Category Archives: Honeymoon

Plan a Mini-moon

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Mini-mooning is a growing trend among newlyweds and just 1.5 hours from London by train, the New Forest is fast becoming a top mini-moon destination and with its stunning landscape, range of activities and beautiful couples’ accommodation, it’s easy to see why. Here, we explore what makes the New Forest so special.

Honeymoons are the perfect remedy to the busy and exciting wedding day. They give couples the chance to getaway and recuperate together and enjoy a well-deserved break month, if not years, of planning and organisation.

While traditionally a couple was sent off on their honeymoon straight after the reception, and therefore had no chance to chat with their guests until two weeks later, today’s newlyweds are choosing to postpone the longer break, or to substitute it entirely in favour of a shorter mini-moon. The New Forest is a world away from the hustle and bustle of daily life and provides the ideal setting for a romantic break.

Amazing accommodation

Let’s face it, you don’t want your run of the mill hotel for your mini-moon. A once in a lifetime event, it deserves accommodation that wows, and there’s plenty of that in the New Forest.

If you’re looking for a place to get away from it all, Beaulieu River View is a gorgeously secluded bolthole for two. Stood on stilts above the Beaulieu River, it certainly has the wow factor and mini-mooners have been visiting for years, drawn by The Wind in the Willows reminiscent surroundings and the open plan living inside.

Grab a kayak from the local hire shop and take a trip down the river, enjoy walks in the local woodland or simply relax on the cabin’s wraparound balcony and watch the world go by.

For something equally special, couples can now stay on the famous Beaulieu Estate, home to Beaulieu Abbey, in the Old Telephone Exchange. Once the main exchange for the village of Buckler’s Hard and the Estate, today the Old Telephone Exchange is a delightfully renovated retreat for two, surrounded by enchanting landscape and local wildlife.

Or venture a little further inland to Jenny Wren’s, a holiday cottage just for two. Located in an authentic forest setting, with ponies, foals, donkeys and cattle making their daily foraging trips along the hedgerows, it’s the ideal escape to help you relax and rewind.

The New Forest is home to an abundance of stunning holiday cottages, offering something for every taste.

Fantastic activities

A mini-moon in the New Forest gives couples the chance enjoys a wide range of activities together. Whether you’re a seasoned cyclist or a novice looking to try something new, there’s something to suit everyone.

Walking is a very popular pastime in the New Forest, thanks to the miles and miles of exquisite landscape, approved walking route and plenty of wildlife to spot en route. What could be more romantic than rambling through the woodland, chatting away and getting a bit of post-wedding cake exercise thrown in too?

Other outdoor pursuits such as cycling, horse-riding and water sports like kayaking are also popular and there are lots of activity centres offering rental of equipment and organised trips. Take a look at New Forest Activities for their range of days out and shorter trips, including foraging trails and kayaking.

Delicious food

Minimooners will be spoilt for choice when it comes to eating in the New Forest. From local markets selling fresh produce for you to cook yourself, through to local tea rooms and lots of AA rosette and Michelin star restaurants, you’re sure to find the perfect spot for a romantic meal (or two!).

Self-catering in the New Forest is really easy. Stray away from the supermarket and head to one of the food markets in the area. Setley’s Ridge is popular with locals for its food and also its wine selection which comes from its own vineyard, or try Tatchbury Manor Farm for homemade jams and a fantastic selection of meats.

Eating out is also a real pleasure and the New Forest is scattered with foodie gems. There are some lovely pubs which are fantastic as a respite for walkers and cyclists, or book a table to enjoy some locally sourced dishes in the warmth of traditional pub settings. The Royal Oak at Fritham comes highly recommended, as does The Oak Inn at Bank.

The Haven restaurant, set in the heart of Lymington Marina, is another excellent choice – more modern in style than the pubs and with views over the waterfront. If you’re for something extra special, try one of the many Michelin and AA rosette awarded restaurants, which can be found on the New Forest’s official visitor website.

The New Forest offers something to suit all tastes and is the perfect choice for minimooners seeking a romantic break, away from the hustle and bustle of daily life.

