THE CARIBBEAN: WEDDINGS & HONEYMOONS
Beach Bride
With the average UK wedding now costing up to £20,000, it’s no
wonder couples are still attracted by taking their vows – whether for the first time or as renewal – in the Caribbean, says Jane Anderson
honeymoon, according to a recent Hayes and Jarvis survey. With the average price of a regional wedding and honeymoon just £2,798 per couple, it’s perhaps little wonder that the West Indies nabs three of the five top spots in its top 10 worldwide wedding spots, with Antigua at number three, St Lucia at number four and Barbados at number five. Resorts like the boutique-style Rendezvous on Saint Lucia's Malabar Beach come highly recommended as couples can marry under the 150-year- old Saman tree or on the beach. Hayes & Jarvis and Thomson
G Tailormade have both seen a trend for 36 March 2011 •
www.sellinglonghaul.com
etting married in the Caribbean can cost less than £3000 per couple, including the ceremony and
late wedding bookings. Traditionally, these have been booked 12 months or more in advance but both operators say they have enough time to convert much shorter booking times and, depending on the destination’s minimum residency requirements, are always happy to deal with these kinds of bookings. Renewing vows has also become very popular and the majority of wedding packages can also be tailored for renewal of vows ceremonies. As competition grows to attract the wedding market, it’s now not just the all- inclusives like Rex Resorts and AM Resorts that are offering free wedding packages when clients book a certain number of nights. For example, the five-star Jade Mountain in St Lucia is offering guests staying a minimum of five nights in an
infinity pool sanctuary during August and September a free wedding which includes everything from the Justice of the Peace requirements to champagne. The new Smugglers Cove Resort &
Spa in St Lucia is currently offering a wedding package worth £329 free when couples stay seven nights in a deluxe room or higher. There are also some attractive agent incentives. Sandals is offering a ‘bonus bond’ of between £15 and £50 per booking when agents book and confirm any of the five Martha Stewart wedding themes with any tour operator up to April 30, 2011. What's more, if any retail travel shop
books two or more Sandals® Weddings by Martha Stewart™ during the booking window, then the whole shop will be rewarded with an array of
scrumptious cupcakes for all to enjoy. Who needs wedding cake!
And don’t forget that the Royal
Wedding in April should put everyone in the mood for a celebration.
WHAT’S NEW
Peter Island Resort & Spa in the British Virgin Islands has two new wedding packages. The Surf & Soul ceremony allows the bride and groom to pick their favourite beach on this private island for their wedding, with an hour-long photo shoot while guests enjoy canapés and cocktails, followed by a seafood feast on the beach. The cost: £4,154 for up to 30 guests. Alternatively, a Serene Sailing wedding aboard a private 41’ Silmaril luxury yacht
is from £5,342 for up to eight guests.
SANDALS
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