The ultimate (posh) hen’s short break

Girls who want top class pampering in preparation for their wedding are invited to visit the Columbia Beach Resort in Cyprus in 2008. The Resort’s highly regarded Columbia Spa is a haven for hens groups or Mum and daughter short breaks.

Now the Resort suggests selecting a designer bridal gown, handmade wedding shoes and exclusive jewellery from some of Limassol’s specialist boutiques, just a short drive away from the hotel, to create the ultimate pre-wedding trip.

At the heart of the Columbia Beach Resort is the Columbia Spa. The hotel’s 80m lagoon pool flows into this oasis of calm. Here the future bride and her friends can relax and enjoy the spa’s welcoming environment - cosy, quiet and private - an intimate and highly professional spa where therapists have time to care about client’s needs.

Exclusively featuring Molton Brown treatments and products in Cyprus, the Molton Brown spa experience aims to take clients on four “journeys” to renew, regenerate, replenish or radiance, each created to boost personal wellbeing. Or the figure conscious can select body sculpting and contouring treatments on offer using the marine-based Phytomer range.

This is ideal preparation for the wedding day or to unwind after a shopping trip in nearby Limassol, Cyprus’s second city.

Future brides should not miss visiting Sabrina for superb handmade shoes in Limassol’s St Andrew’s Street. This exclusive cobbler makes exquisite wedding shoes in every style and all colours and fabrics in the workshop on site, delivered in one week or shipped back to the UK, at enviable prices. Then stroll a few doors up the street to Mitsu Mitsu, where owner designer Pantelis Mitsu creates some outstanding wedding dresses and evening gowns.

“Timeless, elegant, an exceptional level of couture” are some of the words used to describe these clothes. It’s a chance to pick-up a unique bespoke designer dress at a much lower cost than the UK. This designer dresses the famous and fabulous across the Eastern Mediterranean. Not to be missed!

Then if you go nowhere else, visit Theodorou Jewellery in Anexartisias Street, still in the same district of Limassol, for fabulous pieces and the opportunity to have your design ideas made to order. This is the ideal place to select gifts for bridesmaids or even for an unusual wedding ring.

The Columbia Beach Resort is set on a stunning 2km Blue Flag beach surrounded by rugged cliffs and acres of vineyards in the valley behind, described as a luxury hideaway. Its beautiful little chapel in the grounds is perfect for picturesque weddings in the sunshine. And a hen’s short break provides the best opportunity to plan a very special wedding away from home.

Cyprus is the home of Aphrodite, ancient mythological goddess of love, who, legend tells us, emerged from the foam of the azure sea just a short distance westwards from the Resort. Against this romantic background the dedicated wedding professionals at the Columbia Beach Resort offer invaluable advice to couples deciding to marry abroad. This hotel excels in its creative presentation, impeccable service and gourmet food, from its renowned Apollo Taverna serving the Cyprus meze, specialising in fresh local fish, to elegant fine dining in the Dionysos restaurant.

Specialist staff are able to advise and help make decisions about all aspects of the wedding, from obtaining a licence, to the flowers required for bride and bridesmaids, not forgetting the wedding cake and all catering for guests before the ceremony and afterwards.

There are just two hotels in Pissouri Bay and the sister four star Columbia Beachotel provides a good option for guests of the wedding party. While the honeymoon couple can enjoy the relative seclusion and luxury of the five star Columbia Beach Resort, wedding guests often opt for the Beachotel, just next door.

The Beachotel was extensively refurbished in 2005 to match the style of the sister Resort, and now provides well-appointed accommodation in its 116 rooms and suites most of which feature panoramic views out to sea, at no extra charge. The emphasis is on quality furnishings throughout and the use of colours to reflect the dramatic cliffs and Mediterranean Sea that frame this unspoiled part of the island.

Above all guests of the Columbia Beach Resort and remember the panoramic views across the Bay, the exceptional service and very stylish suites with their cool stone floors and natural fabrics. All perfect for a pre-wedding short break or for a very elegant wedding in the sunshine.

For more information and bookings, visit Columbia-hotels.com.