Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Creative Destination Wedding Planning for an Imaginative Wedding
Destination wedding planning can be trickier than organizing a wedding in your home town, though a destination wedding need not be more expensive. Many people opt for destination weddings when they do not want the frenzy of a massive wedding, and prefer the intimacy of something smaller with just a few special guests, and perhaps even none.
The Cost Of a Destination Wedding
Depends a lot on how much of the travel and accommodation costs of your guests you are going to pick up, but it need not cost as much as most people believe if you plan your date carefully and honeymoon at the same venue, or at least the same general location. Many hotels will offer a special deal for a wedding ceremony, reception and honeymoon package, and resort destinations can be cheaper if you book your wedding off season.
There are some aspects of planning a destination wedding that need to be considered irrespective of the destination, and are probably what most people like to be reminded of so that they do not miss anything. There could be little worse than arriving at your destination and then finding that your license is not acceptable in that state or country, or that you have not met the medical requirements.
It is frequently a good idea to have a professional wedding organizer carry out your destination wedding planning, since a professional will know all of the legal requirements of the country or state involved. In hiring a professional, though, make sure that he or she is based in the particular destination so that you have somebody ‘on site’ to look after arrangements from that end while you tend to what is necessary at home.
You must first acquaint yourself with the marriage laws of the country in which you are planning to marry. Even different states or areas of each country often have their own particular requirements. Blood test, medical certificates, immunizations and licenses must all be considered and arranged well in advance. You might also need a specific number of witnesses or have been either a resident for a period of time, or have a set waiting time between application to be married and having it granted. You might require permission, so contact the local authorities to check this out. Get everything agreed in writing.
All-Inclusive Caribbean Vacations
If you are planning to invite more than just one or two guests, keep their needs in mind. Is there sufficient local accommodation available and how about the food? Is the local food suitable for the range of diets your guests might have, and is there enough locally to keep them occupied? You don’t want your guests sitting in their rooms all weekend if the weather is bad.
If you are not hiring a wedding planner, check out the local inns and hotels for available accommodation yourself. You might find that some offer good wedding party packages at discounted prices. If you know how many guests are coming, and how many rooms you need, you can generally get them cheaper as a block booking than if they were booked individually.
You will also have to arrange the location for the ceremony, and it is this and the reception venue that might determine the date for your big day. The church, chapel or wherever you get married will generally be the simplest of the arrangements you have to make. It is generally limited to making the booking, and the rest is done. Try to find a venue that provides everything needed such as the flowers and other decoration, the minister or judge and the music and order of service. You can plan this yourself, but it is not so easy done remotely without a professional organizer to help you.
There are some benefits in doing it all yourself, such as the flowers, the organist, etc. You have control and get exactly what you want, or close enough, but it is not easy and you might not want the worry when you have so many other things to organize. However, the ceremony is the most important part of the whole day: it is what it is all about in fact, and you might want to do it yourself. The choice is yours; just be aware of the possibilities.
The reception will depend upon the number of guests traveling, and you should know that number exactly a few weeks before the date. You are probably best to leave the arrangements to the venue if you have been able to book one that specializes in weddings, particularly destination weddings. Failing that employ somebody to look after this part of it for you. This will be cheaper than a full time wedding organizer since it will only be for the reception, and possibly the ceremony.
It will take a lot of the weight off your mind if you have this part of the proceedings done for you by somebody local. Once that has been planned, all you need do is to make sure you have invited those that you want to attend, and you will have a great weekend, or however long you are staying.
Finally, plan your packing in advance and make sure you have a check list of everything you will need. Without that you are sure to forget something. If you keep all of the above in mind, then you will have a wonderful wedding due to good and imaginative destination wedding planning.
The Cost Of a Destination Wedding
Depends a lot on how much of the travel and accommodation costs of your guests you are going to pick up, but it need not cost as much as most people believe if you plan your date carefully and honeymoon at the same venue, or at least the same general location. Many hotels will offer a special deal for a wedding ceremony, reception and honeymoon package, and resort destinations can be cheaper if you book your wedding off season.
