Put the ‘wow’ into your vows

With the average wedding this summer costing more than £21,000, more and more happy couples are taking their big day abroad.

Peter Jackson, Managing Director of Elite Vacations, the Indian Ocean specialist, has been arranging wedding and honeymoon travel to Seychelles for more than 40 years.

Speaking about this growing trend, Peter said, “In times past, a marriage abroad was the exclusive, if more expensive, choice. This year, we are tailoring-making more wedding packages in the Seychelles, because it can now be more affordable than holding a wedding at home.”

Elite’s latest Seychelles wedding offers include a free wedding ceremony at 5 star Constance Lemuria Resort on Praslin, or 5 star Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort and Spa on Mahé. At 4 star La Reserve on Praslin, the offer includes free wedding ceremony plus free half board accommodation for the bride.

• Lead-in: A five night package including half board accommodation, return flights with Air Seychelles from Heathrow, transfers and a free wedding ceremony costs from £1,099 per person (saving £1,600 per couple).

Elite also tailor-makes honeymoon arrangements. Many properties within the operator’s extensive programme offer savings for the bride and at the exclusive Labriz Silhouette resort, where Denise Van Outen recently married Lead Mead, Elite is offering free accommodation for the bride.

• Lead-in: A five night package at Labriz Silhouette costs from £1,295pp (saving £2,300 per couple) including return flights with Air Seychelles from Heathrow, transfers and b&b accommodation.

A popular itinerary choice is a two-island experience giving visitors to Seychelles the opportunity to more of a feel for the contrast in the archipelago made up of 115 islands. This can be done on a vast range of budgets as Elite features everything from an exclusive portfolio of 20 smaller family run properties as well as 5 star hotels and island resorts at the other end of the scale.

• Lead-in: Elite Vacations offers a 12 night itinerary with 6 nights in Anse Soleil Beachcomber on Mahe and 6 nights at Villas de Mer on Praslin from £1395 per person (saving £800 per couple). Price includes return flights with Air Seychelles from Heathrow, transfers and b&b accommodation.

So, if you are planning a wedding or a honeymoon and want both value-for-money and ‘wow’ factor rolled into one, visit Seychelleselite.co.uk.