I've never been the kind of girl who dreamed about getting married in a church.
No, a blue sky held more allure than vaulted ceilings. A carefree ceremony called to me more than a regimented order of processional, vows, rings, unity candle and recessional. An intimate gathering held more meaning than a large, lavish affair.
Barefoot on the beach was where I wanted to be.
It didn't take me long to decide to be part of a growing trend; I wanted a destination wedding.
Faced with the prospect of luxurious affairs that not only require a fat bank account but years of planning, many couples are choosing to elope – and they are bringing their loved ones with them.
Whereas most used to go to Las Vegas to tie the knot without a lot of fuss, today couples wed on a volcano in Hawaii, during a cruise ship stop in the Bahamas, in a winery in California, or at a chateau in the Alps. Others take it to the extreme with a ceremony underwater, up a mountaintop, or followed by a bungee jump.
I didn't feel the urge to go that crazy. But I did want the experience to be something we would both remember forever. I wanted it to be new and exciting. I wanted our destination wedding to reflect the journey we were embarking upon together for the rest of our lives.
Choosing the location
There were a few things I knew I wanted as I began researching locations a year prior. I wanted it to be on a beach (I don't know, but Kenny Chesney must have gotten to me). I wanted it to be a casual affair, meaning I wasn't going to create a wedding there like I would have at home – i.e. no party favors, no band, no guest list over 200, no bridesmaids or groomsmen, no tuxedos or matching dresses, no elaborate cake with engraved cake cutters, no fancy sit-down dinner with a menu I'd labor over for months, no matching white chairs lined up perfectly with an aisle runner in the middle, no aisle decorations and no confetti.
I wanted to go someplace I'd never been before. I wanted it to be relatively inexpensive. And I wanted it to be laid back.
I initially checked out Bermuda, Italy and the Bahamas; looked into what a few cruise ships offered; and then focused in on the Caribbean.
I narrowed my choice to Mexico's Yutacan Pennisula or the island of Ambergris Caye in Belize, and then bought travel books on both. I also researched legal requirements. Mexico requires chest x-rays and blood tests upon arrival; however, there are no waiting periods or residency requirements. But as I'm not fluent in Spanish, I'd also need the assistance of a translator or wedding planner.
In Belize, the national language is English. The waiting period is five days and the residency requirement three days, but a local officiant can get the license faster.
When I read about the traditional lazo ceremony in Belize, my choice was made. During a lazo ceremony, a decorative garland is used to symbolically unite the couple for a lifetime of everlasting love. A picture I saw showed a couple and officiant standing in the center of a palm leaf circle on the beach.
That was exactly what I envisioned.
Next, I began researching specific hotels. I read everything Trip Advisor had to offer, found an online Ambergris Caye forum (ambergriscaye.com/forum), and browsed the county's many travel web sites (www.goambergriscaye.com, www.travelbelize.org). I read the local newspapers (both stories and ads).
I thought long and hard about the type of experience I wanted to offer our guests. I decided upon one that would give them a range of experiences. Instead of choosing a private resort far off the beaten track, I picked one within a five-minute walk of town. This way, those who wanted more action could have it, and head to town for its nightlife and range of shops. I didn't want to tie everyone to the resort's restaurant, knowing it would be one of the priciest ones, and being within walking distance ensured we didn't have to hire taxis to get everywhere.
- I didn't get married at a Mayan ruin, but seeing this photo makes me want to renew my vows at one!
- From www.belizeweddings.com, a good resource if you want to get married in Belize.
Sending out invitations
When we told people about the wedding, we said we'd love it if they wanted to come along, but we were holding a reception back home when we returned in case they couldn't afford it.
We initially expected 30 to 35 to make the trip with us, based on the responses we heard. The number was whittled down to 13 by the time it came to actually purchasing tickets and plunking down the necessary $1,000+ a piece for airfare and a week's lodging.
In retrospect, I think our size of 15 was perfect. It was just getting to be a group that was hard to keep track of at the peak, and many more might have lead to chaos – or at least more organization on my part. And I was there to relax.
I had initially envisioned sending out elaborate invitations in a bottle, but decided figuring out how to mail those would be a nightmare. Instead, I opted for sending out an email to everyone letting them know the prices I'd found for airfare and the hotel. Then I put all the information I'd gathered about flights, hotels and the country online at our personal web site.
- From www.belizeweddings.com, a good resource if you want to get married in Belize.
- From www.belizeweddings.com, a good resource if you want to get married in Belize.
Explaining our choice
There were those who didn't understand why we weren't doing the traditional wedding. To those people, we pointed out we were saving money by not paying for a church or reception hall, cake, florist, videographer, or soloist. We were also doing something exciting, and combining my love of travel with our wedding. Plus, neither of us are the traditional sort of people, and we wanted something that would be more carefree and fun.
Some accepted our reasons. Others didn't.
GOOD RESOURCES FOR DESTINATION BRIDES
• Destination Weddings & Honeymoons magazine. The web site has a great forum. See destinationweddingmag.com
• Another great forum can be found at bestdestinationwedding.com/forum/
• Compare the multitude of wedding web sites out there at one easy site: www.weddingwebsites.com
• Insight Travel Guides. Full of photos, these are the easiest travel books to use.
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