WEDDINGS & HONEYMOONS
WEDDED BLISS FEELING THE LOVE
THE CARIBBEAN IS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR REGIONS IN THE WORLD FOR OVERSEAS WEDDINGS AND HONEYMOONS. READ ON AND YOU’LL SOON SEE WHY
at home, the Caribbean appeal is obvious. But the region also makes it easy for couples to tie the knot, with minimum red tape and residency requirements and a reliable infrastructure of wedding services from florists to photographers. Couples often want to wed on the beach and in the Caribbean you are spoilt for choice; from Pink Sands on Harbour Island in the Bahamas to Smugglers Cove in Saint Lucia, but of course there are many more venues you never even knew existed. There’s an 18th century sugar mill, for example, or the silk cotton tree where Nelson and Fanny wed in 1787, at Montpelier Plantation & Beach on Nevis. Or perhaps the Mikve Israel Synagogue in Curaçao is more your style. Many Caribbean hotels have their own dedicated wedding co-ordinator on site to guide bride and groom smoothly through their big day. But of course a major reason why couples
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choose the Caribbean is down to cost. According to the latest Mintel wedding abroad
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ith a choice of over 30 stunning islands and countries and the kind of guaranteed sunshine we crave
survey, ‘In 2010, the average wedding abroad cost £6,585, around a third of the cost of a UK wedding.’ In the Caribbean this can be an even cheaper alternative with many hotels offering free wedding packages. Standard wedding packages cost in the region
of £300-£800 and include an official to conduct the ceremony, flowers, cake, champagne, food, music and a photographer. Many offer a whole lot more extras such as romantic sunset cruises, couples’ spa treatments and intimate dinners. Adult all-inclusive and Caribbean wedding giant, Sandals Resorts has recently launched its new wedding concept ‘Your Wedding. Your Style’, which allows couples to personally style and execute their dream wedding at any one of Sandals’ 14 resorts across Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Antigua and the Bahamas. It has also created an Online Destination Wedding Designer.
TOP SPOTS TO TIE THE KNOT Saint Lucia comes high on the list for many couples. Weddings can take place within 24 hours of arrival, and with secluded coves, the famous
www.caribbean.co.uk
Piton Mountains, lush rainforest and Diamond Waterfalls, there’s a wide choice of venues. Jade Mountain, Cap Maison and Smugglers Cove are all really top hotel choices for romance. The Saint Lucia Tourist Board has launched
www.saintlucianow.co.uk/weddinggifts as an online Wedding Gift Converter which details experiences on the island available for the price of more traditional bridal gifts.
Antigua also makes it incredibly easy for people to get married as there is no waiting time. From trashing the dress photography sessions to ‘unity sand ceremonies’, the Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority website lists top wedding tips. Jamaica is another island well versed in weddings. Old-school luxury hotel, Half Moon, A RockResort in Montego Bay, has rebuilt its iconic gazebo at the end of its pier, the perfect setting for a spectacular sunset wedding. A ‘Just the Two of Us Green Wedding’ package allows couples to plant a tree on the 400-acre estate and donate floral arrangements to local hospitals. Smaller islands such as Anguilla, St. Kitts, Tobago and St. Vincent and the Grenadines offer
BAHAMAS TOURIST OFFICE
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