Best of the Maldives: DIY Wedding – Amilla Fushi

Amilla - beach wedding

If your Valentine proposal on the deserted island was a success, then the next step is to plan the big day. No need for expensive wedding planners with their own concepts as you can create the wedding of your dreams at Amilla Maldives with their DIY wedding offering:

  • “The traditional wedding vows have been rescripted to work with only the couple taking turns to speak, and a permanent wedding arch has been created on the beach, complete with a phone stand, in case the couple wishes to record or live stream the special occasion. The wedding vows are also there for the couple to refer to. They have been carved into wooden panels. In case a few guests are in attendance, six wooden benches have been placed on the beach too… The concept was conceived in response to a growing number of requests from guests at Amilla Maldives Resort and Residences for boutique weddings with no guests or only a handful of guests in attendance. This trend is part of a broader global trend for small destination weddings in privacy.”

My sister Sharyl is an interior designer who has pioneered the DIY concept in her field. Instead of coming in and necessarily spelling out the entire design (which some people do prefer), she provides the option to be their “design coach” and guide clients through the design process themselves. I especially liked this concept as we redid our house years ago and got frustrated by designers dictating their ideas and us clients having less hands on to molding this expression of ourselves.

Make your own special day truly your own.

Amilla - wedding vows

Best of the Maldives: Water Villa Wedding Pavilion – Gili Lankanfushi

Gili Lankanfushi - lagoon wedding pavilio

Gili Lankanfushi’s wedding pavilion is its very own ‘best of the Maldives’ collection all rolled into one stunning Maldives medley – an over water traditionally styled villa with glass floors looking down to aquamarine lagoons to celebrate one’s nuptials in paradise.

Gili Lankanfushi - wedding pavillion

Best of the Maldives: Hidden Places – One & Only Reethi Rah

One & Only Reethi Rah wedding pavillion

One of the motivations for “destination weddings” is not just to put your wedding expenses into a better honeymoon, but also to have a more intimate celebration. If you want your private ceremony to be extra private, One & Only Reethi Rah’s Wedding Pavillion is actually one of its several “hidden places”. Tucked behind the Tappanyaki restaurant, it is not general open to the guests without special arrangement. Great for avoiding paparazzi or just the distraction of other guests meandering by.

Best of the Maldives: Wedding Buggy – One & Only Reethi Rah

One and Only Reethi Rah wedding buggy

Do you I do? Time to pop that question with National Proposal Day today. When you start planning you nuptials, you want to book that ideal vehicle to escort you from the chapel. Maybe a posh Roller, or a vintage classic or even a horse-drawn carriage. While the transport is simple, none of those beat the elegance of the paradise surroundings if you opt for the One & Only Reethi Rah wedding buggy though!

Upper-Crust Married

Best of the Maldives: Proposal Coaching – Conrad Rangali Maldives

Conrad Rangali underwater wedding proposal

Happy Valentines Day. The epicentre of romance in the annual calendar. As such, one of the most popular days for people to propose. And with the Maldives being the geographical epicentre of romance, when the two combine expect big things. Like Conrad Maldives Rangali Island’s “Marry Me” packages…

“Conrad Maldives Rangali Island is launching a ‘MarryMe’ package for those planning to pop the question on Valentine’s Day. Priced at US$150, the package includes a bottle of celebratory champagne and assistance from the resort in planning the proposal. As part of the offer, couples dining in Ithaa undersea restaurant on February 14 can use the services of the dive centre for a memorable underwater proposal, complete with a diver swimming outside the windows of the restaurant to help ask the question.”

Best of the Maldives: Wedding Proposal – One & Only Reethi Rah

One and Only Reethi Rah - fire wedding proposal

 

Will you be my Valentine?

Or will be be mine forever? Both are popular questions being asked today. But few with more bright light and fervid heat than Nick Candy’s proposal to firey Strictly contestant and actress Holly Valance.

“The 38-year-old property tycoon got down on one knee on a beach in the Maldives with the words 'Will you marry me' written in fire when he popped the question.”

None of the reports divulged the resort where it took place, but the tell tale give-away was the Reethi Rah pool shown in the picture she tweeted.

