By Expedia Guest Author, on June 25, 2002

Expedia.com Expedia.com Unveils Create-Your-Own Hawaii Weddings Vows to Make Planning Easy

Bellevue, Wash. – June 24, 2002 – From the aisle of the plane to the aisle of the chapel, Expedia.com® is helping blissful couples arrange their travel, accommodations and wedding ceremony in one complete itinerary. Expedia® is complementing its already successful Las Vegas weddings selection by now offering brides and grooms-to-be a unique, convenient and affordable way to tie-the-knot on the island of Maui, Hawaii. Whether couples are driving to the desert or flying to the coast, they can marry a wedding ceremony to any Las Vegas or Maui flight, hotel or a combination of both and plan the trip of their dreams.
“As the first online travel service to offer create-your-own wedding trips, Expedia wants to make it as easy as possible for couples to book travel and ceremony services for their special day, ” said Erik Blachford, president of Expedia North America. “Since the program’s inception in October, more than 450 people have booked weddings through Expedia.com.”

Travelers looking to get married Las Vegas-style or on a tropical Hawaiian beach can click on the “Romance” link under Expedia.com’s Guides tab, or simply add a wedding ceremony to any flight, hotel or travel combination in Las Vegas or Maui. Depending on a couple’s destination of choice, Expedia’s wedding services can include limousine service, flowers, photographers, wedding chapel reservations, a minister to perform the ceremony, catering, and marriage license assistance.

Recent groom and Expedia.com customer Sean Hodges describes his Expedia wedding experience. “We booked the entire trip on Expedia.com and everything was top-notch. The planning was simple, reliable, and when we arrived, we got ‘hitched’ without a hitch. Thanks to Expedia, the most important day of our lives was unforgettable and stress-free.”

Wedding ceremonies currently available on Expedia.com that can be added to a Las Vegas or Maui trip include:

Sweet and Simple Beach Wedding includes beach ceremony, two floral leis, minister, marriage license assistance, and Hawaiian Certificate of Marriage. Ceremony cost: $318 per couple.*

Maui Sunset Wedding includes a beach ceremony, custom-made floral leis for bride and groom, minister, keepsake copy of vows, 18 professional photos, toast for two after ceremony, and all pre-ceremony arrangements. Ceremony cost: $599 per couple.*

Romantic Beach Wedding with Privately Catered Dinner includes beach ceremony, minister; all pre-ceremony arrangements, bridal bouquet, custom-made floral leis for bride and groom, professional photos, professionally filmed and edited video, and a privately catered, four-course meal for two on the beach with personal chef/waiter. Ceremony costs: $1,563 per couple.*

Little Chapel of the Flowers ceremony in Las Vegas includes a wedding coordinator, flowers, candle lighting, photographer, and video. Ceremony cost: $385 per couple.*

Candlelight Wedding Chapel ceremony, at the same Las Vegas chapel where Whoopi Goldberg, Bette Midler, and Ray Liotta all said “I do,” includes limousine service, flowers, and photographs. Ceremony cost: $192 per couple.*
About Expedia, Inc.

Expedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE) is the world’s leading online travel service and was the seventh largest travel agency in the most recent United States agency rankings. To meet the needs of travelers around the globe, it operates Expedia.com in the United States and localized versions throughout Europe and Canada. Expedia.com helps travelers travel right with a wide variety of travel products and services, such as Expedia® Special Rate hotels and vacation rentals with the guaranteed lowest prices. Expedia’s quality and leadership have been recognized in awards such as PC Magazine’s “Readers’ Choice” and “Editors’ Choice” Awards, Forbes’ “Favorite General Travel Site,” and Yahoo! Internet Life’s “Best Overall Travel Site.” Expedia is a majority-owned subsidiary of USA Interactive (NASDAQ: USAI).

Expedia.com customers are supported by a credit card guarantee (U.S. site only), an industry-leading privacy policy, and live agents via e-mail and an 800-number available 24 hours a day/seven days a week.

——————————————————————————–
* Valid as of June 24, 2002. Prices and packages may be subject to change without notice. Expedia, Expedia.com, and the airplane logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Expedia, Inc. in the United States, Canada and/or other countries. Other products and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
For more information, press only: