GoHen

Have you planned your hen or stag night yet? I recommend popping over to the GoHen website for some inspiration.

The countdown is on for upcoming Baz Luhrmann film The Great Gatsby and in celebration GoHen have created a fantastic themed hen party package called 'Roaring Twenties'. The film, which is based on the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, centres around 1920's culture and a time of great sophistication and celebration, themes wound into the pre-nuptial package offered by GoHen.

The plot focuses on main character Nick, a World War I veteran who takes a job in New York and rents a small house on Long Island. His new abode turns out to be next door to the lavish mansion of Jay Gatsby, a mysterious millionaire who hosts extravagant festivities. What ensues is an exploration of social connections, forbidden passions and sublime, elegant parties across the great manor house.

The beautiful writing and suave storyline have influenced the innovative hen package created by leading hen party organisers GoHen. Their new ‘Roaring Twenties’ package takes place in the striking city of Oxford and involves hens spending a night in a 4 star hotel with spa and leisure facilities. Typical of Tom and Daisy’s civilized teas in the book the group will indulge in afternoon tea, including a selection of finger sandwiches, pastries and scones served with tea or coffee. This is followed by an afternoon session of Burlesque Dancing, where the group will be taught a sultry, show-stopping dance in-keeping with the many ballroom dances orchestrated by Mr Gatsby. In classic celebratory style the package is topped off with VIP nightclub entry; hens will be treated like royalty and given an unforgettable experience.

GoHen’s Oxford Account Manager Danielle said, “Our wonderful new Roaring Twenties package is perfect for any hens who love the vintage, 1920’s theme and want to recreate a piece of the famous novel. We’ve found the most classy, chic activities on offer and paired them with the fabulously elegant destination that is Oxford to create a hen package that’s a real all-round, group pleasing experience!”

GoHen, as part of StagWeb Ltd, have been organising unbeatable events since 2002 and benefit from 11 years experience in this specialised market, including significant buying power, higher value events, client protection, event creativity, dedicated account management and systems support. With packages from as little as £35 and as varied as cocktail making, inflatable games, life drawing and the Somerset Games, with GoHen you get a dedicated account manager to take charge of all elements of planning, invites, budgets and itineraries. With years of experience and ABTA bonding for added reassurance, the GoHen team really deliver the best in celebration weekends.

To find out more give GoHen a call on 0845 130 5225 or visit their Roaring Twenties package. GoHen can also be found on Facebook  and on Twitter.

The Hen House

Not all hen parties have to involve 'L' plates and pink sparkly deelieboppers! If you're looking for something a bit different then the Hen House can help you to find a suitable property and has suggestions for activities too.

The Hen House is run by a Devon based partnership Jill Nielson and Judy Lawson. Already running two other successful sites, Last Minute Cottages and Big Cottages, this site was set up partly by suggestions from advertisers on our other sites and partly because we felt there were very few web sites for the discerning visitors, providing accommodation at the higher end of the market for those who want to organise a hen party in beautiful accommodation and with a range of facilities and activities to choose from.

We have kept the site as simple and straightforward as possible. You can visit every venue advertised from a range of regions in the UK and we are now adding properties in Europe. We have asked owners to let you know what they have to offer on site as well as what is available nearby, so that you can make an informed choice depending upon your budget and what you would like to organise to do during your stay. The properties we have to show you are all owned and run by people who wish to provide you with the best.

Venues to suit all needs, tastes and all ages! We are not an agency, enquiries and bookings are made directly with the property owners.The advantage of contacting the owners direct is that they can give you lots of help with local facilities and services and what the venue has to offer your party. 

Not only do we offer fabulous properties we also have great hen party ideas pages;

Outdoor Activities; for the active hens,

Catering: for that wonderful meal you can all share and remember,

Entertainment; pottery painting, cupcake parties, relaxing spa treatments, naked butlers (well not quite!), cocktail making and  more!

Little Extras; hen party bags, games and balloons to mention but a few.

So, all in all, The Hen House offers a complete package to make your hen weekend one to remember and one that is taylor-made to just how you want it! You are in charge!

Take a look and begin your journey to the perfect hen weekend!

You can visit The Hen House website, find them on Facebook, and follow Jill on Twitter.

