International Airports and Scheduling

When deciding upon an island to hold your wedding, look for islands that are easily accessible. Smaller islands typically do not have international airports and cannot accept the bigger jets for take-off and landing. Thus, you fly to a main island hub such as Antigua, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, Trinidad, Barbados or Sint Maarten and then fly on in the smaller planes to the island of choice.

While this type of trip is fun for a family vacation or romantic getaway, it makes it very difficult when traveling as large group for a wedding. New security measures have been put into place in recent years that require passengers to collect their baggage before continuing on in their journey. The checked-in cases no longer go directly to the destination. So everyone aboard must disembark, collect their luggage, check in with the smaller airline, recheck-in their baggage and board the smaller plane. In addition to the nuisance, the smaller planes are not able to carry the same weight as the large jets so basically you will be restricted on how much to carry. Some parcels and baggage would have to be sent long prior to your own departure.

One other obstacle to traveling to a smaller island without a jet length airstrip, the travel costs will become very expensive very quickly. While the smaller airlines offer frequent and regular trips throughout the Caribbean, many islands do not permit landing in the dark. Because your international flight might come in too late to meet the last local flight, your group will need accommodations for the night. This fact alone may make the travel arrangements expensive as not only hotel rooms are required but taxi fares and food allowances.

Local Flavor

Many of the islands were or still are territories of larger countries. As such, countries like England, France and the Netherlands have heavily influenced the islands’ customs, meals and traditions. When planning a destination wedding in the Caribbean, research the local customs of the island you have chosen and see sample menus in order to determine if you would like your wedding reception meal to offer mostly local dishes or a mix. Remember, however, that if you prefer your own type of food, that it may not be the same to which you are accustomed.

History, Eco-Tourism and Heritage

When choosing the island destination for your wedding, each island has its own unique charm. All of the islands are rich in history, some have rain forests and others are known for their white sandy beaches. Think about what interests you most. Review the tourist attractions so that you know what is available for your guests while on the island. Plantations, fortresses, beautiful birds, spices wafting in the air, and cobblestone streets are many of the wonderful things to experience in the Caribbean.

Residency and Entry Requirements

While in the island choosing process, check with the respective embassy to determine any residency requirements for the wedding ceremony itself and also any entry requirements for the group to travel to the destination. For the wedding ceremony, it may be easier to marry at home and hold a symbolic ceremony at the destination. Also, check the government websites for any other information required such as vaccinations, blood tests and the like.

Interview Wedding Planners

It might be prudent to enlist the help of a specialized wedding planner. Either someone local who is experienced in planning a wedding on the particular island that you have chosen or a planner locally on the island who works with the couple long distance. Do not choose the first person you find. Interview several people by telephone, email and Instant Messaging to determine who is best qualified.

Read up on the importance of footwear for destination wedding guests on Your Wedding Abroad.

There will be fewer guests in a destination wedding. You invite only close relatives and friends for the event as attendance at this wedding involves a bit of traveling. At home we tend to invite a lot of people for the wedding. So, not only you save on the number of guests, but also save on your time and energy on producing the list of invitees and actually making the invitation. The cost of such a wedding will not be more than that of a stay at a resort.

A destination wedding is actually a wedding, vacation and honeymoon put together. Thus one can save on the costs of all these. The difficulty of getting time off the work place for a vacation after a wedding holiday can be eliminated. You will get more time to spend with your immediate relatives and close friends at the wedding location. It is not the few hours you get at the usual weddings. It is a few days. That is a real family reunion indeed. It will give the feeling of a traditional wedding event.

The worries of planning can also be saved by leaving the responsibility to a wedding planner. You have only to tell them your needs. They will take care of everything. You deal with only one person. Even after the wedding you need not take on yourselves the charge of cleaning, setting the house again in order and the likes.

A destination wedding will give a relaxed time, atmosphere and feeling for the couple and those who gathered for the event. For those close ones who could not make it to the event due to the inability to travel can be invited to a gathering at home after he wedding.

If you want more tips and advice for a succesful wedding abroad — check out your wedding abroad!

Therefore, we have gathered a list of our Top Ten Picks for the best beaches in the world on which to hold a wedding. Please note that they are listed in no particular order.

1. St. Lucia, a Caribbean island still lush with rain forests while at the same time very modern with large shopping malls and wide paved streets, has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Surrounded by both the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, there are plenty of spots from which to choose.
   
2. Hawaii, one of the US states, in the Pacific Ocean always provides perfect beach locations for a wedding. The question will not be “should we go to Hawaii” but rather “which of the many islands and beaches should we choose?”
   
3. Tahiti situated in the south central Pacific is referred to as the most beautiful place on earth. As such, it can only be assumed that this wonderful paradise is the consummate island on which to hold a beach wedding.
   
4. Fiji, in the south Pacific, is another island that is very exclusive and highly dreamed about when couples consider a beach wedding. The location has grown increasingly popular from the number of movies that have been filmed on location. When one thinks of Fiji, one comes close to being in heaven.
   
5. Aruba, the Dutch island in the Caribbean Sea, is rife with gorgeous white sand beaches and turquoise water. There are many places where couples can arrange a private wedding area on a secluded beach.
   
6. Mauritius, off the coast of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean, boasts white sandy beaches dotted with palm trees and tropical sunsets. In addition to the fabulous beaches, many of the hotels have delightful gardens nearby which heighten the beach destination adventure.
   
7. Turkey has become increasingly more popular for beach destination weddings since it is relatively inexpensive compared to other “hot spots” Interestingly, it is home to just as many beautiful beaches as other popular countries. One of the most highly sough after locations is Ölüdeniz Beach.
   
8. New Zealand offers a unique choice of beach weddings. Lake Tekapo sits on a blue lake with snow-capped mountains in behind and one does not think about beach and snow in the same sentence. Another beautiful area for beach weddings is Abel Tasman National Park, showcasing pristine blue water and lush green land.
   
9. Santorini in the Greek Isles is a spectacular place for a beach wedding. Extravagance, friendliness and breathtaking views make this a truly memorable wedding destination of the Mediterranean Sea.
   
10. Monte Carlo, Monaco, along the French Riviera, is reputed to have the most pristine beaches in the world. A glamourous location, indeed, this says prestige all the way.
    

Pick one from the list. You’ll have a ball!

In the next few days, weeks, months and hopefully years — we’ll be here to keep you up to date with the latest trends in beach wedding, help you plan your beach wedding — and make sure your marriage isn’t spoiled by typical beach wedding dangers…

We won’t be updating daily, but when we update, we’ll make sure we’ll add the kind of stuff anyone thinking of doing a wedding on the beach is dying to read.

Hang in there, we’ll be back with great stuff soon!