Travel Agent - August 27, 2007 - (Page DW11) wedding industry. Members include 34 destinations, plus resorts, wedding planners, photographers and numerous travel agents serious about expanding their destination wedding business. Cayman Islands The Cayman Islands Department of Tourism was one of the charter members of the CWA and has made its own serious commitment to making romance and wedding business a larger part of its marketing. Its location only one-hour flight from Miami and its high level of service offer much for the destination bride and groom. A big selling feature for the Cayman Islands is that there is no waiting period for a marriage license, which can be an average of three days’ wait for some other Caribbean destinations. This also makes the Cayman Islands a good choice for couples who wish to wed during a stop here on their cruise. Thanks to a range of wedding service companies based in Cayman (accessible at www.caymanislands.ky), your clients seeking a destination wedding can get the exact experience they want. Whether it’s just an intimate ceremony on the beach or an extravaganza hosting hundreds of people at a luxurious venue or anything in between, the bride and groom will find every service available to them. Top wedding locales include Grand Cayman’s magnificent Seven Mile Beach and Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park, and the secluded beaches of sister islands Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. Even underwater weddings can be arranged with couples donning scuba gear in lieu of a white gown and a tux. Top resorts can arrange larger weddings. Suggest couples have the wedding on Grand Cayman and then hop a short flight to either sister island for a truly romantic, laid-back honeymoon focusing just on the two of them. Sandals’ Grande Ocho Rios, Jamaica such as the two Paradisus resorts in Punta Cana, offer a selection of wedding and romance packages and often have wedding specialists on hand to help coordinate every last detail. Unlike several other Caribbean destinations, there is no waiting period to get married here. Another plus for Jamaica is that non-residents need only wait 24 hours to wed on the island. A large island, Jamaica is also home to a number of resort locales, allowing the couple to escape to another part of the island for privacy after the wedding festivities. Mexico Jamaica Jamaica, a land of lively culture and gorgeous beaches, continues to be very popular for wedr dings and honeymoons. All-inclusive resorts abound here (including Sandals, SuperClubs and Half Moon, among others) or clients can choose to wed in a former plantation great house or in a private villa with views of the Caribbean Sea. Top romantic spots to tie the T knot on the island include the Blue Lagoon in Port Antonio, Lovers Leap near the South Coast’s rugged edge, and on Negril’s cliffs at sunset. Mexico, a perennial top-ten destination wedding and honeymoon choice, was named “Most Affordable Destination” in the Modern Bride honeymoon survey. It boasts its share of romantic enclaves in Cancun, Cozumel and the Riviera Maya as well as in the Pacific coast resort areas such as Los Cabos, Acapulco and Puerto Vallarta. The options are virtually endless: The bride and groom can enjoy an all-inclusive resort wedding, charter a yacht to sail the beautiful waters around Mexico or get married at a Mayan Indian ceremony on the Yucatan peninsula. Dominican Republic Whether couples are looking for a quiet, secluded beach getaway or want to start off their new lives with an exciting eco-adventure, the Dominican Republic can accommodate them. Brides and grooms can opt for extravagant and lavish ceremonies and receptions or more sedate and private affairs on the beach, in lush gardens or anywhere else they would like. Most of the larger resorts and hotels, Destination Weddings Specialist 2.0 | Travel Agent | August 27, 2007 11 http://www.caymanislands.ky http://www.caymanislands.ky
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