Saint Lucia

So, where to go for your honeymoon? Hopefully you won't get too stressed whilst planning your big day but one way or another you're probably going to need a break afterwards! Thanks to the Saint Lucia Tourist Board, today we feature St. Lucia, a place I have never been to (hint hint Mr LG if you're reading!) - it looks and sounds absolutely gorgeous!

Whether you're after romance, rejuvenation or adventure, Saint Lucia makes for the perfect getaway. Its unique landscape of palm-fringed beaches mixed with acres of unspoiled rainforest, one of the world's few drive-in volcanoes and the majestic Piton Mountains – a UNESCO World Heritage site - means there's something for everyone to explore. Couples can bask under the sun on secluded beaches or enjoy a rejuvenating massage at a sumptuous spa. Adventurers can choose to kite surf, zip-wire or go on a jeep safari and families can sail, horse-ride or enjoy the fantastic on-site water sports facilities.  

THE BACHELOR LEAPS TO SAINT LUCIA FOR FINALE

As the honeymoon capital of the world, Saint Lucia was revealed as the backdrop for the final episodes of The Bachelor UK.  The final two episodes of the series (on 21 and 28 October) will see rugby international Gavin Henson and the last three girls he’s chosen, jet off to Saint Lucia for the ultimate romantic showdown as Henson decides with which stunning contender to sail off into the sunset.   

The final episodes will see Henson whisk the three girls off to various beautiful locations on Saint Lucia to make the potentially life-changing decision of choosing ‘The One’.   As well as experiencing a helicopter ride to see the spectacular landscape of the island, locations they visit on Saint Lucia include:

• The stunning Jalousie Plantation Rainforest Spa to be pampered to their hearts content
• The exotic Botanical Gardens complete with romantic waterfall
• The historic Balembouche Estate and plantation house

All the locations are within easy reach of the luxury accommodation enjoyed by The Bachelor and his companions.   Henson himself stayed at the 5 star luxury resort of Jade Mountain, nestled high in the hills over Soufriere with panoramic views of the iconic Piton Mountains.

The female contestants enjoyed the boutique hospitality of Stonefield Estate Villa Resort & Spa.  The resort is one of Saint Lucia’s hidden gems, situated in the Soufriere region of the island, with its individually designed villas and traditional Creole inspired restaurant and spa.

Also featured are La Belle Helene, one of the Eastern Caribbean’s finest private villas and The Jalousie Plantation, with its stunning white sand beach.

Depending on his choice of girlfriend, Gavin may well find himself winging his way back to Saint Lucia next year, as it’s a Leap Year, when women traditionally propose to their men on 29 February.     

There are a variety of spectacular proposal locations on island to help ensure that every man proposed to next year on Saint Lucia will say yes, including:

• The lighthouse at Coconut Bay
• The top of Gros Piton
• The historic Pigeon Island
• The lush and romantic Botanical Gardens
• On a sunset catamaran cruise
• On a helicopter ride over Mount Gimme

All the hotels on island can help to add those extra special touches to make every proposal unique – from champagne and music through to trained monkeys to carry the ring!  

Visit the Saint Lucia Now website, connect with them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

Cedar Events

We are all individual with our own style, taste and ideas so why not celebrate that at your wedding? We all want our wedding to be the one that people remember (for all the right reasons of course!) and talk about afterwards. 

With an impressive 10 years experience in the wedding & special events industry, Seyi Olusanya, the Creative Director of Cedar Events has been producing spectacular, breath-taking and flawlessly events. Seyi Olusanya was born in Lagos Nigeria and has lived in the UK since the early 90s, after a successful career in the IT industry she followed her true passion of all things design to set up Cedar Events a wedding & special events design, planning & Production Company. Cedar Events has been recognized within the industry as a trendsetting company and has earned itself a reputation for delivering events that their clients and their guest talk about fondly for months.

Events designed and produced by Seyi always have the Cedar Events Factor as she calls it. An event organized by Cedar Events will always be a breath-taking one! We pride ourselves in the originality & exclusivity of our events and in providing a quality service by paying attention to detail. Seyi is skilled at discerning & drawing out the secret pleasures that her clients have always wanted but have never had the resources, creativity or confidence to celebrate by translating them into a breath-taking event.

