Inhaca Island

• Plane transfers from Maputo airport to Inhaca/Return
• 4X Nights Accommodation at Inhaca Lodge on a Dinner, Bed & Breakfast Basis
• Free daily use of windsurfers, canoes and Hobie cats – with a rescue boat on standby
• One free snorkeling trip to the Biology Station per stay
• Free daily drop and collect at Portuguese Island Beach
• One free 30 minute water-ski lesson per stay
• R4750.00 per person sharing

Valid until 30 November 2010

BARRA LODGE  (FLY IN PACKAGE)

Inhambane

• Flights Johannesburg/Inhambane Return on LAM
• Car transfers from the airport to the resort
• Accommodation at Barra Lodge  in a casita
• Meal Basis; Dinner & Breakfast
• 3 x Nights R3 950.00 per person sharing
• 5 x Nights R5 250.00 per person sharing
• 7 x Nights R6 550.00 per person sharing

Valid until 13 December 2010

POMENE LODGE (FLY IN PACKAGE)

Pomene Bay

• Flights Johannesburg/Inhambane Return on LAM
• Car transfers from the airport to the resort (approx 3 hours each way)
• Accommodation at Pomene Lodge in a WATER CHALET
• Meal Basis; Dinner & Breakfast
• 5 x Nights R6 750.00 per person sharing
• 7 x Nights R7 980.00 per person sharing

Valid until 13 December 2010

FLAMINGO BAY  (FLY IN PACKAGE)

Inhambane

• Flights Johannesburg/Inhambane Return on LAM
• Car transfers from the airport to the resort
• Accommodation at FLAMINGO BAY IN A WATER BUNGALOW
• Meal Basis; Dinner & Breakfast
• 3 x Nights R4 640.00 per person sharing
• 5 x Nights R6 500.00 per person sharing
• 7 x Nights R8 260.00 per person sharing

Valid until 13 December 2010

BAZARUTO LODGE ( FLY IN PACKAGE)

• Flights Johannesburg/Vilanculos Return on LAM
• Plane transfers from the airport to the resort
• Accommodation at Bazaruto Lodge in a Standard Room
• on a Full Board Basis ( breakfast, lunch & dinner)
• Bottled water in rooms
• Laundry
• Daily Use of Canoes, Windsurfers and hobbie cats
• Daily Snorkeling at Coral Gardens
• Daily Trips to Dolphin Bay ( scheduled)
• One 30 minute water – ski lesson per stay
• One Trip to Three Trees Beach for Body Surfing
• 4 x Nights R9 950.00 per person sharing

Valid until 30 November 2010

INDIGO BAY RESORT & SPA (FLY IN PACKAGE)

Bazaruto Island

HONEYMOON PACKAGE

• Flights from Johannesburg to Vilanculos / return on LAM
• Plane transfers from the airport to the resort
• accommodation in a Beach Chalet
• Accommodation on a Full Board Basis ( Breakfast , Lunch & Dinner) at Indigo Bay
• Bottled water in rooms
• Tea/ coffee
• Non-Motorized Water sports & Marine Reserve Fees
• Emergency Medical Evacuation
• Plus Honeymoon Extras; Congratulations card from the General Manager ~ Sparkling Wine in room on arrival ~ One authentic Dhow cruise for two
• Honeymoon surprise gifts ; Romantic Turndown ~ Free Spa Rasul treatment for 2  ~
• 7 x Nights R16 250.00 per person sharing

DUGONG BEACH LODGE (FLY IN PACKAGE)

Vilanculos

• Flights from Johannesburg to Vilanculos / return on Pelican Air
• Boat transfers from the airport to the resort
• Accommodation in Beach Chalets
• Accommodation on a Full Board Basis ( Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner) at Dugong Beach Lodge
• Bottled water in rooms  ~ Tea/ coffee
• Non-Motorized Water sports ( windsurfing, snorkelling, hobbie cats, canoeing, walking trails, bird watching)
• Plus the following activities according to the lodges’s program
• Dhow Cruise
• Sunset Cruise
• Guided Trails – 2 hours
• Nature drive including world’s view & fishing village
• 5 x Nights R13 750.00 per person sharing
• 7 x Nights R19 250.00 per person sharing

PEMBA BEACH HOTEL & SPA (FLY IN PACKAGE)

Pemba-Mozambique

• Flights Johannesburg /Pemba Return on LAM / return
• Car transfers from the airport to the resort
• Accommodation on a Bed & Breakfast Basis at Pemba Beach Hotel
• Accommodation in a CLASSIC Room
• Non – Motorized water sports
• 3 x Nights R4 340.00 per person sharing
• 5 x Nights R6 180.00 per person sharing
• 7 x Nights R7 990.00 per person sharing

Valid until the 20 December 2010

MEDJUMBE PRIVATE RESORT  (FLY IN PACKAG)

Medjumbe Island

HONEYMOON PACKAGE

• Flights Johannesburg/Pemba Return on LAM
• Plane transfers from Pemba Airport to Medjumbe/Return
• Accommodation in a Beach Chalet @ Medjumbe
• Accommodation on a Full Board Basis ( Breakfast , Lunch & Dinner) at Medjumbe Private Island *****
• House Wines, local brand spirits & beer, bottled water
• Tea/ coffee, soft drinks
• Laundry
• Non-Motorized Water sports & Marine Reserve Fees
• Fruit Platter and Bottle of Wine in room on arrival
• Honeymoon surprise gift
• One three course Dinner for two, including wine, either on room patio or on beach
• One authentic Sunset cruise for two
• One snorkelling trip for two
• 5 X Nights R13 250.00 per person sharing
• 7 x Nights R17 750.00 per person sharing

Valid until the 20 December 2010

EXCLUDED IN ALL THE ABOVE PACKAGES: Domestic and international airport Taxes ( today are R1556.00 per person) , Visas (if needed), Marine National Parks levy, personal expenses, Motorized water activities.

ALL Rates are subject to availability and or price increase without further notice.

For more information the above mentioned packages, please contact Travelling Bride

The Travelling Bride offer decor at an additional price but I decided to do my own,(with my mom & brother).  I would suggest that you make use of the offer as they remove everything afterwards, whereby my family had to ensure my decor was collected.  Just a bit of a hassel after everything is over.
 
My hair and make-up was the one thing that made it difficult to relax about, as I didn’t do a trial run and had to take the risk.  But it was so worth it.  The ladies work can be measured by any high standards as they were good and I felt like a million bucks.  My hair has natural curls, so at the beach, with the humidity one can only imagine.  But they worked it and I was confident.
 
If one should ask if I would do it again using The Travelling Bride/Lets Elope team, I would do so in a heartbeat.  Marrilyn and her small team handles the stress while you (the bride) just focus on the minor details like the attire, wedding bands, guest lists and invitations. If my memory serves me well we enquired with Marrilyn 8 months before the big day.  I see this as one company offering everything under one roof which really takes a huge amount of the stress off of any bride.  Can you imagine meeting with everyone, all my weekends would have been booked up and I personally would have felt overwhelmed.
 
I had the beach wedding of my dreams and not many people can pull that off in my opinion.  Marrilyn/Travelling Bride and the team made it look easy and certainly shouldered all the wedding stress, leaving me with nothing to worry about and this made it possible for me to focus on other issues.
 
Hope the feedback will clear any uncertainty and if you need any more feedback or clarity, feel free to drop me a mail.
 
Attached are some photos of what was happening in the background on my special day with a few pics of the day itself.  I hope you enjoy.
 
Good luck.
 
