Cayman .... Seven miles of Beach Beauty

Cayman islands offer the ultimate in hospitality and romance. You have the option of getting married in a smaller resort or a five-star hotel, this destination has the capability of producing events that reflect the style that a bride envisions.  The backdrop of this ocean is simply spectacular.

The Cayman Islands are located south of Cuba and it is known for its pristine 7 mile beach. The sunsets are unique and varied every night.  Once you arrive into the Cayman Islands, you step off the plane onto the tarmac and feel the rush of warm Caribbean air.

Guest activities:  your guests have plenty of options to select for excursions. For those who love to scuba dive, they have some of the best reef diving around. Stingray City is just a 10 minute boat ride away where you can swim and snorkel among the reefs.  The Turtle Farm at Boatswain's Beach, offers kids and adults the opportunity to see hundreds of giant turtles.



For the guest with a sophisicated palette this island offers a wide range of amazing cuisine. One must try
any of the following restaurants:

Calypso Restaurant, known for its wonderful sticky toffy pudding www.calypsogrillcayman.com

Osetra Bay, this Miami feeling restaurant has a fusion to it, served with by wonderful friendly waiters who are a joy to be around.  The food at Osetra is inspiring and wonderful. I think the drink master made this amazing www.osetrabay.com

Luca Restaurant: best seaside fine dining restaurant, set within the Caribbean Club. www.caribclub.com


   

Marriage license requirements:

 Residency requirements: none
 Necessary documentation: non residents need a marriage license, letter from authorized local marriage officer, proof of citizenship and age, proof of marital status, legal divorce decree, two witnesses

Places to stay:


Ritz Carlton, for those who love to have full service hotel, this is the perfect place for you. Ritz Carlton offers a variety of room levels, plus multiple restaurants. www.ritzcarlton.com/grandcayman

Caribbean Club: this exclusive boutique suite hotel, offers guests one - three bedroom private villas with common living room and full service kitchens. Great option for weddings and families. www.caribclub.com


 With pristine sand comes some great ideas for getting that sand off your toes after the ceremony ....

Cayman islands is one of the few islands without a waiting period for a  marraige license, so if you are so inclined to Elope - this is the perfect spot for that, as well.

Creative Welcome Bags for Destination Weddings

Welcome bags are part of the destination planning.  You want to make a great first impression when your guests arrive to the location.  Greet your guests with items that are native to the region in which they are traveling to.

The following items should be included in all welcome bags:

 Map of the Region
 Restaurant Guide
 Timeline of the weekend activities
 Bottles of water
 Salty Snack
 Sweet Snack

Be creative in your bag selection, the types of containers varies from tote bags, to white gift bags to gable boxes.

Tote bags, are filled with snacks, local items and items that represent the couple

Tag the bags with custom tags that match your theme of the wedding.

Add some after party hangover kits, filled with advil, alka seltzer, tums are just some suggestions

Create bags that are native to the area, in NYC we hand out 5th Avenue candy bars, pretzels and apples

In the Caribbean, for planned activities we included snorkeling equipment with sunscreen, aloe and candy native to the island

Palm bags are great, this bag was used a favor with a picture frame that we had photos taken of each guest

Towels are great for the bags, that are personalized with the wedding theme

Reasons to Consider a Destination Wedding

Destination weddings are probably the most memorable events of all. It allows you to spend quality time with your family friends over a longer period of time.  My top reasons to consider a destination wedding:

The location should be a true representation of your personality. Most couples will pick a location based upon their vacations or the location where they were engaged or even met.

 The most important people will attend, thus reducing your ever growing guest list by more than half. This upside not only helps with the overall budget but it gives the couples more quality time with close family and friends.

You are spending the money for a longer period of party time. Instead of spending the money
on a 5 hour event - you will get 3 days of fun with family and friends.

 The destination wedding is a vacation for the guests, you have now taken them away from their day to day routine and asked them to spend 3 unforgettable days away with you. If you give them 9 - 12 month lead time they will be able to schedule their vacation time around your wedding weekend.

 Embrace the destination, if you dreamed of a castle in Ireland, you will experience the beauty of the region around you.  Enjoy the culture, experience the food and have fun.

 Enjoy the experiences offered at the destination. While in Italy host some cooking glasses or wine tasting tours.  In the Cayman island, swim with the stingray, in Hawaii enjoy snorkeling.

Incorporate the culture into the plans and activities.  In Italy we love to hire a mandolin and accordian players to serenade our guests, in Mexico you must go Mariachi, in Hawaai, how can you miss out on a hula dance

Fairytale Weddings

Castles-in-Ireland.com

Fairytale Weddings --

For those who want to splurge on a wedding in castle, there are some wonderful options that await the Princess Bride -

Waterford Castle Hotel and Golf Resort, Waterford, Ireland

Waterford Castle is a a wonderful private 310 - acre island that is the home to a 16th century castle on the River Suir. Guests are ferried across the waters to the beech - lined arbor that leads to the 19 - bedroom estate. Stone walls and intricate tapestries with four poster beds await your arrival to this fairytale castle.  The grand staircase in the foyer, makes you feel like Scarlett Ohara in Gone with the Wind as you descend to meet your Prince Charming.