There are some aspects of planning a destination wedding that need to be considered irrespective of the destination, and are probably what most people like to be reminded of so that they do not miss anything. There could be little worse than arriving at your destination and then finding that your license is not acceptable in that state or country, or that you have not met the medical requirements.
It is frequently a good idea to have a professional wedding organizer carry out your destination wedding planning, since a professional will know all of the legal requirements of the country or state involved. In hiring a professional, though, make sure that he or she is based in the particular destination so that you have somebody ‘on site’ to look after arrangements from that end while you tend to what is necessary at home.
You must first acquaint yourself with the marriage laws of the country in which you are planning to marry. Even different states or areas of each country often have their own particular requirements. Blood test, medical certificates, immunizations and licenses must all be considered and arranged well in advance. You might also need a specific number of witnesses or have been either a resident for a period of time, or have a set waiting time between application to be married and having it granted. You might require permission, so contact the local authorities to check this out. Get everything agreed in writing.
All-Inclusive Caribbean Vacations
If you are planning to invite more than just one or two guests, keep their needs in mind. Is there sufficient local accommodation available and how about the food? Is the local food suitable for the range of diets your guests might have, and is there enough locally to keep them occupied? You don’t want your guests sitting in their rooms all weekend if the weather is bad.
If you are not hiring a wedding planner, check out the local inns and hotels for available accommodation yourself. You might find that some offer good wedding party packages at discounted prices. If you know how many guests are coming, and how many rooms you need, you can generally get them cheaper as a block booking than if they were booked individually.
You will also have to arrange the location for the ceremony, and it is this and the reception venue that might determine the date for your big day. The church, chapel or wherever you get married will generally be the simplest of the arrangements you have to make. It is generally limited to making the booking, and the rest is done. Try to find a venue that provides everything needed such as the flowers and other decoration, the minister or judge and the music and order of service. You can plan this yourself, but it is not so easy done remotely without a professional organizer to help you.
There are some benefits in doing it all yourself, such as the flowers, the organist, etc. You have control and get exactly what you want, or close enough, but it is not easy and you might not want the worry when you have so many other things to organize. However, the ceremony is the most important part of the whole day: it is what it is all about in fact, and you might want to do it yourself. The choice is yours; just be aware of the possibilities.
The reception will depend upon the number of guests traveling, and you should know that number exactly a few weeks before the date. You are probably best to leave the arrangements to the venue if you have been able to book one that specializes in weddings, particularly destination weddings. Failing that employ somebody to look after this part of it for you. This will be cheaper than a full time wedding organizer since it will only be for the reception, and possibly the ceremony.
It will take a lot of the weight off your mind if you have this part of the proceedings done for you by somebody local. Once that has been planned, all you need do is to make sure you have invited those that you want to attend, and you will have a great weekend, or however long you are staying.
Finally, plan your packing in advance and make sure you have a check list of everything you will need. Without that you are sure to forget something. If you keep all of the above in mind, then you will have a wonderful wedding due to good and imaginative destination wedding planning.
Labels: Caribbean Beach Wedding, Destination wedding, Destination Wedding Caribbean, Destination wedding Planning
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# posted by M. D @ 9:53 PM
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Creative Planning of a Caribbean Destination Wedding
The Caribbean is one of the more popular destinations in the world for weddings, especially to North Americans, and a Caribbean wedding destination will take some planning if it is to run smoothly and satisfy everybody’s expectations.
Honeymoon Cruise
Before you start planning you have several decisions to make. The first is whether or not you are going to take your honeymoon in the Caribbean. Normally this is a no-brainer, since you are unlikely to go to the trouble of traveling to the Caribbean Sea for your wedding, and then fly off somewhere else for your wedding. Unless you are Jamaican, of course, or Trinidadian or from anywhere else in the area, but you know what I mean.
Some will honeymoon elsewhere, if money is no object, but we are discussing normal people here, not the jet set that can marry in Martinique and honeymoon in Monaco. So, the major part of your plan is your budget, and that will depend upon your honeymoon. Very few couples marry in the beautiful Caribbean and then go elsewhere for the honeymoon. You can frequently get good deals if you have your ceremony and reception in the same resort as your honeymoon. It is well worth contacting the tourist boards in several of the larger Caribbean islands for details of the packages that are available.
