Key Paris Facts and Figures:
Population: Approximately 2.2 million people (3.6% of total French population)

Average yearly high temperature: 16 degrees C (60.8 degrees F)

Average yearly low temperature: 9 degrees C (48.2 degrees F)

Average visitors per year: Over 25 million

High tourist season: July and August

Time zone: Paris is 6 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time and 9 hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time.

Currency: Euros (Universal Currency Converter)

Paris Geography and Orientation:
Paris is the political, cultural, and intellectual capital of France.

Elevation: 27 meters (90 feet above sea level)

Surface Area: 105 square km. (41 square miles)

Geographical Situation: Paris is located in Central Northern France, at the heart of a region (departement) called Ile de France. The city does not border any major body of water and is relatively flat.

The Seine river cuts through the city center East to West. The Marne river flows through suburbs east of Paris.
Orientation Tours

Paris boat or bus tours can help you get oriented.
Companies such as Paris Trip offer orientation tours (Buy direct)
Paris Layout:
Paris is divided into sections North and South of the Seine, more commonly known as the Rive Droite (Right Bank) and Rive Gauche (Left Bank), respectively.

The city, often described as being shaped like a snail shell, is broken into 20 districts or arrondissements. The first arrondissement is at the center of the city, near the Seine river. Subsequent arrondissements spiral out clockwise. You can easily find out what arrondissement you’re in by looking for street plaques on corner buildings.

The Boulevard Périphérique, Paris’ beltway, generally marks the boundary between Paris and its near suburbs.

Tourist Welcome Centers in Paris:
The Paris Tourist Office has welcome centers around the city, providing free documentation and advice to visitors. You can find maps and pocket-sized guides to Paris sights and attractions at one of the welcome centers. See a list of Paris tourist offices here.

Accessibility Issues:
On average, Paris rates poorly for accessibility. While major efforts are underway to improve accessibility in the city, travelers with limited mobility may find the city difficult to get around in.

The Paris tourist office website offers a list of popular Parisian sights and attractions that are accessible.

In addition, the following Metro and bus lines are accessible to people with limited mobility or disabilities:

Metro line 14, RER Line A
Bus lines 20, 21, 24, 26, 27, 30, 31, 38, 39, 43, 53, 60, 62, 63, 80, 81, 88, 91, 92, 94, 95, 96.
Taxis are required by law to accept passengers with wheelchairs.

Right now…

No doubt, you’re planning on purchasing a few items between now and your wedding day; so, whenever possible, charge expenses on a credit card that awards you with “frequent flyer” points. These “miles” can be a big help later, when you purchase tickets or want upgrades.

Now is also the time to start talking about your dream honeymoon. Do a little research via travel brochures and some online research (we will have a few suggestions too!), and ask your married friends about their honeymoon trips, and what things they liked or didn’t like.

If you haven’t finalized your honeymoon travel plans yet, our preferred travel experts can help.

6 months to go…

You’ve dreamed, you’ve compared, you’ve discussed-now choose your destination:

Now is also the time to decide what you’d like to do on your honeymoon, so it’s time to create your Honeymoon Registry with TheBigDay.com.

Take the time to add some personal touches to your honeymoon registry. Give your wedding guests an exciting, unique description.  Your wedding guests want you to have a great time, so let them know just how splendid their gifts will be!

3 to 4 months to go…

2 to 6 months to go…

If you’re stumped on what to give your sweetie as a wedding gift, you might consider buying an activity for the two of you to do together, particularly if it’s something he (or she) would love but you’ve been reluctant to try.

1 month to go…

If you’re taking a long honeymoon (lucky you!), consider arranging for a reputable housesitter–either a trusted friend or relative or someone who’s been recommended by friends. They can get your mail, feed the dog, water the plants, and so on.

And don’t forget to carry enough domestic money to get you to your local airport (for tips, Sky Caps, cab fare, etc.).

And please, please, if you want your honeymoon glow to last awhile: don’t forget to clean out your fridge and empty the garbage!

Yikes! So much to do! But be sure to take a few minutes to reconfirm any domestic flights. Also:

You’re almost there!

