Snow Destination Wedding Advice

kiki3387

Hey, hopefully this hasn't been posted before, nothing came up in any searches!

My best friends got engaged over Christmas and the bride-to-be is in the beginning stages of planning a wedding for early next year, and I thought this would be the place to come for a bit of advice so I can help her create their perfect day!

Ideally they would love an outdoor civil ceremony in snow as they're not religious, with approx 50 guests (I know if we have a similar Winter as last year they could get married over here, but her other half would really prefer to go away). She has been looking into the Italian Alps etc, but it's very hard to get a straight quote or breakdown.

We attended the wedding fair in the RDS and were talking to a couple of different stands about destination weddings, but they were catered mainly for summer and things like Michelin 5 star restaurants aren't necessary for what they want, just a simple, family and friend orientated day where everyone can enjoy themselves.

Just wondering if anyone has had any experience of a similar wedding, or even a destination wedding in any capacity and can recommend anywhere to look, things to watch out for, people to contact.

Any feedback would be very much appreciated, from advice to personal experiences, it's all in the very early stages of planning so we can use all the input we can get!

Thanks!

happyeverafter

There is a site www.weddingsonline.ie and they have a forum for weddings abroad - maybe check there?
No recommendations myself.

Fattes

Just sent you a Private Message.

We are doing it in a ski resort this August! But the info holds true for the winter.

Couple of options below if we can help at all let us know.

Saas Fee - Switzerland

Andermatt -Switzerland

Cervina - Italy

Courmeyar - Itally

Austria - Obergurgal

ZELL em See Austria

magneticimpulse

I would not recommend Switzerland, I have been skiing there and it is very expensive. I say this, because the likes of "ski pass" you will still need if you intend to get the cable car into the mountains. They still run some of the cable cars in summer. Its a lovely country of course and extremely beautiful, but I even found the likes of Les Trois Vallees (Courchevel) in France to be cheaper and thats ultra posh.

I have never been to the ski resorts in Italy, but I heard they are really cheaper compared to rest of Alps. Is it the summer or Snow your set on?

Theres also Pyrennes...so you could stay somewhere near Barcelona or San Sebastian on the Spanish side. Or Biarittz/Lourdes direction on the French side. However they dont get as much snow as the Alps and are not as high 2700 m to about 3100 m....whereas the Alps are higher...but few resorts around 1800 m in saying that...with option to get cable car to around 3000 m and above.

Not to mention Bulgaria and Poland also have ski resorts, which are much cheaper then the Alps.

Ive heard Vancouver (Whistler) Canada is meant to be brillant for ski resorts because the Olympics were there recently. While the affordable chalets in the Alps/Pyrennes are ripping you off with their run down dirty standards, apparently in Canada its meant to be really really spotless.

A friend of mine is living in Russia at the moment, and there are some pretty swanky ski resorts there. Theres lots of rich russians (and these head to Courcheval).

Dont forget New Zealand.

Fattes

magneticimpulse; I take it you dont do allot of skiing? I spend about 6 weeks a year in the Alps Summer and winter mostly skiing including on Glaciers in August in all the major alpine Nations

Courcheval is classed as the most expensive resort in the world!!!!! Check out the link for the full list. Regulars in Courcheval include, Posh Spice, Roman Abromovich, Kate Moss the list goes on. France has some of the busiest and most expensive resorts in the world. It even has its own airport for small private planes!!!!

http://internationalhorizons.wordpress.com/2010/01/20/the-top-ten-most-expensive-ski-resorts-in-europe/

The most expensive lift passes in Europe are
1)Trois Valles Pass France 2) Asto Super Pass France/Italy 3) Mount Blanc Pass France/Italy 4) 4 Valleys Pass CHF 5) Port Du Soleil Super Pass France/Italy / Saas Fee CHF

The Swiss tend not to be as busy and look allot better. Which means better photos and shorter lift ques also the swiss ski school mops the floor with the French ESF approach. You also get exactly what you pay for.
Most (Not all) French resorts where purpose built in the 60 and 70 and look like Ballymun with nicer scenery - Google Tignes, Flaine etc

Average cost for our wedding guest is below
Flights and Transfers €200

Accomidation ranging from B&B 40 Francs a night, 3 Star 90 CHf a Night 4 Star 105 CHF( With lift pass for your stay) a night to 5 star 200 CHF a night ( With lift pass for your stay) . Kids under 16 stay for free in 80% of Swiss hotels and allot of swiss resorts give fee lift passes for kids. Most French resorts charge full price for Kids over 12 and others 16
Average Beer in the Village chf 3.50
Glass of white / Red CHf 4

So for a 4 night stay anything from €380 -€ 620 all in

For newbie skiers or weddings Austria, and Switzerland would top the list closley followed by the Dolmites in Italy. Dolmites are the alps but the rocks on the mountians glow red in the sun it is amazing.

