From the exotic to the remote here are some of the highlights of our Honeymoons from 2011!

1. Lolly and Olly: The Honeymoon

Photo via Lolly and Olly: The Honeymoon

After following Lauren and Olly’s story from engagement to wedding, it’s so nice to see them having a fun and relaxing time on their honeymoon.

2. An Adventure Honeymoon in Patagonia

Photography by Kyle Hepp via An Adventure Honeymoon in Patagonia

Kyle shares her talented photography with us via this post from her honeymoon. Just gorgeous!

3. A Hawaiian Honeymoon

Image via A Hawaiian Honeymoon

“It was the bluest and clearest water I’ve ever seen, and really exciting to be inside a real crater! The snorkeling was great too – lots of colorful fish, some sea turtles, and we got lucky and happened upon a pod of spinner dolphins, too!”

4. Honeymoon To The Happiest Place On Earth

Image via Honeymoon To The Happiest Place On Earth

“Dan and I had a couple of ideas for our honeymoon – however when we saw an amazingly cheap flight deal for one of our preferred locations it made the decision for us. So off we went to Orlando, USA and headed for Walt Disney World (not to be confused with Disney Land in Florida) in search of fun times, adventure and experiences of a life time!”

5. Inside Kea (Tzia), Greece

Image via Inside Kea (Tzia), Greece

Extenuating circumstances saw us spontaneously travel to Greece this year. While there, we had the opportunity to visit this beautiful little island off the coast of Athens. Dry, barren and seemingly infertile, it gives us the most amazing crystal clear waters and the beautiful Greek climate makes for a gorgeous holiday location.

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During our honeymoon, I couldn’t get my husband out of the ocean… and I was right there beside him, kicking away as a novice snorkeler. When you take the plunge, you never know which kinds of awe-inspiring sea creatures will swim up beside you, swim along with you, or put on a show.

Here’s a clip of our swim with a green sea turtle at Caneel Bay on the island of St. John. We found the best snorkeling to be off of Scott Beach, although others might fight me with their votes for Hawksnest Beach. Even if no turtles, or dolphins or parrotfish swim alongside you, it’s still a lovely keepsake to bring home from your honeymoon and watch again and again. As winter descends upon my hometown, I’m longing for the tropical sun of the Caribbean… and I load up our underwater videos to soothe myself with a little mental trip right back to those warm clear waters.

If you’re headed someplace tropical for your destination wedding or honeymoon, be sure to add to your gift registry an underwater case for your FlipCam or other digital video gadget. If you’ll be swimming in the deep, clear sea, you’ll certainly want to bring home memories of the the gorgeous sealife and underwater beauty you see during your stay.

For stills, I also love the Kodak underwater Sports Camera for snapping photos beneath the sea… it has 800 film speed, and our shots were wonderfully sharp… and are now framed in our home. If you’re worried about asking for a camera or an underwater camera case for a wedding gift, it’s completely okay in etiquette-world… and even though some models can be quite pricy, this is a great option as a group gift given by the bridal party or by circles of friends. You could bring home amazing images and video from your underwater honeymoon adventures that you can watch to instantly transport you back to your honeymoon!

Ms Gingham says: This could be a great meditation video. I just love watching that little turtle do it’s thing! So peaceful.

About Sharon: Sharon Naylor is the author of over 35 wedding books, including her newest: “Bridesmaid on a Budget”, “Smart Guide to Wedding Weekends”, and “1001 Ways to Save Money and Still have a Dazzling Wedding”. Her two books for the mothers of the bride and groom are bestsellers, and she has appeared on such top shows as Good Morning America, ABC News, Lifetime, Inside Edition and more – sharing tips and insider secrets to help you plan your dream wedding on a budget, personalized to your love story. Visit her site Sharon Naylor for more on her books, free worksheets and appearances. She lives in Morristown, NJ with her husband Joe and is at work on her next two wedding books.

See all the photos from Sharon’s honeymoon here.

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Michael and Olivera

Michael and I were not going to go on a honeymoon, we thought we would save our pennies for a world trip next year. This changed as soon as the stress of the wedding preperation started building up and we both knew we were going to need a holiday after our wedding.

A week before our wedding day Michael and I went into Flight Centre. We told them we wanted to leave on the 1st of November. We had $4000 to spend all up. We wanted to go overseas and we wanted it to be relaxing. After a few clicks our travel agent Claire came up with – 7 nights, 5 star Hilton hotel, FIJI, $4070. After a few nods and secret telepathic messages to one another, Michael and I simaltanesously said “yes”. It was done. We were leaving on the 1st of November. We didn’t think too much about it nor did we do any research… it was a spur of the moment honeymoon.

And boy, was it a honeymoon both Michael and I will never forget. Not only were we relaxed, we were looked after, we were treated like gold, not just by the staff at the Hilton but also buy the Fijians around Fiji.We sat by the pool on warm days and nights and had our cocktails served to us at our beach chairs. We made friends, we experienced the Fijian way of life; their markets, their beaches, their villages, their typical “Fijian” clubs, their history and most importantly their attitude and laid back nature.

