If both you and your partner are art and history lovers, then a honeymoon destination filled with museums is perfect for you. Museums are actually quite romantic places and a great way for the newlywed couple to spend quality time together – you’ll end up learning a lot more about your partner through your discussions of the art that you see.
These are the best places to visit if you’d like to spend your days trawling through museums:
USA
Filled with museums all over the country, the most famous American museums being in New York City. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is currently voted as the world’s top museum and contains more than 2 million works of art and pieces by some renowned artists. The Museum of Modern Art has an incredibly influential collection of modern art as well as performance art, architecture and design. The Guggenheim is famous for its shape alone and also has impressionist, modern and contemporary art. The National Gallery of Art in Washington features artists such as Monet, Van Gogh and Picasso.
Spain
Spain has one of the best collections of art in Europe. It is also the birthplace of famous artists such as Picasso, Dalí and Velázquez. The Museo Nacional del Prado (Prado museum) in Madrid is the most famous museum in Spain and contains works by El Greco, Goya, Velázquez, Van Dyck and Rembrandt. The Reina Sofía Museum in Madrid has Picasso’s Guernica and works by Dalí. The Picasso museum in Barcelona has a broad collection of work by the artist after whom it was named, Pablo Picasso, with over 4000 pieces. The museum itself is located within adjoining medieval palaces and the gothic architecture is also a sight to see.
France
The beauty of France alone is a pull-factor but the quality of museums should be too. The French are known for their romance which is another reason France is a great honeymoon destination. The Louvre, that houses the famous Mona Lisa, is the most famous museum in France but there are many other noteworthy galleries to visit, as well as street art and famous landmarks. The Musée Marmottan-Claude Monet has the world’s largest collection of works by Monet. The Orangerie Museum boasts Monet’s Waterlillies. The Musée d’Orsay is filled with impressionist and post-impressionist art and holds pieces by Monet, Van Gogh and Munch. The Pompidou Centre houses paintings by Dalí, Munch, Picasso and Matisse.
England
The National Gallery has over 2000 paintings including works by Van Gogh, Michelangelo, Da Vinci and Monet. The Tate Modern has great contemporary art featuring Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Diptych as well as pieces by Lichtenstein, Dalí and Picasso. The British Museum has the largest collection of artefacts in the world and works by Michelangelo, Da Vinci and Van Gogh can be found here as well. The Natural History Museum consists of dinosaur skeletons and fossils as well as a mind-blowing skeleton of a blue whale.
Netherlands
The Netherlands has a wide range of museums making the country a world leader in terms of art and culture. The Van Gogh Museum is appropriately named due to the fact that it has the largest collection of works by Van Gogh. The Rijksmuseum has masterpieces by Vermeer and Rembrandt. The Anne Frank museum, located in the actual house where she and her family hid during the Nazi occupation, serves to educate visitors about her story.
South Africa
South Africa is a beautiful country and popular honeymoon destination on its own but it made this list thanks to the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary African Art (MOCCA). The building itself was made from a converted grain silo and serves to celebrate the structure’s industrial heritage. The Zeitz is the biggest contemporary art museum in Africa and the largest museum of contemporary African art in the world.
Images: Pixabay
The first dance is daunting, to say the least, especially if you and your partner aren’t big on the dance front. Instead of worrying about showing off your…
Most people know a ‘honeymoon’ as the trip you and your partner take after the wedding. Newlywed couples either set off directly after the reception or after a couple of days. Believe it or not, but the ‘honeymoon’ was not always known as the romantic getaway we know today. So how did it start?
Merriam-Webster’s honeymoon definition is ‘a period of harmony immediately following marriage’, ‘a period of unusual harmony especially following the establishment of a new relationship’ and ‘a trip or vacation taken by a newly married couple’. Their first known use dates back all the way to 1546.
The term was used to describe the first month of marriage. Honey meaning sweet and great, and moon relating to the period of time (a month), not Earth’s natural satellite. So essentially, the honeymoon referred to the first month of marriage while it’s blissful and lovely and you’re oh-so-inlove.
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Porque o amor e a felicidade andam de mãos dadas! Alberobello – Puglia – Itália ? @claudiaraia
In the 19th century, however, couples from Great Britain would go on a bridal tour of sorts, which entailed the newlywed couple visiting family and friends that weren’t able to make it to their wedding.
