Divi Aruba Offers FREE Weddings!

Everyone loves Aruba... it is that quintessential easy Caribbean island. The Divi Aruba is one of the island's few all-inclusive resorts, making it a popular choice for guests wanting to have all their meals & drinks pre-paid. 

The Divi Aruba is a good match for couples seeking a host hotel with a pristine white sand beach, multiple dining choices, comfortable accommodations, a beautiful pool, and a casino.

 

One reason Aruba is an easy island is because it is so easy reach! There are flights available from most major gateways and often airline tickets are within the $450-$550 price range.

Plan your destination wedding at the beachfront Divi Aruba All Inclusive and receive a complimentary oceanview room with your all inclusive wedding:

TIER I

Complimentary Oceanview Room

& Honeymoon Package for 7 nights (min. of 10 double rooms)

     Free Oceanview room for bride & groom for 7 nights

     Bottle of champagne

     Candlelight dinner for two

     Free Night First Anniversary Certificate

     Remembrance gift

TIER II

Complimentary Essential Wedding Package

(Or credit of $1000 toward a destination wedding package of your choice),

Oceanview Room & Honeymoon Package for 7 nights (min. of 20 double rooms)

     ALL AMENITIES LISTED IN TIER I - Plus

     Beach wedding or golf course ceremony

     Meet & Greet at Aruba Weddings For You office

     Keepsake calligraphy certificate

     Fresh floral bouquet and groom boutonniere

     Pre-recorded background music

     Destination wedding setup

     Floor draped table

     1 Bottle champagne

     2 Torches

     Palm fringed aisle with candle walk

     Non-denominational minister fee

     Coordinator present at ceremony

     Administrative charges

Features and facilities subject to change without notice. Complimentary Essential Wedding package or $1000 credit must be redeemed directly with Aruba Weddings For You at www.arubaweddingsforyou.com and cannot be redeemed for other services. Complimentary all inclusive Oceanview room for bride and groom (2 adults maximum 7 nights). Tier I requires a minimum of ten (10) double occupancy rooms. The wedding party must book at least a five (5) night minimum stay per room in order for bride and groom to receive complimentary room. Tier II requires  minimum of twenty (20) double occupancy rooms. All rooms must be booked for at least a five (5) night minimum stay per room in order for bride and groom to receive complimentary room and complimentary Essential Wedding package or $1000 credit toward ceremony. Wedding must be contracted through Aruba Weddings For You in order to qualify for complimentary night and/or credit. Complimentary room is non-transferable and cannot be redeemed for cash. Complimetary Honeymoon Package for bride and groom only.  

Friday Inspiration

Happ & Stahns Perfumes are a perfect bridesmaid gift. Large and small sizes, both beautifully packaged - from Anthropologie:

Madame Jeannette Restaurant in Aruba is the perfect location for a wedding reception or rehearsal dinner... the BEST food on the island set in a whimsical garden complete with twinkle lights and a relaxing band:

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Pretty braids with fabric. Spotted here.

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Have a great weekend! 

Cheers,

Alto Vista Chapel in Aruba

There are charming wedding chapels in the Caribbean... and then there is Alto Vista Chapel. 

Alto Vista was the first church established in the whole of the Caribbean. Also called the Pilgrim's church, it was constructed by Spanish missionaries in 1750 and to this day the Chapel of Alto Vista continues to conduct services between its pale yellow walls. The chapel is fairly easy to reach, despite it being located well off the beaten path. Dirt roads lined with vaguely unsettling messages left for future travelers lead up to the pews of Alto Vista Chapel Aruba. Read more...

Contact the Destination Wedding Specialists at CaribbeanJourney.com for more information about getting married at Alto Vista Chapel.

Enjoy,

Our Aruba Wedding

I recently stumbled across this fantastic blog - Our Aruba Wedding - where brides planning  weddings in Aruba can contribute and give advice to other brides. I love the concept and the simply, easy style. 

Be sure and check my favorite post about Jeff & Jing's wedding: (Photographed by Hayne Photographers.)

And don't miss "A Friendly Reminder" - one of the smartest ideas I've seen in a while. 

