Chat ‘N’ Chill® Pops The Question to Engaged British Couple Lisa Gant and Alex Pelling to Bring Their ‘Perfect Wedding Destination Search’ off The Beaten Aisle to Marry in The Exotic Exuma Islands of The Bahamas
Global marrying couple, Lisa and Alex of Manchester, England, say “yes” and continue to their discovery of the world’s cultures and marriage traditions in The Bahamas while building their database of unique customs and unusual places to get married.
GEORGE TOWN, EXUMA, BAHAMAS (December, 2012) – Chat ‘N’ Chill®, Ltd., a Bahamian restaurant, beach bar and special event venue located in The Exumas, invites global marrying couple, Lisa Gant and Alex Pelling of Manchester, England, to marry on their 9 acre private island beach on Stocking Island. “I and thought ‘how cool is that!’ and wonder if they could come here to The Exumas to get married?”, says Kwanza Clay Bowe, co-owner of Chat ‘N’ Chill®.
Their journey began as a longtime desire to see and travel the world. After they saved up their money, sold everything they owned and planned their escape, they decided it might be nice to get married somewhere along the way. “While we both are very romantic, we also like to do things a little bit differently than most. We looked for ‘unique wedding locations,’ ‘wild weddings,’ ‘traveling weddings,’ we read wedding blogs, travel blogs, and love stories but we just couldn’t quite find what we wanted,” Alex said. So they set off to see what they could find on their own.
This is where destiny meets destination. After seeing their story on TV, owners, Kenneth and Kwanza Bowe proposed to Lisa and Alex by inviting them down to Chat ‘N’ Chill® to marry in an old time Bahamian themed wedding ceremony on the beach. “While Chat ‘N’ Chill® is accustomed to holding ‘off-the-beaten-aisle’ style wedding ceremonies, it is also the place where other world traveling adventure seekers meet up,” says Kwanza. Visitors come worldwide to enjoy the casual laid back atmosphere, menu of grilled island foods, fresh conch salad, tropical drinks, 6 regulation volleyball courts and to feed and swim with their friendly stingrays. While the décor is unpretentious and looks rather happenstance, the intention of the place was very deliberate when creator and owner, Kenneth Bowe says “I identified a trend of baby boomers selling off their possessions, buying boats and setting off on global sailing odysseys. At some time or another, most end up here, a place where they can kick back, relax and swap their travel stories and sea adventures.”
“Traveling and finding friends, adventure and fun whilst immersing themselves in the cultural differences of wedding ceremonies all over the World…’who wouldn’t get excited about that?’”, says the bride, Lisa Gant.
Lisa and Alex will tie the knot at Chat ‘N’ Chill® on 12-12-12 in an authentic Bahamas wedding ceremony and culminating a weeklong celebration of Exuma cuisine, culture and adventures. Lisa and Alex will stay at the luxurious Grand Isle Resort & Spa, located on the beautiful Emerald Bay Beach on Great Exuma Island. “From start to end, our festivities shall highlight all the specialties of The Bahamas, featuring Bahamian brewed beer, local musicians, the traditions of Junkanoo, Goombay dancers and the goat-skinned drum. All of the décor and design, including the invitations, wedding attire, wedding programs and wedding favors will be handmade in The Bahamas. We have partnered with local artisans to incorporate shells, coconuts, handcarved wood, handmade straw and fabric designs to showcase the beautiful talents of our 16 islands.” The ceremony space will be hand constructed using the native local flora, including coconut and silver top palms, seagrape and banana leaves along with the Bahamas national flower, the Yellow Elder,” says the wedding project’s visionary, Kwanza Clay Bowe.
“This is really great for The Exuma Islands as it will certainly provide substantial exposure not only for Chat ‘N’ Chill® and Exuma but for all of The Bahamas. This kind of publicity will also assist in developing other niche markets like boating and eco-tourism,” says Bahamas Ministry of Tourism’s Charity Armbrister, Director of Central & Southern Bahamas.
“We’re so happy to be able to host Alex and Lisa during their stay in Exuma,” says Don Jelinek, General Manager at Grand Isle Resort & Spa. “This is such a wonderful and unique time in their lives, and Grand Isle offers that perfect mixture of romance and ambiance that will contribute to a lifetime of memories. We look forward to them returning for an anniversary or two to keep the paradise experience going!”
“Brides and grooms come to us looking to escape the typical big-box wedding experience,” says Kwanza Clay Bowe, co-owner of Chat ‘N’ Chill® and founder of A Wedding Breeze, Exuma’s premiere destination wedding and event planning company. “Our high achieving bride and groom clients are ‘always on’ and connected with their successful careers and businesses, professionally. Here, they relish in the rustic, laid back surroundings where they can enjoy an intimate ceremony and simply relax with their guests, totally uninterrupted.” In today’s glossy wedding market, where everything often looks the same, some engaged couples are seeking out settings that are not just like the last 5 weddings they recently attended. And no doubt, Lisa and Alex is on top of the latest trend and has discovered a hidden jewel amongst The Exuma Islands in the beautiful Islands of The Bahamas.
