But why have onlookers at all? Generally you would book your wedding ceremony and reception venue and expect to have it all to yourself. Does it need to be different at a tropical resort? Not if you choose to experience the sweeping romance of your own private resort and make it truly all about you.
Te Vakaroa Villas in Rarotonga, Cook Islands, is one such resort promoting the exclusivity and tranquillity of mixing with only friends and family at their stunning location on Muri Beach, arguably the best white sand beach on the island.
Rarotonga – Emerald jewel of the Pacific
Once a massive volcano, Rarotonga is the youngest of the Cook Islands southern group, now covered in a thick tropical jungle and ringed by tropical reefs and lagoons. Long white sand beaches, majestic mountains and crystal clear lagoons make Rarotonga a unique slice of paradise.
Te Vakaroa – Jewel of Rarotonga
A luxury beachfront property, Te Vakaroa Villas offers six brand new one-bedroom and two-bedroom villas. A gorgeous resort for a wedding party, it boasts luxurious interiors, full modern facilities, satellite reception, flat screen TVs, surround-sound music, together with an infinity fresh-water swimming pool and spa pool overlooking Muri Beach.
Tonia Timmins, Wedding Coordinator for Bon Voyage Cruises & Travel, has enjoyed the hospitality of Te Vakaroa Villas. “The minute you step into your villa you feel the warmth and luxury of your surroundings. Every little detail has been thought of, from the feather-down pillows on your bed to the well-equipped kitchen. But why cook when there are fabulous restaurants at your doorstep? There’s even the option of delivery to your Villa”.
Tonia explains the advantages of booking out Te Vakaroa for your wedding.
Flexible to your every whim
Booking out an entire resort really means it’s all about you, with all staff dedicated to ensuring your special day is perfect! From accommodation and dining to your ceremony location – everything is flexible according to your desires.
Te Vakaroa Villas will provide complimentary return airport transfers, a welcome fruit basket on arrival, complimentary tropical breakfasts as well as the use of kayaks, snorkelling gear and beach towels. The high-end equivalent of going to nana’s for a holiday! Book out the entire resort and Te Vakaroa Villas will even let you bring children.
How to plan when you don’t know how many guests will come
Booking an entire resort can seem on the surface a risky business. What if you end up not having enough guests? What if you have too many?
Te Vakaroa has addressed this issue with its small size (accommodating up to 20 guests) together with its superb location – it’s within walking distance of neighbouring Villas; a great option for guest overflow.
Booking out an entire resort
Booking out an entire resort requires more commitment and planning than a typical island wedding. For example:
Te Vakaroa Villas Conditions
- Property exclusive use requires a minimum of 30 nights booked by the party; minimum per Villa stay time to be five nights.
- A two night deposit per villa is required at the time of booking with full accommodation prepayment required one month prior to arrival.
Special Offer: Stay 5 Pay 4 nights available at Te Vakaroa Villas until March 2010
Marriage licence in the Cook Islands:
Application for a marriage licence must be made in person to the registrar of Marriages in the Cook Islands on arrival, with a minimum of three days notice required for the processing of an application.
A feast of dining choices
Exclusive doesn’t mean isolated. Instead your exclusive resort becomes your hub for the array of delicious dining options close by.
Adjacent to Te Vakaroa Villas is Sails Restaurant and Bar, which overlooks Muri Lagoon and has a tempting variety of Cook Island food on offer. Te Vakaroa Villas’ great location means other fine dining restaurants are in the close vicinity giving you choices galore for your wedding reception. All details can be planned well in advance with catering ranging from canapés, set menus, island buffet or a gourmet BBQ. Or join family and friends for a wedding breakfast at Te Vakaroa Villas.
Seek out your dream wedding location
Beach or island chapel? Both are idyllic and fitting places to marry in an island setting, but there are plenty of other options to ponder.
From Te Vakaroa Villas, wedding ceremonies can be planned for a range of isolated beach venues, gardens, on a mountain with sweeping scenic views, at a local church or even on a motu (the lagoon island in front of the resort). Picture yourself being paddled out to the motu by an island warrior while your partner awaits your arrival on the sandy white shore of the isle.
“Across the lagoon is an uninhabited island called Koromiri Motu where the bride can be paddled out in a traditional vaka by an island warrior across the lagoon to her waiting husband-to-be,” explains Tonia. “How romantic to not only have a resort to yourselves but to say you were married on the sandy shores of a deserted island!”
‘Te Vakaroa’ means ‘long canoe’ - a fitting name as the Villas are sited where many of the large voyaging canoes were carved in pre-missionary days.
Truly be yourself
It’s as if you are teenagers and your parents are away for the weekend – go wild! Let down your hair amongst friends and family: make a fool of yourself with silly dancing, rouse everyone for a midnight swim or party until morning.
Luxuriating in your private resort is a perfect chance to relax and unwind, revelling in your own uniqueness as a person and the celebration of the beginning of married life. No doubt guests will also enjoy this special opportunity – who knows what everyone will get up to and what stories will be treasured of a very unique island wedding.
Three tips for booking out an entire resort:
- Count your guests
It’s always hard to anticipate exactly how many guests will be able to attend your wedding, even more so when you plan to get married in the South Pacific! Obtaining exclusivity comes at the cost of commitment so be sure that you will have the minimum number of guests required (and the minimum time stay) and that there are quality accommodation options close by if you have an overflow of guests. - Budget in advance
Generally a resort will manage the risk of your exclusive booking by requiring a chunky deposit at the time of booking, with the remainder due in advance of your arrival. Give your guests plenty of time to plan for this, or choose to pay the deposit yourself to secure the booking and accept payment from your guests later. - Make the most of it!
This is your time to absolutely be yourself and revel in the luxury of everything being about you. Resorts are likely to be very flexible to meet your particular requirements, for example allowing children even if the resort usually excludes children.
engaged, july 2009
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