Congratulations; it’s party time!

Bon voyage; there’s only one thing left to do: have a great time!

Best wishes from your friends at TheBigDay Honeymoon Registry!

My recent stay at Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora was everything I had imagined. We arrived at Bora Bora airport and were welcomed with a fresh lei greeting by the staff. After our bags got tagged, we were escorted on board the Four Seasons navigator catamaran. Check in was done in less than 10 minutes. Our Bungalow was 419 on East Pontoon with magnificent views of Mt Otemanu. The staff was at a ratio of 5 per guest and there was always one person asking you if you need anything and always greeting you with La Orana.

Here’s aerial view of the islands of Bora Bora, French Polynesia. Definitely one of Polynesia’s most beautiful lagoons.  The barrier reef is entirely closed and is drawn in thousands of shapes.

Post, courtesy of Aruna Halpin

What’s new?

• TheBigDayCelebrations.com – Now any special event in your life can be captured and shared using our registry.  Graduations, milestone birthdays, senior trips, welcoming a newborn… you name it.  Literally anything you can think to celebrate, TheBigDay will get you there!
• Sleeker look and feel to the new site – Easy navigation allows for smooth sailing to your destination.
• Updated travel packages – We are constantly updating our travel packages to bring you low cost, high quality trips that you will remember for a lifetime!  Call and speak to one of our agents at 1.866.867.6759.
• Online booking features –  Check out some of the destinations using the new online booking engine.  You will find that booking your dream vacation, for any occasion, is quick and painless with this new feature.

The new and improved site is one of our many steps to get closer to you, the customer, to really see how we can help you celebrate TheBigDays in your life.  Go ahead and drop us a line, tell us what you think of the new site.  We would love to hear from you.

Yours from TheBigDay

The waves of the Adriatic also crash against the majestic cliffs of Cinque Terre, five charming little cliff-top villages that are not to be missed, whether or not you’re the type who likes a good hike in the morning. Sure, Cinque Terre is favored by backpackers, but it’s also a honeymooners’ paradise, filled with breathtaking views and secret paths perfect for a sly kiss.

And of course, the Adriatic also laps the beaches and cliffs near ultra-glamorous San Remo and Portofino, the jewels of the Italian Riviera, where you might expect to see Sofia Loren lounging poolside at a fabulous resort. For those who want the beauty of the Riviera without the high-end resorts and movie stories, Rimini boasts not only the nightlife and casinos that have earned it the nickname “Italy’s Atlantic City,” but also the wonderful outdoor seafood restaurants and long sandy beaches that make it a favorite seaside retreat for native Italians.

Those looking to avoid the crowds head further south, down the Adriatic coast to the postcard-perfect village of Ostuni — la citta bianca (the white city), where the walls and buildings are made of white limestone, much as they are throughout Greece, not just to contrast with the sapphire-blue sea nearby, but to keep homes and restaurants cool on long, hot days.

As you go further south along either coast in Italy, the towns and the people tend to become more traditionally Italian. In the seaside town of Bari, in the southeast, for example, views of the Ionian Sea (yes, another arm of the Mediterranean) are broken by clotheslines and tiny cobblestone alleyways that cut between colorful plaster buildings. Large families gather together to eat the local focaccia, loaded with tomatoes, olive oil and rock salt, and during the summer, shops throughout the south close for a few hours in the afternoon so that no one has to miss summer days at the beach. They reopen in the evening for a few hours so everyone can still get their errands done.

Meanwhile, the country’s west coast is bordered by the Tyrrhenian arm of the Mediterranean and boasts two of Italy’s largest cities—Rome and Naples. Although the ruins of Rome and the pizza and seafood of Naples should be a “must” on any trip to Italy, for those wanting to immerse themselves in the Mediterranean, there’s no better way than to ferry from Rome to Sardegna (also known as Sardinia), that little island the Italian boot appears to be kicking into the Mediterranean. Sardegna is a magical place where sheer rust-colored cliffs give way to turquoise water and everyone, from the local pig farmer to the millionaires docking their yachts along the Costa Smeralda (Emerald Coast), delights in an afternoon swim. The beaches here, with their fine white sand and placid, aquamarine water, are routinely included on lists of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Whether you’re a fan of quiet coves and peaceful swims, scuba diving, or hobnobbing dockside with the glitterati, Sardegna will draw you in.