Kind Regards/Groetnis

Chantél van Niekerk

The Travelling Bride have found the solution.  Choose your favourite venue whether it be the gardens at your favourite restaurant, your favourite area within a park close by your home or simply in your very own garden.  The team move in with everything required and we negotiate the permits where required.  We bring along an arch, decor for the arch, beautifully set up signing table, bamboo lanterns to mark the aisle, chairs, covers, tie backs, lanterns, rose petals,bridal bouquet and buttonhole.  If so required, we can arrange to bring a minister, photographer and even a violinist along.  Once the ceremony is over and the I DO’s have been said, the team leave the couple to the photographer whereafter, you then enjoy a breakfast, lunch or dinner at your all time favourite restaurant, a spitbraai at home  with family and friends or even snack platters in your garden with your guests.  This is the most cost effective way to tying the knot and the ceremonys are all breathtaking, incorporating your chosen colour wherever possible.  Couple can choose whether they would like a christian ceremony, a symbolic ceremony, write their own vows and a ceremony with or without prayers.

For international visitors, we are able to do all the paperwork required to ensure that your marriage is legally recognised in your country of origin.  Weddings can be extremely costly and our team have done all possible to help save our clients money.  The Travelling Brides, “Wedding Ceremony’s made easy” are fast becoming a real hit in South Africa with brides in all provinces booking to ensure that their special day turns into a fairytale dream with the most beautiful ceremony setting of all time and with the very least stress.

Written by Marrilyn
For The Travelling Bride

Marrilyn
for The Travelling Bride.co.za

What when she wants the entire family from immediate right through to cousins and distant aunts and uncles and he only wants immediate family to attend the wedding.  She wants a big fairytale wedding with as many people as possible but he wants to elope, just the two of them.  What happens when he wants a sit down collar and tie wedding and she wants something more casual.
When both bride and groom are deciding on colour…he wants black and white and she wants pastels ….  all of them…
He wants a five course dinner served and she wants snacks and fruit.  He wants a special date because it’s connected to something symbolic in his life and she doesn’t ever want to have to share her anniversary.  He wants a small cosy honeymoon and she wants something more flashy like an island or overseas trip.  He wants to save and pay cash for the wedding but she wants to make a loan and has a hundred reasons for the decision.  He wants to wait a year or two before having children and she wants to have a baby almost immediately.

Well…. this would be the first test of your ability to give… and take… and compromise.  If you’re not able to, our suggestion is to postpone the wedding, indefinitely.  Most times the groom will just let the plans flow and he will go with whatever the bride decides on, but, there are the odd occasions when the groom wants to have things 50/50 and when this is the case, it is important to sit down and ensure that the plans flow 50/50.  Allow him to take part and “listen” to his suggestions. No two people can agree 100% always, every minute of every day but, you need to decide which are the most important decsions and tackle them and then decide on the smaller less trivial ones.  Try not to let each decision create an arguement and do not ALWAYS HAVE TO WIN.

Written by Marrilyn
for The Travelling Bride.co.za

Opt to having a champagne breakfast beach wedding.  There are many upsides to this decision.  The beaches are quite emply early morning.  Waves are beautiful eary in the early morning and make for a stunning back drop and ….  guests don’t drink too much alcohol so early in the morning.  Also… many venues won’t charge a venue hire for a breakfast.  Venue hiring is expensive so could be a huge saving for you.

Use a wedding planner who has good relationships with suppliers because they are the ones who are most likely to be able to get discounts on just about everything so that all fits your budget at the end of the day ensuring that you don’t have to cut back on too much.

Always choose flowers that are in season because flowers can be pricey.  Choosing flowers that are in season will make for a huge saving.

Choose your wedding date carefully so that it co incides with good weather.  Check weather patterns and always ensure that there is a back up plan in case it rains.  Choosing a good date will save you money in the long run.  Choosing a good date that doesn’t fall on a public holiday or any other holiday will also save money because most suppliers and especially beach hotels and resorts charge double for public holidays and Sundays.

1.  Always do the homework on your chosen island.  Make sure that you know when the rainy season is and when the low season is because this is when specials are most likely to be advertised and can save you money.

2.  Beach weddings are different to the norm and big, frilly, lacey kind of attire is not always appropriate.  Remember, it’s hot and you need to be as comfortable as possible.

