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If there\u2019s one thing all guests can agree on, it\u2019s that weddings don\u2019t go for long enough. One second they\u2019re arriving at the ceremony, the next it\u2019s all over. And if it feels that way for friends and family, imagine how quickly the time speeds by for the bride and groom.<\/p>\n
With this in mind, many couples are shifting away from a one-day celebration in favour of a long weekend away, where they head out of town for a three-day wedding slash mini holiday that is also part reunion, part adventure and part relaxation retreat.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s something they see a lot of at Barwon Heads Resort at 13th<\/sup> Beach<\/a> in Victoria, which made wedding coordinator Kloie Vanhooft the perfect person to give us the lowdown on why three days add up to one magical dream day.<\/p>\n Sort of \u2013 just on a smaller and more accessible scale. You see, when people talk about destination weddings, they\u2019re often focused on going overseas for the big day. And if that\u2019s their dream, that\u2019s wonderful. But it\u2019s not always practical \u2013 for the couple or their guests. There\u2019s holiday leave, family responsibilities, budget and other issues to consider. So by still doing it away from home and familiar surroundings, but picking somewhere that\u2019s easily drivable or flyable for most of your guests, you get the best of both worlds.<\/p>\n Well for starters, it gives people more time to enjoy each other\u2019s company, especially if they don\u2019t get to catch up that often. But it\u2019s also a great way to just chill out. Everyone\u2019s lives are incredibly busy these days, and even though we all talk of having time away, curling up with a book, or just relaxing, it can be hard to do in a familiar environment when, for example, the work laptop is always within reach. So by giving people an important reason to get away, you actually help them to carve out some \u2018me\u2019 time. Plus, bringing them in the day before the wedding also helps to make sure they\u2019re relaxed and in a good frame of mind, and can thoroughly enjoy the party without having to think about getting home.[ew-supplier-carousel]<\/p>\n Well for them, it\u2019s all about access to their wider circle of friends and relatives. If you can imagine a normal wedding day, it\u2019s go go go from the moment they wake up. The morning is spent getting ready, the ceremony might be about 3pm and then, by the time they\u2019ve had photos, dinner and the official part of the reception, they\u2019ve only got limited time to spend with their guests. So by spreading it out across a couple of days, it gives them quality time to spend with the people who were important enough to score an invitation in the first place.<\/p>\n DefiniteIy \u2013 if they decide to do everything themselves. In fact sorting the accommodation alone would be like having a part-time job. But that\u2019s why so many of them turn to places such as Barwon Heads Resort<\/a>, which specialises in extended celebrations. The idea is that by working with a specialised wedding co-ordinator, the bride and groom can illustrate the vision of what they want, and then you make it happen for them. You deal with guest accommodation and inquiries, organise meals, arrange transport, style receptions, help ensure the band is set up, book golfing games and lessons … you name it. Basically, it\u2019s about being wedding angels to make sure the long weekend is as beautiful, as relaxed or as action-packed as people want.<\/p>\n As a general rule, a long-weekend-away wedding runs from Friday to Sunday. Friday is generally taken up with travelling time. People can either take the day off to arrive early, or hop in the car or on a plane straight after work, which works here as we\u2019re only 75 minutes\u2019 drive from Melbourne and 45 minutes from Avalon Airport. So they come, they check in, they can have a bath, take a nap, watch TV or go for a wander and see who else has arrived. Something else we find brides and grooms love to do that night is also transform their traditional rehearsal dinner into an invitation-only private dining event with a wider guest list extended to immediate family and close friends. This gets the festivities off to an excitable start as people look ahead to the next day, and you can really set the scene with amazing food drawing on seasonal menus. Then it\u2019s off to bed to enjoy a good night\u2019s sleep without having to get up early to drive the next day. In the morning, guests can enjoy such activities as golf at one of the nearby courses, day spa treatments (our salon is opening soon), adrenalin-charged pursuits such as skydiving, a dip in the pool or family friendly activities such as the zoo, museum or berry picking. Then, of course, the rest of the day is devoted to the celebrations. Finally, on Sunday, couples often have a special brunch or lunch as a way to chill out with everyone now the big day has passed, and then people start to leave at their leisure. It\u2019s a great last hurrah and lets the bride and groom farewell absolutely everyone they want to.<\/p>\n Pretty much everyone pays for themselves, unless the bride and groom decide to cover the cost of rooms for VIPs such as their attendants or parents. The convenience of a resort is actually something guests really take advantage of, because it saves them having to hunt around \u2013 in an area they may not know \u2013 for accommodation that is family friendly, boutique and has ready access to the ceremony and reception.