie on a beach. They go surfing, zipline through jungle, swim under waterfalls, and explore ancient Mayan ruins.

This is one of those best 10 articles so you can also read about Turks and Caicos, Croatia, St Lucia, Bora Bora, Thailand, New Zealand, Africa, Scotland, and Marrakesh. I've blogged about only a few of these but I would choose New Zealand if I had to choose right now. You could take a cruise, hike on glaciers, or do some movie tourism (Lord of the Rings or Chronicles of Narnia).

Actually though I went to Italy for my honeymoon, which was recently voted the most romantic destination:

Valerio Scoyni, Managing Director of The Italian Tourist Board says: "We are thrilled that Italy has been voted number one. Italy is country of extremes, with something to offer everyone: from snow-iced mountains to hot lazy Mediterranean beaches, from unspoilt fishing villages to cities that have bustled for thousands of years. The rich cultural heritage, stunning natural landscapes, unique architecture, stylish people, beautiful food and exquisite wines means that it would be difficult for anyone not to find some romance here."

This survey is part of a Holiday movie promotion. Actually in Korea they called it Romantic Holiday.

Andrew Jackson's Hermitage plantation: museum and wedding receptions

The Hermitage was Andrew Jackson's (7th president of the US) plantation near Nashville Tennessee. Opened as a museum In 1889, the Hermitage shows visitors Andrew Jackson's life and the antebellum South in general.

You can rent the Hermitage property for private gatherings (not the home itself, but his property). I know someone who had his wedding reception at the Hermitage in Nashville. They say that Andrew Jackson loved weddings and was a great host. According to the Hermitage website, that tradition continues today:

As you plan your wedding, reception, corporate function, business meeting, or family reunion, The Hermitage will help you create a historic occasion that will be long remembered. Our friendly staff will assist in helping make your event truly one-of-a-kind. Just 20 minutes from downtown Nashville and 15 minutes from the Nashville International Airport, The Hermitage offers a diverse selection of facilities with endless possibilities. From an elegant mansion to quaint cabins or formal gardens to expansive lawns, and even a historic church there is something for everyone at The Hermitage!

They say that prices are reasonable.

If you're not getting married, you may want to just visit. In addition to Andrew Jackson's house and museum, Andrew and Rachel Jackson's tombs are located in the Hermitage garden. I'll list standard hours and prices below - for an additional fee, you can get a wagon tour.

Hours

The Hermitage is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from April 1 - October 15, and 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p. m. from October 16 - March 31. The Hermitage is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the third week in January.

Admission:

Adults $14.00
Seniors $12.00
Students (13-18) $10.00
Children (6-12) $ 6.00
Children (5 & under) Free
Family Pass $38.00
(2 Adults and 2 Children; Each Additional
Child $6.00)

On Apirl 12, 2007 there is a free event for the Spirit of Nashville Exhibit Reception - April 12th is a Thursday, and the event is from 5:00pm to 7:00pm. The exhibit features 26 prints, artist notes, original sketches, and reference photos from the award-winning collection.

I'll miss the free stuff, but I think a stop at the Hermitage can easily be incorporated into my Elizabethtown road trip.

Honeymoons for the rich & famous or the regular people

I took my honeymoon in Rome and Assisi with short trips to Perugia, Florence, Venice, Naples, and Capri. We dealt with crowds, especially on the trains and buses but we loved it. Of course the crowds weren't busy trying to take pictures of us but that's what celebrities must deal with.

To get away from the paparazzi, celebrities are going for honeymoons in remote locations like Bora Bora where many hotels get their own island. French Polynesia and Fiji are also recommended for private high-class honeymoons. Fiji’s Turtle Island Resort is where Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey, along with Britney Spears and Kevin Federline honeymooned. Their marriages were about as short as the honeymoons...

San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito, California might be better luck. Honeymooners in Montecito have included Julia Roberts and Danny Moder as well as Sandra Bullock and Jesse James. Less recently, it was JFK and Jackie Kennedy. "The future first couple probably paid $27 a night, the going rate then. But today you'll pay more than 100 times that — $2,990 a night — to sleep in the 1,621-square-foot Kennedy Cottage, which reopened last weekend after a yearlong restoration."

