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Both myself and my husband had always dreamt of getting married on a beach at sunset, before I became a travel agent, I would have thought that it would cost me the earth and it would be a hard task to pull off.

However, after helping other clients get ready for their beach weddings whilst working in a high street travel agency, I soon became to realise, that as long as you are organised, sorting out a wedding abroad is probably easier than organising a wedding in the UK.

So after convincing my partner that it would be a good time to propose to me, I set to work on finding the perfect destination for our dream wedding.

There are so many places out there to choose from, whether it be Italy, Caribbean, aboard a cruise ship or the an island in the Indian Ocean. However as we have quite a big family with lots of young children, all of whom we wanted to invite to our wedding, so we decided on Cyprus.

With only a 4 and a half hour flight away from our local airport of Exeter, it couldn’t get more ideal for us.

The next stage was choosing a tour operator that I was confident would get us everything that we wanted in our wedding, after a long search Planet Holidays were more than fabulous, and this is what we booked….

We stayed at the Ledra Beach, Paphos, on an All Inclusive basis, arriving on the 3rd May 2006, as you have to be in the country for at least 5 days before your wedding, we decided to book the wedding date for the 9th May, which coincidentally fell on my mums  50th Birthday.

As neither myself or my husband had been married before, the only paperwork that we needed to take with us on our holiday were passports and birth certificates. (Although this varies from country to country).

When booking your wedding with your holiday you get the chance to pre book hairdressers, flowers, cakes, wine etc… However with the package that we chose you had to pay and plan the wedding breakfast in resort with the hotels manager.

So on the 3rd May, we flew from Exeter to Cyprus…..

On arrival we had a letter from our wedding coordinator (included in the price) telling us that she would meet us the next day and take us off the the town hall to ensure that we collect our wedding license and get the appropriate stamps.

We had regular contact from our wedding coordinator, always there for advice and help before the big day. Putting us in touch with the hotel manager to ensure they knew just what we needed for our wedding breakfast and how we wanted our room decorated for the wedding ceremony.

Everything was going so smoothly until my bridesmaid missed her plane……but phew…in the nick of time she arrived!

As we had decided to get married in the afternoon the whole wedding party had plenty of time to get ready, have time on the beach (although please do not do as I did and spend too much time on the beach as I ended up with a sunburnt arm in my wedding photo!) and calm any pre wedding nerves.

Then the moment arrived…..we got married in a room set a side in the hotel for Weddings with the Mayor of Paphos marrying us          in front of our family and friends. This was followed by photos, courtesy of our lovely Cypriot photographer, drinks then onto a blessing on the beach, performed by mother in law, who also happens to be a Methodist Minister.

Then onto our reception next to the beach.

As we had booked 2 weeks away, we then had the last week of our holiday to have our honeymoon, returning to the UK as Mr and Mrs after a stress free wedding and without feeling like we had blown our bank balances on the big day.

I hope this has given those of you interested in getting married abroad an idea of what it really is like, and if you need any advise or costings, then please do not hesitate to get in touch!

Sue Arscott

As I have been lucky enough to travel to many destinations I thought I would tell others about my own experiences in some of my favourite places.

I travelled to the lovely little island of Menorca in June 2009 with my husband and two small children, this was my first visit to the island, although not my first time in the Balearics. I would say that this island exceeded my expectations. Even though I adore Ibiza and would revisit Mallorca, I would say that Menorca is by far the prettiest of the islands.

We stayed in a little resort called Arenal De’n Castell, somewhere perfect for those wanting a quiet week away and with children that are quite happy to play on the beach or be entertained by resort staff. However if you are a family that needs plenty to see and do then this might not be the perfect resort for you, so why don’t you chose somewhere like…Son Bou or Cala N’ Bosch?

The hotel that we chose to stay in was the Aguamarina, although this was not a particularly pretty hotel to look at, the rooms were clean, the hotel staff were fabulous and the childrens club was just perfect to keep our 4 year old entertained whilst myself and my husband spent a little time unwinding by the pool.

A little piece of area info for you….

The second largest of the Balearic Islands, Menorca (also spelt Minorca), lies 140 miles east of the mainland and 25 miles northeast of Majorca. 33 miles long and about 10 miles wide, the island has a largely rugged northern half with a deeply incised coastline, contrasting with the much gentler profile of the south finally giving way to a string of white sandy beaches. The capital Mahon, with its large natural harbour, is in the east, 2 miles from the airport. A good highway links the town with the much older Ciudadela at the opposite end of the island. The resorts are almost all purpose-built and dotted along the coast mainly in the south, but in spite of these developments, Menorca appears relatively unspoilt and quiet compared to its neighbours.

Country info……

Location: Europe

Capital City: Madrid

Population: 40.5 million

Area: 505,955 square km, 195,349 square miles.

Language(s): Spanish (Castilian), Catalan, Galician, Basque

Dialling Code: 34

Electricity: 220V AC 50Hz

Emergency: Police, Fire & Ambulance: 112

Driving: Driving is on the right. EU Driving Licences are accepted,  if not an International Driving Licence is required. Minimum driving age is 18, however minimum age for car hire is 21

Business/Social Hints: Business is conducted in Spanish, many executives speak French or English. On social occasions, eg invitation to restaurants, be reasonably punctual and dress as for business meetings unless otherwise indicated

If that has wet your appetite, give me a call and I’ll find the best possible deal for you and your family to enjoy this beautiful little island!

Sue Arscott                                   

Reference No:
506741-HAY

Deal Ref:
186089

Depart:
Gatwick

Destination:
Three Vallees

Dates / Times:
Departing 20/12/2010
Returning 27/12/2010

Duration:
7 nights

Rating:

3 Star

Room Type:

Apartments

Staying In:

Le Grand Chalet

Board Basis:

Self Catering

Description:

The Grand Chalet Studios are well situated in Brides les Bains, opposite the Thermal Spa and just 200m to the Olympe gondola, giving you quick and easy access to the magnificent Three Valleys ski area.

Facilities:

Water Activities:

From £399

Prices quoted are per person (unless otherwise stated) and based on maximum occupancy...

To book this offer, note reference number and call...
01823 478305

Offers are subject to availability