By the way, we are not renewing our vows, YET, but it is something I have often thought of. We only fairly recently got married and it was the perfect day for us and our honeymoon was EPIC. However, when the time comes, several more years down the line, I would like to do something to show our commitment to each other that can just be about us.
I really had my heart set on an intimate elopement somewhere wild and beautiful, followed by a big party, but the more we thought about it, the more it wouldn't have been right without our closest people there. The love and goodwill we felt that day was incredible.
When we do renew our vows, though, it will be for no-one else but us. We had a gorgeous forest handfasting but being the eclectic soul I am, I'd go for something different for our renewal.
After poring over images on the
Destination2 website, the Maldives would be my choice because it is beautiful, obviously, but it also might not be there forever at the rate of global warming, and Bali for our honeymoon because it's so completely lush and bohemian.
Picture the scene; the sun is lowering in the sky, setting in a glorious haze of orange, purple and pinks, it dances on the horizon just above the brightest azure sea you have ever seen. The turquoise blue waves lap gently at the brilliant white sand, so soft and perfect that it gleams in the light.
Palm trees sway gently in the dry, warm breeze, with the odd thud of a coconut dropping to reveal its bounty. In the distance are a row of thatched roof sea bungalows perched high on stilts, standing proud over their stunning paradise.
There isn't anyone else around but us. Me and him. Meeting eye to eye. Lips slightly parted, breathing each other in. Holding the hands that have held each other through happiness, sadness, sickness, love and the birth of our baby girl. So much shared history. We have lived more life since we married first time, we're wiser, slightly more crinkled around the eyes.
We're dressed simply because there's no place for pomp and ceremony here. Only turtles and swooping birds of paradise are witnesses.
We're in the warm water, at first paddling into the shallows and wading further until it laps gently at our thighs. We stop in the middle of the sea and turn to each other to choose each other all over again.
My simple white sun dress with batwing sleeves floating above the surface. We are one with the ocean and the ocean is one with the sky.
We stand close, saying our promises softly to each other. No need to project our voices, as there is no-one else to hear other than the universe. After we have reconfirmed our commitment to each other, we frolic and kiss in the waves, caught up in our love, like in the heady first days of our romance.
After a while we resurface at the shore, walking up the sandy pathway to reach our luxury resort where we are met by some fruity looking cocktails and well wishers, who think we're first time newly weds, and heap their blessings on us. We can be whoever we want to be here.
We dance, eat delicious Indonesian food and drink, before he whisks me back to our luxury water bungalow. We lay on our deck, in a hammock above the sea, gazing at the dark night sky as a shooting star blazes across the sky.
We enjoy a romantic, carefree evening, time stretching out deliciously before us. The next morning we wake full of happiness and love.
We dive from our deck into the bath like water and have an early morning swim with the turtles. On our return breakfast is waiting for us; an exotic feast of fruits and pastries laid out before us.
We freshen up before being collected by helicopter to take us to our own private island for the day, where we sunbathe and feast on a champagne picnic. He reads aloud to me and I massage suncream into his tanned shoulders.
As our time in the Maldives comes to an end, we feel sad but excited for our honeymoon in Bali. We cant wait to continue the dream at our stunning private villa, high above the tree canopy.
Lush, green rainforest surrounds us, and in our cosy treehouse cocoon we are met with Indonesian dark wood and minimalist contemporary furnishings.
The enormous four poster bed begs to be jumped on, as gauzy white curtains sway gently in the breeze.
Our private infinity pool beckons, laden with beautiful floating petals and blooms, inviting us to strip off and dive right in.
We sip on cocktails served in large pieces of fruit, as we take in the view from the top of the world in our own private paradise.
Our private masseuse arrives, who promises to visit us daily during our stay, and we are kneaded and worked until we are quite literally floating above the clouds.
Feeling relaxed, tanned and slightly tipsy, we head out into the nightlife of Bali in search of music, dancing and merriment. We fall home in the early hours, him grinning wildly at me, as he pulls me towards the bedroom.
The next day I slip on an effortlessly bohemian dress and we hop in our open top 4x4, hair whipping around in the warm breeze, in search of culture, temples and adventure on a jungle safari.
The rest of our trip is a whirlwind of enjoying the bountiful rainforest and each other in equal measure.
Our promises are reconfirmed and our adventurous spirits replenished. What a dream this would be.
A dream that one day will come true and I already know that when that day comes, I'll turn to Destination2 for help. I could get lost for days in their inspirational travel options.
If you dream of your own exotic honeymoon in paradise, enter
this amazing competition with Destination2.
Where would you renew your wedding vows? I'd love to hear what your romantic day would look like.
Images supplied by Destination2 in this collaborative post but all views are our own
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