On June 20, 1985, Hiroshi and Etsuko Date traveled from Japan to Nassau to exchange their vows. Their nuptials launched the Bahamas to the world as a prime destination for an upscale wedding/honeymoon.
Since then the destination wedding, affectionately called the “wedding moon,” has taken off.
Destination weddings combine the wedding, reception and honeymoon together in one location. With all the details and challenges in planning a “perfect” wedding and the price tag that comes with it, more couples are opting to reduce the hassle and focus on something truly unique.
The Dates were so impressed with this destination that they opted to return with their bridal party 10 years later, in April 1995, to renew their vows.
The couple was just the first of thousands who are choosing to spend the first days of married life in the Bahamas.
According to Priscilla Williams, manager of the Weddings Unit at the Ministry of Tourism, weddings in the Bahamas are “big business.”
“Thousands of brides come here annually not only through the Ministry of Tourism via the Bahamas Bridal Association, but Sandals also caters to thousands of weddings every year,” she disclosed.
“Running a close second is Breezes then Atlantis. I recently attended a workshop hosted by the International Travel Partners Conference where the guest speaker noted that destination weddings were on the rise and should increase by 200 percent by 2020.”
Mrs. Williams described destination weddings as a group of 25 or more persons, spending a minimum of four nights or more in the Bahamas.
“The bride and groom play host to their relatives and friends and while they begin their honeymoon their friends begin their vacation. They spend a lot on room, food and activities,” she said.
Beverly Maycock, a top wedding consultant at Sandals, told the Bahama Journal that the resort organizes 1,500 to 1,800 weddings on an annual basis.
“We are always busy, but the busiest months are anytime after April where we have more than 100 weddings per month. A wedding can include anywhere from two to 65 persons,” she said.
“However, the size of wedding parties has been increasing over the years from couples to groups. Some couples brings no one, others bring everyone. The average size of a wedding party is anywhere from 20 to 35 people.”
The majority of brides and grooms reportedly come from the United States, while smaller numbers come from Canada and the United Kingdom.
Weddings are not only profitable to hotels, but also for local businesses.
According to Makeva Wallace Rolle, head bridal consultant at Button’s Bridal and Formal Wear, business is starting to pick up heading into the summer months, with an average of seven to 10 weddings every week, starting this weekend.
She advised that the first thing to do when planning a wedding is to plan a budget.
“You can’t plan a $15,000 wedding on a $1,500 budget. The budget tells you the number of people you should have in your wedding and the size of your guest list,” Mrs. Wallace-Rolle said.
“Today, the standard size of a bridal party is 20 to 22 persons, with a guest list of 175 to 200 persons and that can run you anywhere from $15,000 to $22,000 depending on the venue of the ceremony, reception, floral arrangements and decorations.”
Although weddings are costly it’s not a deterrent to couples bent on marriage. The latest figures issued by the Department of Statistics indicate that 1,787 marriages occurred in the Bahamas in 2001. The figures for 2000 and 1999 were 2,366 and 2,204, respectively.
Source: Tosheena Robinson-Blair, The Bahama Journal
For Bahamas wedding information, tips and requirements, or assistance in planning a Bahamas wedding, visit www.bahamas-travel.info.
