A Honeymoon Like No Other

When it comes to choosing a honeymoon destination it's usually sandy beaches and blue waters here, a historical sight there, or a luxurious pampering from morning till night somewhere else.

The other day, though, looking through the various web sites, I came across a honeymoon destination which must surely be the most unique of them all.

It's available only four months out of every year, and then it disappears from existence. Eight months later it's back again. For four months again.

The Ice Hotel of Quebec, Canada, welcomes guests only from January to April. The rest of the year the hotel ceases to exist because its whole structure is made from 400 tons of ice, and 12,000 tons of snow and needs the winter snows to bring it to life. A work of art in itself, it takes five weeks to erect, has impressive 18 foot ceilings, and walls adorned with original paintings made out of ice. It never repeats itself, so every stay is bound to amaze.

The hotel includes an ice chapel in which the couple can pledge their troth, a cinema in which to while away an hour or two, and an exhibition room with ice exhibits such as paintings, statues, and furniture all made out of snow and ice.

Apart from the fact that the materials used in the building of the hotel aren't the usual brick and mortar, you can still sit around a real fire, though when snuggling into bed you'll probably find a deer pelt and a sleeping bag made for two. And when toasting each other with champagne, you'll be doing it with ice goblets instead of just the usual crystal.

For something to do there's dog-sledding and all the other snow-oriented sports, as well as hot-air ballooning. At night you can visit the night club where your drink will never run out of ice.

Needless to say, being a hotel completely made of ice, it is a bit chilly, so if you and your partner decide to exchange your wedding vows at the ice hotel, you might like to rent a fur cape or coat so that you can be warm as well as good-looking. And don't be worried about missing out on your wedding photographs or flowers, or limousines. The hotel might be made of ice, but it has a warm heart. You'll be provided with all the things you would normally expect on your wedding day. Just ask.

Vlady, an Australian Civil Marriage Celebrant, is an author of "The Complete Book of Australian Weddings", "The Small Organisation Handbook" and an ebook, "Honeymoon! A Sizzle or a Fizzle?" which you can see on her website http://www.vlady-celebrant.com

In The News:

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New York Times
Eloping to Vegas? Why Not Lower Manhattan?
New York Times, United States - Jan 7, 2009
“With these new digs, there might just be a new world wedding capital.” The city clerk’s office issued 66600 marriage licenses 2007 and performed about ...
Manhattan's new Marriage Bureau earns wows as a place to say your vows New York Daily News
NY hears wedding bells, aims to compete with Vegas The Associated Press
Wedding Bells Ring In NYC Marriage Bureau WNYC
Downtown Express - Gothamistall 254 news articles

Boston Globe
‘Bride Wars’ is a failed marriage | 1 ½ stars
Kansas City Star, MO - 12 hours ago
And their mutual friends will have to decide which wedding to attend. All would be well if only one of them would cancel (or if they would agree to a double ...
Video: Ann Hathaway's Stellar Year CBS
Two Weddings and a Furor New York Times
'Bride Wars' A Marriage Of Mediocrity Tampa Tribune
Boston Globe - Washington Postall 729 news articles

New York Times
Movie review: Cliches nag 'Not Easily Broken'
San Francisco Chronicle,  USA - 4 hours ago
The opening wedding scene in the new Bill Duke film, "Not Easily Broken" is so overwrought and cliched, it's akin to sitting down with a promising novel, ...
Not Easily Broken ( ** ) AHN
Movie Review: ‘Not Easily Broken’ is a romantic soap opera that ... Providence Journal
» Inspirational drama anything but 'Broken' Chicago Daily Herald
Pittsburgh Post Gazette - Kansas City Starall 67 news articles

Los Angeles Times
'Bride Wars' stars Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway are funny allies
Los Angeles Times, CA - 17 minutes ago
While weddings are a familiar trope to Hollywood comedies, spawning such films as "Wedding Crashers," "The Wedding Planner" and "Four Weddings and a Funeral ...

FOR FAMILIES: A guide for parents to Jan. 9 and earlier releases
Chicago Tribune, United States - 9 hours ago
By Roger Moore | Tribune Newspapers What it's about: Best friends become dueling brides when they both book the wedding they've always dreamed of in the ...

Wedding war: Las Vegas versus New York
KVBC, NV - 7 hours ago
The city has renovated it marriage bureau and even built a 24000-square-foot wedding complex with the hope of becoming the most popular wedding site. ...

Wearing white and eating cake, Brides magazine turns 75
The Canadian Press, NEW YORK - 19 hours ago
"The magazine is realistic about how people's lives are today, but still the focus is how to have a successful wedding and start a healthy marriage," says ...

New York Magazine
City to Make Your Shotgun Marriage Just That Much Nicer
New York Magazine,  USA - Jan 7, 2009
Photo: Getty Images Perhaps sensing the economic downturn (and having eventually watched the Sex and the City movie), the city spruced up its civil-wedding ...

MLive.com
Bay County gets older, refrains from marriage, likes guns ...
MLive.com, MI - 18 hours ago
Luczak said economics could be partly to blame, as young couples struggling to get a foothold in life may be putting off the expense of a wedding.

MSNBC
Couple goes from divorce to 'I Do Again'
MSNBC - 12 hours ago
Cheryl and Jeff Scruggs, founders of Hope Marriage Ministries, recount the slow destruction of their relationship, which ended in divorce. ...

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