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 Country crooner Kenny Chesney kisses the hand of his bride, actress Renee Zellweger, in Cruz Bay, on St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Zellweger wore a wedding dress by designer Carolina Herrera for the event, which took place on the beach. — AP |
The couple wed May 9 in an intimate ceremony on the island of St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands, publicist Nanci Ryder said in a statement.
The evening ceremony took place on the beach in front of close friends and family at Chesney's island home.
The beautiful beaches of St. John -- and other islands around the Caribbean -- make the area a favourite locale for marriage-minded couples -- celebrity or not.
Once a preferred spot for couples tying the knot a second time, more first-time newlyweds are opting for a Caribbean "weddingmoon" -- a combination wedding and honeymoon.
Couples choose holiday nuptials for a variety of reasons. Some like the cost -- a destination wedding can be tens of thousands less than a traditional wedding. Others like the laid-back atmosphere of the islands.
Many hotel chains, large resorts and visitors bureaus employ wedding planners who can arrange everything from the ceremony to the photos to the cake.
Some islands have relaxed legal restrictions to make it easier for couples to wed. But it's wise to check legal requirements before you book, and be sure to bring along passports, divorce papers or death certificates.
Each Caribbean island offers its own unique flavour. With a little research, you're sure to find a spot that measures up to your idea of paradise.
Here are a few suggestions:
ANTIGUA & BARBUDA
If you long to wed on a beach, you don't have to go very far to find one in this charming Commonwealth country. Antigua claims it has 365 beaches -- one for every day in the year.
For information, visit antigua-barbuda.org, antigua-barbuda.com and antiguanice.com.
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DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
The D.R. is a favourite destination of Canadians because it provides great value. Visitors who want to seal their union in this scenic country often opt for the beaches around Punta Cana and Puerto Plata.
According to the Dominican Republic tourist office, other good choices include La Romana, on the east side of the island, and Samana, on the northeast side of Samana Bay. For more, visit dominicanrepublic.com.
CUBA
The largest island in the Caribbean is well established as a winter playground for Canadians. Almost 500,000 of us visited last year, many on repeat trips.
Because of the strong relationship between Canada and Cuba, the country makes it easy for Canadians to wed there; many hotels and resorts offer wedding packages.
Most resorts are clustered around the sugar-white beaches; elsewhere the landscape ranges from semi-arid desert to tropical rainforests. Old Havana draws visitors looking for culture and nightlife.
For more, visit the Cuba Tourist Board at gocuba.ca.
JAMAICA
An estimated 13,000 lovers from around the world come here to wed.
In addition to beautiful natural vistas, the country's Great Houses -- pre-Victorian plantation homes that are now tourist attractions and museums -- provide romantic wedding settings.
Around Montego Bay, these include the restored Rose Hall Great House, which was built in 1760, and Greenwood Great House, which was built by a cousin of poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning in the 1700s.
East of Ocho Rios are two more fabulous estates -- Firefly and Goldeneye -- the former homes of playwright Noel Coward and James Bond creator Ian Fleming. Jamaica's resorts are also popular wedding spots.
For more, visit jamaicatravel.com or top5jamaica.com.
ST. LUCIA
Eco-tourism and natural settings lure about 13,000 visitors to St. Lucia each year. About 3,000 of those come to get married.
Many choose to wed in view of the island's famous peaks -- The Pitons. Beach, hotel and cliffside weddings are also popular options.
For more, visit stlucia.org or jungletoursstlucia.com, slunatrust.org, slumaffe.org.
ST. VINCENT & THE
GRENADINES
Couples with a taste for seclusion -- or swashbuckling -- might find paradise on St. Vincent, the setting for Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl and its sequels.
The rugged east side of the lush island is lined with steep cliffs, rocky shores and exotic black sand beaches. On the sheltered south coast there are pristine white sand beaches.
Real seclusion can be found on the smaller Grenadine Islands -- Bequia, Mustique, Petit St. Vincent, Canouan, Mayreau, Palm Island, Tobago Cays and Union Island.
For more information, see svgtourism.com/
U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS
Getting married in the U.S. Virgin Islands is such a simple process that more tourists wed here than anywhere else around the Caribbean.
An estimated 1.5 million tourists cruise into St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. John and the 57 smaller islands, that make up the U.S.V.I.
About 3,700 wedding ceremonies are performed each year -- many on board the ocean liners that arrive in the harbour for the day.
For more, visit usvitourism.vi.
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WEDDING TIP
- Check local marriage laws before you book. Regulations vary from country to country. For instance, in some countries you must have your documents translated into Spanish.
RESOURCES
- Your travel agent and tour operators' websites can be good sources of information.
Tour operators and all-inclusive resorts often provide little perks -- free beach weddings, room upgrades, complimentary Champagne -- for couples tying the knot at their properties.
Other sources of advice include the website doitcaribbean.com, a new magazine called Destination Weddings & Honeymoons -- destinationwh.com -- and a directory of wedding locations, weddinglocation.com.