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Caribbean selling tips
Alexandra Chaigne
wedding specialist, Perfect
Weddings and Honeymoons
Weddings
T
he reason the Caribbean is
so good for weddings is the
weather – couples are
guaranteed nice weather
pretty much all of the year. Even if sea. In Jamaica, Sandals Resorts and beginning of the hotel’s policy, then it’s
it rains, it’s not for long. Couples Resorts are popular. up to them to decide. Hotel policies vary.
The four islands we tend to sell Organising the official paperwork At Jolly Beach there are just two weddings
most are St Lucia, Jamaica, Barbados for a wedding is easy in the Caribbean a day and they try to make sure the
and Antigua. These four all have a compared with other destinations around wedding parties don’t cross each other.
very easy legal process, and also the world – in St Lucia, Barbados and The Caribbean offers great locations.
have a good variety of hotels from Antigua particularly. No residency is We’ve arranged weddings at waterfalls, in
low budget to high end. needed on most islands. They even do old plantation houses and on the beach.
In Antigua, we work a lot with cruise weddings where the ship arrives in Antigua, for example, has 365 beaches
Jolly Beach – it has a the morning, the wedding is – if you see a spot and want to get
good superior room for the held on the island in the married there, you can do it.
bridal couple and some afternoon, then the couple For a real luxury wedding in St Lucia,
really nice standard rooms, sail away that evening. I’d recommend Jade Mountain and
which are more affordable Some of the larger hotel Anse Chastenet. In Antigua, I’d suggest
for the wedding guests. The chains such as Sandals can Galley Bay and St James’s Club. In
same goes for rex resorts. have several weddings in a Jamaica, Half Moon (pictured above) and
In St Lucia, we send a lot day – when I was there Royal Plantation (left) are both excellent.
of clients to Coco Bay recently I must have seen What makes the Caribbean so special
Resort. Its great wedding five weddings, one after is the friendliness of the people. All the
locations include a lovely another. But if you make wedding co-ordinators I’ve met or worked
gazebo overlooking the clients aware from the with have been excellent.
Karen 1,115sq m spa, and the treatment cabins
Goldman are like gingerbread cottages, surrounded
personal travel by waterfalls and a garden. The golf
counsellor, course here is a very good Robert Trent
Travel Counsellors Jones II course.
Sandy Lane in Barbados (pictured, left)
Spa and golf is another good one for clients looking for
T
here are lots of high quality spa and golf – it is the place to go for golf
spas in the Caribbean. Many in the Caribbean. It has three golf courses,
of the hotels and resorts do including the Green Monkey (below) with a
have a spa these days, so it’s total of 45 holes.
almost expected. They have to offer If clients can’t afford to stay at Sandy
something over and above the others Lane, they can stay nearby and pay to use
if they want to stand out. the hill, it’s a lovely place, very serene. the golf facilities.
One that does stand out for me is The Caribbean also has many top class Most people simply book their golf and
The Body Holiday at Le Sport in golf courses, and some properties spa treatments when they get there. I
St Lucia. It’s very good value for combine the spa and good golf facilities. don’t usually make any commission if I
money as you get a treatment a day Raffles Canouan in the do book for them – it’s more
included in the price. The spa is very Grenadines is a fabulous of a service that you give, it’s
tranquil, set up on a hill, and there property with lovely what makes you a cut above
are lots of free exercise classes too. treatment villas up on the other agents. It’s good to
People go for rest and recuperation. hill, and is also particularly work with specialist operators
One spa which is perhaps more good for golf, with a Jim such as Caribtours who can
affordable is at Tikaye Village in Fazio course. do more to help you if you
St Lucia – I’ve just come back from Four Seasons in want to arrange things such
there and they’re building a spa into Nevis has a massive as golf or spa treatments.
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TTG Knowledge – January 2009
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