Hamilton Island, Whitsunday Islands, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
Never mind the confusion of time zones. There’s certainly a romantic appeal to going half-way round the world to pledge yourselves to one another. Which is why Australia has always attracted adventurous American couples who think if you are going to have a destination wedding you might as well take it to the extreme.
One of the places those couples have long found a welcome is Hamilton Island, in the Great Barrier Reef’s Whitsunday Islands. The two-square-mile private island, which you older kids may recall from scenes in the classic 1994 film, Muriel’s Wedding, has accommodations, beaches, ceremony locations, and reception venues to match just about any wedding style, whether there are two of you, or two hundred.
Taking your destination wedding to the extreme doesn’t have to be extremely difficult, though, says veteran wedding planner Rohan Gull, managing director of Hamilton Island Weddings, the company that arranges all weddings on the island. In fact, in a Q&A session with Destination:W Gull just about had us convinced that all you really need is love. (And an upgrade to business class.)
Rohan Gull, Hamilton Island Weddings
What are the special challenges for an American couple wanting to get married in Australia?
Really, the long haul flight is the only challenge! All of the communications, legal paperwork and wedding planning are done via email and Skype, exactly the same as it is with all our Australian couples. Apart from that – understanding that a “sandwich” in Australia is called a “roll”, an “entrée” in Australia is called a “main” and “flip flops” are called “thongs” are the only other things to give thought to!
How many Americans get married on Hamilton Island each year?
Five to ten US couples, with the number steadily increasing.
Does either the bride or groom usually have some family/work connection with Australia?
It is quite common that one of the couple would be originally from Australia, and they are choosing to return to Australia for the wedding. However, we find an equal number of our American couples are both from the USA and have chosen to make the trip over here for their wedding, either with family and friends, or just the two of them, choosing to elope for a “wedding Holiday”.
Do Americans typically do a legal wedding or get married at home and make it a symbolic ceremony on the island?
Most couples choose to hold the legal wedding in Australia, as it makes for a much more personal and ‘real’ ceremony here.
What’s the typical size wedding involving Americans?
The weddings vary in size, and we have done the odd large American wedding. However, as you would probably imagine, the majority of the weddings are either couples eloping with just the two of them present (on the odd occasion, no one has even known they are getting married and the couple will start calling people or posting it on Facebook immediately after the ceremony, which can sometimes get mixed reactions from relatives and close friends!), or as you said, a small group of very close family and friends.
How far in advance to you recommend American couples arrive?
Due to the distance being travelled prior to the wedding, an American couple should arrive at least two full days before their wedding day. This enables them to enjoy the island and relax before their big day. It also means they have time to recoup prior to their pre-wedding meeting, which usually takes place the day before the wedding. During this meeting the couple will go through final details with their Wedding Planner, meet with their photographer, video cameraman, celebrant and other required suppliers.
Any special problems with dealing with vendors, etc. at such distances?
Hamilton Island Weddings is very much set up to assist brides and grooms from a distance and remotely. For this reason we liaise with all suppliers and assist our couples with their plans, in order to make the process run as smoothly as possible. Our website is very comprehensive and allows couples to get the feeling of being on the island long before they arrive. The Wedding Planner is their “friend on the ground” and is here to liaise with suppliers on behalf of the couple, so they do not feel the pressures of dealing with multiple and varied suppliers.
We notice that on Hamilton Island only vendors associated with the resort are permitted. Is that typical for Australia?
It may not be typical in other resorts, however we believe this practice ensures only the highest quality suppliers are granted access to this private island, which in turn means that our couples have priority access to only the best hand-picked, reliable suppliers who understand the unique logistics of this island location. It also means that we have a very close working relationship with these professionals so we can control the timing of all the aspects of the wedding, and this ensures that no two weddings would ever come in contact with each other, or that the movements or decisions of one wedding, don’t adversely affect the movements or plans of another — Bob Payne
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Want to know more about planning destination wedding travel to Australia? Our travel partners at Coastline Travel Advisors, a Virtuoso agency, are ready to help.
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