Just an hour from Miami, the Cayman Islands is a tropical island paradise with all the facilities a visitor would expect of an upmarket wedding destination. This autonomous British Overseas Territory boasts some of the best diving in the world, many luxury hotels and resorts, stunning beaches and the highest standard of living in the Caribbean.
As an exotic wedding destination, it is both easy to get to and has a highly organized and professional hospitality sector ready to offer all the luxurious trappings of a fairy-tale wedding that would please even the most demanding of brides-to-be.
Whether it’s a small ceremony at an intimate resort, a fun-filled beach side reception or a large formal affair at a luxury hotel, there’s a Grand Cayman wedding venue to suit every couple and their guests. Caribbean wedding planners have all the experience needed to organize weddings of all kinds — whether it’s a grand affair for hundreds of guests or a small, intimate ceremony for close friends and family.
Peak season in the Cayman Islands is December to April when the heat and humidity are at their most benign. Prices are lower and bookings are easier to make at other times of the year but the weather can be unpredictable, with hurricanes and tropical storms likely to appear any time between May and November, which could put a literal dampener on wedding proceedings.
Any day of the week is good for a Cayman Islands wedding, but the strong Christian culture of the islands prohibits live and outdoor music on Sundays, which means all Saturday wedding celebrations must be over by midnight if there is a live band or it is an outdoor venue. Not even the best wedding planner in the Cayman Islands can fix that problem, but they will certainly offer an alternative.
Getting married in the Cayman Islands is easy, with minimal legal requirements. You will need a marriage license, an authorized “officiant” to perform the ceremony and a couple of witnesses. A Special Marriage Licence costs US$250 and you must be married by a Marriage Officer who has been approved by the Cayman Islands government. Most ministers of religion are also Marriage Officers.
The bride and groom will need to provide their passports and proof of marital status (legal divorce decree or death certificate, if applicable) as well as two witnesses. Expect your wedding planner and officiant to collect and organize all the paperwork as part of the wedding package.
For guests, the Cayman Islands offers plenty of activities to keep them entertained in the days before and after the wedding. Snorkeling, diving and watersports facilities are abundant and of high quality. There are organized trips to the famous Stingray City, there are submarine tours of the surrounding reefs, by day and night, and the Cayman Islands is home to the Cayman Turtle Centre, the only institution in the world that successfully breeds and releases captive-bred green sea turtles into the wild.
Besides the beaches, watersports, the shopping and all the excitement of a wedding to attend, the food is a vital part of the attraction of the Cayman Islands as a wedding destination. Five-star restaurants abound, offering the freshest seafood ingredients straight from local waters and prepared in the Cayman Islands’ unique way — a fusion of European, Caribbean and South American styles and flavors.
The happy couple and their guests will appreciate the fact that the Cayman Islands is very safe for visitors, with the lowest rate of crime in the Caribbean, making it ideal for a luxury Caribbean wedding trip. It is also an English-speaking territory and the US dollar is freely accepted. No wonder the Cayman Islands is hugely popular with couples planning a destination wedding in the Caribbean.
