Anantara Dhigu Resort & Spa Maldives
Island Elegance Elevating Wedding Bliss
If the setting for your dream wedding is an island paradise surrounded by infinite blue oceans, Dhigufinolhu Island in the South Malé Atoll might be just the place for your big day. The island is home to Anantara Dhigu Resort & Spa Maldives, a resort made up of some of the most spacious luxury villas in Maldives and just a 35 minute speedboat ride from Malé International Airport. The resort’s tropical lagoon setting creates a Maldivian paradise of breathtaking natural wonders, where you can peer into the crystal waters below the jetty of the resort and see puffer fish, sting rays and baby reef sharks at play.
The resort offers several stunning settings for your nuptials. You can stand on soft white sands and breathe in the scent of island coco palms, crimson bougainvillea thistle and tropical flowers that decorate a ceremonial beachfront sala dressed up for picture-perfect romance. Or you can take to the waters on a Maldivian dhoni for a wedding on the sea. This vessel, with its ivory sails and traditionally handcrafted body, provides a beautiful platform on which to exchange vows while cruising peacefully across an emerald lagoon. Alternatively, exchange your Maldives wedding vows on a private luxury yacht while sailing into an unforgettable island sunset. You can let the open sea bear witness to your love, as you drift from one stunning location to the next. With the sound of the lapping waves as your wedding march (and perhaps a leaping dolphin or two), your wedding at sea will make for an unforgettable story.
Anantara as a group puts a special emphasis on creating fairytale weddings. Ever since the first couple exchanged their wedding vows at its original resort in the royal Thai seaside town of Hua Hin in 2001, Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas’ luxury hideaways have played host to hundreds of couples saying “I do” in some of the most exotic locations around the world. Their weddings have become renowned for immersing guests in the local culture and breathtaking natural backdrops along with highly personalised service.
This year, Anantara codified their commitment to making weddings as magical as imaginable with their “Inspired Celebrations” concept. Taking the best ideas from fairytale weddings, the concept goes beyond romance to create unique destination experiences that are inspired by four simple steps that go by one acronym: L.O.V.E.
The L stands for “Local: The Perfect Entrance.” In the Maldives, the groom may watch his bride be escorted along a flame lit torch path by an entourage of traditional bodu beru drummers announcing the start of the proceedings.
The O stands for “Original: The Night Before.” Original experiences start the night before the wedding at Anantara, with excursions that stir the senses and arouse the imagination, inviting couples to delve beneath the surface of the destination’s fascinating culture. At Anantara Dhigu, in the resort’s award-winning destination spa, couples can indulge in side-by-side pampering in one of the luxurious private treatment pavilion perched over the island’s lagoon. Another original touch is the tailor-made cocktails, created to suit each couple’s personality, favourite colour and taste.
The V stands for “Vows: A Gift of Love.” To celebrate a couple’s new life together, Anantara offers the opportunity to incorporate a unique memento to cherish the special day, along with a special silk box and memory album. At Anantara Dhigu, the bride and groom can participate in the coral adoption programme at the resort’s ecologically mindful coral nursery and view the progress of their coral online over the years.
Finally, the E stands for “Eternity: In Your Own Words.” Newlyweds are invited to take a moment alone, put pen to paper and create a love letter, poem, drawing or simple word, to be saved and re-read at a special time in the future. Those four ideas all add up to one concept that is sure to make your wedding most memorable. For more information, you can also visit weddings.anantara.com.