in the beginning stages of planning... lots of ?s!

[monlyba]

hello everyone, i just joined this message board and this is my first time posting. we got engaged last weekend and are hoping to get married during a cruise in December 2008. we want to keep our same (dating) anniversary of Dec 9 for our wedding anniversary, so it's a little complicated trying to find a cruise that docks somewhere on the 9th where we can easily get married! i'm hoping it doesn't prove to be too hard and we have to change the date.

 

i have found two cruises so far that dock in Grand Cayman that day and i did find out that you can get off the ship and get married that same day, no residency requirements or anything like that. are there any other Caribbean islands with similar rules? it seems that most i've looked up require you to be on the island for 24-48 hours before you can get a marriage license. however, both those cruises i'm looking at are 7 nighters so we have to make sure that the few people who would be willing to go on the cruise with us can go for that long, i'm sure many of them would prefer 4 or 5 nights but i can't find one yet that works out that way.

 

anyway, i was just wondering if anyone had any advice for me. my mom works for a cruise booking agency so she can help us get the cruise set up and get us a little discount. what i'm trying to figure out now is the way to go about planning the actual wedding. i saw a website for local companies that can arrange everything for you, like for instance if we want to have a simple ceremony on the beach that day, we can set things up with them through the mail and then meet them on the day of to finalize things. if i'm doing it that way, do i even need to deal with anyone from the cruise company? i would think that it wouldn't be any real concern of theirs if we're getting off the ship to do it, but i have no idea how that stuff works.

 

if we do the Cayman thing, we'd be docking around 8am or so and the ship will leave about 3pm so another thing i'm worried about is being rushed that day, feeling like we don't have much time to get here, get there, and i guess we definitely won't get to do much sightseeing of the place itself. but i guess if the wedding ceremony goes smoothly, it will be worth it. anyone have any tips for that part?

 

sorry so many questions in one post. i'm just excited and anxious about all the planning ahead of me! i know i have a year and a half to get it figured out but of course i'd rather have it all set as far in advance as possible and i don't want to make any big mistakes!

[sas80]

hello everyone, i just joined this message board and this is my first time posting. we got engaged last weekend and are hoping to get married during a cruise in December 2008. we want to keep our same (dating) anniversary of Dec 9 for our wedding anniversary, so it's a little complicated trying to find a cruise that docks somewhere on the 9th where we can easily get married! i'm hoping it doesn't prove to be too hard and we have to change the date.

 

i have found two cruises so far that dock in Grand Cayman that day and i did find out that you can get off the ship and get married that same day, no residency requirements or anything like that. are there any other Caribbean islands with similar rules? it seems that most i've looked up require you to be on the island for 24-48 hours before you can get a marriage license. however, both those cruises i'm looking at are 7 nighters so we have to make sure that the few people who would be willing to go on the cruise with us can go for that long, i'm sure many of them would prefer 4 or 5 nights but i can't find one yet that works out that way.

 

anyway, i was just wondering if anyone had any advice for me. my mom works for a cruise booking agency so she can help us get the cruise set up and get us a little discount. what i'm trying to figure out now is the way to go about planning the actual wedding. i saw a website for local companies that can arrange everything for you, like for instance if we want to have a simple ceremony on the beach that day, we can set things up with them through the mail and then meet them on the day of to finalize things. if i'm doing it that way, do i even need to deal with anyone from the cruise company? i would think that it wouldn't be any real concern of theirs if we're getting off the ship to do it, but i have no idea how that stuff works.

 

if we do the Cayman thing, we'd be docking around 8am or so and the ship will leave about 3pm so another thing i'm worried about is being rushed that day, feeling like we don't have much time to get here, get there, and i guess we definitely won't get to do much sightseeing of the place itself. but i guess if the wedding ceremony goes smoothly, it will be worth it. anyone have any tips for that part?

 

sorry so many questions in one post. i'm just excited and anxious about all the planning ahead of me! i know i have a year and a half to get it figured out but of course i'd rather have it all set as far in advance as possible and i don't want to make any big mistakes!

 

You could always get married on the ship the day it docks in the caymans - that way you wont feel as rushed.

If you simply do a ceremony around 10 or 11 am then you could let your guests get off and enjoy the port.

 

Maybe your mom could arrange a cocktail hour before dinner that same night to serve as a reception of sorts. You could also have your mom reserve the specialty restaurant for that night and also do a cocktail hour before hand (or not).

 

I am fairly sure that you can arrange for a cake to be delivered to you after dinner, if you want.

 

I guess what I am trying to say is, think outside of the box. Dont let the cruise line wedding coordinators limit you as the opportunity is limitless.

 

Congrats!

[diannaallen72@verizon.net]

Congrats...

I would recomment not using the wedding experience (TWE), this is the coordinators that are recommeded via the cruise ship. There are local companies on each island that are all to happy to make your every wish come true. I think if you contacted an island company and explained what you wanted they could arrange everything and they are always willing to customize your ceremony/reception and are more willing to work prices out. As for TWE they are set in stone, they don't produce and break contractual obligations. From my own experience, stay away from TWE. Shop around on the islands and quote the work out to several different coordinators, then check the BBB for any complaints. This is you and your fiance's big day and no one should be able to ruin it. Dianna

[sunrise2008]

We are getting married in Auba, during our cruise on Adventure of the Seas Royal Carribean next Feb.