And there's the most private resort in the Caribbean, La Samanna in St. Martin. Courteney Cox Arquette and David Arquette aren't complaining about it... Now most of us can't afford the same luxury or privacy that celebrities need, but we can still go to the Caribbean, possibly on a cruise, possibly on a niche cruise, possibly on a honeymoon gospel cruise to the Bahamas though this couple had some bad luck on the way.

There are honeymoons closer to home (like Cape Fear in North Carolina). The name might sound like bad luck, but "its beautiful, uncrowded beaches and nearby estuarine reserves provide a true haven for sunseekers, beachcombers and nature lovers."

Las Vegas is another popular wedding and honeymoon spot in the US. But beware gifts from strangers. I read recently that George Clooney met a honeymooning couple in an elevator and since they were on a non-celebrity budget had no Grand Canyon helicopter ride planned. Clooney paid for it, but apparently some serious wind made it rather dangerous. It was probably fine and the magazines are making a big deal out of nothing, but that's the story I read. By the way, my sister did this and loved it.

Some people probably hate the idea of honeymooning in Vegas even if you mix in some Grand Canyon and San Diego. Some people definitley hate the idea of honeymooning in Disney World. Yet the people who honeymooned in Disney seemed to love it.

The Pocono Mountains, used to be called "The Honeymoon Capital of the World," but they seem to have lost that reputation. My parent spent an anniversary there 5 or so years ago and got the heart shaped bed and all that. The tacky part is fine if the hotel is clean but my parents weren't too happy with the hotel or its service. However, now I'm told that the Poconos are cleaning up some.

Going back to celebrities, but this applies to everyone, a honeymoon doesn't have to be a resort on the beach or some famously romantic city like Rome or Paris. For example, comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, the Borat start who is going to marry Australian actress Isla Fisher is said to be planning some kind of elephant trek.

Also, rich or not, checking out if any valuable rings or whatever are covered by your travel insurance would be prudent. You might also consider a honeymoon gift registry instead of a traditional wedding gift registry. Your loved ones can pay for spa treatments, helicopter rides, or whatever.

African style wedding: experience Maasai culture in Kenya

Shompole, in Kenya's Rift Valley, has a service where couples can experience an African style wedding. Specifically, we're talking about Maasai culture where a Massai witch doctor blesses the couple and Maasai dancers perform a traditional wedding dance. You can go more or less in depth - this could mean wearing Maasai wedding outfits, including a spear, a club, and bracelets.

Or you could go more western with a wedding cake and all that. I can't link to the page directly because of the way this site is designed, but if you click on menu, click on unique camps & lodges, click on Shompole, and then click on weddings, you'll see where I got this information. That site linked to Virgin Bush Weddings. They seem to share some pictures so they might be related somehow.

I don't know what it all costs, but my parents always say that if prices aren't published then you can't afford it...

Actually, if you're truly adventurous you can travel to Africa on your own and probably inexpensively. A few years ago a friend of mine went to Ghana and took xylophone lessons for several months. He said expenses came to about $25/week for food, housing, and lessons.

Disney World honeymoon gift registry

I recently asked if you would honeymoon in Disney World. A few people said they wouldn't, but I think more people said they would. We even heard from people who did honeymoon in Disney.

Now Disney World isn't the only honeymoon option. Couples can book honeymoons in Walt Disney World Resorts, on Disney Cruise Lines, or at a Disney Vacation Club Resort.

Then they can take their confirmation number to create a Honeymoon Registry. Then the couple makes their wish list online: spa treatments, special Disney activities, romantic dinners, etc. Friends and family contribute monetary gifts toward stuff on the wishlist (the couple receives a special Disney Gift Card so the newlyweds can spend the gift money.

What are your thoughts on having a honeymoon in Disney World?

I have a friend who recently decided to honeymoon St. Lucia. But he almost chose a Disney honeymoon and we were curious how many out there went to Disney for their honeymoon and if they were happy with the choice.

I've already collected a few answers, but I hope people who honeymooned in Disney will comment below. If you want to write a blog entry on your honeymoon recommendation, feel free to email jtrotta@gmail.com.