magneticimpulse

Fattes wrote: »

magneticimpulse; I take it you dont do allot of skiing? I spend about 6 weeks a year in the Alps Summer and winter mostly skiing including on Glaciers in August in all the major alpine Nations

Courcheval is classed as the most expensive resort in the world!!!!! Check out the link for the full list. Regulars in Courcheval include, Posh Spice, Roman Abromovich, Kate Moss the list goes on. France has some of the busiest and most expensive resorts in the world. It even has its own airport for small private planes!!!!

http://internationalhorizons.wordpress.com/2010/01/20/the-top-ten-most-expensive-ski-resorts-in-europe/

The most expensive lift passes in Europe are
1)Trois Valles Pass France 2) Asto Super Pass France/Italy 3) Mount Blanc Pass France/Italy 4) 4 Valleys Pass CHF 5) Port Du Soleil Super Pass France/Italy / Saas Fee CHF

The Swiss tend not to be as busy and look allot better. Which means better photos and shorter lift ques also the swiss ski school mops the floor with the French ESF approach. You also get exactly what you pay for.
Most (Not all) French resorts where purpose built in the 60 and 70 and look like Ballymun with nicer scenery - Google Tignes, Flaine etc

Average cost for our wedding guest is below
Flights and Transfers €200

Accomidation ranging from B&B 40 Francs a night, 3 Star 90 CHf a Night 4 Star 105 CHF( With lift pass for your stay) a night to 5 star 200 CHF a night ( With lift pass for your stay) . Kids under 16 stay for free in 80% of Swiss hotels and allot of swiss resorts give fee lift passes for kids. Most French resorts charge full price for Kids over 12 and others 16
Average Beer in the Village chf 3.50
Glass of white / Red CHf 4

So for a 4 night stay anything from €380 -€ 620 all in

For newbie skiers or weddings Austria, and Switzerland would top the list closley followed by the Dolmites in Italy. Dolmites are the alps but the rocks on the mountians glow red in the sun it is amazing.

Im sorry for you... Yes I do ski alot, I live in France close to ski resorts so I know what I am talking about. Haha of course I know about Courchevel, I have been there a few times, that is why I compared it to being cheaper to Switzerland. The shops there are expensive, but the trois vallees ski pass is not as expensive as the 4 Vallees ski pass in Switzerland. How long ago was it since you went there? And according to your link...Courchevel Ski pass (france )is for a week €216 whereas Verbiers ski pass is €244 (switzerland)....so I know exactly what im talking about...Switzerland is more expensive then the "richest" ski resort in France!!!


I found Switzerland hugely expensive. I didnt notice going to Trois vallees...and it was so cheap I went a few times in the one season.

I found the ESF schools to be far better then the Swiss schools (and I had friends who were ski intructors in Switzerland). It depends on the person you get...older ski instructors 50+ tend to be better then young 20 somethings. I found there was younger 20 something ski instructors in Switzerland compared to France. I learned far more in Trois Vallees then in 4 Vallees.

Switzerland is brillant if your doing off piste skiing. But they dont even have Green Piste. For that reason, if you are going with alot of new beginners I would recommend Trois Vallees...sure Meribel etc. As they are all very well connected and you have 4 resorts to visit. They also have very long easy green runs. It is true that they might not look as nice in the French alps...however I got the same impression in Switzerland. The chalets in general are not great. The Pyrennes is the worst I think. And definitely not worth going in winter (not enough snow).

I paid 100 euro for a week in Chalet in trois vallees and it was brillant. If you are expecting everyone to be skiing, you dont have to worry too much about the nightlife as usually everyone is shattered and in bed by 10pm at the latest. I found the beer and food just as expensive in Switzerland. I spent my time eating Pizza because it was the only affordable thing. General food is expensive in Switzerland because it has to be imported, since it is a mountainous country, very little produce comes from there besides dairy. Hence shopping there for food was crazy expensive. At least in France, we could stop off at a huge Supermarket in Moutiers and stock up on cheaper food...the rest we got day to day and was far cheaper. We cooked in the chalet and went to the local supermarket. Our chalets were all wooden so exactly the same as Switzerland. Courchevel is very beautiful. You dont have to stay there directly, its very easy to stay in nice little villages nearby like St. Martin du Belleville. This is a very pretty town. I found Switzerland just as busy as France.
Hence I suggested Canada, as its more Modern then the ski resorts in Europe.

All in all I have heard Italy to be far cheaper then either Switzerland or France. Although I have never been there for skiing myself.

leap

Getting away from the best place to go skiing and back to info on getting married in a snow location. Here is some info:

http://www.italiandestinationweddings.com/wedding_and_honeymoon_packages/italian_weddings/snow_weddings.html
http://www.confetti.ie/realhoneymoon.aspx?ID=37

You probably need to look at booking it in two parts e.g. info on getting married in the particular country and then info on the location you want.

Best of luck.

wdmfapq4zs83hv

I would second Zell Am See in Austria. Attended a wedding there a few years ago & its absolutely stunning. The backdrop is something else, photos were beautiful