 

you will find a lot of information on these boards so it is a great place to start.

 

You basically have two options in terms of wedding planning: go through the cruise company or chosing a planner on the island. After reading these boards, I discovered that going through the cruise line could be plainful because their service level does not seem too good.. however, what I also read is that in the end, even if communication lacked during the planning process, the wedding day usually turns out great so it all depends how much in "control" you want to be. Also, it is more expensive than going through a private coordinator but they can arrange more things on board for you. We have decided to go through a private coordinator and will get about double for the same price as the cruise line. We want a simple wedding and costs are important for us so that was a big factor in our decision. Also, we have a lot of time on the island, so I was less concerned about timing.

 

I have found though that because we don`t go through the cruise line, there are things that are a little more complicated. For example, we want to have a reception at the Portofino restaurant but it seems more complicated to book our group and I am not sure if I will be able to decorate the tables etc. Also, our photograph will be on the island only, not on the boat and I don`t think we will get any favors from the cruise line like decorations on our door and free champagne or anything since we did not book through them. If we were to miss our island because of bad weather or any other reason,well then there can't be a back-up plan on the boat... (btw, only princess does wedding at sea, with RC not sure they could get you married in another port legally anyway??:confused: ) In the end, we feel it is still worth it to go through a private coordinator but I suggest that you read these boards and see what is best for you!

 

Good luck and congrats!!:)

[fungirl76]

You can get married anywhere in the carribean that is considered US territory w/out any problems. A lot of us are getting married in St. Thomas b/c of that reason and b/c it's gorgeous there. I am also using a private island coordinator and not going through the cruise line. They have been great with every little detail. As for decoration and what not back on the cruise, I'm bringing my own. I found the dollar store to be a perfect place for some decorations for our cabin door as well as some favors for my quests. If you are set on Gran Cayman I would suggest doing a noon wedding that way you won't have to worry about time. You will have your morning to get ready and then have plenty of time to get back on the ship. Like the previous poster said, you could do a cocktail hour aboard or do a specialty restaurant for you and your guests. Do fun things leading up to the day of the wedding. Ask your guest to join you for a drink at a certain time each day. Make welcome aboard newsletters and you could also make them gift bags. Again the dollar store is great. They have these red, white and blue nautical bags that are wonderful.. Congrats and good luck

[mandabear]

Congrats on the engagement and welcome to the boards! I'm getting married at sea aboard the Carribbean Princess in May 2008. Because we want to be married at sea, we have to use TWE. So far, everything has been fine. Some people have very strong feelings about TWE (and for good reason), so just make sure you look around and read some reviews before making your decision. One benefit of the at-sea wedding is that we don't have to worry about missing our port and then missing our wedding!

 

Oh, and our cruise is 9 days and some of our friends and family are still coming along! We just loved the itinerary and the fact that it leaves from NYC so we don't have to fly... the people who want to be there, will try their best to be there... but the one thing I've realzied is that if it is very important for you to have a large group of friends and family, you might want to do the embarkation day wedding...then everyone can come to the wedding regardless of whether or not they go on the cruise.

[kafitty]

i would be wary of getting married in Grand Caymen for two reasons:

 

a) it's a tender port, so you'd have to go on a small boat over to the shore in all of your wedding garb

b) GC is notorious for being missed by cruise lines because if the weather is poor, it can be extrememly dangerous to use the tenders.

 

just something to consider, and congrats on your engagement!

 

another thing: Princess cruise lines allow people to get married while at sea, but you would be required to use TWE as your coordinator, which could be hit-or-miss

 

and welcome to CC, you will find an answer to any question you could possibly think of.

[ShedQueen77]

i would be wary of getting married in Grand Caymen for two reasons:

 

a) it's a tender port, so you'd have to go on a small boat over to the shore in all of your wedding garb

b) GC is notorious for being missed by cruise lines because if the weather is poor, it can be extrememly dangerous to use the tenders.

 

just something to consider, and congrats on your engagement!

 

another thing: Princess cruise lines allow people to get married while at sea, but you would be required to use TWE as your coordinator, which could be hit-or-miss

 

and welcome to CC, you will find an answer to any question you could possibly think of.

 

Hey now...that's what I was gonna say! lol :D All in all, you can't go wrong with any Caribbean destinations. Who could find fault with a gorgeous, white sand beach with the ocean/sea behind them as scenery? ;)

 

Sunrise made a very nice post about choosing a coordinator. Again...someone stealing my words...for shame! lol ;) It's all in what YOU feel comfortable doing and how comfortable you are with your coordinator of choice. I communicated with quite a few planners in the process of setting our wedding up and I chose the one I "clicked" with the most, if that makes sense. You'll get a gut feeling and I highly suggest going with it! :)

[NurseBeth]

Kafitty beat me to the punch on the warning about Grand Cayman being a missed port. If you browse the cruise line-specific boards, you are always hearing about people missing Grand Cayman due to bad weather.