Comments on honeymooning in Disney:

1. I'm sure someone will advocate it but for the love of God man, if you plan on having kids, you'll get there eventually (and likely be forced to go back). Go somewhere else now that you won't be able to go later.

2. I did St Lucia - fantastic. Can't wait to bring my kids to Disney in a few years but I don't think it would be appropriate for a honeymoon. It Sounds Goofy. Sorry. But seriously, I can't see why anyone would go for a Disney honeymoon. But that's just me. I'm more the world traveler type - get somewhere that you're more than likely never to go again or highly unlikely to visit.

Florida or California? Not on the list. Not that I wouldn't ever visit them, or that it wouldn't be a fun trip, but it just doesn't say 'once in a lifetime' to me. Then again, if this is your fourth marriage and you're kicking it off in front of Elvis in Las Vegas, then go for it!

3. You do get treated more personally by the cast members when you are celebrating something (honeymoon, birthday, etc). However, if you aren't a big fan of WDW, you'll probably enjoy somewhere else better. Having said that, we went for our honeymoon--and it was great. We loved it. We wanted to do something where we could have a ton of fun. It helped that my wife had never been there and I had not been to the one in FL in 20 years. we actually stayed off property (at an Embassy Suites) and it was awesome no matter what anyone says.

4. I did it. Honeymooning in Disney worked out for us because leading up to the wedding, we were too busy figuring out how to pay for the wedding and close on a new house. We didn't book the honeymoon until about 3 weeks before the wedding, and Disney World seemed like a decent, and not too expensive, trip. Having now gone there with kids, it was actually pretty nice for just the two of us to be able to go there and not worry about anything, or anybody, else. If we wanted to go on the fast rides, we didn't have to think about kids. If we wanted to stay at the park late, or go to bars afterwards, that was OK. We didn't need to eat nutritious meals, and we could actually skip meals altogether and catch up on eating later, and cheaper, after we left the park. "Pleasure Island" is a great part of Disney World, not open to kids. You pay a cover charge to get on the Island, then there's about 20 bars there (a dance club, a comedy club, an live rock bar, a country ,music bar, and jazz bar, etc.) that you can go in and out of as often as you like. I had a great time.

5. You can have a blast in Disney. Anyone who decides to go to Disney without kids --honeymoon or not-- I highly recommend doing the "beer in every country tour" at Epcot. It is self run, but very fun! Ever go to Epcot during the Food and Wine Festival? It's from Sept-Nov every year. A lot of countries that aren't represented in Epcot have stands there as well.

6. I'd do it... I love it there. My wife and I when we first got together spent a week down there, some of the best times we've ever had. We had a blast hanging out at the English pub in Epcot for a brew(s) after daily activities. Plus you can hit Universal which is awesome. Also, my brother-in-law did the Disney Cruise thing for his honeymoon. You spend a few days on the Big Red Boat cruising the Caribean, then return to Disney World for a few days.

By the way, the Disney Cruise is where Jennifer Hudson from Dreamgirls and American Idol got started. This page is taking a long time to load, click the link now and it should be ready by the time you finish this article.

7. I'm going to Disney World for my honeymoon and I think its going to be great. 10 days of fun. We can take our time and do the park right. Check out a multitude of cool restaurants, rides, pavilions, shows, and so much more. Plus, for romance, we've got reservations at two of their best restaurants, Flying Fish Cafe and the California Grill. I'm especially looking forward to dinner at the California Grill. Its located on top of the Contemporary Hotel and while we are eating our dessert, the Disney Wishes fireworks show will be going off, right outside the window. So cool. And then we're doing the Illuminations cruise! To each their own, but I'm so looking forward to this vacation!

Just remind me to ask for a window seat at the California Grill when I check-in at the front desk. If you don't ask, you may not get one....

8. The whole point of a honeymoon is to spend some much needed downtime with your new spouse. While I won't sit here and tell you I'd agree to sitting around the house with the phones turned off and the doors locked after a wedding, to me it wouldn't matter if it was Hawaii or Disney World so long as I knew I could spend some relaxing downtime with my new spouse. (And yes, I've been to Disney several times; I went with my husband before we got married -- it was his first time and my fifth, but as we explored the different parks, it was like I was seeing them for the first time, which made it special.)