That simple fact applies to all of Italy’s coastal cities—whether you dream of drifting through the canals of Venice in a gondola, trekking the cliffs of Cinque Terre, or lounging on the Riviera’s beaches, there’s no denying the lure of the country’s beautiful Mediterranean coasts.

Headed to Rome on honeymoon? If you’re like most travelers, you’ll want to see the city’s iconic sights — but you’ll also want to create unique experiences that’ll make this trip your own. And in a city packed with history, that’s easy to do. When you’ve tired of rubbing elbows with other tourists at the Colosseum and the Forum, head to these off-the-beaten-path highlights for sightseeing that’s far more intimate.

This staggeringly steep cliff on Capitoline Hill offers picturesque views of many of Ancient Rome’s historical sites, including the Roman Forum — a perfect photo opportunity for traveling couples. But behind this beautiful destination lies an ugly history. Legend has it that Spurius Tarpeius, the daughter of the governor of the Capitoline Hill, betrayed her countrymen by allowing attackers inside the city gates. The attackers, the Sabines, had promised her gold jewelry in return; instead, they killed the daughter and threw her from the cliff. Later Romans drew on this legend, putting the most notorious traitors to death by throwing them from the same cliff.

Of course, the practice of “death by Tarpeian Rock” ended in the ancient times. Today, the rock stands as one of Rome’s only naturally-occurring historical landmarks, as well as a picturesque place to visit. Just don’t get too close to the edge!

Don’t worry — these statues aren’t haunted by ghosts. Rather, they’re haunted by political commentators, who first began posting their views anonymously on the statues in the 16th century. The original Talking Statue is Pasquino, located in the aptly named Piazza Pasquino and named, legend has it, for a local tailor known in the neighborhood for his sharp mind and witty sense of humor. Soon after Pasquino was set up in the piazza, Romans began posting poems and short statements espousing critical views of religious leaders and politicians on its base. The practice became so influential that some popes tried to ban the postings; Pope Adrian VI had plans to throw the statue into the Tiber River. But Pasquino remains; today Romans decorate the statue for holidays, as well as continue to post their views on its base.

Pasquino may be the best-known talking statue, but you’ll find others around the city as well. Others include Madame Lucrezia in the Piazza di San Marco; Abbot Luigi in the Piazza Vidoni; Marphurius in Palazzo dei Conservatori; Il Babbuino on Via del Babuino; and Il Facchino on Via del Corso.

In addition to the Talking Statue of Il Babbuino, here’s another reason to visit Via del Babuino: the beauty, both old and new, in every direction. This street is lined with upscale clothing stores and gorgeous historical architecture, and indeed, plenty of tourists choose to make their way from Piazza del Popolo to the Spanish Steps along its cobblestones. But while other tourists crowd its boutiques, head to the statue that gave it its name, set in the middle of the street. Amid all the beauty is a piece of art locals named “the baboon” because they considered it such an ugly blight on their neighborhood. As a result, the street was named Via del Babuino, literally translating to “baboon’s street.”

Sure, there are plenty of churches to visit in Rome. But at Tre Fontane Abbey, you’ll get three for the price of one. Overlooked by most tourists, the abbey comprises three different churches, but The Church of St. Paul of Three Fountains is by far the most interesting. The building is to stand on the very spot where St. Paul was beheaded. Legend has it that his head bounced three times, and that a fountain spring up from each spot; today, fountains still flow in the designated areas, hence the name “Tre Fontane” or “Three Fountains”.

The second church, named Our Lady of Martyrs, is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. But the structure itself is built over the relics of Saint Zeno, patron saint of fishermen and anglers. Zeno, along with nearly 11,000 followers, was martyred on the site. The third, dedicated to saints Vincent and Anastasius, is the most recent, erected in 626.

Once a safe haven for persecuted monks, Tre Fontane Abbey is today known for its sheep farm; the wool produced here is used to weave the cloaks worn by new archbishops in the Catholic church. It’s a perfect excursion when you need a break from the narrow streets and tall buildings in the city’s center.

