Wedding hotels

Gorah Elephant Camp

Addo, South Africa

Wow factor   The sweeping panoramas and surrounding wildlife will add a mind-blowing backdrop to your wedding snaps.

Need to know   Gorah's a smallish safari lodge so wedding parties need to book all 11 of the camp's luxury tents, which will accommodate 22 adults (plus a number of children under 15). Summer is the low season and the best time to arrange a wedding — it can book up quite quickly otherwise — and, during the busy Christmas period, you may as well forget it.

Inspiration   The lodge can provide an intimate bush wedding as the sun sets on the savannah, with silver-service catering in a glamorous colonial setting. After the ceremony, guests can enjoy swimming under the stars and an authentic African barbecue. The following day, a game drive to see the elephants could be the perfect way to digest the wedding breakfast.

Casa Angelina

Amalfi Coast, Italy

Wow factor   Exchange your wows on a windswept terrace with the breath-taking backdrop of the Tyrrhenian Sea and the rugged majesty of the Amalfi Coast.

Need to know   Book your wedding for the summer months so you can arrange a dinner on the terrace or beside the pool. Casa Angelina’s ever-obliging staff can take care of all arrangements, such as photography, food, and entertainment – even bridal beauty treatments.

Inspiration   Rent the hotel’s fleet of ‘Sea Gem’ boats and take your guests beach-hopping along the beautiful coast.

The Dylan

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Wow factor   Anouska Hempel's opulent oriental interiors are breathtaking; the new Ariana salon has beautiful wall reliefs, double fireplaces and a glass roof.

Need to know   The Dylan hasn't hosted 'official' marriages before, but its wedding dinners, parties and cocktail parties have been a great success. The Regent's room can accommodate 32 people for private dining, while the spectacular glass-roofed Ariana room is big enough for 80. The Long Gallery overlooks the Zen garden and has a maximum capacity of 100 guests for dinner.

Inspiration   A classic salon motor launch can be used to transport the bride and groom (or guests) to the hotel along the beautiful canals of Amsterdam; the Dylan has its own pier at Keizersgracht.

Life Gallery

Athens, Greece

Wow factor   Celebrate your wedding with a pool party at Athens’ sexiest hotel-cum-art gallery.

Need to know   The Wine Gallery restaurant can sit 170 guests for dinner, and the garden can fit 220. For a standing reception, with drinks and a buffet, you can get up to 150 guests celebrating poolside or 250 in the, elegant Pisco Sour cocktail bar. If you’re after a grand dame of a reception, with 350 guests, you can take over the pool and garden area in the summertime. The hotel’s team of wedding planners can help prepare the perfect bespoke event, with tailor-made menus, décor, photography and entertainment.

Inspiration   The hotel’s subterranean spa offers Ayurvedic treatments guaranteed to soothe away any prenuptial jitters, and a petal-strewn, aromatherapy infused ‘vitality’ pool for two is the perfect way to start your matrimony as you mean to go on.

Fazenda São Francisco

Bahia, Brazil

Wow factor   Wed among the coconut palms in an intimate ceremony with a breathtaking beach setting.

Need to know   Fazenda São Francisco’s staff can arrange transport, flowers, cake and accommodation for wedding guests.

Inspiration   Go nautical but nice: thrill your guests with a banquet of freshly caught sea food and a schooner ride along the coast.

Etnia Pousada

Bahia, Brazil

Wow factor   A palm-fringed jungle location, and a beautiful boho-chic boutique resort.

Need to know   Spring and summer are the most amenable seasons when it comes to open-air wedding ceremonies, but the hotel will arrange a covered area to protect from the (often unpredictable) rain showers. Etnia’s owners are happy to get involved in planning the event, from cakes to decoration, flowers to photography.

Inspiration   Forget shambolic shuffling on the dancefloor – let Etnia arrange a Capoeira show and wow your guests with a breathtaking display of dance-cum-martial art.

Hotel Fazenda da Lagoa

Bahia, Brazil

The Shaba

Bali, Indonesia

Wow factor   With gorgeous gardens and an enchanting fountained courtyard, this hotel is ideal for tying the knot in blissful tropical seclusion.

Need to know   The Shaba can accommodate six to eight guests in its three suites, but many more can enjoy the hospitality of the restaurant and gardens. You have too book all three rooms if you want to get married here and there's a minimum of a three-night stay required for the lucky couple. Staff are happy to arrange every aspect of the ceremony and celebrations.

Inspiration   Make sure you include a nerve-soothing couple's massage at the Henna Spa in the Shaba's grounds.