Whenever I’m on a boat, I imagine that I’m Beyonce or Queen Elizabeth, yachting on the high seas with Jay-Z or Prince Philip. (Now that would make for an interesting foursome, or swap…) I’d be sipping champagne, dripping in diamonds, living the good life. Needless to say, something about being trapped in a vessel on a body of water (sounds romantic, huh) transports the imagination as you watch the lights go by and enjoy fine food and wine.

So why not treat all of your wedding guests to such a quixotic experience and throw your reception on a dinner cruise? You don’t have to be in Paris or Bangkok, (but if you are having a destination wedding cruising down the Seine of the Chao Phrya River would be ideal) to create a dinner that highlights your hometown’s architecture and ambiance.

From Boston Harbor to the Mississippi River, Lake Michigan to the San Francisco Bay, dinner cruises can be found almost anywhere. Some of our favorite international dinner cruises include the traditional four-course Thai dinner and cocktails on a rice barge that transports you down Bangkok’s River of Kings; a dinner cruise down the Nile River, in Cairo, Egypt, featuring a buffet of Egyptian delicacies; or ride a vintage steamer through Stockholm, Sweden cruising through the archipelago of its 24,000 islands with a traditional Scandinavian meal and a pit stop on one of the islands for live music and dancing. And then there is the ultimate of romantic dinner cruises—an evening in the City of Lights on a glass-surrounded boat with exquisite French food and wine.

So what if your wedding is in Cleveland and not Paris? Show off your city—let its landscape be the décor for your after-wedding dinner with a cruise down the Ohio River showcasing the city’s skyline. Serve traditional German fare, a culinary tradition that the city is known for or choose a rock & roll theme to celebrate the city’s landmark, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. However, if your heart is still in Paris, consider drawing inspiration from that city—create the atmosphere of cruising down the Seine by serving French food and wine, playing French Bistro music and then jet off to Paris for a romantic honeymoon a-duex! Just like B and Jigga.

See more articles in Culinary Compass or do a custom search of all articles.
To link directly to this article, use the following permalink:
http://www.oneworldweddings.com/110/picture-yourself-in-a-boat-on-a-river/