Over the years Seyi has developed relationships with some of the most prestigious venues in destinations around the world such as Claridges Hotel London, The Address Dubai, Sheraton Gambia to name a few. With a team of highly accomplished & award winning associates in those destinations the Cedar Events team work to create flawlessly executed events. Because of Seyi’s commitment to creating a culture of excellence & personalised service since the inception of the company she has attracted a discerning client base that includes the Crème de la crème of the Nigeria society. Over the last few years Seyi’s repertoire of events include weddings of daughters of ex-presidents & royalty. Her events cut across cultures because of her interaction with different cultures.

Seyi has provided content for magazines such as Cosmo Bride, Continental Magazine, & as a guest columnist for Fab Afriq Magazine. In April 2011, Seyi presented two workshops at Oaken Special Events Fair in Lagos Nigeria, where Celebrity Preston Bailey was a guest of honour. Seyi spoke recently on wedding planning at the launch event of FitBride Ltd to a group of brides to be, and is currently scheduled to speak at the Brides of Culture Wedding Fair in March 2012. She is currently taking requests to speak at wedding fairs, create workshops & mentor up and coming wedding and event planners. Seyi’s style of presentation is lively, real and interactive. Her topics of speciality include:

• Planning & managing large weddings & special events
• Destination: UK - What is the attraction?
• Small company with a global reach: is it possible?

Seyi's Qualifications & Courses:

LLB (Hon) Law - University of London

BA (Hon) English. - Lagos State University

Managing major events – City University

Event Design - Central Saint Martins

Please do take a look at Cedar Events Website and check out their Gallery, 'Like' their Facebook Page and follow Seyi on Twitter!

Pierre Carr, Exclusive Tropical Weddings

If your dream is to get married in style in tropical paradise then our guest blogger today will he able to help to fulfil that dream

Pierre Carr, Exclusive Tropical Weddings is a luxury, bespoke wedding design and coordination company, creating stylish and elegant weddings in one of the most beautiful destinations in the world - the Caribbean.

Formed in 2008 to meet the demands of today's modern bride and groom, wishing to have their dream wedding on a paradise island away from home. Pierre Carr, Exclusive Tropical Weddings works closely with the couple to create a unique celebration that reflects their individual style and taste.

With a fantastic climate and numerous idyllic backdrops the Caribbean is the perfect setting to fulfil hopes and dreams, and with Pierre Carr's specialist knowledge they ensure that your special day and its lead up is stress free and full of happy memories.

Founder, Michelle Pierre-Carr is a Commonwealth silver medallist and former international athlete who spent 17 years representing Great Britain at the highest level in the world of athletics. She also spent 13 years working successfully as a print and broadcast journalist in organisations such as the BBC and The Press Association before setting up Pierre Carr Ltd.

With happy child hood memories of golden beaches, breathtaking waterfalls and all year round sunshine, the Caribbean was the only choice for Michelle to have her own stylish wedding and key in her decision to create a company that would bridge the gap for couples wishing to marry in the Caribbean.

With specialist knowledge of the region, Michelle has created partnerships with five star and diamond rated venues, such as Jamaica’s exclusive Ritz Carlton, Half Moon (voted one of the finest honeymoon destinations in Jamaica’s Montego Bay) and Rose Hall Resort & Spa, part of the Hilton Group.

Wedding Planning Credentials:

• Trained by UK Alliance of Wedding Planners

• Earned distinguished graduate to attain status as a Professional Bridal Consultant with the Association of      Bridal Consultants.

Pierre Carr, Exclusive Tropical Weddings offers:

• Full Planning Service
• Venue Search
• Seek and Find Inspections
• Wedding Dress & Accessories Assistance
• Celebrations & Excursions
• Supplier Sourcing
• Offi ciates
• Video & Photographer
• Invitations
• Budget Planning
• Hotel Group Bookings
• Floral Design
• Transportation
• Honeymoons

Why Marry in the Caribbean

• The Caribbean islands offer countless locations to choose from
• Couples can combine their wedding location and honeymoon destination to save on cost
• Legal requirements and paperwork are relatively easy
• Inviting a smaller number of guests can lower the wedding cost
• Wedding guests can be encouraged to have a holiday at the same time as attending the wedding to save on cost.