About Lisa and Alex Lisa Gant and Alex Pelling left their home in Manchester, England, more than 18 months ago and have driven across Canada, America and visited every country in Central America, and most countries in South America in their camper van, affectionately known as “Peggy”, which they ship from continent to continent. Always wanting to travel the world, they saved their money like crazy, threw caution to the wind, sold all of their possessions, including a home and business, and set off on their globe-trotting journey. They also decided they would like to get married, possibly, whilst on their trip of a lifetime. When they began to research, they couldn’t find exactly what they were looking for so they decided that they would research unique ways and unusual places to get married and build a database to help other couples find the wedding of their dreams.
“We want to experience the difference in each ceremony and find out what it is that makes the bringing of two people together such a worldwide tradition, and of course let the world know!” says Lisa and Alex. While initially their trip was 100% self-funded, Lisa and Alex, were surprised at the generosity and response of the global community when hearing their story. Not only did they attract worldwide media attention, but also amazing offers from people who just wanted to help them to achieve their dreams in some of the simplest ways to really big ways. At the end, Lisa and Alex will pick their favorite place where they will return to officially say their “I do’s” where they say, “it will be an extra special wedding ceremony to celebrate both their marriage and the start of a new adventure.”
If you want to help Lisa and Alex to support UNICEF through their UNICEF-Zankyou Wedding Registry you and a friend are in for the chance to be flown out all expenses paid to their final mystery destination wedding! For more stories about their journey and how it all began, visit their blog at http://2people1life.com. About Chat ‘N’ Chill®
Chat ‘N’ Chill®, the world renowned Bahamas beach bar and social hub was founded by entrepreneur and University of Chicago trained economist, Kenneth “KB” Bowe in 1998, after a career in international banking and managing his family’s hotel and real estate enterprises on Great Exuma Island. It was his desire to return to the “simple island life” and to deliver what he researched and determined what clients wanted: “The Charm of the Old Bahamas”. Since then, not only has Chat ‘N’ Chill® grown into the go-to spot for escapees from the corporate world looking to slow down and get off the grid, it has also become sought after party venue and destination wedding location, and has appeared on the cover of Martha Stewart Destination Weddings & Dream Honeymoons.
Chat ‘N’ Chill® features a full service Exuma wedding planning division, A Wedding Breeze, and has Destination Island Wedding Specialists on staff. Co-owner and Certified Wedding Specialist, Mrs. Kwanza Clay Bowe, known as The Exuma Destination Wedding Expert™, has planned and organized numerous weddings, teambuilding and special events for companies such as Sunseeker Yachts, Vocus, Charles Schwab, Siemens, Hormel, The Orange Bowl Committee, Miss Universe and many more. Chat ‘N’ Chill® has been featured on the NBC Today Show, in Cosmo Bride, Conde Nast Traveler, Caribbean Travel & Life, Islands Magazine, Destination Weddings & Honeymoons and more. For more information, and to explore private event and destination wedding options, visit Chat ‘N’ Chill® at http://chatnchill.com.
About Grand Isle Resort & Spa
Located on Emerald Bay in Great Exuma, a magnificent island located in The Bahamas, Grand Isle Resort & Spa is a stunning ocean front villa resort. The exclusive gated community consists of 78 luxuriously appointed 1- to 4-bedroom villas, decorated in color palettes inspired by the sea, lush landscape and tropical ambience. The villas range from 1,250 sq. ft. to over 5,000 sq. ft. and offer a fully equipped kitchen, spacious living area, high-end amenities, and extraordinary views. Getting around the resort is quick and convenient, as every villa is equipped with a personal golf cart. Complimentary high-speed wireless internet is also available.
Grand Isle is one of the finest resorts in the Caribbean and is the perfect location for a Bahamas Out Islands vacation. Ideally suited for family holidays, romantic getaways, destination weddings and honeymoons, or for simply enjoying the beach, a luxury villa vacation at Grand Isle is an experience never to be forgotten. Villas are available for sale or rent.
Contact reservations at 214.393.2841 or reservations@grandisleresort.com. We’ll book both your air and hotel reservations for convenient one-stop travel planning. Visit www.GrandIsleResort.com for more information. To help visualize the beauty of the island’s pristine beaches, multi-hued turquoise seas, unique attractions, and authentic local lifestyle, the Grand Isle Experience offers a video show, 360o tours of the villas and resort grounds, and lifestyle photos.
Contact: Kwanza Clay Bowe 954-636-1300
###