Congratulations
on your upcoming wedding! You've got a lot of options
in the islands, even on a limited budget.
First, hurricanes.
It depends how late in the fall your wedding will be
as to how much a factor this should play in your decision
making. If it's a September wedding, definitely take
hurricanes into consideration; the season reaches its
peak in early September and the whole month holds a
danger of storms.
That said,
you can opt for an island that's south of the hurricane
zone and very rarely troubled by storms. These islands
are Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao as well as, to
a somewhat lesser degree, Trinidad and Tobago. The first
three are desert beauties but with tropical growth in
the resort areas; less rain means less vegetation but
more sunny days!
If you don't
choose an island south of the hurricane zone, be sure
to check into your resort's hurricane guarantee policy.
Some of the larger resorts offer a guarantee that if
your vacation is interrupted by an incoming storm, you'll
receive compensation in the form of future days; check
with the resort for all the particulars on what the
compensation is, when it has to be taken, what constitutes
a hurricane for the guarantee (how close does it have
to be, does a tropical storm count, etc.)
Once that
decision's made, you'll want to start checking on islands
and resorts that match with your budget and wedding
requirements. The French islands won't work for weddings
(they have a residency requirement of over a month);
other islands such as Anguilla and Nevis are probably
out if you're keeping an eye on the budget.
You'll find
free wedding packages at some of the resort chains such
as SuperClubs and Sandals. If you don't want to feel
like part of an assembly line, opt for a wedding at
a smaller property such as Sandals Halcyon in St. Lucia;
the property is far smaller than its glitzy cousins
on the island so you have a chance of being one of the
few weddings held that day. (Fall is off season, too,
so you've got a better chance of being one of few weddings
anywhere you go.)
If you don't
want a free wedding package and really want to have
a wedding that's a special event, consider the small
islands. One we'd specially recommend is St. John in
the US Virgin Islands. The island is not the cheapest
but fall means low prices; you can get a villa for the
price of a hotel room. On island wedding coordinators
can help you plan a simple beach wedding or an event
at one of the island's historic sites.
