Why ALL of your guests should purchase Travel Insurance!

I'm taking inspiration for this post from one of our destination wedding travel consultants who is currently working feverishly to relocate a Destination Wedding scheduled for an island that was hit by Irene last week. The damage caused the host hotel to temporarily close. The guests who purchased travel insurance will be refunded and can use their refund towards booking the new location. However, those who didn't purchase insurance, are facing the hard fact that the host hotel's cancellation policy will only compensate them by allowing them to return to the same resort within the next 12 months - no exceptions. This is not unique to this hotel, but an industry standard. 

This leaves those guests who did not purchase insurance, forced to pay for an entirely new trip and being stuck with 3-7 nights pre-paid at the host hotel without knowing if their schedule will allow them to use these nights within the 12 month period. 

Anytime there is a hurricane and flights are cancelled, we hear how grateful our clients are to be able to call us with their concerns and changes in travel arrangements, rather than spend hours on hold directly with the airline. Just another reason why it is a good idea to book your Caribbean Wedding with a Travel Agent! 

Best,

Marry Me St. Maarten

I spent some time in St. Maarten last week at the Westin Dawn Beach. It is an absolutely lovely property and I'll be posting my photos soon. While there, I met with the hotel's sales managers to discuss their Destination Wedding business. One of the largest obstacles for couples wanting to marry on St. Maarten has always been the legal paperwork process. However, this should no longer be an issue because there is a fairly new company on the island who will handle all of the legal info! They are Marry-Me St. Maarten and an invaluable resources for brides considering St. Maarten as their destination... read the full legal details right here. 

St. Maarten is a great destination choice if you have guests coming from many different parts of the US or Canada as they are plenty of flight options. There are even many cheap flights from Europe!

Once you've decided on St. Maarten, be sure an email me for group hotel rates for your wedding guests! Laura @ CaribbeanJourney.com.

Legal Requirements for a Caribbean Wedding

Each island in the Caribbean has their own set of legal marriage requirements. For example, in the Dominican Republic, all paperwork must be translated into Spanish and in the French West Indies, either the bride or groom must be a legal resident for 30 days. This is the single most important fact when planning a Destination Wedding and should be the first item a bride or groom investigates before any other planning begins.

This is also one of the most mis-quoted areas in the Destination Wedding industry. There are dozens of incorrect statements regarding the legal marriage requirements in the Caribbean available on the Internet. I know because this is something I constantly research on behalf of my clients.

The BEST and most accurate source are the Tourist Boards of the Caribbean. Each island maintains a website with destination info, entry requirements, AND wedding information. Sometimes, the wedding info can be hard to find and if so, just ask. I'd be happy to help.

Last week, I compiled a list of Tourist Board websites for my Caribbean Travel Blog. Go here to explore the island or islands you are considering. Please feel free to contact me if you are looking for a Destination Wedding Planner for your Caribbean Wedding!

Introducing Ali Berlin

Meet Ali Berlin, Relationship Advisor, Spiritual Counselor, Wedding Officiant & Speaker with an exclusive list of private clients spanning the globe.

So you've thought of everything, flowers, cake, photographer... but what about the officiant? The Caribbean is abound with wonderful compassionate ministers who marry island guests all the time. What you may not realize, is you can bring your own officiant to your Destination Wedding.

The one person who actually marries you and carries you through your vows should be a very special person but I think often people do not even think about this person and/or have no idea who it should be. If it is their pastor, priest or rabbi they still need someone to help them with the process of becoming husband and wife, writing of the vows and we are married so now what!! Ali offers services and packages for the wedded couples to be called One and Only Weddings by Ali Berlin. These are special packages that include things like a session to discuss how they would like their ceremony to be and what to say, writing of vows session individually if need be, she is wedding officiant, then meets with you after for a few sessions to help you transition into married life. Getting married is such a big deal as we know and we all want to succeed in marriage. I think Ali's approach a lot of people love because it is a fresh idea and way of thinking about the spiritual connection throughout the wedding process beyond just booking a wedding planner, music and location etc.

Getting Married in the Dominican Republic?

The Dominican Republic has always been a popular spot for vacations. Punta Cana is often regarded as one of the best values for all-inclusive resort stays on pristine white sand beaches. On the North Coast, Cabarete and the surrounding villages are home to the some of the island's, if not region's, finest real estate. Included in this pocket of luxury are many wonderful rental villas - perfect for family gatherings and even better for smaller, more intimate Destination Weddings. If you are getting married at a hotel, you have likely been put in touch with the onsite wedding coordinator who is assisting you in everything from picking out your flowers to completing the necessary paperwork. If you are getting married at a villa, it is a different story. You can hire a local wedding planner, starting at $1500+, or go the voyage alone. Many of my clients prefer to bring their own photographers, and don't mind sourcing their own decor - either locally or having everything sent ahead of time, thanks to FedEx. I am also seeing a rise in clients bringing their own Ministers or Rabbis along. So, they often do not want to pay the $1500+ simply to have paperwork completed. A solution? Of course! A site, rightly titled We Do, offers all the required legal information for your Dominican Republic Destination Wedding. Contact them and let them know I sent you!