Amidst the excitement of getting engaged to your sweetheart and starting to think about your dream wedding, are you also entertaining an incredible destination for the special day and your honeymoon? Well, if Japan has made any of your Top 5 lists, and even if it hasn’t, read on!
From the west coast of the United States, it’s a nine and half hour, direct flight to Narita International Airport, just outside of Tokyo. In other words, it’s about two magazines, three movies and maybe a quick catnap so you’re fresh when you land. Japan is all you’ve heard it to be and more. And with the country in planning stages to host the 2020 Olympics next year, it is an extremely appealing destination to visit right now: it’s easy to get around, signage is in Japanese and English, people go out of their way to be friendly and helpful, and crime is virtually nonexistent. A quick train ride from Narita leaves you in one of the bustling, mall-like stations in downtown Tokyo. We recommend booking seats for yourself and your sweetie on Japan’s famous “Bullet Train,” or shinkansen, which then travels 200 miles per hour and brings you to Kyoto in just 2 and a half hours.
Surrounded by lush green mountains and steeped in history and culture, Kyoto is a romantic city you could easily spend a week exploring yet find yourself yearning for more time. For this trip to Kyoto though, the primary purpose is to tie the knot! Walk a couple minutes from Kyoto Station to Kyoto’s newest luxury hotel, The Thousand Kyoto. The Thousand offers unrivaled, high quality service and guests enjoy comfortable, minimalistic Zen-designed accommodations, world-class dining options and five star amenities. One of these amenities, for which you have arrived at The Thousand, is access to their on-site wedding chapel. In The Thousand Kyoto’s new wedding package, dubbed “Thousand Ways of Love,” the deluxe hotel makes it clear they support all love stories, regardless of who the couples are. The super inclusive package itself is thoughtfully put together to cover all the needs an engaged couple may have, effectively removing the stress out of planning a destination wedding. The Thousand Ways of Love wedding package includes a welcome refreshment upon arrival to the hotel, two nights of accommodations at The Thousand Kyoto with daily breakfast for two at either the western-style restaurant or the Japanese restaurant, traditional Japanese wedding attire for you both, a full wedding ceremony at the ethereal Komorebido Chapel in the hotel, along with a letter of congratulations from the Mayor of Kyoto, and of course a celebratory dinner for two at one of the exceptional restaurants within The Thousand Kyoto. To top it off and help couples get the most out of their experience and make their wedding complete, the wedding package also offers personal VIP assistance from the concierge to ensure every detail is perfect.
After you’ve said your “I Do’s” and explored Kyoto, it’s time to head back to Tokyo and enjoy your honeymoon in style. Check into Tokyo’s historic five-star Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo nestled in a traditional Japanese Garden, and complete with views of a pagoda, sweet smelling flowers and brightly-colored koi in the pond. Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo is the perfect retreat from busy sightseeing, shopping and eating around Tokyo thanks to a newly established collaboration with the iconic L’Occitane brand, resulting in a deluxe spa on-site – the first of its kind in Japan. Yu, the Spa by L’Occitane touts itself as a “Provencal retreat meets Japanese hospitality.” This apt description extends to the menu of five luxurious facial/body treatments, all utilizing L’Occitane’s products with skin-nourishing botanical extracts and their original massage techniques. The Garden Secret Signature Treatment, which is only available at Yu, The Spa, was specifically created with inspiration from the hotel’s renowned garden and features different treatment products highlighting seasonal flowers. Pamper yourself with spa treatments as you should do on your honeymoon and then lounge by the all-weather pool and onsen (Japanese hot spring bath). When you build up an appetite, venture out to one of the nine on-site, top-notch dining spots at Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo. Craving authentic Japanese? Stop by Kinsui restaurant! In the mood for delicious Italian cuisine? Then Il Teatro with its garden views and Venetian chandeliers is for you. When you finally retreat to your sumptuous room, complete with luxurious furnishings and décor, high-end linens and L’Occitane toiletries, crawl into bed in a plush robe, watch a movie and order dessert room service. Tomorrow, the vibrant, exciting, historic, delicious city of Tokyo awaits, but until then, savor every moment at Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo. It is your honeymoon after all!