10 FUN FACTS ABOUT ROME!

The modern city of Rome, as legend goes, was built on seven hills. A city that is accustomed to foreign influences, it is known for its architectural treasures. Here are some interesting facts to give you an insight into the Roman culture, its history and treasures.

1. The birth of the Eternal City, Rome, which was founded in 753BC, is celebrated every year by Romans on the 21st of April. Celebrations include fireworks, gladiator shows, traditional Roman banquets and parades.
2. The Pantheon which was built in 27 B.C. by Marcus Agrippa is the only monument belonging to ancient Rome that still remains intact. What is even lesser known, is that it entombs Italy’s king Vittorio Emanuele II, and his successor, Umberto I.
3. A park in Rome is named the “Park of the Monsters.” Not because it is a haunted place but because it is full of grotesque figures like a crude Hercules slaying an Amazon and an ogre’s face with a mouth so big that people can even walk through it!
4. The Baths of Caracalla although in a bad state now, were once in their prime days spread across 27 acres and could handle 1,600 bathers at any given time. Built in the 3rd century, they are the largest survivors of Rome’s imperial era.
5. Rome has a museum which is entirely dedicated to pasta. The Pasta Museum is a one of its kind around the world and showcases different pasta-making machines, as well as paintings related to pasta by contemporary artists.
6. St Peter’s Basilica inside Vatican City is the largest church ever constructed.
7. Rome’s Coliseum, a huge amphitheatre which could seat 50,000 people is one among the Seven Wonders of the World.
8. The Monumental Cemetery of the Capuchin Brothers has used the bones of over 4,000 Capuchin monks, some skeletons fully intact, to create symbolic works of art in its series of chapels.
9. The Vatican Museums is a huge museum complex with over 1,000 museums and galleries like the Gallery of Tapestries and Etruscan and Egyptian Museums that are full of masterpieces collected by the successive popes. It is the world’s largest museum complex.
10. St. Peter’s Basilica was a structure that stood for almost 1,000 years until it neared collapse and was rebuilt by 1500s and 1600s. It is an overwhelming structure which displays the work of some of Italy’s greatest artists like Raphael, Michelangelo, and Maderno.

Georgian architecture, picture-perfect gardens, hedge-lined countryside, verdant romantic places and luxury hotels. England’s West Country is King Arthur and Jane Austen country.

Hunstrete House Hotel
Hunstrete
Nr. Bath, England
www.hunstretehouse.co.uk
A pretty 18th century Georgian manor house set in 71 acres of deer park, woodland walks and fragrant gardens, located 6 miles outside of Bath enroute to the cathedral city of Wells.

Southwest

Vast hunting forests and quaint fishing villages.

Burgh Island Hotel
Bigbury-on-Sea
Devon, England
www.burghisland.com
A temple of art deco frequented by Agatha Christie and Noel Coward, located on an island with views of the South Devon coast. Art deco devotees enjoy dressing for dinner in period piece.

Endsleigh
Milton Abbot
Tavistock
Devon, England
www.hotelendsleigh.com
Idealized rusticity created built as a hunting and shooting lodge in the 19th century.

Hotel Tresanton
St. Mawes
Cornwall, England
www.tresanton.com
This former yacht club located in the pretty coastal village of St. Mawes was transformed by designer Olga Polizzi into a stylish seaside English hotel with sea views.

Lake District

Bucolic green mountains, lakes, hiking trails and cozy romantic places; England’s Lake District is Beatrix Potter and Woodsworth country.

Holbeck Ghyll
Holbeck Lane
Windemere, England
www.holbeck-ghyll.co.uk
19th century Lake District hunting lodge once owned by Lord Lonsdale, one of the richest men of his time. This romantic English hotel overlooks one of England’s loveliest stretches of water, Lake Windemere.

South England

Ancient stones, famous battlegrounds, romantic seaside places; William the Conqueror entered England here.