3.  Shoes need to be chosen very carefully to avoid sinking away into the sand.  Most beach brides use a string kind of shoe that ties around the ankle and toe with some pretty beading.

4.  Time of day is important if you are wanting sunset photos.  Sunsets happen around 6pm on most of the surrounding islands.

5.  Remember that the legalities are taken care of a day or two prior to the ceremony so it is highly important to choose your date properly.  Example…if you want to celebrate your wedding anniversary every year on the 14 February for romantic reasons, then you need to ensure that the signing of the documentation is done on the 14th February.  The ceremony will then only take place on the 15th or even the 16th.  The day that the documentation is signed, is in essence your wedding date.

6.  If you are thinking of inviting guests to attend your wedding, ask your consultant about self catering chalets available on the island of choice.  This would save money.  Guests do not have to stay as long as the bridal couple do.  Guests can stay for 3 or 4 nights.

7.  When it comes to the dinner celebration….remember that most packages include breakfast and dinner so ask about a supplement charge instead of a full private dinner.  Your wedding planner will go through to the wedding planner on the island of choice and make sure that if the dinner is set up perhaps in a different area, on the beach etc, there is a supplement charged and not the full price.  Because dinner is included in the package and pre paid, it might be a good idea to celebrate your dinner in the restaurant that provides for dinners included in the package…this way…there should be no addditional charge at all….and you can ask that they set up a table just slightly away from the rest of the guests.

8.  If you opt to having dinner in the standard dining area, ask about taking your own decor for the table along with you.  You can take your own table cloths and overlays, your own matching serviettes and any little item that you would like to put onto the dining table.  You could even take your own chair covers and tie backs.

9.  Ask for locally grown flowers because anything else would entail flying them in from surrounding areas and this takes the price up.  Locally grown flowers are so beautiful and can even be placed on the dining table afterward.

10.  The islands can be pretty expensive when it comes to drinks so if you’re planning a wedding, it might be a good idea to put everyone on a fully inclusive package beforehand.  This would ensure that all drinks are included and you won’t have to fork out money per drink.  Important to find out about entertainment.  Most of the resorts have live entertainment every evening during and after dinner.  If you choose the standard dining area for dinner and then move into the area where the local entertainment has been set up for the evening, you won’t have to pay extra for entertainement and your guests will have a wonderful time, dancing until the band packs up.

Written by Marrilyn
for The Travelling Bride

Written by Marrilyn
For Travelling Bride

The anniversary is a chance to take a step back and have a look at the year that has gone by and do a close-up analysis of your marriage.  It gives you the chance to rekindle some of the flame that used to burn brightly.  It gives you a chance to say you’re sorry about things that have gone wrong and it gives you a chance to escape the world and concentrate on one another completely for 24 hours.  With modern day society being as hectic as it is, it is so easy to get lost in the everyday drama of work, meetings, children, colleagues and more.  Far too many couples get “lost” along the way and the anniversary is the perfect opportunity to get things “back on track” at least once a year.  It is highly important that Mr does not forget the date because too many times, it’s the male who forgets.  Not on purpose, I’m sure, but it seems to be a man kind of thing.  Woman very rarely forget.  They might not say much and 90% of the time they sit back and wait….to see IF he is going to remember.  If YOU are one who has forgotten for the past years, make a point of remembering this year.  Diarise…ask your secretary to remember, put a little notice on the inside of your wallet….do what you have to do so that you do NOT forget this year.  Your wife will be ever so impressed by YOU remembering….it is a message to her that you love her.  So….the day just starts perfectly and it can only get better as the hours pass.  Arrange something really special for the two of you.  A weekend away with candle light dinners, romantic massages, rose petal baths, champagne on ice and whatever you know will really touch her heart.  Make sure that you have a lovely little gift for her……soft satin sleepwear, sexy lingerie, her favourite perfume or something that you know she will love.  Your anniversary will be hugely successful and love will shine brightly in your lives once again and with a little work, you could keep the shine.

Written by Marrilyn
For: The Travelling Bride