Having said that, if you go to Disney, go at the right time. Why spend your honeymoon standing in line and around kids all day? If you're honeymooning in summer, go to and all inclusive 5 star resort and just have a blast.

More British couples getting married at sea

Here's an interesting article about how British cruise ships are giving up registry in the UK in favor of Bermuda, primarily so they can offer weddings at sea (which British law does not allow). Reminds me how I had trouble getting married in Italy. I just don't see the point behind laws that tell you where you can get married.

Getting married in Italy is hard (What Tom Cruise has in common with me)

Like my wife and I wanted five years ago, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes want to travel to Italy for their wedding ceremony. Like we had five years ago, Cruise and Holmes are finding that getting married in Italy is hard. It seems that Cruise has 2 problems. First, the church doesn't want a divorced scientologist getting married there. Second, there's a paperwork issue: "I don't think it (the wedding) will be legal,'' the town's mayor, Patrizia Riccioni said. "On an Italian level, there are papers and documents that we certainly don't have (for a wedding).''

The second problem is the same one my wife and I had 5 years ago. I called the Italian embassy, and they wanted my birth certificate translated into Italian and with some sort of official seal. So I call New York State and tell them what I need.

"We don't do that," said New York. In other words, I couldn't get an official birth certificate translated into Italian. I spent a week calling people who would talk to me for free (if I had money I would have just hired a lawyer to take care of it all). I ended up not getting married in Italy...

Has anyone here had an Italian wedding? How did you do it? How were you able to make arrangements?

Procreation ski vacation (Jackson Hole Skiing in Wyoming)

Yesterday I blogged about a few procreation vacation ideas. Today I found another one: Teton Mountain Lodge special offers page has a Procreation ski vacation:

Travel packages that pamper newly pregnant couples are the buzz, but what about folks who want to set the stage appropriately when they're trying to start a new family? That's certainly one of life's great adventures, and what better way to set the tone for a new adventure than with, well, adventure? Along with skiing or snowboarding and a dogsled trip into a romantic backcountry hot springs, the Lodge's Procreation Ski Vacation attends to the details of romance to make sure the mood is right - a couple's massage treatment, an in-room candlelit dinner for two, champagne and chocolates on arrival. In 20 years, you can pass along that your child was conceived in Jackson Hole. Or not.

Four nights in a Sundance Junior Suite with a fireplace and dining area.
Two days of skiing for two at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.
Dogsled trip to Granite Hot Springs.
Couples spa treatment at the Teton Mountain Lodge Spa.
Candle-lit dinner for two made to order by Cascade Grill House served on your night of choice in the your room.
Chilled champagne and chocolates in your room on arrival.
The Procreation Ski Vacation starts at $950 per person (based on two-person occupancy

Offered Dates: Dec 02 to April 08, 2007
Prices vary according to dates of stay and does not include tax or resort fee.

What is this place? I had to look it up myself. Teton Mountain Lodge is a slopeside mountain resort for people skiing at Jackson Hole, Wyoming. This is a luxury hotel with ski-in convenience just steps away from the gondola. The breath-taking wilderness of Grand Teton National Park is also less than 1 mile away.

Get married on a cruise ship or in an airport

Here's an interesting article about getting married. You can have you wedding on a cruise ship (the article mentions NCL). You can also get married in Amsterdam's Schiphol International Airport:

Schiphol offers four different wedding options, each with its own venue. They include: Ready for Take-Off, an aviation style wedding with a spectacular view of the aprons; Fly Away to Yesterday, styled in the aviation days of yesteryear; Say Yes and Go, with a quick ceremony before boarding the plane for that special trip; and Ticket to Paradise, where you exchange vows on Dutch soil then party abroad.

Possibilities include renting an entire airplane or reserving a section of the plane. Marriage ceremonies are conducted by a registrar from the Municipality of Haarlemmermeer Registry Office.

It sounds like something my wife and I might do if we renew our vows.

By the way, after the two parts about getting married abroad that article describes some random vacation deals including a tour of Japan and train passes in Italy.