by Nadia Willan
(Bangkok, Thailand)
Beautiful Beachfront
It might be the ultimate cliché but when it comes to romance most brides-to-be cannot get enough of the fairytale images of their upcoming wedding.
A honeymoon on a powder, white beach, where palm trees sway and the turquoise-azure waters of some tropical destination sparkle in the bright sun.
The classic picture perfect honeymoon is an idyllic beach in some far-flung corner of the world where fantasy, at least for a couple of weeks, becomes reality.
Traditional as the wedding might be, the modern day bride often looks for online assistance when it comes to sourcing all the nuances of her nuptials.
Everything from where to stay for the pre-wedding party, to the wedding itself and the honeymoon, for example, can be found in a few clicks with the latest bridal online tool?
The site www.thebeachfrontclub.com sorts out which hotels are true beachfront and meet the romantic ideal. The site crosses off the wedding list those not in the best bridal beachfront location.
The world is becoming smaller and more people are travelling to more destinations. The romantic ideal of a honeymoon in the sun, on the beach, has inspired a growing number of brides-to-be to book their weddings right on the beach as well.
The 7500 hotels mapped on the site so far that qualify as beachfront at The Beachfront Club have no road and no traffic separating the bridal suite from the beachfront water.
The latest trend is for hen and stag parties celebrating the end of being a bachelor or bachelorette to combine with a beach holiday. These pre-wedding shindigs might not be romantic but they have moved out of the local neighbourhood and become beach holidays for friends celebrating in style.
Beachfront stay group holidays are ideal as it can allow for greater flexibility in allowing different people to do what they want to do but keep the group theme. People can drift back and forth between beach and hotel more easily.
The beach might be romantic but staying beachfront is a way of keeping everybody happy - from the pre-wedding revelers to the wedding day family and friends.
Whilst looking on-line can offer busy brides and grooms-to-be a simple way to organise their big day there is no denying that many people have a love-hate relationship with the internet.
Yes, there might be many sites offering a chance to moon over beautiful looking hotels but what really helps is a clear, simple answer to a simple question.
Which hotels are on the beach or right next to it and which hotels are not?
Looks alone are not enough and can be deceiving where some hotels might appear to be closer to the sand than they really are. Others seem to hide their biggest asset and barely recognise or promote the beauty of being beachfront.
The Beachfront Club takes a levelheaded approach and cuts through the sentiment, confusion and information gaps in hotel advertising. The site only maps those hotels that are true to the beachfront bride.