You can get in contact with Michelle through her website, as well as following her on Facebook and Twitter.

A Long Weekend In Malta - Part Two

Unfortunately on Saturday evening when we went out in the car to find somewhere to eat, it was raining, as it had been on and off all afternoon. We ended up in a quaint looking Italian restaurant (we were trying to find a small local establishment serving great food rather than one of the larger chains with a TGI Fridays feel to it). After a disappointingly indifferent dinner we headed back to the hotel rather than the clubs and bright lights of Paceville.

As I mentioned yesterday, our hotel is opposite one of the many churches in Malta. It looks very pretty with it's dome and two bell towers which we can see very clearly from our balcony. This is because we are almost on a level with them. Which means that we can hear them. Very clearly. Whenever they are rung. The smaller church a few blocks away has a much softer sounding bell. We haven't as yet quite worked out what the bells are tolled for. At first we thought that one bell sounding one, two or three times followed by the other bell sounding however many times was telling the time, but this doesn't seem to be the case after all. We may never know! All we do know is that sleeping with the balcony doors open is a no-no if you want to get any sleep!

The breakfast here is wonderful - a huge selection of cheeses, fruit, yoghurt, pastries and cooked breakfast ingredients to choose from, fruit juices and water. A word of warning to any coffee lovers however - the coffee here is dire! You can stoke up on as much breakfast as you like and it'll keep you going virtually all day. After a lazy start to the day we headed out in the car to explore a bit more of the island. Marsaxlokk in the south east of the island is meant to be still a slice of traditional Maltese life, however the Sunday market selling a mixture of local produce and tourist tat could have been in any tourist area in the world. We stopped for a quick cold drink and then left.

On Saturday we had seen a sign for The Blue Grotto whilst driving around the Rabat area where Mdina is situated. Just the one sign! So on our way to visit the prehistoric temples in the south west of the island we decided to try again to find the Blue Grotto. 

Blue Grotto caves

We did find the Blue Grotto this time, but unfortunately it was very windy and therefore the sea was too choppy to make the half hour boat trip to the caves seem very attractive, so we passed on that one and made our way to the prehistoric temple site. Unlike Stonehenge which is open to the elements, the temples have been enclosed under a dome to protect them from the elements. At 9 Euros each to view the temples (plus visitor centre) we felt this was rather pricey compared to the value at the cathedral so gave this a miss also.

Prehistoric Temples

A late lunch at one of the waterfront restaurants in Vittoriosa, one of The Three Cities opposite Valletta, and indulging in a spot of people watching, passed a couple of hours.

A narrow stepped street in The Three Cities

The Hypogeum in Paola is an underground necropolis discovered during building work in 1902 and is thought to date back as far as 3600BC. If Mr LGs contract here continues and I get to come here to visit again this is definitely something I would like to visit. Tickets have to be booked at least 2 weeks in advance as visitor numbers are restricted but this can be done on-line before you get here - tours last around 50 minutes and it is not suitable for children under 6.

The Hypogeum

Mr LG is back at work today (boo!) but I've enjoyed a leisurely lie-in, a stroll down to the waterfront, reading my Kindle in the sunshine on the balcony, a bit of blogging and resting my feet! This evening we're going out with work colleages of Mr LG which will be fun but will no doubt be an early evening as they are all working such long hours, added to which the others went home to the UK for the weekend and arrived back at the hotel at around 1.30am so are likely to be feeling a little jaded!

Tomorrow I have another leisurely day, as well as doing a bit of work on my laptop I might also investigate the spa facilities here. Wednesday morning Mr LG and I catch the flight back to LGW and back to what passes for 'normality' at our house!

The long weekend has done both of us good, without the pressures of general every day life at home. It's been lovely to be shown around Malta by Mr LG, to spend time on our own and just be a couple, and I think (hope!) he's enjoyed some time alone with me and showing me around. He warned me that this area is very brown and built up and he wasn't wrong. Everything here is built of local limestone, and if there are planning laws they are not particularly evident, there's a mixture of old and new, and much restoration work in progress. It rained before I got here so where over the last few months everything has been brown and dry suddenly overnight there is a bit of grass here and there.

