The Honeymoon Testers Blog

Shipwrecked on Deserted Paradise Beach

The Thala Beach Lodge combines a stunning rainforest setting with views over a pristine white beach and tropical ocean bay. Our first destination in North Tropical Queensland was this charming resort located between Cairns and Port Douglas.

The private and and natural setting of the Thala Beach Lodge is a favourite for celebrities including Richard Branson, Natalie Umbruglia and now the Honeymoon Testers (haha!).

Thala is passionate about preserving their environment and is a pioneer in the sustainable tourism movement having attained the highest eco certification possible. The whole place is designed with nature in mind. The public areas around the restaurant and bar are all open air and blend seamlessly with the surroundings. The individual bungalows are nestled in the middle of trees and are virtually hidden away with only the sounds of birds and the ocean to disturb you.

Hayman Island: An Intimate and Secluded Island Getaway

Hayman Island is a romantic and secluded place, part of the Whitsundays in beautiful tropical North Queensland.

It's one of Australia's most popular honeymoon and destination wedding locations and is renowned throughout the world as a place of pristine beauty and luxurious excellence.

Guests come back again and again to experience the legendary Hayman hospitality. During our stay, a couple from New Zealand renewed their vows to celebrate 58 years of marriage. They have been coming to Hayman for more than 20 years and felt like they were surrounded by family and friends because everyone knows and loves them.

The Great Barrier Reef with Cruise Whitsundays

The Great Barrier Reef. One of the most famous World Heritage sites and the pride of Australia. The reef itself stretches an unbelievable 2300 kms from near Fraser Island to the very tippy-top of Australia. It's actually not one reef, but a series of thousands of interconnecting reefs.

It's home to thousands of unique fish and other marine life, including sharks and turtles and magnificent coral, giant clams and other sea life.

I've never made it to this unbelievable place until now. It's absolutely stunning and thanks to Cruise Whitsundays, we spent a day out at Knuckle Bay reef for a day of snorkelling, filming in Queensland's largest and most spectacular underwater viewing chamber and trying out the giant waterslide straight into the ocean.

Of course, we couldn't resist getting married by Skipper Phil and then celebrating by jumping down the slide. 

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Daydream Island - What An Incredible Experience

Seriously what an amazing name for a holiday destination - Daydream Island! Set within the famous Whitsunday Islands on the North Eastern coast of Queensland, it's one of Australia's most popular holiday destinations, especially since it's got a tropical climate most of the year round.

The island is just 30 minutes by ferry or a short helicopter ride from Abel Point Marina or the Great Barrier Reef Airport (Hamilton Island).

The island itself is just 1 kilometre in length and 300-400 metres wide (at the widest point), covered by coconut trees and is surrounded by the most incredible blue water imaginable. Island living at its best, everyone on Daydream is dedicated to creating a fantastic holiday for you.

As soon as we checked in, we were greeted by native kangaroos just chilling out on the beach, and some friendly cockatoos who stopped by our verandah to say hello. Our room overlooked the sea and every morning we woke up to the incredible sunrise. You can't help but feel happy as soon as you land, the blue sky and water is just breathtaking.

Style and Sophistication at The Sukhothai Hotel, Bangkok

The Sukhothai Hotel in Bangkok is a shining jewel amongst the city's 5-star hotels. With contemporary Thai and classically elegant design, it's an oasis from the bustling streets and designed with relaxation and privacy in mind.

As I enthused in our 24 Hours in Bangkok post, we were very impressed by the lovely suites at the Sukhothai, including the most incredible chocolate truffles on arrival and a pillow menu for guests to choose exactly the type and firmness of the pillow they'd prefer. It's touches like this that give the Sukhothai it's deserved international reputation for excellence and personalised service.

24 hours in...Brisbane!

6:00am It’s Mark’s birthday today! We’ve got a busy day ahead (just like on my birthday in September), so there’s no time off, but there’s some fun stuff ahead.

Our limo comes to Pethers Rainforest Retreat to take us into Brisbane city. The resort has packed us some breakfast and luckily we packed our suitcases the night before because I’m seriously not a morning person. I’m a bit bleary eyed and Mark tries to get some last minute filming before we leave. I’m being a bit of a grumpy bum and refusing to cooperate – what a diva I’m turning into!

Around the World in 80 Weddings

We're trying to break the Guinness World Record for Most Married Couple. Here's what we've done so far!

If you like the video - please share it on Facebook or Twitter!

Wedding Photo Album from The Paresa, Phuket

Here is a quick photo album from our stunning wedding yesterday. Renewal number 75 took place on the Miracle Lawn at the breathtaking mountainside Paresa Resort in Phuket, Thailand.

If you are considering a destination wedding the Paresa in Phuket is one of Asia's most beautiful and exclusive hotels and RunawayBrideandGroom.com can put together the perfect package for your dream day.

For wonderful wedding photos in Phuket we can highly recommend www.WeddingPhuket.net

Getting Married in Bali

Bali is a wonderful place for a destination paradise wedding, due to the amazing weather and relaxed culture. You can get married on a beach and then be on honeymoon straight away! Friends and family will love to come to Bali to attend your wedding but you might have trouble getting rid of them afterwards.

You can have a church wedding in Indonesia and apply to have it registered with the Civil Registry Office, or you can opt to do the paperwork at home and just do a blessing ceremony in Bali.

All three resorts we stayed in can help you plan a gorgeous and relaxed wedding, each with their own personal style. We were married under a traditionally decorated Balinese canopy at The Amala, on a beach jetty and on top of a tower at the Menjangan Resort in the West Bali National Park and finally surrounded by frangipanis and a flowered arch at the Bale Resort. 

Check out our vow renewals and get inspired for your destination wedding in Bali.

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Runaway Bride and Groom can help you organise an amazing destination wedding, including your flights and accommodation as well as all the little things such as florist, musician and wedding cake, and anything else you need for your big day. 

Beautiful Bridal Gowns at Barnardo's

Post by Denise Duffield-Thomas

Video by Mark Duffield-Thomas

 

All brides want to look beautiful on their big day, but in these credit crunch times, spending thousands on a dress that you'll wear for just a few hours seems like a colossal waste of money. 

We've found a great solution that helps brides save a bit of cash without compromising on their dream dress. Best of all, it supports a very worthwhile cause. We recently attended a special bridal event to give honeymoon advice to brides-to-be and found something special we want to share. 

Barnardo's, the children's charity has come up with a brilliant idea - specialised wedding boutiques, with brand new, totally up to date wedding dresses donated by well-known bridal manufacturers, retailers and designers.