Overseas wedding

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Italy

Thanks to its stop-and-stare scenery, nowhere on earth spells ‘amore’ quite like Italy. Become husband and wife here and you can swap promises in places like Positano, where the views have to be seen to be believed, or in private cloisters surrounded by lush olives groves. Honeymoon celebrations are given over to lingering coffees in pavement cafes, drawn-out dinners in barely-lit restaurants, and hand-in-hand strolls across moonlit piazzas.

Ibiza

It’s always a nice day for a white wedding in Ibiza. Blanched sands and sugar cube villages have given this bohemian island its ‘White Isle’ nickname, and nuptials tend to follow the same virgin colour scheme. Blessings usually take place on the beach, so you can feel the sand between your toes as you say your vows. Here, honeymoons are made up of spectacular sunsets, and spa treatments in view of the sea.

Iceland

Iceland is the ultimate winter wonderland, and weddings here certainly take advantage of the country’s spectacular scenery. You can choose to say ‘I do’ in the open air, against a backdrop of lava fields and the infamous Eyjafjallajökull volcano. You can opt to get married in Thingvellier National Park, next to Iceland’s biggest lake. Or you can plump for the amazing Blue Lagoon, and toast your nuptials in 37-degree geothermal waters.

Cyprus

There’s a reason Cyprus is known as the Island of Love. This is, after all, the birthplace of Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty. And the place just oozes romance. Your wedding ceremony can take place on a slither of the country’s 800-kilometre-long coastline, or deep in a forest straight out of a storybook. For a 5-star reception, meanwhile, look to the Sensatori Resort Aphrodite Hills – this luxurious property will make an oyster of your wedding world.

Mauritius

With its unmatchable fusion food, rare wildlife, and the longest unbroken coral reef in the world, Mauritius is a land of one-and-only. And that’s what your dream wedding will be too when you choose to make your promises on this island. You can say your vows on a beach that’s whiter than your veil and quieter than a cloister, and toast with Champagne as the sun dips below the horizon.

What to pack for your Honeymoon

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After you’ve said “I do,” you can finally stop stressing out about place settings, wardrobe mishaps, invitations, and everything else related to wedding planning, and you can focus on relaxing a bit. We’re talking, of course, about your honeymoon!

A fitting reward after walking down the aisle, many couples agree that the best part about getting married—aside from starting a new life together with the one they love—is getting to jet off to somewhere new (or somewhere you already love!) and spending some down time with your brand-new spouse. As you plan and pack for your vacation, though, don’t forget these five essentials.

1) Cameras, Chargers, Memory Cards, and Batteries
You’re going to want to take no fewer than a million photos, so make sure you bring everything you need to make sure you can. Along with your camera (or phone camera), you’ll want to make sure you have all of the components and accessories that it requires, like charging cables, memory cards, batteries, and the case so that it stays safe when you’re not using it.

2) First and Last Day Outfits, Plus More
Chances are you’ll take the most photos on the first and last full days of your honeymoon, so plan to bring outfits special for the occasions. Whether it’s a fancy dinner, a night of dancing, or a highly anticipated show that you’re doing, plan to wear something that you absolutely love and that looks great on you. Past that, you’ll want to make sure you bring a variety of outfits to choose from depending on your plans. Make sure you have swimsuits or warm jackets (depending on your destination!), something for upscale locales, and perhaps most importantly, comfortable shoes that you can walk in for hours to sightsee.

3) Backup Plans for Itinerary Interruptions
Even if you’re the type of couple who prefers spontaneity on vacation, you’ve probably got some things you definitely want to do during your trip. Unfortunately, we all know that even the best-laid plans can fall through, so it might not be a bad idea to come up with a few backup plans just in case. For instance, if the special restaurant you really wanted to see doesn’t have a reservation or is unexpectedly closed, or the weather is bad on the day you wanted to take surfing lessons, you’ll want to make sure you have something else to fall back on lest you have to scramble to come up with a last-minute activity.

4) Luggage with Enough Room for Souvenirs
No matter where you vacation, you’ll probably end up picking up some mementos to bring back home either to remember your trip or to give as gifts to loved ones. When it comes time to fly home, it can be a real let-down to realize that all of your things won’t fit in the bags you brought, and you’ll have to decide whether to leave things behind or find an emergency second bag, which you’ll probably have to check at the airport (which can be costly, depending on the airline). Make sure that you either pack light enough that there’s some room left over or that your bag is big enough to accommodate all the things you want to bring and then some.

