Search Salon

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Recently in Salon Travel

Vagabonding
A lucky break in Paklay
In which our correspondent gets drunk on rice whiskey one night and finds himself invited onto a boat the morning after.
By Rolf Potts
[07/08/99]

Book Bag
The grace of danger in our lives
A new anthology presents a heart-pumping array of survivors' tales.
By Don George
[07/07/99]

Vagabonding
Lotus-eating in Luang Prabang
Buddhist temples, watermelon shakes and crazed speedboat racers meet in the ancient Lao capital.
By Rolf Potts
[07/07/99]

Vagabonding
Guns, muskmelon breasts and the Laotian Gandhi
An American takes a Mark Twain-like journey by riverboat down the Mekong.
By Rolf Potts
[07/06/99]

Paris for voyeurs
For those who walk at night, imagination soars in the City of Light.
By David Downie
[07/03/99]

Complete archives for Travel

- - - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - - - -
By Donald D. Groff

July 8, 1999 | I'd like to get married somewhere exotic -- not necessarily overseas, but something definitely different. I heard there's a neat chapel in the Grand Tetons or perhaps a Caribbean island. Paris? Morocco? Any articles or info on this?

A "nontraditional wedding" is what you're interested in, and bridal consultants say the concept has gained a big following in recent years. Such ceremonies also appeal to the guests, who get a vacation out of the deal and probably have more fun than during a traditional church wedding. Some nontraditional weddings are quirky, mind you: bungee-jumping, hot air balloons, scuba nuptials. But I gather location, location, location is your main consideration.

Start with "Far and Away Weddings: Secrets to Planning a Long-Distance Wedding," by Denise and Alan Fields (Windsor Peak Press, 1996), which describes about 25 exotic places to get married. The Web site for the book has updates, including notes on consultants who help plan distant weddings.

Another worthy source is "Romantic Wedding Destinations: Guide to Wedding & Honeymoon Getaways Around the World," by Jackie Parrington (Innovanna Publishing Co., 3rd edition 1997). Besides practical advice and sections on foreign locales, it has chapters on a dozen states -- including mountain wedding suggestions for Colorado, Montana and Wyoming. It can be ordered by calling (800) 577-9810.

Many online sources offer ideas, too, including The Knot, the Ultimate Internet Wedding Guide, Wedding Pages, WayCool Weddings and OurMarriage.com.

Keep in check any yearnings for a foreign wedding until you can find out what the local requirements are. Often they are onerous, including residency rules and verifications supplied by a local lawyer, presented in the local lingo. Caribbean nations, however, have gone out of their way in recent years to make getting married easy. The free "Caribbean Vacation Planner" available from the Caribbean Tourism Organization has marriage requirements for each country in the guide.

Ultimately, you'll have to do some research yourself to find that perfect place on a mountain or on a palm-shaded beach. Unlike roller coaster parks, there's no audience of satisfied enthusiasts who continuously promote great wedding locations. You may have to take the ideas you get from the above sources and make contact with licensing offices and tourism authorities who know the local scene and have seen weddings plans unfold in their areas.

Other sources to consider within a region are local reporters who cover the social scene or compile wedding announcements, and longtime florists and ministers. Those groups would have long memories for outstanding weddings they've encountered.

I'm planning a backpacking trip through Croatia and possibly other Eastern European countries. Does the train system connect to other European cities? What's the safety situation there?

Yes, Croatia's rail system connects to the rest of Europe, but it's not part of the Eurail system. There are numerous rail and bus links between Croatia and Austria, Germany, Hungary and Italy. To reach Greece from Croatia, you'll probably have to rely on a ferry.

Croatia's war with Yugoslavia foiled tourism for years, but it was gradually rebuilding to old levels when the Balkan conflict stunted it earlier this year. Croatia wasn't directly involved, and visitor numbers should again rise, propelled in part by cruise discounting and other come-hither promotions. The biggest safety threat left from the earlier conflict was mines, which have been carefully cleared from areas where visitors tread. Still, you wouldn't want to go on a walkabout without being aware of that situation. For the latest U.S. report on crime and security, check the State Department's consular information sheet on Croatia.

On June 18, 1999, the department also issued an announcement that mentions Croatia: "There currently exists no specific threat against U.S. citizens or U.S. interests in the Republic of Croatia. Although the NATO air campaign has ceased in neighboring Serbia-Montenegro and Serbian forces are withdrawing from Kosovo, the situation is still unsettled. The reaction of the authorities in Serbia, and of individuals in both Serbia-Montenegro and the Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia-Herzegovina, is not certain. Therefore, Embassy Zagreb personnel are exercising caution in pursuing official travel to regions of Croatia which border directly on Serbia -- in particular, Eastern Slavonia -- or the northern border of the Republika Srpska. U.S. citizens in Croatia are urged to keep abreast of developments and to practice prudent personal security."

Exchanging money can be done without difficulty, and there are ATMs in the big cities. For practical and sightseeing advice on Croatia, get a copy of Lonely Planet's "Eastern Europe," which covers the territory you're planning to explore. The fifth edition was published early this year and is up to date.

You can also find firsthand travel information on Dalmatia.net, the Croatian Tourist Information Site and the Croatian Tourism Line.  

The Croatian National Tourist Office in New York can be reached at (212) 279-8672.

Next page | Car rental insurance, New Year's in Portugal