Weddings
Weddings
Attention Honeymooners: Aruba Is Addictive! by Susan Campbell There are few places on the planet that provide such a celestial escape for newly betrothed couples than Aruba. Perfect year-round weather, stunning seascapes, sun-kissed, velvety white sand beaches, and steamy, star-studded romantic tropical nights... but be forewarned, once you honeymoon on Aruba, you’ll have no choice but to return!
Blue Bar at the
There’s magic at every turn for newlyweds wishing to bond as forever soul mates in the sun and sand. But don’t take our word for it. Let’s hear from some past honeymooners! Unexpected encounter
Kelli and Darren Marazoff of North Swanzey, New Hampshire, had a surprise visitor help them celebrate their honeymoon. “I’m sure being on this special island with the love of my life had a lot to do with it,” Kelli said, “but what a truly magnificent experience! In just six short days, we made memories that will last us a lifetime. We witnessed the most breathtaking sunsets ever, swam in crystal blue ocean water, took in some amazing entertainment, indulged in mouth-watering meals, and made forever friends. But the biggest surprise was when we had our romantic evening on the beach interrupted by a giant leatherback sea turtle coming ashore to nest. She came out of the ocean and headed right for us! I admit, I was a little nervous at first – she was huge! But now I love sea turtles, and we’re already planning on returning again next year. Maybe we’ll see hatchlings!”
42 Nights
Sunset over Palm Beach
o
ba Resort & Casin
Renaissance Aru
Culinary delights aw White Modern Cu ait at isine
were great, and the staff knew you by name after the first few days. Their concierges are called ‘navigators’ and ours was very helpful with helping us book our scuba diving experience along with a dinner cruise. She even assisted us with dinner reservations and gave us tips on where to shop. We also had a bottle of champagne waiting for us in our room as a honeymoon gift! In fact, when you drop that you’re on your honeymoon, just about everywhere they do something special for you! Little extras count a lot!” Foodie approved fare
Little extras count a lot
Ashley and James Whelihan of Marshall, Minnesota, were very impressed with the staff on Aruba. “We honeymooned on Aruba in June 2013 and stayed at the Renaissance Marina Hotel, and had an amazing time. The food was great, drinks
Alyssa Bitts and her new husband, Patrick, are serious foodies. In fact, she has her own Instagram account called the Finicky Foodie with a huge following. So, quality fare was an important consideration in their choice of honeymoon spots. They were not disappointed. She said, “We tried many restaurants, and Papiamento and Madame Janette were among our favorites, and for more of a nightlife/dining scene we also really enjoyed +297. Aruba has a lot of excellent dining options for real foodies, and we definitely recommend it, and we will be back!” !
Tropicana Aruba Resort & Casino
ful Shopping in color d sta downtown Oranje Eagle Beach is a popular nesting spot for leatherback turtles
Blue Bar cocktail photo by Luis Mejia. Bottom left photo courtesy of Tropicana Aruba Resort & Casino. Top right photo courtesy of White Modern Cuisine
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Weddings
Weddings Jolly Pirates
Kukoo Kunuku
Very special souvenirs
A wonderful love affair
Footloose & fancy-free adventures
Maybe there is something in the water on Aruba because many honeymooners have visited the island as two – and have left as three! Such was the story of Kristin Forbes. “My husband and I honeymooned on Aruba in May of 2013 and enjoyed the atmosphere of the island, the clean beaches, and beautiful sunsets. We were so sad to leave but knew we’d be back. We wanted to return sooner than this past May, but little did we know that when we left in 2013, I was carrying the most perfect souvenir... that’s right, I was pregnant! Maybe it was the relaxation, the drinks, the ability to just get away from life... but we joke with all of our friends that Aruba is our most favorite vacation, however be prepared that when two go, three might come back! Believe it or not, since then, three of our friends have also had li’l ‘souvenirs’ return with them! And we gave our baby an ideal nickname: Bon Bini meaning ‘welcome’ in Papiamento, as she most definitely was! To this day she keeps that nickname!”
Whitney and John Dillard from Athens, Ohio, enjoyed a month of wonderful experiences on their “One Happy Island” Aruba honeymoon, and they had their very own theme song too! They said, “We stayed at the Divi Aruba All Inclusive, and our room was literally 15 steps away from white sand and breathtaking aqua water! (We counted.) Our theme song became Eric Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight” since a band played it especially for us on our first night out, and now whenever we hear it, of course we think of our One Happy Honeymoon! But every day was wonderful too! Aruba was just what we needed to unwind after 15 hectic months of planning our wedding. Everyone was so incredibly kind and helpful, and we hope sharing our story will help others fall in love with Aruba as we did.”
Gilda Parissi and Joe Fabiano of Montreal, Quebec, had been high school sweethearts. So, by the time they were married 12 years later, they had already traveled a lot of the world together. For their honeymoon they were seeking last-chance, crazy fun before settling down to have a family, and they certainly found it on Aruba. “We weren’t really seeking a loveydovey escape where you only cocoon in your room,” said Gilda, “though I am sure
Aruba has that. But we really enjoy being partners in crime and getting out into the real pulse of a destination. We love doing the nightlife, meeting the people… and this island really came through in that respect. We especially loved the crazy Jolly Pirates snorkel tour and the Kukoo Kunuku party bus. Now that we’re more settled down as new parents, we still look back fondly at those wild times on video. But as soon as our baby boy is ready to travel, we’ll be hightailing it back to Aruba for our first ‘family’ vacation!”
True Aruba addiction
Liz and Lelio Bianchi of Bond Head, Ontario, have become true Aruba addicts. Liz said, “My husband went to Aruba for the first time in 1986. We had visited many other Caribbean islands over the next few years but were always drawn back, and eventually spent our monthlong honeymoon there. Since then, our daughter has basically grown up on this island during our annual visits over the last 24 years! We never even consider going anywhere else now!”
Aruba Heli Tours
So there you have it. But, beware newlyweds: if you choose this happy island as your honeymoon haven, you’re bound to become lifetime fans. You have been forewarned. "
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Aruba isn't just a great place to get married, it's a great place to have a home! Owning property in Aruba lets you enjoy extended vacations and also o ers attractive rental income potential.
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Top right photo courtesy of Jolly Pirates. Bottom right photo courtesy of Aruba Heli Tours. Bottom photo, Divi Resorts beachfront
Top left photo courtesy of Kukoo Kunuku
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