Esseborne Manor
Hurstbourne Tarrant, Nr. Andover
Hampshire, England
Cozy romantic English hotel with pretty gardens, excellent food, and nearby lanes for walking and jogging. Unpretentious and relaxing, with an obvious attention to detail.

Maison Talbooth
Dedham, Colchester
Essex, England
www.talbooth.com
Located in John Constable country, this pink washed Victorian house has bedrooms with views over the valley and water meadows. It is a ten minute stroll to their famed restaurant “Le Talbooth”, a half-timbered riverside building featured in some of Constable’s paintings.

Amberley Castle
Amberley, Nr. Arundel
West Sussex, England
T: +44 1798 831992. 19 rooms. US$ 290-
www.amberleycastle.co.uk
Barrel vaulted ceilings, lancet windows, tapestries and suits of armour are found in this romantic English castle hotel dating back to 12th century England.

Gravetye Manor
Nr. East Grinstead
West Sussex, England
www.gravetyemanor.co.uk
This luxury English romantic hotel is a 1598 manor house with gardens designed by William Robinson.

London

Connaught Hotel
Mayfair District, London
www.the-connaught.co.uk
Recently stylishly upgraded with original artwork, contemporary-classic design, and attention to its original Edwardian and Art Deco period details.

WALES

Lush countryside; the old ways of talking (Welsh) are living and still alive here.

Hafod Wen
Nr. Haplech, North Wales
www.hafodwen.co.uk
Dutch-style house with views overlooking Tremadoc Bay. Walk through
the garden to a stretch of sweeping sands. Owners with a passion for period pieces, lace trimmed bed linen, and outstanding home grown and made food.

Lake Vyrnwy Hotel
Llandwddyn, Wales
www.lakevyrnwy.com
Victorian country house set within 26,000 acres of hiking and biking trails. Sits on a hillside with panoramic views over water. Room are chintzy and cozy.

As early as the sixteenth, up to the nineteenth century, marriages were arranged by parents or guardians. The bride and bridegroom often were not acquainted until their marriage. The parents often made the marriage arrangements and betrothals while the bride and bridegroom were small children (ages three to seven). The children would continue to live with their own parents and meet from time to time for meals or holiday celebrations.

These prearranged marriages came under fire in the late seventeenth century when a judge held that betrothals and marriages prior the age of seven were “utterly void”. However, they would be valid if, after the age of seven, the children called each other husband and wife, embraced, kissed each other, gave and received Gifts of Token.

Later, young couples ran away and had a ceremony privately performed without banns or license. These elopements and private ceremonies represented the beginning of a revolt against parental control of marital selection.

The Civil Marriage Act of 1653, passed by the Puritans under Cromwell, required a civil ceremony before a justice of the peace after presentation of the certificate from the parish register that banns had been published. If either party were under twenty-one, proof of parental consent must also be presented. The wedding ceremony consisted of a simple formula to be repeated by the man and woman and was accompanied by hand fastening. The use of a ring was forbidden.

By the Hardwicke Act of 1753, all weddings, except members of the royal family, were to be performed only after publication of banns or issuance of a license, only during the morning hours of eight to twelve, only in an Anglican Church or chapel, and only before an Anglican clergyman. Two or more witnesses were required and a register must be kept. Parental consent was demanded unless the banns had been published.

The Catholic Church, in the Council of Trent, restated its position that marriage was one of the seven sacraments and therefore could not be dissolved.

Up until the early 1990′s, it was very difficult to get married in Great Britain. If one wishes to marry in England or Wales, they must do so in a church which has a register, (which is like a special license), and they can do so only in the district (shire) where one of the couple resides. All Church of England parishes (Anglican) are automatically registered, regardless of their size. No blood tests or counseling are required.

Wedding Lore

Traditionally, the safest season to marry was between the harvest and Christmas, when food was plentiful. An old English rhyme says “Marry in September’s shine, your living will be rich and fine.”

Folklore has it that prior to the wedding, the bride must not allow her married name to be used before the wedding takes place, or it might never happen.

It is customary for the bride to be given a decorative horseshoe, which she carries on her wrist. These days the horseshoes are rarely real, but instead light-weight versions manufactured specifically for weddings. The horseshoe is given for good luck.

