I Do Part II: Weddings in the Caribbean

    One fast growing trend among people getting married a second time is to choose a tropical Hawaiian or Caribbean destination for the ceremony and honeymoon -- all bundled into a single trip. Before jumping on this bandwagon, however, there are some important issues to consider, especially if you choose a tropical location outside of The United States.      
 
If the Caribbean’s sunshine, gorgeous beaches and multitude of activities is appealing, not only is it important to choose a Caribbean island that can provide the perfect setting for the wedding, it’s also helpful to work with a wedding planner, plus choose a specific resort where the ceremony will be held. Throughout the Caribbean, you’ll discover a vast selection of potential tropical locations for your wedding.


FIVE THINGS TO CONSIDER:

1.  Whether you can afford to hold your wedding and experience your honeymoon at the Caribbean resort you consider to be ideal. Be sure to consider airfares, resort accommodations, and ground transportation costs, in addition to wedding-related expenses, such as catering, a florist, entertainment, marriage license fees, and someone to officiate the actual ceremony.

2. Does the resort have a block of guestrooms for you and your guests available for your planned wedding date?
 
3. Is the resort capable of hosting the type of wedding ceremony, celebration and honeymoon you want to experience? Is the service offered up to your standards?
 
4. Does the resort have the activities and amenities you want and need? Are you willing and able to adhere to the local laws relating to marriage ceremonies, which vary greatly by island. For example, several of the islands have extended waiting periods (more than one week) for obtaining a marriage license. For a summary of requirements for each Caribbean island, visit www.caribbeantravel.com/weddings/default2.aspx.

5. Does your proposed wedding date fall smack in the middle of hurricane or the rainy season? 


CHOOSING A CARIBBEAN LOCATION

Once you select the ideal Caribbean destination, the next step is to find a specific resort  to host the wedding ceremony and celebration. It’s important to choose a resort that has experienced hosting weddings. You and your fiancé will probably want to visit the resort you choose in advance. Choosing the most experienced wedding planner, as well as the perfect resortm can mean the difference between a wedding ceremony you’ll remember for a lifetime or one you'd rather forget. 

The Belize Legacy Resort (866-210-2267 / www.belizelegact.com), located near San Predro Town in Belize, is a small, four-star resort that’s been open for less than one year, but that has already developed a reputation for lavish weddings. One reason why so many Americans are choosing to get married on the beach of this secluded and extremely beautiful resort is because the resort’s owner, Rod Ralston, has teamed up with Belize’s top wedding planner, Iraida Gonzalez, to make planning a dream wedding an easy, stress free and affordable process (although the resort is definitely on the high end from a quality, as well as price standpoint.)       

Opening the Belize Legacy Resort has been a retirement project of sort for Ralston, who spent more than 15 years managing one of Las Vegas’ top casino resorts located on the infamous Strip. He selected the San Pedro location for his resort for several reasons, including that Belize is primarily an English speaking country, so it’s very welcoming to American guests and tourists.       

“Belize offers romance and adventure, and is located only one hour and 50 minutes away from Miami, Houston and Dallas by airplane. Convenient flight connections are available from most U.S. cities,” explained Ralston.

To reach the resort, guest fly to Belize City, and then take a smaller aircraft to San Pedro Town.