Destination Wedding + Diving...Any ideas

[er1n99]

My dive buddy and I are getting married...(April 2010)

We're having a destination wedding, but don't know where to go. Our ideal choice is going to Palau and having the shindig there, however, we figure that we'd like our parents to come and airfare is expensive... So, we've set our sights on the Caribbean and was looking for help from ScubaBoard...

5-7 days with the family in wedding location (with good diving). Then 5-7 days somewhere else by ourselves with really good diving. We're looking for the wedding location to be somewhere where there is enough stuff to do for non-divers as well as good diving for the dive group. In so far as the second location, we have no preference as to where, just somewhere that would be easy to get to from the first location. And we are open and would be excited to do a liveaboard.

Our current shortlist includes USVI, Belize, and Turks & Caicos, but we are open to suggestions and hope that you guys have great ideas/experiences that you can share with us.

Also, on a semi-unrelated note, does anyone have a travel agent that they recommend that can make all the hotel/flight and possible "excursion" arrangements for us and the guests?

Thanks in advance!

[RoatanMan]

I'd take everybody to Bahamas Nassau or Freeport. Let 'em go nuts.

After that, you can get on a liveaboard or fly easily to San Salvador and have great Caribbean diving, very remote and cozy.

Your "short list" won't really fulfill all of your needs, but the Belize option might if you get them all out to one of the larger cays, first. That's expensive, and the level of topside entertainment is about 2% of Nassau. It's easy to get "good" diving by Caribbean standards, but "really good diving", well- that's not so nearby and accessable.

[Rhone Man]

You could do a USVI/BVI split.

[robint]

Not Caribbean, but price would be about the same: I would do Kona, Hawaii for the wedding area (lots of topside activities for party), then jump on the Kona Aggressor for a week of serious diving.

for Caribbean:
I would look at Cozumel, it is probably the cheapest place and they do lots of beachside weddings. Topside stuff available, too.
Next choice would be Playa del Carmen or Cancun area, right across the channel. Lots of things for the group to do, then you could go over to Cozumel for a week of diving.

[pafindr]

I've heard that Saba is beautiful and the diving is great.

[Cecil]

Or do the wedding in Aruba then jump over to Bonaire for the best part.

[Rickg]

Location - Wananavu Beach Resort, Viti Levu, Fiji. Here is a link to my trip report from our 25th wedding anniversary trip.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/pacific-islands/274991-fiji-trip-report.html

Travel Agent - Susan Young at Island Dreams.

Island Dreams Travel scuba diving vacations, cozumel scuba diving, dive travel, dive resorts, diving trips (http://islandream.com/)

And if you click on the Picasa link in my signature line below you will see the pictures (both above and underwater) from our trip.

[er1n99]

Thanks for the suggestions guys, keep 'em comin...

We're really trying to stay away from Mexico (we've done Puerto Vallarta and Cancun already), as well as trying to at least do the "wedding" part in a place whose official language is English, just so that the hassles of translating documents and whatnot is partially avoided...I realize that getting married in another country (or even USVI) is harder than getting married at home and comes with certain hassles, we just don't want to add having to translate things from Spanish (of which we don't speak).

Thanks for the travel agent recommendation I'll give her a call. Anyone ever use "World of...Diving" out of LA/Hermosa Beach, CA?

[Diver Lori]

If getting legally married in another country is an issue. Do the justice of the peace thing here and then have your ceremony wherever you decide to go. No legal issues that way.

[Rickg]

I forgot to say that Kai Viti Divers is no longer in business and Wananavu has a new dive op with a new 31' boat so there shouldn't be any issue with the diving.

[robint]

well...... if you really want to get married in a foreign country but need the native language to be English, check out Belize or Caymans.

How about Ambergris Caye, Belize:
Ramon's Village, Belize Resort, Belize Resorts, Resorts in Belize, Ambergris Caye (http://www.ramons.com/)
Belize Weddings, Getting Married on Ambergris Caye, Belize (http://ambergriscaye.com/pages/town/marriage.html)
Belize Lodging Guide, Resorts, Hotels, Accommodations, Reservations, Rooms in Belize (http://ambergriscaye.com/pages/lodge/lodging.html)

Caradonna Dive Adventures - Dive Travel and Vacations (http://www.caradonna.com)
Bay Adventures :: Dive Adventures and Island Vacations :: 888.599.3483 (http://www.bayadventures.com)

robin:D

[Rickg]

er1n99,

PM sent in response to your questions about Wananavu Beach Resort.

