Wedding destinations for late bloomers

So, you're walking down the aisle again or for the first time and wondering how to pull it off simply in a simply beautiful setting.

Myself, I chose a civil ceremony in a judge's chamber with close family. It was certainly cheap, but it did lack that Disney Happy Ever After touch.

But rejoice Alaskan lovers, a wedding in paradise is just a flight away.

Hawaii, just because

Like kissing cousins on the map, Hawaii is the right fit for 49ers.

There's nothing so refreshing in winter as a week in the sun, eating fresh fruit while being fanned by fresh sea breezes.

For Alaskans, it's recommended to travel there in the winter for a break from the cold, and also to avoid school vacations when reservations may be scarce.

As a wedding destination, nothing can beat it with sunsets that blaze, or a full moon reflected on the water

Bargains are waiting for you

If you are a member of AARP, do investigate their travel services. I keyed in Nov. 1 to Nov. 8 as a travel date. For flights alone, Delta and United run from $537 to $515 round trip from Anchorage to Kona. Although if you leave on a Monday, the price drops $70, so check out all the days for the best deal.

No matter, though, the flights will be long, averaging 13 to 17 hours because of layovers.

Vacation packages provide everything

Holua Resort has many amenities and is close to a golf course and beaches, as well as 10 outdoor tennis courts, six outdoor pools, a gym, and a spa tub on its grounds. Both the tub and pool are wheelchair accessible, but the building does not have an elevator.

All of this for an amazing $1,674 per person for the flight, car and lodging.

With a a reception hall, a ballroom, and an elevator, the OUTRIGGER Kona Resort is a great place to have a wedding, especially if children will be involved. They get a kiddie pool with a slide, and you get 18 holes of golf, a poolside bar, grocery/convenience store, spa tub, the on-site Wailele Cafe, yoga classes and fitness classes, gift shopping, a coffee shop/cafe, and a playground. In addition to dry cleaning/laundry services, guests get free in-room WiFi.

The Kona coast is one of the only places in the world where you can view giant manta rays up close. See these majestic creatures in Keauhou Bay right from this oceanfront resort when they come out to feed on plankton. You can also join a manta ray night snorkeling tour for an unforgettable Hawaiian experience.

The perfect place for a wedding, it features spectacular wedding venues, including an oceanfront chapel and breathtaking outdoor spaces for photographs.

This is $1,592 per guest, but again, it includes flight, lodging and car.

If you have your own officiant, who is called a performer in Hawaii, go to https://health.hawaii.gov/vitalrecords/marriage-licenses. But this is pretty complicated, and perhaps using the services of the resort might be less stressful.

The OUTRIGGER also has a mid-week special for weddings at http://www.outrigger.com/hawaii/hawaii-big-island/outrigger-kona-resort-and-spa/weddings.

Closer to home

The most spectacular wedding can be had in Talkeetna with views of nearby Denali. It would also be cheaper than Hawaii, and more guests would be able to come.

The Talkeetna Alaska Lodge offers all the services needed for a smooth wedding from the service to the reception to the cake.

Go to http://www.alaskacollection.com/groups-meetings/weddings/talkeetna-alaskan-lodge/ for more information.

And as a former wedding photographer, I have shot weddings on glaciers. Definitely memorable.

Having a friend or relative officiate

Here is the rule for a person to officiate at a wedding in Alaska.

Any adult private citizen may get an appointment as a marriage commissioner. The appointment will be limited to performing a ceremony for two specific persons on a specific day at a specific place within the judicial district.

The appointment order is valid only for these specifications.

If any fact changes, such as the date or place of marriage, the commissioner must get a new appointment order. Every ceremony done by a marriage commissioner requires a separate appointment order.

The cost to appoint a marriage commissioner is $25.

The request must be made in person at the court, by the person wishing to be appointed. The commissioner does not need to be an Alaska resident.

Photo ID may be required.

The court will provide an instruction sheet for completing the marriage certificate after the ceremony.

The court also has sample marriage ceremony scripts available upon request.

No particular format, words or ritual is required. The only legal requirement is that the two parties must agree and declare that they intend to be married, in the presence of each other, the person performing the ceremony, and at least one other witness.

Multiple ceremonies: If the parties are doing both a religious and a civil ceremony, only one license is needed.