Nowadays, couples go on honeymoon for a little holiday after the wedding. It’s time away from the ‘real’ world where they can focus on each other, relax and just enjoy themselves.
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The Jewish religion has been around for over 3 000 years and there are an estimated 70 000 people living in South Africa that practice the Judaism. Various traditions and rituals are performed during the union of a couple, but what exactly happens at a traditional Jewish wedding?
Pre wedding
Kabbalat Panim
– This is when the soon-to-be wed couple refrain from seeing each other for one whole week before the wedding. By doing so excitement is created between the couple and they are overjoyed once they lay their eyes on each other again.
Fasting
– The happy couple will fast on their big day. It is viewed as being similar to the fast on Yom Kippur. After the ceremony the couple will share their first meal together and break their fast.
Bedeken
– The groom makes sure the woman he is about to marry is his partner. Once he sets eyes upon her, he proceeds to remove the veil over her face. The veil is a sign of modesty and symbolises that their love is not based on physical appearance but on what’s on inside. This tradition stems back to biblical times when Jacob was tricked into marrying his partner’s sister. The trickery took place because she wore a veil.
Ketubah
– This document details the grooms responsibilities to his partner. It’s a promise of their love and what’s to come. The love birds will sit side by side and overlook their unifying document. It is then signed by both of them. Two people should be present to witness this promise and commitment.
Wedding
Chuppah
– As the union begins the groom will make his way down the aisle with both parents at his side. The bride then follows with her parents. The couple make their way to the Chuppah which is basically like a canopy. The Chuppah needs to have four corners and be covered by a roof. The Chuppah is a symbol of the new home the married couple will build together.
Circle
– This tradition requires the bride to circle her partner seven times. The custom began because it was believed to create a protection for the partner.
Sheva B’rachot
– This means seven blessings. It’s derived from ancient teachings and can be recited in Hebrew or English. The blessings translate to celebration, power of love and the joy of this union. It will usually be recited over a cup of wine and then the couple will sip from a cup to seal the blessing.
Breaking the glass
– The nuptials are then concluded with the man standing on a glass in a cloth bag. It stands for the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. Basically meaning that even in most joyous occasions you must not forget all the pain in the world. Everyone then shouts Mazel Tov! Which means congratulations or good luck.
Post ceremony
Yichud
– This tradition sees the newly wed couple reflect on their recent marriage. They will go to a secluded spot and spend a few minutes alone together. They are able to bond and share this special time together without any disturbances to focus on each other. Their attention is completely on each other.
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These two really brought the sunshine. Smiles from start to finish and we ? it
Image: Wesley Vorster Photography
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The wedding reception normally involves speeches, food, drinks, dancing and laughter. For most people, drinks are a crucial social element a party cannot be without, but not everyone enjoys an alcoholic beverage. So what can you do to spice up your non-alcoholic options? We’ve got the solution:
Presentation
Before thinking about anything else, considering how you’d like to present your drinks is important. Serve up your non-alcoholic beverages with style by using snazzy straws (eco-friendly please), adding fruity or leafy finishings and serving them in elegant or stylish glasses. If you’re not wanting to make individual drinks then serve your drinks, such as refreshing lemonade or home-made ice tea, in beautiful glass beverage dispensers. The way you display things makes a big impact.
Mocktails
If you have a favourite cocktail, then change it up to exclude the alcohol element. This way you can have tasty alternatives that are still on par with the rest of the drink options. Making your own mix is another great idea and it could be your wedding’s signature mocktail. Creating a special drink is definitely a step up than just serving juice or water, while remaining inclusive of all your guests.
Poppin’ Bottles
There’s nothing wrong with serving non-alcoholic beers, wine and champagne. Chances are, people may not even notice, especially if it’s good quality, and they’ll thank you when they wake up fresh as a daisy the next day.
Plain and simple
Serve your cooldrinks in their original glass bottles for a retro touch.
Childish Delight
Most people think weddings need to have alcohol or more ‘mature’ drinks, but who doesn’t love a great chocolate milkshake? Opt for a few milkshake options and hot chocolate to bring out the kid in everyone!
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