Say “I do” at 30,000 feet – easyJet wants to get into the wedding business

by Scott Carmichael on

Desperate to generate some extra cash, every airline in the world is scrambling for ways to introduce new money making services. Some have considered paid bathrooms, others are going to double charge fatties. UK low cost carrier easyJet is in the lead at the moment in the creativity top 10.

The airline is planning to introduce in-flight weddings on their planes, allowing couples to tie the knot at 30,000 feet.

Imagine being able to get married on the plane that is taking you to your honeymoon destination.

Of course, it’ll still be on a tacky orange colored low cost carrier, and many of the passengers around you are probably already drunk from all the beer at the airport.

There is one minor issue they’ll need to work on first – UK law states that the place of marriage has to be a legal building, and that the building has to be permanent and “not moving”. Still, if they are able to work out the legal problems, they may be onto the next big aviation money maker.

Complimentary destination wedding – it’s not a trick

by Annie Scott on


The Ritz-Carlton has an amazing destination wedding offer for the rest of this year. And yes, the dreamy location above (San Juan, Puerto Rico) is included in the offer!

Here’s how it works. You call up the Ritz-Carlton and say “Hey. I’m thinking about a destination wedding,” and mention the Reconnect package, which starts at $269 (Jamaica).

Then, they hook you up with a $100 daily resort credit for spa treatments and/or recreation activities, a daily romantic breakfast for two, and a free ceremony including:

  • Ceremony Location (such as the above)
  • Wedding Specialist
  • Wedding Concierge
  • Minister
  • Signature Bouquet
  • Signature Boutonniere
  • Signature Location Décor

And the icing on the cake? They’ll give you a three night stay for your first anniversary at any of the following five locations: The Ritz-Carlton Cancun, The Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman, The Ritz-Carlton Golf & Spa Resort Rose Hall, Jamaica, The Ritz-Carlton St. Thomas, and The Ritz-Carlton San Juan Hotel, Spa & Casino (the same locations where you can get married with this package).

Like it? Sound too good to be true? Well, you do have to get your friends and family in on it. The offer is for couples whose party will occupy (and pay for) 25 rooms for three nights. But you can totally swing that, right?

The complimentary wedding ceremony is applicable to wedding events booked between April 1 – June 30 and held between May 1 and December 20, 2009. Click here for more information!

Marry at the House of Juliet, hope for better results

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Finally, there’s a wedding destination for fans of Ishtar, Zima and the Dukakis campaign – among other disasters. If you want a bit of hype to your nuptials, book some space at The House of Juliet. Maybe your marriage will have a little more traction.

Officials in Verona, Italy, where Shakespeare‘s famous play was set, will soon be used for weddings. Daniele Polato, the rocket scientist city official who proposed the program, says, “Verona is known worldwide as the city of love. We have inherited this splendid reputation and we want to promote it.”

Seriously? Splendid reputation? Two teenagers, who barely knew each other married, shacked up and accidentally killed each other. Yep, that’s a horse I’m going to bet on.

Adding your wedding to this fine literary tradition can be as cheap as $770 (for residents of Verona) to $1,280 for people who aren’t EU citizens. City officials claim that the need for more documentation is the reason for the price differences. Weddings could start as early as next month.

Cabo San Lucas: Oh No They Didn’t

by Brenda Yun on

If you have just the slightest clue what the title of this article refers to, then you will also know how I feel about the subject. I guess you could say there are two subjects in this case: Cabo San Lucas as a celebrity hotspot and Speidi getting married. Neither subject is a pleasant one in my opinion, but just the thought of the second makes me want to wretch.

Yes, they did. Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag of MTV’s “The Hills” fame eloped this weekend and got hitched at the One and Only Palmilla Resort. For those of you who don’t follow “The Hills,” this basically means there is no chance in hell that Lauren and Heidi will be best friends again, but did we really want that to happen anyway?The Palmilla appears to be the celebrity resort of choice in hot and heavy Cabo San Lucas. Britney escapes there, Christina Aguilera had her bachelorette bash there, and Eli Manning (the New York Giants quarterback) got hitched there in April. So, I guess it would come as no surprise, really, that the shallowest couple on the face of the earth would also choose the Palmilla as the locale for their secretive nuptial.

What really has me stumped, though, is the appeal of Cabo San Lucas. Based on all of the tropical and romantic destinations in this world, why does Cabo stand out for celebrities? Maybe it’s close enough to Los Angeles that celebrities can make it a weekend getaway, but I would certainly fly an extra hour or two to experience something authentic (like to Hawaii, for instance?) rather than Cabo, which is like a hot Disneyland for adults (and when is that ever fun?). I just remember spending a day there last month on what must have been the hottest day of the year and thinking I was going to sweat to death. I actually wrung out my clothes from all the sweat that day.

There are, of course, two redeeming things about Cabo and maybe just one with regard to Speidi:

  1. The famous “El Arco,” which is a natural rock arch formed by crashing surf is a sight to behold if you make your way to Lover’s Beach.
  2. Zippers, a surf break located about forty minutes by car from the Cabo San Lucas Harbor, is one of the best breaks in Mexico if not the world.
  3. I can look forward to jubilation upon hearing the news of Speidi’s breakup/divorce; it’s bound to happen.

The Thai Women’s Guide to Scoring a Foreign Man

by Martha Edwards on

I love Thailand. It’s a great place to travel to and is brimming with gracious people, good food, rich history and amazing scenery. But one of the most disturbing things about Thailand is the sex trade, which is literally everywhere. Beautiful Thai women (and ladyboys) crawl over one another for the chance to ‘entertain’ fat, balding foreign men (or women!) who they believe can be their passport to a better life. It’s really heartbreaking.

A new book is coming out aimed at Thai women, which gives them step-by-step instructions on how to get — and keep — a foreign husband. The book, called “Foreign Boyfriend, Foreign Husband”, paints a romantic vision of Western men, claiming they are respectful and kind, unlike Thai men. Um, right. The point of the book seems to be this: Old, Western men might not be handsome but they’re loaded.

This is a tricky issue — on one hand, I think it’s appalling that women would be encouraged to marry for money and a passport. But at the same time, I’ve never known the desperation of poverty, and as a Canadian, I’ve always enjoyed all the benefits of a first-world passport. Is marrying for love a luxury that people in poorer countries can’t afford? Call me a romantic but I sure hope not.