The Beauty of an Island Wedding

Picture yourself running away to a romantic island to say your I do’s at sunset under a swaying palm tree, or dressed in a traditional Fijian wedding dress and being married by a Fijian chief. Wherever you choose to say your wedding vows, Perfect Honeymoons & Holidays is there to guide you through every step. Let us help you!

A wedding should have its own personal touch of magic – one of our consultants, Beth or Jim, will go to great lengths to make sure that it does. Each year, we help dozens of brides and grooms plan weddings that are romantic and unique.

Whether you choose a small intimate wedding for two, or a large wedding with all of your family members and friends, we can help make sure your destination wedding will be be something to remember. We can also help assist guests wanting to attend the wedding with transportaion and accomodation needs. Once you choose the destination, just get us all of the neccessary paper work and we will take care of the rest. Below are some of the most popular places to have an island wedding. From our experience, we can assure you that things will flow smoothly there.

All of these islands can have a wedding arranged in as little as 2-3 weeks. However, you’re on an island and there is a limited number of ministers and judges, so it is best to plan 8-10 months in advance. Licensing offices are closed on weekends, so no one will marry you on a Sunday; and on many islands they will not marry you after 2:00 p.m. on a Saturday.

Hawaiian Islands		Jamaica
Extras: we have had people married on a beautiful Hawaiian island for as little as $500 a couple which includes minister, location, licensing fee, and the 2 required local witnesses. Most of the times our couples will add flowers, a small cake, a bottle of champagne, and perhaps a local musician and a photographer or videographer. This usually raises the cost to between $700 – $900 total. We have had people get married under waterfalls, on mountains overlooking the sea, and once even the 18th hole of a famous golf course (the man was an avid golfer).		Extras: many resorts in Jamaica offer a free wedding if you are staying at the resort for 5 Nights or longer. This is a basic ceremony, and if you wish to add nice flowers, photographer/videographer or musician, or a more elaborate wedding ceremony at sunset your cost can average about $600 – $1,500. Settings include the Beach, the Garden, or in a Wedding Gazebo overlooking the sea.
Average Cost*: $800 – $5000		Average Cost*: Free – $1500

 

Barbados		St. Lucia
Extras: Cost includes basic wedding ceremony with minister, witnesses, licensing fee.  If you wish to have flowers, photographer, videographer, musician costs will average about $800-$$900 total.  Most of the time the weddings are held next to, or on the beach.		Extras:  periodically, a few of the All-Inclusive Resorts advertise free weddings.  You still have to pay the licensing fees and a few other extras.  In most cases, the ceremony will run about $600 – $800 per couple with flowers, videographer and a cake included.  You have many beautiful areas of St. Lucia to choose from – next to a volcano, atop a mountain, on a dock overlooking the water, and on the beach itself.
Average Cost*: $300 – $1200		Average Cost*: Free – $1500

 

Fiji		Grenada
Extras:  the average ceremony in Fiji is a very local extravaganza.  The woman is put in a dugout canoe and is rowed ashore by warriors who then carry her on their shoulders or on a rattan throne and she’s brought to her fiancé, standing next to the officiant.  Usually there is a choir singing Fijian and English wedding songs, because that is the Fijian tradition.  You’ll typically wear traditional Fijian flowers and wedding outfits, and afterwards the natives toast you to your new life and then it’s off to a luau-style dinner on the beach.  Since this is a big production, they only do 1 – 3 of these per week per island, so it’s best to reserve as far ahead as possible		Extras:  Extras:  Here your basic cost covers your judge or minister, witnesses, a cake, music, flowers, and usually a videographer or photographer.  There are very few extras because the package includes almost everything.  The most popular places are in the gardens next to the beach or on the beach itself.
Average Cost*: $1000 – $2500		Average Cost*: $600 – $1000

 

Antigua		The Bahamas
Extras:  Periodically, a few of the All-Inclusive Resorts will offer a “Free Basic Wedding Ceremony”, which includes minister, witnesses and that’s it.  So if you wish to add photographer, flowers, cake and music, plan to spend about $600.  If there are no free ceremonies being offered, the cost is about $750 which covers the officiant, witnesses and license fee.		Extras:  Please note – the Bahamas require the couple to go to the U.S. Embassy in downtown Nassau to get a certification paper to certify that you are really U.S. citizens, which you then take to the marriage-licensing bureau to get your license.  This process takes the better part of a day.  Certain All-Inclusive Resorts will offer a free basic wedding that includes minister, license fee and witnesses.  Most of the time there is a cost for the wedding, and it ranges from $700 – $1000, covering minister, license fee, witnesses, flowers, cake and photographer.  You can be married on a small island off of Nassau,  next to the resort’s waterfall, or on the beach like Cindy Crawford.
Average Cost*: Free – $900		Average Cost*: Free – $1000

 

The Greek Islands		Bermuda
Extras:  it’s not easy to get married in Greece.  Paperwork must start 2-3 months prior to the wedding if you are a non-Greek citizen.  The ceremony usually includes minister, Greek dancers and musicians, flowers, cake, Greek wine and other special features that come with a Greek wedding.  Santorini, the most romantic island, is the place where most of our couples getting married in Greece go.		Extras:  with Bermuda, there’s a slight wrinkle.  You have to start well in advance because the law requires publishing an announcement of your wedding in the newspaper six weeks ahead of time, and await objections.  Your paperwork and copies of your documents must be sent in to the capital one-month ahead of time.  It is a more formal procedure here and cannot be rushed, so plan to start 3-4 months in advance.  Ceremonies are usually not on the beach, but under a beautiful arch overlooking the water.
Average Cost*: $900 – $2000		Average Cost*: $800 – $2000

 

The U.S. Virgin Islands		Jamaica
Extras:  Please note that they want your marriage license filled out and mailed in 30-days ahead, along with copies of your birth certificate and driver’s license so that when you arrive on the island, your marriage license is ready and waiting for you.  You can be married the next day.  Average ceremony runs about $700, including judge, flowers, cake and a photographer, and is usually held on a beach.
Average Cost*: $400 – $1000