<\/p>\n The best idea is to pick a resort with a restaurant, because that is \u2013 pardon the pun \u2013 ensuring readymade food on the plate. Here, we have the Rough Restaurant, which specialises in modern Australian flavours that showcase local produce. It caters for the rehearsal diner, the reception and a Sunday brunch, including special dietary requirements, but also allows people to tap into offerings such as breakfast boxes and children\u2019s menus. Again, it\u2019s about making sure guests can just relax and access everything they need in the one spot.<\/p>\n Yes, definitely. Any professionals that come recommend are right at the top of their game, from celebrants, string quartets and photographers to hair and make-up artists. What it helps to remember is that wedding-friendly resorts deal with a lot of people in the industry, and know exactly what to look for, so you can be confident in their recommendations as a starting point when you pick their brains.<\/p>\n Absolutely. In fact we do things such as a helicopter arrival that may not be possible in urban areas. It\u2019s certainly an eye-catching way to arrive at the ceremony.<\/p>\n They\u2019re fabulous. In fact, part of the reason boutique resorts<\/a> are so popular is because they not only have great spaces for receptions, they also have access to stunning spots for the actual vows. To give you an idea, we have two beautiful locations available for our couples – one by the pool\/on the grass and one on the beach. That means you have a really beautiful backdrop to “I Do”, and we build on this with such enhancements as parasols, garden umbrellas, an arbor and chairs. It\u2019s all about creating a beautiful and unique piece of paradise that feels like you, and the guests, are the only people around. Plus, there\u2019s myriad spaces to serve as beautiful photographic backdrops, from a stunning grove of trees to beautiful architecture such as a jetty and bridge, or even a spectacular sunset over the ocean. Like they say in the real estate game, it\u2019s all about location, location, location.<\/p>\n For an extensive listing of wedding ceremony and reception locations, visit this link<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n Kloie \u2013 who\u2019s beautiful eye for wedding styling allows her to turn elements such as table decorations into eye-catching tableaus \u2013 believes the idea of a long-weekend-away wedding is one that will only grow in popularity.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have 30 self-catered apartments here, and we already find most of our brides and grooms book them out,\u201d she says. Part of the attraction is that because they\u2019re self-catered, it sets them up equally to cater for solo guests, couples or families.<\/p>\n Privacy is also a big factor, as the wider wedding party pretty much gets the resort to themselves. Paired with attractions such as the surf beach, which is just 10-15 minutes\u2019 walk away, it basically means they can check-in and retire their outside lives and stresses until it\u2019s time to go home.<\/p>\n This goes for the bride and groom too.<\/p>\n \u201cOnce couples have settled on their vision for the day, my role is to ensure they don\u2019t have to do a thing as I pull the ceremony and reception together,\u201d says Kloie. \u201cI\u2019m available 24\/7, I go to people\u2019s houses and they can have as many appointments as they like.<\/p>\n \u201cOnce they\u2019ve booked services such as the photographer, the baker for their cake and the band, I tell them to give the professionals my details so I can deal with all of the little queries and questions they don\u2019t need to be inundated with.<\/p>\n \u201cThen, on the day, we\u2019ll look after little touches such as sending breakfast to the room while the bride and bridesmaids are getting ready, and supply champagne and snacks through the day.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s all about leaving them free to focus on “I Do:.<\/p>\nSo tell us, is a long-weekend-away wedding just like a destination wedding?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
We love this idea of a mini-break. But what\u2019s the thinking behind making it two nights instead of one?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Wow, that does sound like a nice holiday for guests, but what\u2019s in it for the bride and groom?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
What a great idea. But doesn’t this add a lot of extra work to their wedding planning?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
So how does a long-weekend-away wedding usually unfold?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Now to money. Who pays for the accommodation? <\/strong><\/h2>\n
How do couples cater for food? <\/strong><\/h2>\n
Is it wise to look at using local services for a long-weekend-away wedding?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Can you still add a touch of razzle dazzle to the day when you\u2019re out of the city?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Speaking of ceremonies, what are the locations like?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
That\u2019s great advice. So overall, what would you say are five things to look out when considering a venue?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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