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A four-day wedding weekend in the Bahamas can cost less than a reception dinner for 150-200 people at a luxury hotel in New York. A resort in Jamaica, for example, might charge $40,000 for 20 couples for four days. That includes a rehearsal dinner on the beach serving the island's traditional jerk barbecued foods and exotic tropical drinks, a reggae band, a formal wedding in an air-conditioned room, on an outdoor terrace or on the beach, and a farewell brunch.
Typically, invited guests pay their own fare, with the bride and groom picking up the tab for lodging, food, beverages and scheduled activities that could range from water sports to golf outings, sight seeing to shopping. Often, the bridal couple can arrange for a discount block of rooms for the wedding party.
From simple to all-out
Despite the exotic location, planning is only slightly different for a destination wedding. Couples can use a consultant or work with a hotel’s concierge or banquet planner. Many resorts that specialize in weddings have their own wedding planner.
One thing to keep in mind if your destination is out of the country: check with the local tourist office to find out the legal requirements for non-residents getting married. Many require a minimum stay, or “residency,” proof of citizenship and a certain amount of paper work. Often, the hotel can assist with the bureaucratic red tape.
Many resorts offer wedding packages in all shapes and sizes. Sandals Resorts, the all-adult, all-inclusive resort chain that coined the phrase “weddingmoon,” provide a free wedding with a five-night stay at their resorts in Jamaica, Antigua, St. Lucia, and the Bahamas. Stay a sixth night and they’ll throw in a 20-piece starter set of Royal Doulton china as a wedding gift!
Sandals’ wedding coordinators will select and order the flowers, cake and photographer; organize a Caribbean-style champagne and hors d'oeuvres reception; prepare certified copies of marriage license and legal fees; arrange for a justice of the peace; and even arrange for announcements.
Other packages at popular destinations include La Cabana All-Suite Beach Resort in Aruba, where $485 per person gets you a beach or garden ceremony with official; fees and document handling; floral bouquet and boutonniere; recorded music; and a keepsake certificate. The Pink Beach Club & Cottages on Bermuda offers registration, legal and marriage license fees; official; beach ceremony; bouquet and boutonniere; canapés for eight; a bottle of Tattinger Brut Champagne; wedding cake for eight; 48 color photos in a keepsake album and a 4 x 6 picture frame; complimentary room upgrade and one-day scooter rental – all for $1,850.
While Caribbean destinations are the top choice for American couples, that doesn’t necessarily mean an island. Cruising remains a popular way to vacation and honeymoon. Celebrity Cruises offers wedding packages starting at $575, in addition to the price of the cruise. It’s up to the couple to obtain a valid marriage license from the jurisdiction in which the wedding will take place, but the basic cruise wedding package includes invitations for up to eight non-sailing guests; a local marriage official; luxury van transportation from the hotel or airport to the ceremony; a bottle of champagne; wedding cake; floral arrangements and a wedding certificate. Available upgrades include a disc jockey or live music; enhanced floral arrangements; tuxedo rental; videography; invitations and wedding favors; and onboard photography.
Pro and Con
In the excitement of imagining a fairy-tale wedding, complete with romantic ceremony on the beach – turquoise water lapping at your feet and palm trees swaying in the warm, gentle breeze, it’s easy to get carried away. Before you commit to getting married far from home – and friends and family – in a foreign country, consider the good, bad and the potentially stormy.
Because many resorts are so experienced at wedding planning, you can opt to put all the details into their hands and relax in a stress-free nirvana. However, if you don’t want to get married at a resort, managing all the legalities of marrying outside the U.S. can be time-consuming and even frustrating. Consider hiring a coordinator who specializes in destination weddings to help. Check the tourist board for information and referrals to help you find florists, photographers, officials and available venues. The other option is to take as much with you as possible, but it’s costly and can develop unforeseen problems.
Because destination weddings typically have smaller guest lists, you can limit your party to a manageable size of those closest to you. However, don’t be offended if the RSVP says ‘no.’ The farther away the location, the more expensive the travel costs for your guests. They may not have a passport; they may not have a sitter; they may not have enough vacation time from their jobs.
By reducing the size of the wedding and combining it with the location where you plan to honeymoon, you might be able to afford the dream destination or the more elaborate hotel. But will it be romantic bumping into – and being responsible for entertaining – family and friends?
Wherever you decide to get married, relax and have fun. Ultimately, it’s the marriage that counts, not the wedding.
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