10 Grand Destinations to Say “I Do”

Al Maha Dubai Desert Resort & Spa

Al Maha offers wedding ceremonies in the middle of the desert of Dubai. It features 42 suites with its private pools and decks overlooking the sand dunes. The eco-luxury resort showcases the heritage and architecture of the Bedouins and offers archery, falconry, desert safaris, horse riding, wildlife drives, nature walks and camel trekking. Couples can enjoy a treatment at Timeless Spa in a double massage room.

Address: Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve Dubai Al Ain Road, Dubai United Arab Emirates

T: +971 4 832 9900 | W: al-maha.com

One&Only Wolgan Valley

Set on wildlife reserve in the Greater Blue Mountains, One&Only Wolgan Valley features 40 freestanding suites in Federation-style architecture. Each suite boasts a swimming pool, double-sided fireplace and private veranda with views of the valley and sandstone escarpments.

The resort provides wedding ceremonies at the 1832 Heritage Homestead. Couples say their vows underneath the old elm tree, complete with string quartet and custom flower arrangements.

Address:
2600 Wolgan Road Wolgan Valley NSW 2790, Australia
T: +61 2 6350 1800 / +61 2 9308 0550 (for reservations) | W: oneandonlyresorts.com

Grand Hotel du Cap Ferrat, A Four Seasons Hotel

Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat offers weddings at its three venues: in the garden with views of the Mediterranean; the hotel’s signature beach club Club Dauphin and private salons. The hotel is a seaside resort on Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat peninsula in the French Riviera. It features 74 guestrooms, including 24 suites and one villa, with the interior designed by Pierre-Yves Rochon. For more than 100 years, the hotel has played host to world leaders, monarchs and artists, such as Winston Churchill, Charlie Chaplin and Picasso.

Address: 71 Boulevard du Général de Gaulle 06230 Saint-Jean Cap-Ferrat Côte d’Azur, France
T: +33 (0) 493 765 050 | W: www.fourseasons.com/capferrat

Villa Pliniana by Sereno Hotels

Villa Pliniana is located in the village of Torno. This 16th century Italian palazzo is set on 18-acres of Lake Como waterfront. It features 19 bedrooms, an event hall and vast gardens. The bedrooms are divided among four large apartments in the main villa and three additional standalone villas.

This 500-year-old villa features a private spa where there is a large swimming pool with a jacuzzi, rain showers, sauna, steam bath, solarium and a relaxing lounge mezzanine. With an interior reimagined by Patricia Urquiola, the villas offer 21st-century comforts.

T: +39 031 5477 800 | W: www.ilsereno.com/villa-pliniana

Royal Mansour Marrakech

The 3.5-hectare Royal Mansour’s main building features the symmetry of Moorish architecture, while the interior refers Morocco’s tradition of craftsmanship. The 53 riads (rooms) are connected by pathways within a private medina, where shrubs and flowers border the alleyways, and gardens bloom in inner courtyards.

For weddings, there is the Grand Riad offers a private dining, reception rooms and a private garden indulgence where guests can wander up to the roof terrace pool.

Address: Arsat Gestion Rue Abou Abbas El Sebti 40 000 Marrakech, Maroc
T: + 212 (0) 5 2980 8080 | Website: www.royalmansour.com

Ashford Castle

Ashford Castle is set on 350 acres in County Mayo, on the shores of Lough Corrib and the River Cong, with a backdrop of woodlands, lake, river and mountains. It offers a fairy tale wedding as couples say their vows on the lawn with castle in the background. The castle boasts 82 guestrooms and is renowned for a range of country sports, including an equestrian centre, fly fishing, nine-hole golf course and Ireland’s first school of falconry.

Address: Cong, Co. Mayo, Ireland
T: +353 94 954 6003 | W: ashfordcastle.com

Katikies Santorini

Katikies offers wedding ceremonies outdoors with views of the Aegean. The hotel is dug deep into the rock of the Oia cliffs and is a complex of bridges, cubist cottages and infinity pools. It offers 27 suites with arched ceilings, a large terrace with open-air dining area, sun deck and two-person Jacuzzi. Couples can enjoy a romantic dinner on a secret verandah rooftop overlooking the Caldera.

Address: Oia (Ia), Santorini 84702 Cyclades Islands, Greece
T: +30 22860 72382 | W: katikies.com

Aman Venice

Aman Venice’s home on the Grand Canal is the 16th-century Palazzo Papadopoli. Filled with museum-quality treasures, the hotel became a notable wedding destination after George Clooney had his wedding there in 2014. It boasts five wedding venues, including The Piano Nobile, which is the palazzo’s grandest floor, and The Canal Garden.

The hotel features 24 rooms and suites furnished by Jean-Michel Gathy. The 18th-century painter Tiepolo once lived here, and his frescoes adorn the walls of many of the rooms.

Address: Palazzo Papadopoli Calle Tiepolo 1364, Sestiere San Polo, Venezia 30125, Italy
T: (39) 041 270 7333 | W: aman.com

Velaa Private Island Maldives

Located in Noonu Atoll, Velaa Private Island Maldives offers weddings on sandy beaches by the ocean. It features 45 villas. The resort shares its name and home with generations of sea turtles that have inhabited the island for years.

The colours and patterns of a turtle shell make up subtle nuances in the design, while from a broader aerial view, Velaa’s over-water villas resemble the head of a turtle, with the island forming the body. Designed by Czech architect Petr Kolar, the design concept is contemporary, yet intimate.

T: +960 6565 000 | W: velaaprivateisland.com

Rambagh Palace Jaipur

Rambagh Palace has stepped through many transitions—from royal guesthouse and hunting lodge and later as the residence of the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II and his queen, Maharani Gayatri Devi.

Today, the palace offers 78 restored rooms and suites that were the chambers of the former Maharaja. Covering 24 hectares, it has several lawns suitable for wedding celebrations. Naksha garden has capacity for up to 2,000 people.

Address: Bhawani Singh Road, Jaipur, Rajasthan, 302005 India
T: +91 141 2385700 | W: taj.tajhotels.com