[Lorenzoid]

Thanks for the suggestions guys, keep 'em comin...

We're really trying to stay away from Mexico (we've done Puerto Vallarta and Cancun already), as well as trying to at least do the "wedding" part in a place whose official language is English, just so that the hassles of translating documents and whatnot is partially avoided...I realize that getting married in another country (or even USVI) is harder than getting married at home and comes with certain hassles, we just don't want to add having to translate things from Spanish (of which we don't speak).
. . .


My "dive buddy" and I are getting married in Curacao, because she's a native Dutch speaker and we think it will be cool to have the ceremony partyly Dutch, partly in English, and then going to Bonaire for a week. I know that doesn't help you.

Many of the Caribbean islands are accustomed to hosting weddings for Americans, and I wouldn't let the formalities deter you. People do it all the time, and the language and other hassles are not nearly as great as you might think.

[Rhone Man]

Most Caribbean countries publish for tourists any local requirements relating to weddings. It shouldn't take long to check.

Two rules in the BVI that catch a lot of people out: (1) you have to be physically present on the island for at least 3 days before you can marry (something to do with some ancient law about publishing Banns), and (2) if you have previously been married, you need to remember to bring an original copy of your decree for divorce/separation/anulment.

Good luck!

[er1n99]

Lucky us, this is the first wedding for the both of us (and hopefully the last).

I've spoken to a few travel agents that this thread offered up and they are all HIGHLY recommending Fiji (especially because I'm on the west coast). They are quoting prices that are less than $2000 pp including airfare, diving, food, etc.

And here we were thinking that the Caribbean was going to be much cheaper...

Thanks for the recommendations and I'll surely take more travel agent recommendations.

[Land_Locked]

I would suggest, as someone earlier did, going to Hawaii. The diving is good on pretty much any island and it is in the USA so no problem with getting married internationally. You could go with the Big Island of Hawaii or do something more intimate like staying on Lanai. Flights from CA are relatively inexpensive as well and depending on which island you decide, you could possibly fly direct.
Also, from Honolulu, Oahu you can catch a plane to almost anywhere in the Pacific (ie Micronesia, Guam, etc) so you two could do that for the honeymoon.

[Rhone Man]

Lucky us, this is the first wedding for the both of us (and hopefully the last).

I had the misfortune to miss both of my brothers' weddings. I didn't score many points with their wives when I promises solemnly to attend their next ones.

[krbnlaw]

My husband and I were married at Harbour Village in Bonaire in March 2000 and just booked a return trip for our 10 year anniversary. Harbour Village is an amazing and beautiful resort which even has a beach, unusual in Bonaire. The staff handled all details for us - paperwork, courthouse wedding with a magistrate, minister for a blessing on the beach at sunset, a great photographer, a wedding cake, dinner on the beach by ourselves in the torchlight with our own private waiter, etc. They even have a spa for hair, nails, etc. before the wedding. The onsite dive operation is wonderful and all gear is set up for you everyday (pampered diving). I've been to over 25 Caribbean islands and Bonaire is one of the best for diving - healthy reef, great viz, seahorses, turtles, eels, spotted drums, walls, etc. They do not have many weddings in Bonaire and we felt special and that our day was magical. I'd be happy to email you wedding photos so that you can see the courthouse, beach at sunset, cake and champagne setup, etc. Just send me your email - cltlaw@earthlink.net We honeymooned in Aruba at the Bucuti Beach Resort which was very nice. Aruba has amazing beaches, but diving is focused on wrecks because reef is not great (that's the payoff for a beautiful beach). This time we'll head to Curacao for the second part of our trip.

If Bonaire isn't for you, consider St. Lucia. We stayed at Anse Chastenet resort several years ago which is perched on a cliff overlooking the pitons and a black sand beach. Scuba St. Lucia is onsite and is very good, although diving is not the primary focus here and you feel that. We met a couple on our airport shuttle from the airport who were to be wed at the resort and they asked us to be their witnesses. It was a very nice ceremony, in the restaurant on the cliff and then photos at sunset on the beach. If you have family members coming, note the beach is a long stair climb (over 100 steps).