Driving here is not for the faint hearted. Don't be fooled by the fact that they drive on the same side as us and the signs and rules are very similar! It's every man for himself, zebra crossings you should treat very warily and make sure ALL traffic has stopped for you, give way signs don't seem to mean much at all, and if you commit the cardinal sin of actually giving way  at a junction you will be hooted at from behind even if there's not a millimetre of space to jump into! Oh, and Christmas decorations are going up left right and centre - look rather incongruous in the 21 degree sunshine but hey ho!

So on Wednesday I go home and back to being a mum as well as a wife, but feeling like I've had a bit of 'us' time with Mr LG and a bit of 'me' time while he's working - all very important in either getting your groove back or maintaining it!

 

A Long Weekend In Malta - Part One

Mr LG is currently working in Malta as a consultant to their national airline, he and the other consultants are very good at what they do and inch by inch they are progressing. Change is not something welcomed with open arms and it can be very frustrating for those that can see that change is the only way forward - "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and over again expecting a different result." Whoever said that is right (Einstein or Franklin, take your pick!), but the culture here really doesn't like change. This makes the long 10 hour work days for Mr LG really rather stressful and tiring. He does come home some weekends, although not all weekends, and rather than being totally relaxing and stress free they can be stressful too. I am good at coping on my own but when Mr LG gets home things happen such as the terrierist LGs escaping and pulling all nighters which are stressful, and the ordinary everyday stuff  such as laundry doesn't magically do itself so I can't just forget that the school uniform needs to be washed!

Being at home I don't really get to forget that I'm a mother first and foremost. My eldest is now 18 and the youngest 15. The eldest is great at doing practical things such as putting up new fencing to try to contain the LGs, the youngest gets himself up in the morning and gets ready for school. But I'm still their mother and get to do the laundry and most of the cooking and clearing up! So I suggested that it might be an idea for me to pop down to Malta for a couple of days rather than Mr LG coming home, and I have to say that it's been wonderful. Although you never completely forget being a mother, it's rather nice for a change to just be a wife.

Mr LG normally stays in the Victoria Hotel, Sliema, which looks fabulous as you walk in, very opulent and regal, however, he arranged for us to be upgraded to the parent hotel, The Palace, which is connected via a corridor, and the differences are apparent immediately e.g. the lift in the Palace wizzes you silently and smoothly to your destination floor while the lift in the Victoria trundles, rattles and jolts at around a quarter of the speed. I think possibly because Mr LG is a regular here his upgrade request was upgraded again and we have one of the Designer Suites on the 7th floor with an enormous bed you literally sink into,  a huge flatscreen TV in front of a comfy Chesterfield and a luxurious bathroom complete with a deep tub you can wallow in for hours with your Kindle, a separate shower and fluffy bath robes, not to mention the huge balcony with sun loungers, table and chairs accessed via two sets of sliding doors.

Friday evening after I arrived we went out to the local supermarket and bought some food and sat on the balcony to eat it. It gets dark pretty early here, being close to the equator, so it was rather romantic sitting in the warm November evening with the lights on the yachts and all over the towns twinkling away, and the church just across the street looked so beautiful with the dome and bell towers all lit up. Then even though the clouds looked fairly wispy and non-threatening it started to rain, so we shoved the table and chairs under the overhang of the balcony above and continued dinner in what turned out to be a fairly hefty thunderstorm!

Caffe Cordina

Saturday morning we went into Valletta by bendy-bus (yep, Malta has got Boris's cast offs!) which was ......an experience. I don't suffer with travel sickness but it was a close call on a bendy-bus bouncing alarmingly over rough and potholed roads! Don't come to Malta expecting to pick up bargains, many of the shops are British (M&S, Next, etc.,) and cost more than at home. Mr LG did take me to a wonderful place for coffee, Caffe Cordina, which is definitely worth a visit as the interior is absolutely stunning and has a rich history. You can while away some time sipping your coffee and indulging in some of the luscious looking cakes whilst the locals pop in for a swift breakfast taken at the bar.