In the seventeenth century, wheat was cast at the head of the bride when she came from church. Now days its customary to throw colorful paper confetti or rice at the bride and groom as they leave the church after the ceremony.

In the north of England, one of the oldest inhabitants of the neighborhood would be standing on the threshold of the bride’s new home. She would toss a plateful of short-bread over her head, so that it falls outside. Guests scramble for a piece of this short-bread as it is considered very fortunate to get a piece.

In Gloucestershire, in the early eighteenth century, a large cake was broken over the heads of the couple. In Aberdeenshire, barley is thrown over the bridal pair as they enter the feasting-place.

In Wales, the bride was always carefully lifted over the threshold on her return from the marriage ceremony because “it was considered very unlucky for a bride to place her feet on or near the threshold” and “trouble was in store for the maiden who preferred walking into the house”.

The term ‘honeymoon’ comes from the tradition of the bride drinking mead (a brewed, fermented drink made of honey) for one month after the wedding to encourage fertility, and a male child in particular.

The tradition of giving a lovespoon to a love interest dates back hundreds of years. The Welsh have been giving lovespoons to a hopeful interest since the 17th century. They were carved by the courter, or, if skills were not that adept, he hired a carver to do the work for him. Symbols were carved into the handle indicating the giver’s feelings – hearts, wheels, anchors, etc., giving meaning to one or both.

Lovespoons come in many sizes and shapes, some very intricate and others very simple. They started out as a useful utensil, and, over time, have become a decoration. They are now something that is carved for the tourist trade as souvenirs for travelers.

Present Day Wedding Traditions

Brides have “Hen’ nights and bridegrooms have “Stag” parties similar to bachelor/bachelorette parties. There are ceremony rehearsals, but no rehearsal dinner.

If the couple will marry in a church, banns announcing the proposed wedding are read aloud in the church three Sundays before the wedding. It is unlucky for the bride and bridegroom to be present at the calling of the banns.

Weddings are traditionally held at noon; afterward there is a seated luncheon, called a “wedding breakfast”.

Invitations to the wedding are similar to the United States’ customs, but few people would go the expense of calligraphy addressing. Response cards are not used; guests purchase their own individual reply cards.

It is good luck for a chimney sweep to kiss the bride when she comes out of the church.

Wedding Attire

Bridal gowns are less ornate that the traditional Western style dress. Bridal gowns are less ornate that the traditional Western style dress. Most small town have wedding shops so there is now more choice. Coloured dresses are becoming more common, but ivory or white is still more popular.

The mother of the bride and the mother of the bridegroom do confer on outfit colours, and they take into consideration the bridesmaid colours. The waistcoat and coloured handkerchief that the groom and best man sometimes wears is normally the same colour as the bridesmaid’s dresses.

Brides rarely kept their gowns for their daughters; they either sold them or had the fabric used to make their first child’s Christening gown. Wear “something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue, and a lucky sixpence in your shoe,” as in the old English rhyme.

Lisa Schultz told us of her family’s tradition: “All of the brides on my mother’s side of the family have carried over their arms horseshoes for good luck. The horseshoes, rather than being actual metal plates, are crocheted and a long ribbon is attached in a loop from end to end. The horseshoe is worn upside down over the arm of the bride during the wedding to bring luck to the marriage.”

Today, it is the custom to have many young bridesmaids instead of adult attendants. The bride pays for her attendant’s outfits.

The bridegroom rarely wears a tuxedo – only at a very large, formal wedding. Business suits are normal. The bridegroom has a best man, who also wears a business suit.

The mother of the bride and the mother of the bridegroom never confer on outfit colors, nor do they take into consideration the bridesmaid colors.

The Wedding

The Wedding Procession

The wedding party walks to the church together in a procession (an age-old custom that protected the couple from jealous suitors!)

Limousines are rare. They are not very practical on small, winding roads. Transport usually is by Rolls Royce or vintage car.

Traditionally, English brides had only one adult attendant (as a witness). Today, it is the custom to have many young bridesmaids instead of adult attendants. A flower girl leads the way, sprinkling petals of organ blossoms along the road. This signifies a happy route through life for the bride and bridegroom.

