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As we wind down Weddings Week here at Racked, we wanted to bring you a selection of images from hotel wedding venues around the world—alongside some of the hotels' most elaborate wedding packages. Though many hotels these days only price custom weddings, we did find some amazing once-in-a-lifetime experiences on offer. Like this $1 million package, from the InterContinental Hong Kong.
Couples who reserve a wedding banquet and mark a minimum of HK$1 million on food and beverages will also receive a one-night stay, complete with private party for 30, at the hotel's 7,000 square-foot Presidential Suite; a three-night honeymoon or anniversary holiday at any InterContinental hotel in the Asia-Pacific region; use of the couple's spa suite with private jacuzzi, sauna, and steam-room as well as massage treatments at the hotel's I-Spa; a 2.5-hour Chanel-hosted bridal party complete with facial treatments for the bride and groom; and a personal fragrance combining session and bridemaids gifts from Jo Malone.
Here are some other gorgeous hotel venues we rustled up for some late-Friday eyeballing. Some with packages, some without. Hey, it's almost the weekend! We like to think of this perusing as a vacation for our brains.
JW Marriott: Mumbai, India: This award-winning hotel features more than 16,500 square feet of event space—and they've got big, luxurious weddings down to a science here. There's the gorgeous Quan Spa, outdoor swimming pools, and seven restaurants to choose from on-site. For extra-long guest lists? No problem the Gran Sangam Ballroom at the JW Marriott Mumbai boasts 6,400 square feet—and can seat 1,100 people.
Paradisus Resorts: Punta Cana, DR: There are two all-inclusive luxury Paradisus Resort properties in Punta Cana, the Dominican Republic—the Paradisus Punta Cana and the Paradisus Palma Real. This year, in addition to its limitless customizable packages, the resorts are offering three additional pre-organized programs: the "Aqua," a pre-designed event with a la carte add-on options; "Chill-Out Chic," a pre-designed less traditional option with a la carte add-ons; and "Fantasy," a pre-designed package with the option of an add-on custom reception for smaller, more intimate wedding parties.
Vero Beach Hotel & Spa: Vero Beach, FL: For casual-chic wedding parties for under 200 guests, check out the Vero Beach Hotel & Spa and its picture-perfect oceanfront setting, brilliant water views, and outdoor ceremony potential.
Firesky Hotel & Resort: Scottsdale, AZ: Firesky can accomodate up to 1,000 guests at cocktails or up to 500 guests in a seated dinner. A wedding ceremony package complete with use of the Oasis Lagoon, garden chairs, sound systen, unity candle table, and gift table will run about $2,000, buffet packages start at $86 a head, and plated packages run from $66 to $86 per person.
Eden Roc Renaissance: Miami Beach, FL: The beachfront Eden Roc resort features more than 70,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space. We were there just last week and there was an elaborate multi-day wedding celebration going on—and it was handled like we've never seen a wedding handled before, complete with check-in tables, hosts and staffers stationed throughout the property directing guests, and elaborate customized decor and staging—oh, and did we mention the groom rode in off the beach on a white horse? Seriously, this is a wedding venue to be reckoned with.
The space can accommodate groups of up to 700 and, in addition to two gorgeous ballrooms, the Eden Roc also boasts a 5,000 square foot rooftop terrace that overlooks both the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean. Not to mention that your guests will have plenty of things to do in between events and overnight, since the resort is right on the beach and surrounded by some of the hottest nightclubs in Miami.
Marriott Marina del Rey: Venice Beach, CA: Located in picturesque Marina del Rey, this Marriott property breaks out of the corporate hotel cookie-cutter mold with its intimate mood lighting, brilliant views over Marina del Rey, the Malibu mountains, and the Pacific Ocean, and a design overhaul that's attracting a whole new, younger, hipper clientele. A poolside event and meeting area can accommodate 700 guests and its Bayview Ballroom boasts a 360-degree view of the coast, mountain, and city. PS there's a helipad.
Capella Pedregal: Cabo San Lucas, Mexico: This exclusive 66-room luxury resort lives at the southernmost point of the Baja peninsula and boasts guest rooms that range from a minimum square footage of 600 (bigger than our NYC apartment) to 4,000 square feet. While there is no set wedding package—all wedding planning is done on a custom basis—there are some signature touches the resort can offer. Like traditional Mexican wedding customs—live mariachi music, a gift of 13 gold coins to the bride, two bridal bouquets (one for the Virgin Mary, of course), and encircling the couple in a lazo after the coin ceremony.
Traditional Mexican wedding customs can be incorporated into guests’ weddings, including the following: live mariachi music; a gift of 13 gold coins from the groom to the bride during the ceremony, symbolizing financial responsibility for the family; encircling the couple in a lazo following the coin ceremony to call attention to their eternal union; and two bridal bouquets - one for the bride and one for the Blessed Virgin - as an offer to obtain a blessing on the marriage.
Parker: Palm Springs, CA:
The Parker Palm Springs boasts three grand ballrooms that can accommodate between 150 and 400 guests at a reception. While there are no set wedding packages, wedding consultants are readily available to work with individual couples on their receptions and celebrations. The hotel has created a series of videos: here, here, and here showcasing a variety of wedding style and possibilities.
Or you could get married on the roof of the Hudson Hotel, in rooftop tents overlooking New York City.
The Dorchester: London, UK: One of the most iconic (and most celebrity-frequented) hotels in London, The Dorchester boasts one of only two ballrooms in all of central London that can host as many as 430 guests for dinner or 1,000 for cocktails. While the hotel offers no pre-organized wedding packages, they do boast one of the most luxurious spas, with packages, in the UK. All weddings are custom-created.
JW Marriott: Chicago, IL: One of the newest JW Marriott locations, the Chicago hotel opened earlier this year and boasts an incredible soaring lobby and one of the biggest ballrooms in all of downtown—it seats 650 guests (and has an incredible domed ceiling).
· All Weddings Week posts [Racked]