A major part of your planning, of course, will be informing your family and friends of your decision to have a destination wedding. You can expect a much lower level of acceptance to such a wedding invitation, not because your friends and relatives do not want to attend, but because it could be a financial strain. Not everybody who would like to attend your wedding would find it easy to raise the cash to travel to the Caribbean for a few days, especially if they have their own vacation to pay for in the same year. They might also be unable to find time from work on your selected dates. A trip to the Caribbean is a major expedition to many, and some can quite genuinely not find the time that they could have found for a one day local wedding.
Once you have decided on your honeymoon, and have an indication of the number of guests liable to come with you, you can plan whether to have a small or large wedding. Many couples prefer to marry with just close family, such as parents and siblings and perhaps one or two friends, and then have a larger reception or celebration after the honeymoon.
This is believed by many to be the best solution to the cost problem that guests can be faced with if invited to a Caribbean wedding. Don’t invite anybody except immediate family and best friends of the bride and groom. Then celebrate afterwards. Your planning suddenly becomes easier. Many islands offer small wedding options that include a beach ceremony, a minister or judge, a cake, a small beach reception for up to a dozen people and some champagne. Oh, and let’s not forget the photographer that is also provided to record the whole wonderful Caribbean beach wedding day for you.
The final part of your planning involves everybody who could not attend. It has already been suggested that you could have a full reception after you return from your honeymoon, and that is an option that many people go for. It can actually present some people with a problem in who to invite, since inviting friends and relatives that you know will be unlikely to be able to attend might seem as though you are just asking them to get a wedding gift. However, you will find that your friends will provide the gift irrespective of them being invited.
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You are far better to invite only those you are sure will be able to attend the ceremony, and then invite everybody else to a celebration to be held on your return from the honeymoon. That keeps everybody happy and allows everybody that wants to give you a wedding gift to do so ‘legitimately’.
Once the decision has been made, you have to plan the date and organize the ceremony. That should not be difficult since most Caribbean islands have comprehensive wedding facilities for both the ceremony and the reception. Many people find it much easier to hire a wedding planner at the Caribbean end to keep an eye on the arrangements there and also to keep you informed of the license situation and any shots or medical tests you need done. Somebody with a good knowledge of local marriage laws and also of local reception and ceremony venues is very useful.
Planning a Caribbean destination wedding is not as difficult as it appears to be since the destination itself will likely be very used to providing the service you are looking for. Do it right and with some imagination, and you and your guests are sure to enjoy a fantastic wedding.
Honeymoon Cruise
Before you start planning you have several decisions to make. The first is whether or not you are going to take your honeymoon in the Caribbean. Normally this is a no-brainer, since you are unlikely to go to the trouble of traveling to the Caribbean Sea for your wedding, and then fly off somewhere else for your wedding. Unless you are Jamaican, of course, or Trinidadian or from anywhere else in the area, but you know what I mean.
Some will honeymoon elsewhere, if money is no object, but we are discussing normal people here, not the jet set that can marry in Martinique and honeymoon in Monaco. So, the major part of your plan is your budget, and that will depend upon your honeymoon. Very few couples marry in the beautiful Caribbean and then go elsewhere for the honeymoon. You can frequently get good deals if you have your ceremony and reception in the same resort as your honeymoon. It is well worth contacting the tourist boards in several of the larger Caribbean islands for details of the packages that are available.
A major part of your planning, of course, will be informing your family and friends of your decision to have a destination wedding. You can expect a much lower level of acceptance to such a wedding invitation, not because your friends and relatives do not want to attend, but because it could be a financial strain. Not everybody who would like to attend your wedding would find it easy to raise the cash to travel to the Caribbean for a few days, especially if they have their own vacation to pay for in the same year. They might also be unable to find time from work on your selected dates. A trip to the Caribbean is a major expedition to many, and some can quite genuinely not find the time that they could have found for a one day local wedding.
Once you have decided on your honeymoon, and have an indication of the number of guests liable to come with you, you can plan whether to have a small or large wedding. Many couples prefer to marry with just close family, such as parents and siblings and perhaps one or two friends, and then have a larger reception or celebration after the honeymoon.
