Destination St. Kitts

There are so many islands in the Caribbean that many people don't know about, so we wanted to make sure that you knew about one of our favorite ones...St.Kitts.

Couples looking to have a romantic tropical wedding-whether is a historic church for a religious ceremony, on a white sandy beach or in historic ruins-will find St. Kitts an absolutely perfect choice.

Here are 3 of our favorite properties on the island:

1. St. Kitts Marriott Resort & Royal Beach Casino

If you are looking for a family friendly venue, with tons of activities for all your guests make sure to check out this hotel.

2. Four Seasons Resort Nevis West Indies

If you are planning a smaller celebration and want a romantic luxurious feel look at the Four Season Resort. They offer excellent service which will leave your guests in awe.

3. Montpelier Plantation & Beach

For a unique and intimate wedding this plantation is the place for you. They even offer the option to block out the entire venue for your party.

Destination Weddings

We’ve done many destination wedding over the years.  Recently, I’ve noticed there have been many more destination wedding inquires coming my way.   There have been many occasions where I’ve been asked to make some suggestions for the destination weddings. So, here are a few of my favorite island properties where we’ve done weddings.   

Ritz Carlton – Cayman Island

Ritz Carlton – Jamaica

Ritz Carlton – San Juan Puerto Rico

W Hotel – Vieques Puerto Rico

Westin Hotel – Los Cabos Mexico 

Seven Stars Resort – Turks and Caicos

JW Marriott – Cancun Mexico

Mandarin Oriental – Rivera Maya Mexico

Four Seasons – Nevis West Indies

I hope this helps you with your search for the perfect destination wedding. 

Site Visit to Turks and Caicos Islands, BWI

Just got to Turks and Caicos with Priyesh.. Our groom who is getting married in May 2011. The island is soooo amazing! I wish everyone could get married here. The Indian Food Tasting was amazing at the hotel. Today we are meeting with Photo, Video, 2 dj's, 2 decorators.. getting a lot done in the 2 days we have here.  Such an honor to be here.

Aekta and Jignesh’s Wedding

We just got back from our incredible wedding for Aekta and Jignesh at the Marriott in the Cayman Islands, it was simply beautiful.  It was one of our most beautiful destination weddings we’ve planned.  We planned each event with all the Indian customs and traditions such as dandiya sticks for each guest at garba, an amazing mehendi artist flown in from Miami, bangles, bindis, paan/ mithai, and a full array of Indian food. You wouldn’t have guessed we were on an island in the Caribbean but we were.

Aekta and her family wanted each guest to be blown away with the fact that you could have so much Indian tradition in the middle of the Caribbean. They didn’t miss a thing.

Aekta looked so amazing at every event. Aekta and Jignesh are such a sweet, fun-loving couple. They love to dance, so their family and friends put on a show for them at almost every event… I really enjoyed the performances which they practiced in the ballrooms for hours. It was worth it as their friends and family did such impressive dances. The couple made sure every event was vibrant and full of entertainment.

The wedding ceremony on the beach was amazing!  With the blue sky and waters in the background, how could you ever go wrong?  Aekta and Jignesh made sure their guests stayed cool, by setting out ornate carved wooden hand-held fans for each of the guests.  It was so great when we did the baraat as the entire hotel stopped what they were doing to watch. I mean all the guests at the pool, on the beach, in their hotel rooms all turned into an audience! We had a much larger audience than expected so. It was certainly a sight to see!

With the help of Joanne Brown from Celebrations, we turned the ballroom each night into different and vibrant colors (hot pink, blue and green, red and blue). We decided to do a traditional red and white color scheme for the ceremony since both families were Gujurati. The beautiful red and white colors totally stood out against the blue of the water.

The colors continued from the beach ceremony into the reception ballroom. I love the place card holders which were delicate white starfish with guests names and table numbers attached and the center pieces had scattered seashells and tall tropical arrangements. The guests loved the fresh fruit mocktails with umbrellas. (The hotel staff made each guest their own delicious fruit concoction including mango strawberry coladas, banana strawberry coladas, pineapple coladas), etc.

I have to give a shout out to the hotel staff at the Marriott. They were so helpful as we worked around the clock to make sure all guests had what they needed and were completely relaxed. They really helped us and went above and beyond to make sure each and every event was a success. The General Manager even put on his Indian outfit and posed for a photo with us! Here we are at the wedding with the General Manager of the hotel.

Congratulations Aekta and Jignesh! Thank you for letting us be a part of your special day. We will always remember your wedding and how amazing it was!
                                                                                                                 Some Photos by Rebecca Davidson

Beach Wedding DOs and DON’Ts

We’ve done many beach destination weddings throughout the years including Puerto Rico, Cayman Islands, Little Cayman Island, Arizona, California, Cancun, and Aruba just to name a few. I think destination weddings are great.  We’ve done small intimate affairs with 75 guests as well as large weddings with 250 people. There are a few things I’ve learned over the years that are a MUST when you’re planning your beach wedding. 

The Dos and Don’ts of a beach wedding:

·        DO plan accordingly when having a wedding on the beach and have the ceremony in the evening when the sun is going down.  Imagine how beautiful a sunset ceremony on the beach would be.   

·        DO make the event comfortable for yourself and your guests.  My suggestion no matter the cost, have the wedding under a tent.  Also, remember to have plenty of liquids being served. Recently we were at a wedding where the guests had options of 5 different types of tropical juices. They were delicious.  The guests were enjoying the ceremony and stayed cool.  Also renting portable fans or misting fans can be immensely helpful. Check with the local rental companies or the hotel. Trust me your guests will appreciate it.

·        DO make sure to read through all the contracts properly since you will be working with the vendor via email or phone.  It’s very important you relay your vision to them so there are no surprises the day of the event.  For example when dealing with your décor vendor remember to clarify your flower selection, your color scheme, delivery time for decor, set up time, what will they do incase of rain, and what if it’s windy how will they weigh everything down. 

·        DO make sure to check with the hotel for availability of any special items you may need while at the destination.  Recently, we did a beach wedding where the bride’s mother forgot to bring dry coconuts for the wedding ceremony. There was absolutely no place on the island where they sold dry coconut.  We got lucky! The groom’s mom had brought a few extra coconuts. Another example is printed materials such as guest itinerary for the welcome bags.  Making photocopies at the hotel will cost you an arm and a leg.  Also remember to bring things such as medication or baby formula. You might not be able to find these specific items on the island. 

·        DON’T over book your guests.  They are making a special trip in your honor but definitely remember to give them some down time for the beach. 

Keep these few things in mind and your event will be on track to being a success.