INSPIRATION: Proposals, weddings, honeymoons
As you know, we're here to help you plan the most romantic escapes imaginable; our reviewers have taken that mission to heart; so much so, it’s little wonder that their own trips have led to some truly unforgettable experiences...
WILL YOU MARRY ME?
Reykjavik, Iceland
Style Metropolitan, monochrome
Setting Hip harbourside
‘…Our driver, Inkie, took us off-road for some late-night exploring. Headlights revealed a black lava beach, waves crashing in, bringing small icebergs ashore. A surrealist monochrome landscape, it was the coolest black and white movie set – perfect, considering the surprise geology display that this Mr Smith had planned. Sure, it was well below freezing in the driving snow, but an amazing beach, all the same. And a twinkling rock for a now Mrs-Smith-to-be provided a very happy ending to our Icelandic adventure.’
To read the full review, click here.
Marrakech, Morocco
Style Très privé trad bolthole
Setting Hidden in the medina
‘…Mr Smith led me up the stairs. As the views across the city unfurled before us, his constant trouser-pocket patting and faraway expression, which could be construed as the symptoms of an unsavoury medical condition, actually all started to make sense. Pulling the box from his pocket, he suddenly disappeared down on one knee. And right there, under north African stars, my Mr-Smith-to-be asked me to marry him.”
To read the full review, click here.
THE PERFECT WEDDING VENUE
Ca's Xorc
Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain
Style Neo rustico
Setting Bougainvillea-bountiful Baleares
‘…Our two-night stay at Ca’s Xorc is over, and we depart into the sunshine with heavy hearts. In the car on the way back, I turn to Mr Smith and begin “What if…?”. He agrees without a moment’s hesitation, and we ring reception as we drive out of the tunnel, to book Ca’s Xorc as the venue for our wedding next year.’
To read the full review, click here.
Masseria Torre Coccaro
Puglia, Italy
Style Refined fortress
Setting Sea-scented olive groves
‘…An open 17th-century chapel beamed out light and revealed crucifixes, while white-tuxedo-clad men and elegantly dressed Italian models crowded around the massive grand piano that dominated a fairy-lit courtyard. The hotel was hosting a full-scale wedding. Couples whirled rapidly in a clockwise circle around the courtyard, accompanied by the hectic rhythms of tambourines and mandolins. Then they suddenly stopped and whirled anticlockwise for a while, before changing direction again. “That’s the dance they did in The Godfather,” said Mrs Smith. “It must be a Mafia wedding. How exciting!”’
To read the full review, click here.
AND NOW FOR THE HONEYMOON…
La Coluccia
Sardinia, Italy
Style Simply modern
Setting Wooded water's edge
‘…First, let me explain why our visit to La Coluccia was that extra bit special. When I visited Blanch House in Brighton for the first Mr & Mrs Smith book, three years ago, my co-reviewer was a new girlfriend. We’d known each other for just a few weeks and I was hoping to impress her with a romantic weekend away. Well, it worked – or something did. This time, we were a true Mr and Mrs: our trip to review La Coluccia was also our honeymoon. The desire to find the perfect place was even stronger than it had been on that first brief holiday together…’
To read the full review, click here.
Royal Malewane
Kruger National Park, South Africa
Style Kruger cool
Setting Among the treetops
‘…Ever since I rehoused a pair of newts in a Robinsons jam jar in August 1977, I have been fascinated by savage nature. The only animal magic I encounter nowadays is on TV, Sir David Attenborough’s reassuring tones transferring me to a world far away from quality M&S ready meals and drizzly England. I can’t get enough of it. So it was that Bath Spa was a non-runner when the soon-to-be Mrs Smith and I came to plan our honeymoon; I was fixated on turning my TV dreams into the ultimate fantasy safari. Thanks to our relationship being at the “Yes, honey – whatever makes you happy” stage, I bounced straight through to booking one of the world’s most celebrated luxury safari lodges: the Royal Malewane in South Africa…’
To read the full review, click here.
Santorini, Aegean Islands, Greece
Style Gaudí-contoured caves
Setting Dream lava
‘“Now this,” said my good lady, “is where we’re going on our honeymoon.” It’s a phrase that strikes terror into the heart of the uncommitted but, although this reviewer’s Mrs Smith is a relatively new arrival, I had to admit I could see what she meant. Perivolas is perfect. Perched high on the hills of Santorini above the Aegean Sea, it’s the sort of boutique hotel hideaway that inspires spontaneous marriage proposals. Indeed, if top scientists were to analyse this splendid luxury inn from top to bottom, it’s likely that they’d find that it sits on top of the world’s most powerful love ley line…’
To read the full review, click here.