 

As far as whether to use an cruise line coordinator or one on an island, they each have their pros & cons. Ultimately though, if the ship can't get to your port, even the best-laid plans have been for nothing because your wedding will not be able to take place. On the other hand, if you plan through the cruise line & the ship is unable to make port as scheduled, alternate arrangements can be made and your wedding will proceed. You just have to decide what is most important to you and go from there.

[ShedQueen77]

Kafitty beat me to the punch on the warning about Grand Cayman being a missed port. If you browse the cruise line-specific boards, you are always hearing about people missing Grand Cayman due to bad weather.

 

As far as whether to use an cruise line coordinator or one on an island, they each have their pros & cons. Ultimately though, if the ship can't get to your port, even the best-laid plans have been for nothing because your wedding will not be able to take place. On the other hand, if you plan through the cruise line & the ship is unable to make port as scheduled, alternate arrangements can be made and your wedding will proceed. You just have to decide what is most important to you and go from there.

 

*IF* the cruiseline is able to get you licensed in another port on the duration of the cruise. For example, you can't use your USVI marriage license in, let's say, Antigua. As long as the cruiseline can make those arrangements, then it could happen but some of the ports have residency requirements that wouldn't be met by just "stopping by" on a cruise ship.

[jerseygirl3]

As the others have said, getting married in Grand Cayman can be iffy. If the ship misses the port, you would be out of luck. If all your guests will be onboard with you, maybe not such a big deal. But on our very first cruise, a couple was onboard who were getting married in G.C. All their guests flew to G.C. and were awaiting their arrival, however, the ship never made it there because of high winds. They had to wait until we reached Jamaica and they got off the ship there and flew to Grand Cayman. All their wedding plans were messed up.

 

Having said that, if you are dead set on G.C., I saw a Wedding Special on the Travel Channel and they used a Grand Cayman wedding planner. They did fabulous weddings. Their website is:

 

http://www.celebrationsltd.com

 

Good luck!

[monlyba]

wow, thanks for the tips everyone! it's all so overwhelming but very interesting. i certainly wouldn't want to risk missing the port (and the wedding!) because of weather, i totally see that point. GC is by no means a must for us, it was just one of the places i noticed does not have residency requirements, but i'm realizing there are several more to choose from in that respect. i keep finding more and more places to consider including USVI, Key West, Puerto Rico, etc. the only thing we're trying to stick with is getting married on Dec 9, '08. i guess if weather causes us to miss a port that day we would have to do a different date (assuming it could be arranged) but i'm hoping that won't be a problem. only a few people (maybe 2-4 other couples) would go on the actual cruise with us, and be there for the ceremony itself. we'll have our big shebang reception/party back home a few weeks after we get back, so i'm not too worried about guests missing out on the ceremony if plans change. i guess i will just keep compiling my list of cruises that are in port on 12/9/08 and hope i can narrow it down soon! thanks so much for the advice, i think this board is going to be super helpful. :D

[redjoan]

Mandabear.....you are getting married on the Caribbean Princess in May and it is sailing out of NY? I did not realize that! We are sailing Sept 30 and can't wait for the wedding at sea. That is a beautiful ship and you won't be sorry you chose her! So far, I have nothing but good things to say about TWE experience, and I hope that does not change.! I think we are going to do a combo of making plans with TWE and the ship onboard agenr? Lots of options!

[jerseygirl3]

wow, thanks for the tips everyone! it's all so overwhelming but very interesting. i certainly wouldn't want to risk missing the port (and the wedding!) because of weather, i totally see that point. GC is by no means a must for us, it was just one of the places i noticed does not have residency requirements, but i'm realizing there are several more to choose from in that respect. i keep finding more and more places to consider including USVI, Key West, Puerto Rico, etc. the only thing we're trying to stick with is getting married on Dec 9, '08. i guess if weather causes us to miss a port that day we would have to do a different date (assuming it could be arranged) but i'm hoping that won't be a problem. only a few people (maybe 2-4 other couples) would go on the actual cruise with us, and be there for the ceremony itself. we'll have our big shebang reception/party back home a few weeks after we get back, so i'm not too worried about guests missing out on the ceremony if plans change. i guess i will just keep compiling my list of cruises that are in port on 12/9/08 and hope i can narrow it down soon! thanks so much for the advice, i think this board is going to be super helpful. :D

 

Why not reduce all stress and get married onboard the ship while at sea? Princess does weddings at sea and that way you could select any of their ships that sail that previous weekend and just get married on that particular day at sea that you choose. You wouldn't have to worry about selecting an itinerary that would be in a port on Dec. 9 per se. Especially since there will be so few of your guests onboard, why go through the hassle of doing it off the ship. This way, the cruiseline will basically handle everything for you. We were married onboard a cruise, but had to do it before the ship sailed from Miami, as my sister and BIL couldn't sail with us. We had over 60 guests who did sail with us and having a wedding onboard the ship was fantastic. I would do it again in a heartbeat. That way there are no weather issues to deal with. You can plan a beach wedding and it could rain. At least being on the ship, everything is at your disposal.