Interior of Caffe Cordina

Another must see in Valletta is St. John's Co-Cathedral whether you are a practising Catholic or a staunch agnostic - remember to take something to cover your shoulders as you won't be allowed in if not suitably dressed. The rather austere outside of the building hides an awesome baroque interior - the word awesome is used far too readily and has lost much of it's meaning these days, but the interior of this building does leave you feeling truly awestruck.

St. John's Co-Cathedral

Love it or hate it, the intracate carvings, paintings and inlaid marble floors have to be seen to be believed and the very reasonable entrace fee of 6 Euros per adult gets you access to the cathedral to wander at your leisure (outside service times) with a handheld audio guide, viewing works of art such as Caravaggio's Beheading of St. John The Baptist (macabre subject matter but the size of the canvas is immense and makes you wonder how on earth they removed and transported it for restoration!) and Saint Jerome Writing, as well as a collection of sacred vestments and Flemish Tapestries. 

Interior of St John's Co Cathedral with chairs removed

On Saturday afternoon we drove to the ancient walled city of Mdina which is also worth a visit to wander around the medieval and baroque architecture and to gaze at the views from the walls across the island. You can take a horse and carriage ride around the city, but these are very touristy (i.e. overpriced!) and best avoided so that you can explore to your hearts content the narrow alleys.

Narrow medieval street
in Mdina

Sunkissed Ceremonies

Well we've had an extremely dry Spring this year with some glorious sunshine then June arrived, more damp squib than Flaming June! Although the rain is desperately needed for the crops it would be good to get some sunshine and warmth back again - on Sunday evening Mr LG even suggested lighting the open fire, something which the LGs and I needed no persuading about! 

Today I'd like to welcome Julia Tsiaka from Sunkissed Ceremonies to our blog. Julia is a Celebrant on the beautiful Greek island of Rhodes .......

All About the Ceremony By Julia Tsiaka

If you’re looking for a wedding ceremony that’s completely your style and totally unique, consider a Celebrant wedding ceremony on the beautiful sun-kissed Greek island of Rhodes.

Sunkissed Ceremonies is a brand new Celebrant wedding service in Rhodes which creates tailor-made wedding ceremonies, in the English language, for couples who want to make their special day extra special.

Celebrant wedding ceremonies are becoming increasingly popular all over the world because they allow couples the freedom to express themselves in their own way; to celebrate their wedding day in the way they really want, with respect for their personal beliefs and cultures.

You can hold your Celebrant wedding ceremony in Rhodes at any time of the day or evening, you can express yourself freely when you say your vows to one another and you can include elements of any and all religions and beliefs.  You can include readings and music of any kind and mix up traditional and modern rituals.

The exchange of rings, the exchange of vows, the readings, the music and any other ritual held at a wedding is purely ceremonial and can be performed at any time and in any location.  And that’s where I, as a professional Celebrant can help you to make your wedding ceremony unforgettable.

                                                          

Many couples choose to register their marriage with a simple visit to their local Registrar first before jetting off into the sunshine with family and friends to celebrate their “real” wedding ceremony.

Banish any thoughts of not holding your wedding ceremony at exactly the same time as your marriage registration.  After all, you wouldn’t Christen your baby or hold a naming ceremony on the same day that you register their birth, would you?  There are few events that we celebrate at the same time that we register them.  Why should weddings be any different?

As your wedding Celebrant, I will spend a great deal of time getting to know you before creating your personalised wedding ceremony.    The ceremony will be completely unique to you, revolving around the story of your lives, your interests, how you met and how you feel about each other, and moulded around your beliefs and lifestyle. 

You are free to keep as much of the traditional wedding service as you would like and I will suggest some ways to make your ceremony unique with the inclusion of less traditional rituals that might suit your circumstances, like the sand ceremony, the unity candle or the wine ceremony.  See more examples of rituals on my website

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Consider the benefits of having a Sunkissed wedding ceremony in Rhodes. 

• It’s an economical option to holding a full-blown traditional ceremony with a Registrar in attendance at an approved UK venue

• You can choose to have a simple UK marriage registration before or after your Celebrant wedding ceremony in Rhodes or combine your Celebrant wedding ceremony with your legal Greek marriage registration on the island

• You can invite the family and friends that you really want to have with you on your special day – perhaps ask them to splash out on airfares rather than give you a wedding gift.  Ask those guests who cannot join you in Rhodes, and/or the traditionalists amongst them, to your legal marriage registration in the UK.

