Island Wedding Tips
Weddings on the islands have always been very popular and even though they are more expensive than those offered in South Africa, if it’s been the brides dream for years, then there are a few tips to consider when planning.
1. Always do the homework on your chosen island. Make sure that you know when the rainy season is and when the low season is because this is when specials are most likely to be advertised and can save you money.
2. Beach weddings are different to the norm and big, frilly, lacey kind of attire is not always appropriate. Remember, it’s hot and you need to be as comfortable as possible.
3. Shoes need to be chosen very carefully to avoid sinking away into the sand. Most beach brides use a string kind of shoe that ties around the ankle and toe with some pretty beading.
4. Time of day is important if you are wanting sunset photos. Sunsets happen around 6pm on most of the surrounding islands.
5. Remember that the legalities are taken care of a day or two prior to the ceremony so it is highly important to choose your date properly. Example…if you want to celebrate your wedding anniversary every year on the 14 February for romantic reasons, then you need to ensure that the signing of the documentation is done on the 14th February. The ceremony will then only take place on the 15th or even the 16th. The day that the documentation is signed, is in essence your wedding date.
6. If you are thinking of inviting guests to attend your wedding, ask your consultant about self catering chalets available on the island of choice. This would save money. Guests do not have to stay as long as the bridal couple do. Guests can stay for 3 or 4 nights.
7. When it comes to the dinner celebration….remember that most packages include breakfast and dinner so ask about a supplement charge instead of a full private dinner. Your wedding planner will go through to the wedding planner on the island of choice and make sure that if the dinner is set up perhaps in a different area, on the beach etc, there is a supplement charged and not the full price. Because dinner is included in the package and pre paid, it might be a good idea to celebrate your dinner in the restaurant that provides for dinners included in the package…this way…there should be no addditional charge at all….and you can ask that they set up a table just slightly away from the rest of the guests.
8. If you opt to having dinner in the standard dining area, ask about taking your own decor for the table along with you. You can take your own table cloths and overlays, your own matching serviettes and any little item that you would like to put onto the dining table. You could even take your own chair covers and tie backs.
9. Ask for locally grown flowers because anything else would entail flying them in from surrounding areas and this takes the price up. Locally grown flowers are so beautiful and can even be placed on the dining table afterward.
10. The islands can be pretty expensive when it comes to drinks so if you’re planning a wedding, it might be a good idea to put everyone on a fully inclusive package beforehand. This would ensure that all drinks are included and you won’t have to fork out money per drink. Important to find out about entertainment. Most of the resorts have live entertainment every evening during and after dinner. If you choose the standard dining area for dinner and then move into the area where the local entertainment has been set up for the evening, you won’t have to pay extra for entertainement and your guests will have a wonderful time, dancing until the band packs up.
Written by Marrilyn
for The Travelling Bride