Good luck with your wedding wherever you go!!

[Redcard]

Married December 29, 2006.
Thala Lodge, Port Douglas, OZ.
Then a week on the Spirit of Freedom dive boat.

Arranged thru Great Expeditions | Custom Adventure Travel (http://www.greatexpeditionstravel.com/)

We're going to Fiji, Wananavu Resort, next week. Lucky us!

[Rye22]

I'm getting married in Aruba in just under a month. We're staying at the RIU Aruba Palace, which is a 5 star all-inclusive. Decided not to do the wedding at the resort (wanted something more private), rather opted for getting married at The Links Golf Course By Divi, with the reception to be at the Windows on Aruba restaurant.

Not sure who we'll be diving with, once I'm done my law school exams I'll be booking that up asap, but since we're all experienced divers we'll be booking with that in mind.

I've also been to St. Lucia and Grand Cayman and would easily recommend either of those. Especially the Sandals Regency or Ladera Resort on St. Lucia, or if you want something with some glitz, try the Ritz Carleton in Grand Cayman.

Good luck

[Incubus34]

"In a desperate bid to overturn the moratorium and boost its whaling industry, Japan is extorting six Caribbean nations with offers of aid.

The governments of Antigua, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia and St. Vincent all vote with Japan at annual International Whaling Commission (IWC) meetings to block conservation measures such as the creation of whale sanctuaries in the South Pacific.

Ironically, these same six Caribbean nations are largely dependent on tourism industries that lure travelers to "paradise" with eco-friendly promises of pristine reefs, whale watching and dolphin encounters."

CDNN ACT NOW :: Boycott Antigua, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent (http://www.cdnn.info/act-now/caribbean_alert/caribbean_alert.html)

Palau is also on the list:

CDNN ACT NOW :: Boycott Palau for Colluding with Japan to Block Whale Sanctuaries (http://www.cdnn.info/act-now/boycott_palau/boycott_palau.html)

[robint]

"In a desperate bid to overturn the moratorium and boost its whaling industry, Japan is extorting six Caribbean nations with offers of aid.

The governments of Antigua, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia and St. Vincent all vote with Japan at annual International Whaling Commission (IWC) meetings to block conservation measures such as the creation of whale sanctuaries in the South Pacific.

Ironically, these same six Caribbean nations are largely dependent on tourism industries that lure travelers to "paradise" with eco-friendly promises of pristine reefs, whale watching and dolphin encounters."

CDNN ACT NOW :: Boycott Antigua, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St. Vincent (http://www.cdnn.info/act-now/caribbean_alert/caribbean_alert.html)

Palau is also on the list:

CDNN ACT NOW :: Boycott Palau for Colluding with Japan to Block Whale Sanctuaries (http://www.cdnn.info/act-now/boycott_palau/boycott_palau.html)

CDNN is the National Enquirer of scuba industry. You cannot believe anything you read there.

[er1n99]

I just thought that I'd share...I took RickG's advice and we are going to Wananavu for a week to get married (and 3 days of diving with a night dive too) and then we'll ship off the family back to the states and stay an extra week at Paradise Taveuni for 5 days of diving. I'm really excited (more so for the vacation and less about the wedding, although we're excited about the wedding, don't get us wrong). Thank you everyone for all of your help and suggestions. I'll be sure to post about how the trip went!

[hwd-jeff]

St. Lucia is a great one as for the Sandals, it hits the spot. You can't go wrong with free diving. Sometimes they cut you to 45-50 min on your dive and I don't know about you but being a certified diver with dives under my belt I want to hear that last zing and know that that tank is empty before exiting the water.
Ben to Fiji, the trip was awesome Matana Beach Resort is a underrated resort with style and class all of its own. Its no Sandals but David, Mere, Bob and Reena make you feel more like family not guests. If your looking for a laid back, restful, peaceful, quiet, quaint, I could go on but you get the picture Matana Beach Resort it what your looking for.

[ecologic diver]

you are more than welcome to come to belize and get married here and use our 2 50ft cats for some awesome diving and sailing ..... fully diver friendly!!!