Foreign Princess
Amanjena Resort, Marrakech, Morocco
A water moat surrounds the pink sandstone of this private haven nestled beneath the Atlas Mountains near the bustling passageways of the Medina of Marrakech. Guests will be pampered while the bride and groom prepare for the festivities with massage and henna tattoos. Belly dancers, musicians on horseback, flower water, and dates lead the couple to their carriage to be whisked away into the pink and purple hues of a balmy desert night. Guests won’t be bored as they can spend their days bargaining in the markets, taking tours into the Sahara, and side trips to the oldest medieval city of Fez to take in the blue tiled mosques and pick out their hat before scooting off to recreate their own Bogart and Bergman love affair in Morocco’s largest city, Casablanca.
White Wedding
ICEHOTEL, Jukkasjärvi, Sweden
If my friends can’t stand the heat planning their weddings near family at home, then I will gently nudge them to escape to the arctic temperatures of Sweden’s ICEHOTEL. A snowmobile suit in white for him, and a traditional white gown cloaked in fur for her will be the only way to walk back up the aisle of this annually sculptured ice chapel. Guests can venture out into the cold on a snowmobile, dog-sled, or moose safari while staying in Wilderness Camps and taking in the brilliant sunrises over the ever-flowing Torne River. We’ll have to spend at least one night in the ICEHOTEL for the full experience, try ice driving in a newly-designed Saab, or form our foreign Polar Bear Club by jumping into the frigid waters just like the Swedes do.
Dutch-Colonial Delight
Taprobane Island, Sri Lanka
Every time I look at this destination, I feel like the bridesmaid who missed the bouquet. My Australian BBC journalist friend married her American Economist journalist, and I could have been there, having a cerebral chat over global issues with a worldly single man while throwing my head back in laughter atop an elephant as we rode into the sunset. On Taprobane Island, family and royalty can stay with the bride and groom on this private island on the southern tip of Sri Lanka. The island boasts a five-suite five-star hotel, infinity pool, tropical gardens to hold the ceremony, and five staff members to each guest to help with securing the peacocks for photo opps. Guests can parlay this wedding into side trips for cliff-hanging train rides, Austin Healey races in the town of Jaffna, and scuba dives before taking in a game of cricket. Missed all this the first time, but I have plenty of friends yet to be wed …
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