This is believed by many to be the best solution to the cost problem that guests can be faced with if invited to a Caribbean wedding. Don’t invite anybody except immediate family and best friends of the bride and groom. Then celebrate afterwards. Your planning suddenly becomes easier. Many islands offer small wedding options that include a beach ceremony, a minister or judge, a cake, a small beach reception for up to a dozen people and some champagne. Oh, and let’s not forget the photographer that is also provided to record the whole wonderful Caribbean beach wedding day for you.
The final part of your planning involves everybody who could not attend. It has already been suggested that you could have a full reception after you return from your honeymoon, and that is an option that many people go for. It can actually present some people with a problem in who to invite, since inviting friends and relatives that you know will be unlikely to be able to attend might seem as though you are just asking them to get a wedding gift. However, you will find that your friends will provide the gift irrespective of them being invited.
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You are far better to invite only those you are sure will be able to attend the ceremony, and then invite everybody else to a celebration to be held on your return from the honeymoon. That keeps everybody happy and allows everybody that wants to give you a wedding gift to do so ‘legitimately’.
Once the decision has been made, you have to plan the date and organize the ceremony. That should not be difficult since most Caribbean islands have comprehensive wedding facilities for both the ceremony and the reception. Many people find it much easier to hire a wedding planner at the Caribbean end to keep an eye on the arrangements there and also to keep you informed of the license situation and any shots or medical tests you need done. Somebody with a good knowledge of local marriage laws and also of local reception and ceremony venues is very useful.
Planning a Caribbean destination wedding is not as difficult as it appears to be since the destination itself will likely be very used to providing the service you are looking for. Do it right and with some imagination, and you and your guests are sure to enjoy a fantastic wedding.
Labels: Beach Wedding, Caribbean Beach Wedding, Destination Wedding Caribbean, planning Caribbean destination wedding
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# posted by M. D @ 8:46 PM
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
The Romance of a Caribbean Beach Wedding
Why should you have a Caribbean beach wedding? Imagine the romance of exchanging your vows on a beautiful Caribbean evening, the most wonderful golden sunset matching the lovely coral sand, slowly changing into an irresistibly bewitching deep orange imparting a red tinge to the rocks and coral reefs.
Imagine the daylight heat of the sun dropping to an agreeably pleasant warmth that you and your guests can enjoy as you taste the delights of a reception feast to die for. Then ask why you should have a Caribbean wedding! Nobody has such a wedding and wishes she were elsewhere. You will be no different, so stop wondering why and decide when.
That after all is the big choice for brides. When is she to be married? Once you have decided on your Caribbean wedding the venue chooses itself. You are not going to travel to Jamaica, the Bahamas, Guadeloupe or St. Lucia and just sit in a hotel. A beach wedding is a must, and it will be a wedding to remember all your life. If the cost is worrying, don’t let it be. Many beach weddings are very inexpensive compared to mainland USA wedding reception venues, and you can also fit your honeymoon in there as well, so the overall cost to you is lower than you might think it would be.
In fact a Caribbean wedding can be very cost effective. Unless you actually live there your guest list will be relatively small in comparison with that in your home town. Fewer people will be prepared to travel, and so you can basically have more for the same cost in the Bahamas or in Barbados. A beach wedding is something you will remember all your life. You can even be married on a cliff-top or under a gazebo to keep you in the shade, and then move to the beach for your reception.
Due to their location, many islands offer weddings for couples with limited numbers of guests, and offer complete packages including transport, flowers, the wedding cake and a small Caribbean meal with champagne. You can even have a short tour thrown in for you and your guests if you wish, but the whole effect is designed to make you remember your wedding day for ever.
Destinations such as Grand Cayman offer weddings for couples only, and even provide the witnesses. All you need is a license and they provide the rest. You get married right on the beach with flowers and a cake if you want one, plus a photographer, all for less than $1000. It’s a dream wedding if you want to be married to the man of your choice on a Caribbean beach without all the problems of a reception and having to rush things. Many couples choose to do this, and then have a blessing back home with a regular large reception with all their friends and family.