The wonderful oak paneled walled dining room sets the tone for a wedding feast to highlight the ceremony. The stunning gardens filled with pink and purple rhododendroms make for an old english garden backdrop to offset your wedding day.

The hotel is famous for its gourmet pig roast that would be a wonderful rehearsal dinner celebration.

For those who love activities, why know play some croquet on the croquet lawn, try your hand at shooting of the clay pigeons or play a round of golf on the islands 18 - hole golf course.

Waterford.castle.com

Biltmore Castle, Asheville, North Carolina

This 210 room French Renaissance Chateau, gives you the touch of royalty without traveling to Europe to experience, shall we say American style.  This chateau was once the largest private residence in the United States, built by George Vanderbilt in 1895.  This estate offers thirteen venues which include a champagne cellar that can host a party for 30 , the rustic courtyard of the Barn which can host 40 - 300 guests and Vanderbilt Ballrom that can seat up to 550 guests.  This majestic home was set high on the hills so you can enjoy the vistas of the Blue Ridge mountains all set upon 8000 acres of land.  Fall in love with the Vanderbilt Ballroom where you can  a feast featuring farm to table cuisine, which you can pair your courses with the Biltmore winery, conveniently located nearby.

This Chateau offers your guests 201 guest rooms and 9 suites to allow you to enjoy this for your destination wedding guests.

Biltmore - Village.com

This property offers a variety of activities to keep your guests occupied all weekend long. Enjoy the grounds of the estate to the fullest extent by letting us help you reserve an off-road segway tour, , or a cruise down French Board River. They also offer fly- fishing, clay shooting,  horseback riding and carriage rides

Oheka Castle, Cold Spring Harbor, New York

Once you enter the gates of Oheka you are transported back to the Golden Age. This French Chateau built in the 1920's by financier and philanthropist Otto Herman Kahn, was home to many lavish parties and events hosted by Kahn.  The Castle offers 32 guests rooms for out- of- town guests located on the upper floors of the estate.  The Castle boasts a grand ballroom, wood paneled library, sitting room, dining room, terrace and manicured sculpted formal gardens, perfect for a garden ceremony.

The guests of Oheka may enjoy golf and tennis with use of the private club of  prestigious Cold Spring Golf Club.

The food possiblities are endless at Oheka, from their extensive cocktail hour to wonderful seated dinner to their bountiful dessert table your guests will be impressed, food fit for a king and queen.  Your guests can enjoy everything from a seafood station, lobster station, roasted pig carving station, caviar station and sushi station for cocktails. Then complete the dinner by an amazing display of desserts complete with cupcake tree, candy bar, waffle station and chocolate fountain.

The best ending to the event is having after hour scotch and cigars with jazz ensemble in the library.

Grand Velas Riviera Maya

Grand Velas Riviera Maya sits on the pristine 1000 feet of white sand shores of Playa del Carmen, Mexico. The newly opened Grand Velas sits on over 400 acres. The property sits on over 80 acres of mangroves, jungle, and natural freshwater wells locally known as cenotes. Beautiful luxury accommodation options include uniquely exotic garden suites, oceanview suites for guests ages 12 and up with private plunge pools overlooking the Mexican Caribbean.

Grand Velas Riviera Maya is just 5 minutes from downtown Playa del Carmen and a short 35- minute drive from Cancun International Airport. This property also received AAA’s highest award rating of a five-diamond property.

This is the only resort in the area to offer a culinary tour. The restaurants span the globe in 8 locations including the internationally-acclaimed Cocina de Autor restaurant. Other include:

Piaf – French cuisine

Sen-Lin – Asian inspired

Frida – Mexican

Azul – International

Bistro – French

The resort Spa offers guests a magnificent 75,000 square feet spa dedicated to the body and soul, with a re-hydrotherapy circuit and a cutting edge menu of treatments inspired by the ancient healing practices of Mexico and distinct world cultures. The spa is comprised of the following therapies:

Sauna, color therapy steam room, clay room, ice room, sensation showers, hot tub and cold plunge pool.

Sensations pool offers: sensory pebbly walkway, cascades, bubble beds, neck-massage jets, bubble geyser and warm chlorine free pool.

All suites offer personalized butler concierge services, a convention center, and a modern Kids Club.

The resort is divided into 3 sections:

The Zen Grand Section: sits in the natural environment of the Mayan Jungle, this family-friendly section features 206 elegantly exotic suites, each with over 1,000 square feet of space, private terrace and interior Jacuzzi. It is located ¾ of a mile from the beach, but the hotel offers shuttles that run continuously to the beach.

The Ambassador Section: family-friendly area of the resort that includes 195 spacious 1,200 + square foot ocean-view suites with a terrace, a sitting area, and some with private plunge pool. All of our beautiful suites offer interior Jacuzzis and terraces to enhance the experience in paradise. These suites are conveniently arranges around the main infinity pool.

The Grand Class: adult-only area of the resort designed for optimum privacy and relaxation and features 90 sophisticated ocean-view suites with private plunge pools, in-room massage tables, two Jacuzzis and modern conveniences such as wireless Internet ($), a DVD/CD/MP3 player and a plasma screen TV.

Wedding receptions can be held in a variety of locations, offering your guests world class experience and fine dining choices.