Not only is Valentines Day an iconic occasion to start a brothel, but the Maldives is also THE dream location to conclude it with your honeymoon according to the latest Agoda survey.

Happy Valentines to the romantically inspired everywhere.

Best of the Maldives: Underwater Wedding Package – Centara Grand

Centara Grand underwater wedding 2

Your most romantic moments can be spent not just by the water, over the water or in the water, but actually under the water in the Maldives. A number of resorts do offer underwater weddings (eg. Anantara Kihavah, Conrad Rangali), but none is as elaborate and colourful as Centara Grand’s lavish affair. Newlyweds Chris and Janet inaugurated the coral garden ceremony offering in October (shown above).

What does one throw for good luck?

Centara Grand underwater wedding 1

Centara Grand underwater wedding 3

Best of the Maldives: Wedding Pavillion – Ayada

Ayada wedding pavillion 1

 

 

As wedding season starts to hit full swing, expectant brides to be might want to spend the money that they save on their dress on a more spectacular setting for their nuptials.  If paradise alone isn’t a striking enough setting, then most resorts offer a white linen tabernacle set up on the beach or over the water on a groygne.  But Ayada features a stunning wedding tabernacle for ceremonies. Draped in white linen…set in a copse of swaying palms, the ‘The White Room’ provides an elegant wedding chapel.

 

Ayada wedding pavillion 2

 

Mind you, wedding pavilions can get trashed too as the epic wedding comedy ‘Meet the Fokers’ portrayed hysterically…

 

Meet the Parents wedding fire

Best of the Maldives: Dress Trashing – Irufushi

Iru Fushi - trash the dress 1

If you prefer to apply your camera creativity to staging something on that elusive boundary between above and below water, then you might want to turn to Tania Sorokina for some help. Tania is the resident photographer at Iru Fushi who has just introduced ‘Trash the Dress’ shoots…

“’Trash the Dress’ or ‘Rock the Frock’ is a photography phenomenon Taking the World by Storm and it is now in the Maldives at Hilton Maldives Iru Fushi Resort & Spa…Guests can create a masterpiece that will hang proudly on their wall at home, a picture that will bring back fond and fun memories of their stay at Hilton Maldives Iru Fushi Resort & Spa. Perhaps they are celebrating a wedding anniversary or you just want to have fun in their wedding dress or maybe they are on their honeymoon and don’t want their special day to end. They can run along pristine white sandy beaches with their own set of props, create images that would suit a surreal pre-Raphaelite approach to painting, have a water fights, catch fish, jump (or be pushed) into swimming pools – Tania, the in-house photographer can create a fantastic library of amusing or serene images…If guests don’t have a wedding dress, but still fancy some fun an evening dress or a ball. gown would be equally as fun. Packages start from $450 and include 60 images.”

I always wondered about those wedding photo shoots and how they must have to worry about the dress getting ruined in the sand or ocean. Well, now they don’t have to fret. In fact, they can relish it. The meme is a great justification for splashing in the dress photo rather than splashing out on the dress.

 

Iru Fushi - trash the dress 2

Best of the Maldives: Wedding Coach – LUX* Maldives

LUX Maldives orchid

Most couples coming to the Maldives have a different sort of ‘elegant reception’ on their minds either having just arrived from one at their wedding or planning a special one at the Maldives. Some people like to have everything done for them by a wedding planner and others like to do all the preparation themselves. But sometimes, you want something in between. A personal touch of hands-on with the guidance of an expert who can spur ideas and thwart rookie errors.

My sister Sharyl Stropkay offers that sort of service for interior design for people who want to lend their own touch and apply their creativity, but need guidance about fundamentals as well as tricks and tips and it is very popular.

LUX* Maldives offer sjust such a ‘wedding coach’ service…

“Rather than rely on a professional wedding planner, some couples may prefer to use their own talents to produce a creative and more personal wedding. LUX* will support such individuals by helping them to imagine a design their own unique celebration.”

For example, LUX* Maldives have an orchid nursery so that you can go into it and design your own bouquet. They also once cleared one of their main island bars to create a special beach disco because that was the couple’s dream.