Weddings & Honeymoons

VOW andDECLARE

Unable to tie the knot during months of lockdown, more couples will be looking to enjoy their big day surrounded by friends and family in the Caribbean, says Kathryn Liston

There is a multitude of options and venues when it comes to saying ‘I do’ in the Caribbean.

An underwater wedding is a creative choice for couples looking to really splash out on their big day – and there are diving clubs in the Cayman Islands, Saint Lucia and The Bahamas and others that will provide plenty of appropriate bubbles.

Non-divers can also take the plunge and marry in an Atlantis submarine in Barbados.

A secluded sand bar on Exuma in The Bahamas will appeal to those looking to exchange vows surrounded by oceans of wows, while a new pier at Petite Calivigny, Grenada, enables couples to marry with the turquoise Caribbean Sea lapping around them. At Cap Maison in Saint Lucia a zipwire delivers the rings – and champagne – to your ceremony on the Rock Maison sea deck, while at Sandals’ South Coast Montego Bay and Ochi Beach in Jamaica over-the-water chapels featuring a glassfl oor aisle are a novel touch Bungalows with glass-fl oors (for viewing the marine life) and 24-hour room service are perfect for honeymoon seclusion: couples staying three nights or longer at any Sandals resort receive a free wedding package.

Wedding groups at the luxury Round Hill and Villas in Jamaica will be in esteemed company: Noel Coward, Ian Fleming and John F and Jackie Kennedy have all stayed at the resort. Weddings take place on the Spa lawn, beach or pool sun deck.

In Anguilla, the hand-built West Indian sloop, Tradition, provides an authentic backdrop to photographs, which are taken from an accompanying boat. Afterwards, honeymooners speed off to the private Sandy Island and Prickly Pear for lunch a deux.

Those looking for their own Love Island have plenty of options – from the privately-owned Petit St Vincent or Palm Island, with its white-powder sands, in the Grenadines to Richard Branson’s Necker Island and Moskito Island in the BVIs.

But for those twosomes wanting to avoid much of a wedding fuss, a Just The Two of Us package offered by Elegant Hotels’ seven hotels in Barbados might meet the brief. Windjammer Landing Villa Beach Resort in Saint Lucia offers a similar package.

Dominica’s rainforest is perfect for active honeymooners staying at the six-star Secret Bay, where a lionfi sh expedition, gorge tour and snorkelling are on offer. Swimming with whales, canyoning and hiking are included in a seven-night celebration package at Fort Young Hotel & Dive Resort, Dominica. Those wanting to celebrate with friends can book a Buddymoon at COMO Parrot Cay, Turks & Caicos, where The Sanctuary accommodates 14 guests. They can also take over Elegant Hotels’ adults-only The House or Treasure Beach, Barbados, or 10-villa Secret Bay, Dominica. Wedding packages, often complimentary if the couple stay there, are offered by hotels in a wide range of destinations. •