Photograph Courtesy of Grand Velas
Grand Velas All Suites & Spa Resort, Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico
The best thing about Grand Velas—besides the suites (which all have private terraces, ocean views and luxurious comforts) and the food (which is global and gourmet) and the spa (which is considered the finest on Mexico’s Pacific Coast)—is that it is an exclusive all-inclusive. What does that mean? Well, being exclusive, the resort knows how to deliver top-notch stays. Being all-inclusive, the resort packages each cost a fixed rate, so when you’re not involved in wedding activities, you and yours can dine in any of the property’s fine-dining restaurants, raid the mini-bar, pig out on room service, view entertainment, participate in resort activities and otherwise enjoy the resort’s amenities as much as desired without incurring additional charges.
And Grand Velas’ all-inclusive designation refers to more than just the cost. Located on Banderas Bay in an upscale residential development of Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico, about a 15-minute drive north of the Puerto Vallarta airport, this AAA Five Diamond, beachfront resort is a world all its own. With 267 suites, five restaurants, a 20-treatment room spa (whose more than
80 different treatments can help polish the bride and groom to perfection), a beauty salon, three infinity pools, tennis courts and abundant activities, the resort offers enough enchantments to keep guests entertained without leaving the property.
Then again, Grand Velas can also arrange for off-property golf, scuba diving, fishing, jungle treks, tours of nearby Mexican towns and other sightseeing. And the resort is family focused; everyone coming to the wedding, including young nieces and nephews, will have fun.
Grand Velas offers a wide range of “I do” venues, from beachfront terraces, including the lovely white-pillared, altar-like Gazebo Terrace, to a ballroom accommodating 400. And the resort employs several wedding coordinators, including Ana Laura Moreno (agrupos@grandvelas.com), to help you plan everything from the legalities to the happily-ever-after celebrating.
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Rosewood Little Dix Bay, Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands
The beach is picture-postcard perfect, with gentle sunshine, tropical blossoms and birds, and the sea breeze all meeting in one place. The sand stretches more than a half-mile, sandwiched between bountiful greenery and the water, which turns a kaleidoscope of blues over the course of the day: neon in full sun, turquoise streaked with bands of gold at sunset and a sparkling navy in the moonlight. The beach seems natural—almost untouched, in fact, which is exactly what Nelson Rockefeller had in mind when he built Little Dix Bay in 1964. The area is meant to perfectly blend in with the natural environment on the island of Virgin Gorda.
Little Dix Bay is as close as one can get to a deserted island hideaway while still enjoying all the comforts of a prestigious resort. The facilities include 100 different types of stylish accommodations, tennis courts, a fitness center, three open-air dining venues, a children’s playhouse and a cliff-top spa that is arguably one of the most beautiful outlooks in the entire Caribbean.
Visitors can reach the resort, which is located about 90 miles east of Puerto Rico, in several ways. Although Virgin Gorda has an airport with air taxi service from St. Thomas, the most romantic approach is to fly into the island of Tortola and catch the private boat for a 20-minute ride over crystal-clear waters to the resort’s dock.
The beaches in Virgin Gorda are world-renowned, and Little Dix’s beach is considered the best of the best—so this is the place for a beach wedding. Little Dix wedding planner Pat Jackson (pat.jackson@rosewoodhotels.com) can let you know the legalities and help you plan your vows. And although the resort has several reception venues, nothing tops a candlelit formal banquet directly on the beach, with live music, gently lapping waves and the light sea breeze complementing the cooling delight of bubbly champagne.
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La Posada de Santa Fe Resort & Spa, Santa Fe, N.M.
Wedding tradition calls for something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue, and La Posada delivers
all four.
The resort itself is historic. La Posada entered life in 1882, built as a wealthy merchant’s mansion, and immediately became a symbol of Santa Fe’s style and elegance.
When the property was turned into an artists inn in 1930 and expanded, its upscale image remained intact. Today’s pueblo revival–style property spans 6 acres in the heart of Santa Fe. Its 157 adobe-style guest rooms and suites (all with different, appealing Southwest decor), three restaurants (think fabulous catering) and small but engaging spa (chocolate-chile wrap, anyone?) bolster the inn’s reputation as old Santa Fe at its intimate, charming best.
But not everything about La Posada is old. In the past two years, the resort has gained new owners, $6 million in renovations and a heightened emphasis on art and environmental issues, adding a bit of “green” to its wedding palette. Today’s environmentally conscious couples can “go green” with everything from catering to decorations and other wedding components.
The borrowed part of the wedding comes in the form of advice from La Posada’s wedding coordinator, David Stone (davids@lpdsf.com). Stone can help design your wedding on the resort’s Lawn Court or in a ballroom accommodating up to
300 guests—and the ballroom can be divided for smaller receptions.
As to the de rigueur wedding blue, forget the garter. Weddings at La Posada take place under a sky so dramatically blue that even Georgia O’Keeffe couldn’t quite capture it. And as befits a city considered a major U.S. art center, Santa Fe is packed with great galleries, innovative restaurants, interesting museums and assorted other delights reflecting Native American and Southwestern culture.
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Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North, Scottsdale, Ariz.
It is hard to skim the cream off what makes the Four Seasons Scottsdale an ideal wedding venue. Everything works, especially for couples who crave an outdoor sunset wedding in the middle of a St. Louis winter and who love desert landscapes blessed with sunshine, grand saguaros and scented sagebrush.
Scottsdale’s winter daytime temperatures range in the upper 60s and 70s (great for golf and sunbathing) and drop to the mid-40s at night (perfect for cozy fireplaces and lingering in large, warm beds). The city offers a wide range of vacation pleasures and is easy to reach. You and yours can let the sunshine in with a 3½-hour nonstop from Lambert.
In addition to the wonderful weather, the Four Seasons tempts couples with a number of extravagances, including Southwest-style casita suites complete with romance-enhancing private plunge pools, outdoor garden showers and wood-burning fireplaces. Add impeccable service, gourmet food, award-winning golf and a sumptuous spa, and you have a glimpse of this resort’s magic.
As wedding facilitator Ragan York (ragan.york@fourseasons.com) explains, the view from the resort can accommodate a range of wedding styles. “Our resort sits in the foothills of three mountain ranges, which provide a beautiful backdrop for any outdoor event,” says York. “In addition, we are at a 2,200-foot elevation overlooking the city of Scottsdale.” Each of the resort’s three wedding venues has a lawn with a fountain or waterfall for the ceremony, a patio where post-vows/pre-reception cocktails can be served and a ballroom that can be set for a formal reception—and all the lawns face west, capturing the sunset and nighttime scenery, when the lights of Scottsdale twinkle below and the stars, extra-visible because of city ordinances against light pollution, adorn the night sky.
Granted, a Four Seasons wedding can be costly, but the memory of sunset vows in this Sonoran Desert oasis of luxury will remain forever priceless.