Ushers would be found only at large, formal weddings; guests normally would seat themselves.

The Wedding Ceremony

The ceremony (most often in the Anglican Church) usually consists of two or three hymns and, since most guests don’t sing, the church choirs are usually hired. English fathers don’t kiss their daughters at the altar. During the ceremony, the couple will leave the sanctuary area and with the Priest enter the vestry to sign the wedding documents. They are considered officially married after this is completed. At the benediction, a square piece of cloth, the “care cloth” is held over the bride and bridegroom.

When the bridal couple leaves the church in Kent, the path is strewn with emblems of the bridegroom’s employment. Carpenters walk on shavings, butchers on sheepskins, shoemakers on leather parings, and blacksmiths on scarps of old iron.

Church bells ring as the couple enter; they peal a different tune as the newlyweds exit to scare off evil spirits.

The Wedding Breakfast

Weddings traditionally are at noon; afterward, there is a seated luncheon, called a wedding breakfast.

The bride and groom dance the first dance but there is no introduction of wedding parties. There is a father/daughter, and mother/son dance.

They do toss the bouquet, but rarely the garter.

The Wedding Cake

In medieval England, guests brought small cakes and piled them in the center of a table, challenging the bride and groom to kiss over them.

Wedding cakes are less elaborate in design. The wedding cake is a rich fruitcake topped with marzipan; the top tier is called a “christening cake” to be saved for the birth of the first child. (Old fashioned fruitcake dates back to the days before leavening and sugar.)

It’s a balmy 27 degrees. The warm winter sun streams through the car window. As I step on the accelerator, I watch as a congested strip of retail chains and fast food outlets shrink from sight in the rear view mirror. Soon the busyness of Cairns makes way to a sea of vivid green cane fields, with the mist shrouded peaks of the Atherton Tableland as a backdrop. We’ve come in search of Queensland’s hidden beaches. Sure we’ve all heard of the famous Four Mile Beach in Port Douglas, Whitehaven Beach in the Whitsunday’s, Noosa’s Main Beach and lovely, tropical Mission Beach, but we want to see the secret jewels – the ones the locals don’t always tell you about. We want to go where there is barely another footprint and hold hands as we stroll along secluded beaches. We want to breathe deep, feel our pulse return to normal and get to know each other again.

By chance a colleague suggests taking the Great Green Way between Cairns and Townsville, which is how we found ourselves, on a lazy, blue-sky afternoon, turning off the Bruce Highway just after Innisfail in search of secret beach number one. As we pass though cane fields and lush countryside, the road winds its way upward and on the crest we look down on a gorgeous secluded bay, fringed by lush foliage at one end and a rocky headland at the other.

As we make our way down to Etty Bay, vivid blue Ulysses butterflies flit from tree to tree and we keep our eyes peeled for the elusive Cassowary. At the kiosk attached to the caravan park, we tuck into crisp, golden fish and chips while overlooking the secluded beach fringed by palm trees. Robyn and her husband from Deception Bay near Brisbane have visited Etty Bay every year for the past decade and stay at the one and only caravan park which fronts the beach. “When the sun’s out and the wind’s still, the water shimmers like glass,” Robyn said, adding hastily “But don’t tell too many people about this place. It’s our secret.”

Pushing on, we head south towards Mission Beach, at the heart of two World Heritage areas, the Great Barrier Reef and the rainforests of the Wet Tropics. But just before hitting town, we stumble upon the little unknown gem Bingal Bay, a picturesque rainforest-fringed inlet with magical views over the Coral Sea to Dunk Island. There’s nothing here apart from an amenities block, and a lovely curve of sand lined by swaying coconut palms. Little crabs scatter about the rocks and we find ourselves completely alone. We spread out a picnic blanket on the sand, open a bottle of wine and enjoy the seclusion. Later we discover we’re not the first to have Bingal Bay cast its spell. In the early sixties Prime Minister Harold Holt would escape Melbourne’s winter and spend his birthday at their private Bingal Bay retreat. Today it looks pretty much how it must have then, and we can see why he liked it.