• You can hold the ceremony almost anywhere you like, at any time of day and there are no time restrictions

• You can style your wedding with a fun or favourite theme, e.g. roaring 20’s, masquerade, wild west, geek, movie stars, Titanic, ancient Greeks, etc. or perhaps just a colour or particular style such as blue and white, ecological, vintage or simply something that fits in with the gorgeous sun-kissed location

• You can express yourselves in any way and with any words, e.g. vows, readings, music, songs, dancing, etc. and stage your own ceremony choreography

• You can include other members of your family in the ceremony, e.g. children, or include a remembrance for someone that is no longer with us

• You can include any religious elements that you like from one or more religions, rituals such as breaking the glass, jumping the broom, handfasting, or even make up some of your own

• You don’t need any documentation, expensive legalisations or translations for a Sunkissed wedding ceremony – everything is in English

• It’s fun and it’s in the sun!

• You can have one heck of a long wedding celebration following your Sunkissed wedding ceremony – it might last until your return flight lands in the UK!

So, if you really want to put some sparkle into your wedding ceremony, come to the Greek island of Rhodes and say your vows in a very special location.

My thanks to Kitty for hosting this article on Celebrant wedding ceremonies in Rhodes.

You can find out more about Julia and the services she provides on her website, email her and follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

In April we featured Laurra and Maria Nalty from One Life Ceremonies with suggestions for those of you who would like to do your wedding ceremony where and when you wish, and I'm a supporter of The Any Campaign which is working towards changing the law so that you CAN get married anytime, anywhere - please do visit their website and sign the petition if you think the law should be changed!

Peacock Pavilions

Today is a beautiful Spring day, much like April 26th in 2008 when Mr LilGuys and I tied the knot. We'd had weeks of rain, the ground was like a sponge and squelched rather alarmingly when you walked on it, the marquee guys got a bit damp as they transformed our back garden the day before the wedding. We were fairly philosophical about it, after all if you plan a wedding in April in the UK you have to be prepared for the worst! 

I was up at around 5.30am and from the bathroom window I could see the day beginning to dawn, with a clear sky and a golden glow on the marquee, the rain held off all day for us and it was a beautifully warm day. More about our own wedding another time as today's blog post is about honeymoons, or more specifically a suggestion for a honeymoon destination if you're still struggling with that one. Morocco is a destination I have yet to visit but have always wanted to, and even more so now after reading about Peacock Pavilions! I'm sure I would fall in love with it just as Chris and Maryam did.

A tale of an Arabian Honeymoon

A row of fountains amidst a garden of roses lead you to the treasures of Peacock Pavilions.  Everything you see here has a story to tell. Place yourself into the hands of the Pavilions’ attentive staff and let your honeymoon magic unfold.  

 

Enter into the exotic dining tent that provides the perfect backdrop to the scrumptious banquet. Of course your candle-light dinners will not only be a feast for the eyes. 

Peacock Pavilions is nestled in an olive grove and you will soon feel like the pashas of this peaceful oasis. Enjoy a private screening of Casablanca in the outdoor cinema, complete with popcorn and hot chocolate (or champagne, for the extra spark).

Should you ever grow tired of the glistening waters of the pool, the romantic fireplaces and the cocktails on your private roof terrace, then the wonders of Marrakech are all waiting for you.

Your taste buds will go wild on the Djema Al Fnaa square or at a Palace Restaurant where your dinner will be accompanied by belly dancing.

Shop for massage oils and spices in the local souks, and let the scent of tajines and kebabs lead you back to the zesty circus in the heart of the medina.

Let the world go by as you relax in a Hammam or join in on the adventure, be it on the back of a camel or gliding over the red city in a hot air balloon.

Coming to an exotic location means scintillating all of your senses and Peacock Pavilions and Marrakech will dazzle them all.

Visit the website for more information on staying at Peacock Pavilions, email for further information or reservations. You can also find them on Twitter and Facebook, and read Maryam's blog.