It’s a brilliant idea, and for those that want their parents to be there, there is also that possibility. Most islands offer that type of service, although they are popular so you will have to book early to secure the date of your choice. It’s also a good idea to be married in the evening, as suggested above, or in the morning, when the sun is not at its highest. Being married on a beautiful morning and then having a lunchtime reception on the pristine white or coral pink sand of Guadeloupe sounds a marvelous way to start off married life together, and you could also have a game of beach volleyball later! Or perhaps you will have other things on your minds. However, the seafood is unbelievable, and so are the specialty Guadeloupe curries!
Always keep in mind that a beach wedding is outdoors, and you are therefore very much at the mercy of the weather. Nevertheless, if you keep clear of the hurricane season you can be confident that you will have nothing but sea and sun. The Caribbean has 115 main islands plus over 3000 more small islets and cays on which you can conceivably arrange a private wedding. It has an amazing biodiversity if that is your thing, and equally amazing beaches if it is not.
So if your are seeking a wedding venue with a difference, that you and your guests will remember for ever, then consider a Caribbean beach wedding. It ticks all the right boxes, and can offer anything that you will get back home, and some!
Imagine the daylight heat of the sun dropping to an agreeably pleasant warmth that you and your guests can enjoy as you taste the delights of a reception feast to die for. Then ask why you should have a Caribbean wedding! Nobody has such a wedding and wishes she were elsewhere. You will be no different, so stop wondering why and decide when.
That after all is the big choice for brides. When is she to be married? Once you have decided on your Caribbean wedding the venue chooses itself. You are not going to travel to Jamaica, the Bahamas, Guadeloupe or St. Lucia and just sit in a hotel. A beach wedding is a must, and it will be a wedding to remember all your life. If the cost is worrying, don’t let it be. Many beach weddings are very inexpensive compared to mainland USA wedding reception venues, and you can also fit your honeymoon in there as well, so the overall cost to you is lower than you might think it would be.
In fact a Caribbean wedding can be very cost effective. Unless you actually live there your guest list will be relatively small in comparison with that in your home town. Fewer people will be prepared to travel, and so you can basically have more for the same cost in the Bahamas or in Barbados. A beach wedding is something you will remember all your life. You can even be married on a cliff-top or under a gazebo to keep you in the shade, and then move to the beach for your reception.
Due to their location, many islands offer weddings for couples with limited numbers of guests, and offer complete packages including transport, flowers, the wedding cake and a small Caribbean meal with champagne. You can even have a short tour thrown in for you and your guests if you wish, but the whole effect is designed to make you remember your wedding day for ever.
Destinations such as Grand Cayman offer weddings for couples only, and even provide the witnesses. All you need is a license and they provide the rest. You get married right on the beach with flowers and a cake if you want one, plus a photographer, all for less than $1000. It’s a dream wedding if you want to be married to the man of your choice on a Caribbean beach without all the problems of a reception and having to rush things. Many couples choose to do this, and then have a blessing back home with a regular large reception with all their friends and family.
It’s a brilliant idea, and for those that want their parents to be there, there is also that possibility. Most islands offer that type of service, although they are popular so you will have to book early to secure the date of your choice. It’s also a good idea to be married in the evening, as suggested above, or in the morning, when the sun is not at its highest. Being married on a beautiful morning and then having a lunchtime reception on the pristine white or coral pink sand of Guadeloupe sounds a marvelous way to start off married life together, and you could also have a game of beach volleyball later! Or perhaps you will have other things on your minds. However, the seafood is unbelievable, and so are the specialty Guadeloupe curries!
Always keep in mind that a beach wedding is outdoors, and you are therefore very much at the mercy of the weather. Nevertheless, if you keep clear of the hurricane season you can be confident that you will have nothing but sea and sun. The Caribbean has 115 main islands plus over 3000 more small islets and cays on which you can conceivably arrange a private wedding. It has an amazing biodiversity if that is your thing, and equally amazing beaches if it is not.
So if your are seeking a wedding venue with a difference, that you and your guests will remember for ever, then consider a Caribbean beach wedding. It ticks all the right boxes, and can offer anything that you will get back home, and some!
Labels: Caribbean Beach Wedding, Caribbean Weddings, Destination Wedding Caribbean
Read more!
# posted by M. D @ 8:41 PM
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