We discovered the meaning of “Fiji Time”. All locals swear by this saying. It is the notion of getting things done when YOU are ready, not when you are told. If you’re in the middle of something and a neighbour drops by, stop what you’re doing and laze around to drink and chat. Relax… the job you were doing will get done. Eventually. In “Fiji Time”.

Below are some snaps of our trip:

The Hilton’s beach beds

As a sign of respect men must wear sarongs and women must cover their knees and shoulders, once you have been granted permission to enter a village by the chief

Jetskiing all the way to Beachcomber Island took us 40min

Snorkelling at Beachcomber after our long but fun jetski ride

Tia a local Fijian

Tour guides cooked us our bbq lunch on Savala Island, and they also sang and played for us while we ate and swam in the clear waters

Fiji bitter… just like an aussie VB! Pure bottled Fiji water  and fresh pineapple we purchased from the fruit market

Free buffet breakfast daily

Kava is a traditonal “men’s” Fijian drink. It acts as a sedative, as you drink it you feel your mouth and tongue numbing

Cocktails all day everyday

Photographs from Olivera and Michael’s collection

Ms Gingham says: With Christmas just around the corner it’s not just the wedding planners out there feeling the stress! I want to go to FIJI too!

About Olivera: Olivera is a Bride-to-be from Sydney, engaged to her best friend in the whole wide world Mr Michael C. When not organising her wedding Olivera is Acting, Styling and making cupcake jewelry.

Check out Olivera’s gorgeous engagement shoot here.

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Sarah and Ruan

A beautiful Palm Cove destination for your enjoyment today. Isn’t there something beautiful about destination weddings? Like the thought that guests spent the morning enjoying cocktails by the pool, and perhaps the next day basking in the sun as they told stories from the special event. Nothing like combining a wedding and a holiday!

Sarah explains how she met her husband “Ruan was hired to be my French tutor for several months. Ruan tutored Sarah for 2 weeks after which they fell in love and agreed to go on a date. We still speak French with each other!”

Daniel Sheehan flew to Queensland from Melbourne to capture the wedding and I love the way he captured the relaxed feeling of the day!

Sarah and Ruan held their wedding at Angsana Resort & Spa, Sarah says “Angsana Resort & Spa staff were absolute fantastic! They accommodated our every need and were always happy to go far beyond any expectations. They surprised us with a decorated honeymoon suite and the food and service on the day was splendid!”

Cairns Wedding Hair and Make up styled the girl’s hair and makeup for the day.

Sarah wore a strapless sweetheart neckline gown by Mariana Hardwick with shoes from Aldo.

A special surprise arrived from the groom. Sarah recalls “Before the ceremony, the groom sent me 3 presents along with the groomsmen. He showered me with bracelets, earrings, necklaces and flowers which made it so special and exciting! It was beautiful.”

A destination wedding turned into something really special for the newlyweds. Sarah explains “Having the wedding away made us savour all those special moments so much more. The venue was stunning and having all the guests in a holiday mood made the day very enjoyable.”

Sarah’s bridesmaids wore soft pink gowns from Seduce. Pink Moss put together beautiful white orchid arrangements for the wedding.

Sarah and Ruan held their wedding at Angsana Resort & Spa Chapel.

Sarah walked down the aisle to Scott Newman singing ‘ L.O.V.E’.

Having a destination wedding was extra special to Sarah and Ruan, Sarah explains “Our friends from interstate and overseas who made the effort to be there meant so much to us! We were able to enjoy a few days together up at the beach prior to the day and have created so many fond memories.”

Sarah passes on her words of wisdom. “Don’t make it about the wedding day- concentrate on the married life to come between the two of you that’s the special thing and all the guests are there to help you celebrate that! Enjoy and savour every moment and take the time to speak to and thank everyone there, the time goes by so fast so really make the most of being with all your family and friends”

Daniel got some great shots, but not without nerves of the bride who remarks, “The craziest moment of the day was when the photographer wanted to take an artistic shot up a rock face overlooking the ocean, the wind was pretty strong so my dress was flying everywhere, my hair was in my face and the sea breeze was strong however we made it to the top and got a great shot to show for it! It was the only time I was nervous all day!”

Guests celebrated as night fell at Far Horizons Restaurant, Angsana Resort & Spa.

Another favourite moment was during the speeches, Sarah says “A great speech was done from the Groom’s sister, Roxi, who decided to creatively sing the speech by combing the 3 languages spoken between the bride & groom with some unique lines about their relationship! It was very entertaining!”

Sarah describes the day as “Fairytale wedding celebrated with friends and family from South Africa, USA, UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, Romania and Australia.”

A romantic first dance was held under the night sky. “Our first dance was mix between a Viennese Waltz (Angel by Sarah McLaughlan) and an Argentine Tango (Mr and Mrs Smith). We practiced for several months before the day and were really excited about giving a perfected special item with costumes too!”

In lieu of a wedding cake, the couple adhered to the tropical location  and cut a pineapple!

Congratulations Sarah and Ruan! Thank you for sharing your destination wedding with us on Polka Dot Bride! Thank you also to Daniel Sheehan for sharing the photographs with us!

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