After soaking up the last of the afternoon rays, we make the short drive to Mission Beach, which is how Port Douglas must have looked twenty years ago. It’s one of the most popular beach destinations in far north Queensland, but retains a laid back, uncommercial feel. Surrounded by rain forests inhabited by the rare cassowary, the beaches here, including Bingal Bay, are recognised the world over for their environmental importance. It’s also the jumping off point for many famous island resorts such as Dunk Island Resort and Bedarra Island Resort. That night we have an ale or two at Piccolo’s, a friendly local pub, before sauntering over to the Shrubbery Taverna for a candlelit dinner. I tuck into a spicy green chicken curry with pappadums in the balmy, open-air courtyard and later drift off to sleep with the sounds of the rainforest infiltrating my dreams.

It’s an early start the next day for magical Hinchinbrook Island. Standing on the jetty at the small township of Cardwell, an hour’s drive south, the water is a palette of blues and purples with Hinchinbrook Island looming invitingly out of the calm, mirror-like sea. A fisherman and his son are casting lures for Barramundi, and tell us they’ve just narrowly missed landing a big one.

Unspoilt Hinchinbrook Island

A full day tour allows you to explore this pristine island’s tropical rainforests, water channels and beautiful ocean beaches which are fringed by reefs and seagrass beds. Explore Stoney Creek, the internationally-acclaimed 22 kilometre Thorsborne Trail, the waterfall, and take in lovely views from the lookouts. One of the island’s most special beaches is the deserted Ramsay Bay on the eastern side of the island, fringed by a high dune that extends through scrubland to an estuary. Throw in a line, have a Champagne picnic and soak up the serenity of this special island, which is entirely national park.

Back on the mainland, we enjoy a romantic night at the quirky Noorla Heritage Resort, a grand heritage hotel with strong Italian roots, in the town of Ingham. We sample several wines in the cosy bar, and then have dinner out on the open-air veranda – celebrating the discovery that we’re expecting our first child. It’s hard to leave our hosts Joe and Jennie’s generous hospitality the next morning. Nonetheless Magnetic Island is calling our name.

After a spectacular flight over Magnetic with Fly Scenic Townsville and out to the Barrier Reef, we find ourselves a short ferry ride later, exploring the untouched beauty of the World Heritage-listed island. We spot a koala in the local school yard, see a sea eagle hunting dinner for its young, watch as inquisitive curlews and a native white tipped rat turn up for dinner at alfresco restaurants, and observe rock wallabies scampering over the boulders in front of our apartment.

There are many pretty, tropical, out of the way beaches on Magnetic Island, but the one that stole our heart is Alma Bay. A small curve of sand with clear, turquoise water, it offers safe swimming and great snorkelling around the coral on the left hand side of the beach.

Queensland’s a big place and has countless other hidden beaches but two worth seeking out lie further south; Agnes Water, which lies on the Discovery Coast between Bundaberg and Gladstone, just south of the town of 1770, and the magical, unspoiled Cylinder Beach on North Stradbroke island, located 26 kilometres south east as the crow flies from Brisbane.

The crystal clear waters of Mission Beach

Publisher and photographer Paul Ewart, who had the enviable job of photographing Queensland’s beaches over a six-month period, singled out these two as his favourites. “Agnes Water is the northern most surfing beach in Queensland, and it’s the jumping off point to Lady Musgrove Island, which is one of the prettiest islands in Australia. Yet I’ve never seen a crowd there, and if you stand at the beaches southern end you can see a spectacular sunset”.

Ewart’s other favourite, Cylinder Beach, is a north-facing, protected inlet located between two islands overlooking the tall sand dunes of Moreton Island. “Having spent the last 35 years visiting Cylinder Beach, whenever I or my children are overseas, we dream of returning there”.

While its standing room only at Noosa and the Gold Coast at Christmas and school holiday time, it’s rare, even at peak periods to see anything resembling a throng at Queensland’s hidden beaches. As we stroll barefoot along Bingal Bay, collecting seashells and dreaming of our family to be, our footprints are the only ones to mark the golden sand. It is this which makes Queensland’s secret beaches so very special.