When couples imagine their dream wedding – or make plans to renew their vows – they often envisage a tropical island as the spectacular and romantic setting. It conjures up an image of a beautiful, deserted beach, with the waves gently lapping their feet – an intimate occasion which might well only include themselves, the officiant and a photographer to capture the magic of the moment.
In reality, they are often ushered through the busy heart of a resort, just in time for their appointed slot underneath the cliché of a flower-entwined arch. Their wish for a private, intimate commitment becomes a public spectacle, as nosy holidaymakers gawp and take photographs of what should have been a private occasion.
LUX* Resorts & Hotels offers a very different sort of tropical island wedding experience to this. LUX* - named after the Latin for Light – is dedicated to achieving a lighter, brighter and altogether fresher version of the standard island holiday. It applies this to everything it does, including weddings and vow-renewal
ceremonies.
Rather than hosting multiple weddings in one day, LUX* has a policy of only one such occasion per resort each day. LUX* in-house wedding co-ordinators invite couples to choose from a variety of spectacular sun, sea and sand settings, taking special advantage of some of the quieter spots to stage a truly intimate and personal ceremony. The making of the vows is always magical and memorable, not least because of the wedding co-ordinators’ skill in using a variety of local wares and artefacts to add special, local touches - vintage sailing boats aged by sun and surf perhaps, or brightly-coloured sarongs hung between palm trees like an Indian Ocean equivalent of bunting.
In addition, LUX* has a roster of talented, creative photographers on its books, each with a variety of interesting, locally-sourced props available, ensuring every wedding shoot really is individual to the couple concerned. They might pose on an old Mauritian bus perhaps – or be led to their chosen setting on a horse decked out in festival finery. While Mauritian weddings are 100% legal, the same is not true of the Maldives – however, it is a popular destination for those wishing to experience a more exotic vow-exchanging ceremony after wedding legally in their own country. This could, for example, take place on a Dhoni during a sunset cruise, or on a sand bank with the groom arriving by jet ski. As CEO of LUX* Resorts & Hotels, Paul Jones, says: “LUX* is committed to the principle of Helping People Celebrate Life. What better promise to make when helping couples plan what is surely the happiest and most important day of their life?”