Enjoy,

Reception beneath the palms... Radisson Aruba

This is lovely table setting can be recreated for your event if you think you'd like to say "I DO" to the Radisson Aruba Resort. Why do I like this hotel? Because the rooms are fantastically designed in authentic Caribbean decor.... surprisingly, a rare trend in Aruba. Contact me if this picture inspires you...

Destination Aruba - Manchebo Resort

I love the Manchebo Resort... it is one of the best deals in Aruba and located on one of the largest beaches. For a fabulous deal and great backdrop!

Green Your Caribbean Wedding!

One of the hottest trends in weddings this year, is "green" weddings. Society as a whole is becoming more environmentally conscious and therefore companies everywhere are jumping on the marketing bandwagon to appeal to this growing level of compassion. The travel and wedding industries are not exempt. Combine green-conscious companies from each of these industries and a Green Destination Wedding is possible! Let's start at the beginning, with the engagement rings. Green Karat sells conflict-free diamonds and will allow you to recycle any of your old jewelry and then creates a custom piece just for you!

Next it is time to send out the announcements! Twisted Limb Paperworks is just one of the green companies I found that offers 100% recycled Save-the-Date Announcements and Invitations that can be fully customized and come in an array of colors including a texted tan that resembles sand and the same pale blue as the Caribbean Sea.

Unfortunately, air travel is one of the evils of the eco-friendly modern age. Despite my green quest, I for one will never be able to give up flying. There are simply far too many places I lust for that I can't reach any other way. Terra Pass is just one of the many organizations popping up offering carbon offset programs. (I was in touch with them last year in hopes of working together and they never followed-up... but I still think their company is worth recommending.) While there are many debates about how and if these programs really work, I think it best to err on the side of "let's hope so".

Deciding where to stay will be the toughest part because eco-friendly hotels and resorts are springing up each month in the Caribbean! The Green Globe program is one of the oldest eco-friendly certification programs. The Caribbean, as a region, leads the world in the number of Green Globe certified properties. Currently there are 57 Certified Properties in the region. Here are some of my favorites. The Bucuti Resort, a small intimate resort, in Aruba has installed many water-saving devices and dozens of solar panels. Kudos to the Sandals Resort chain for making sure ALL of their hotels are Green Globe Certified. The purely luxurious Spice Island Beach Resort in Grenada employs a "green team", a group of individuals who oversee and implement the environmental programs on property.

A room from the Cinnamon and Saffron Suites at Spice Island:

And because some of you don't want to return from your Destination Wedding to a house full of unnecessary gifts, there are all kinds of conscious wedding registries. My favorite this week is offered through the World Wildlife Fund and allows your guests to contribute to conservation in place of sending a gift.

Nov. & Dec. Special at the Riu Palace Aruba!

The Riu Palace Aruba is offering discounted rates for all stays in November & December! Plus, children are 50% off when sharing with 2 paying adults. Valid categories: Junior Suite Partial Oceanview, Junior Suite Oceanview, Suite Oceanview and Junior Suite Jacuzzi® Oceanview. New bookings only. You must book by 10/04/07 for travel between 11/1/07 and 12/21/07. In Aruba, the Riu Palace is beautifully designed and located right on Palm Beach, offering a most spectacular view of the Caribbean. The wide expense of soft, golden sand, virtually at its front door, invites you to enjoy the warm breeze wafting in from the ocean or enjoy swimming in one of the two fresh-water pools. We invite you to enjoy the beauty of Aruba and the comfort of the Riu Palace, the perfect combination for your next vacations.

Thinking of Getting Married in Aruba, Bonaire, or Curacao?

Aruba is a popular choice for Destination Weddings because of the abundance of airlift to the island from most major US Gateways. As it is common for Destination Brides to get married on one island and honeymoon on another, many of my Aruba bride have voiced their complaints that there simply is not an easily accessible island once you are on Aruba. To visit most, you must fly back to Miami to change planes. So, I am thrilled to report that it is now easier to island-hop between the ABC Islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao). While these islands are relatively close together making a ferry service seem like a logical answer, there is no such service. Up until a few years ago, inter-island flights were infrequent and unreliable. This year, I have found two small airlines to service my clients. Both Insel Air and Tiara Air fly between Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao. Tiara Air recently announced that they were adding more flights and now flies between all 3 islands multiple times a day on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.