5) To Enjoy the Moment and Be Present
This one’s intangible, but when you’re on your honeymoon, it’s important to remember to really relax and enjoy yourselves. That means letting your work emails go unanswered (even if you have to force yourself not to check or take it off of your phone for the duration of the trip), unplugging from social media (it’s okay to post a picture here and there, but make sure you’re not spending your whole trip trying to snap the most Instagram-able shots. Take the opportunity to really connect with your new spouse and enjoy your time alone together!

Hollywood Honeymoons

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If you and your other half are film buffs, or just love the idea of including some Hollywood glamour into your honeymoon, incorporate a stay at a world famous hotel that’s been used as a film location. Here are some ideas to inspire you:

Italy

The Please Garden (Alfred Hitchcock’s first film): Villa D’Este

Alfred Hitchcock spent nearly every summer at the Villa d’Este and was completely enamoured with the beautiful surroundings. He filmed his first movie The Pleasure Garden on the hotel grounds in 1925. The hotel has over 150 rooms, all completely unique from one another with their own style and size. Hitchcock isn’t the only artist to fall in love with Villa d’Este; distinguished fashionistas have all fallen in love with the place including Calvin Klein, Oscar de la Renta, Donna Karan and Paul Smith.

A Room with a View: Degli Orafi, Florence

The famous 1980’s film A Room with a View charts the romance between Miss Lucy Honeychurch; a young Edwardian woman, with a free-spirited young man she meets in Italy. The couple first meet at a hotel in Florence, and modern-day visitors to the Degli Orafi hotel can stay in the exact room they meet, room 414 on the 4th floor. The view in question is from the room’s spectacular terrace which overlooks the Arno and Ponte Vecchio.

The United States of America

Ocean’s 11: The Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas

The Bellagio is features a few times in Ocean’s 11. Firstly, the Las Vegas Boulevard entrance is seen when Saul arrives at the casino to place some big bets to get Terry Benedict’s attention. Saul walks right through the main entrance underneath the hotel’s distinctive glass flower chandelier. Also, whilst the movie makes it seem as though Basher Tarr is in a remote location when he pulls the trigger to turn out the Vegas Strip lights, the scene is actually filmed from on top of Bellagio’s self-park garage!

The Bodyguard: Fontainebleu Miami Beach

In The Bodyguard the Fontainebleu makes an appearance as the host of the charity benefit where Whitney Houston’s character Rachel sings ‘I Have Nothing’. However, the luxury grounds of the hotel have appeared in more than one Hollywood blockbuster. In the third James Bond film, Goldfinger, the Fontainebleu is where Sean Connery’s 007 checks in before thwarting the movie’s villain during a game of poolside Gin Rummy, and in Al Pacino’s Scarface, the beach hotel is where Montana and Manny Ray relax and eye up ladies.

Pretty Woman: The Beverly Wilshire, California

In the 1990 blockbuster Pretty Woman, the Beverly Wilshire Hotel is where Edward Lewis (played by Richard Gere) puts up his escort Vivian Ward (played by Julia Roberts). Vivian endears herself to the staff of the hotel, resulting in the hotel manager teaching her about place settings, and the hotel is conveniently located next to the designer’s shops in Rodeo Drive. The hotel celebrated the 25th anniversary of the film by offering Pretty Women packages that ranged from $15,000 to $100,000 and included homages to the film including a night in the presidential suite, a personal shopper on Rodeo Drive with $3,000 shopping money, couple’s massages, a diamond pedicure and a romantic dinner on the Veranda Suite Terrace.

Maid in Manhattan: Roosevelt Hotel, New York

Jennifer Lopez plays a hardworking maid at the fictional Beresford Hotel in the 2002 romantic comedy Maid in Manhattan. The exterior of the Beresford was actually the Waldorf-Astoria but the majority of the filming took place within the Roosevelt Hotel. The Roosevelt has also been featured in a number of other Hollywood films including The Taking of Pelham 123, The French Connection and Men in Black 3.