The Cayman Islands and wedding bliss — a match made in heaven. For those planning to step into the beginning of a happily ever after, the Islands offer a fairy tale setting to say “I do.” With scenic sunsets, postcard-perfect blue waters, sugary white-sand beaches and swaying palms, the backdrop alone is spectacular for staging a dream wedding.
But there’s more than just the idyllic tropical setting that draws hundreds of couples to these shores every year to exchange promises in paradise. This British Overseas Territory is safe, clean, English-speaking yet multicultural (Cayman has a large ex-patriot community, home to more than 100 different nationalities), enjoys a high standard of living and offers a cosmopolitan feel. It is easily accessible from many major cities in North America and the level of sophisticated services and diverse venues — spanning from luxury resorts and private villas to casual-chic-on-the-beach ceremonies — is second to none.
Cayman is known for weddings of style and distinction, bolstered by its lengthy list of convenient world-class services. It’s home to many experienced wedding planners, high-end restaurants and caterers, award-winning photographers, top-flight hair and beauty experts, musicians, florists, and a diverse range of accommodations that make staging an island wedding a breeze. Whether it’s a glamorous, upscale affair or a simple, intimate toes-in-the-sand celebration, every style, size and budget of wedding is available. In short, when it comes to weddings, service shines in the Cayman Islands.
Noted wedding professional Rebecca Grinnals, founder and president of the U.S.-based wedding consulting firm Engaging Concepts, has travelled extensively and says Cayman’s high-end custom services put it at the top of her list for destination weddings in the Caribbean. “In my view, there is no other Caribbean destination that has the level of top-quality service providers and on-island talent to support weddings,” she says. “I rank Cayman No. 1.”
That’s high praise given the competitive nature of the market, which has not only weathered the economic storm of recent years, but actually grown in popularity during the same time. While the overall number of weddings has declined, the destination wedding market has enjoyed 20 per cent growth since 2008, according to The Knot‘s 2010 Market Intelligence Survey of 19,000 brides and grooms. Around 15 per cent of U.S. couples plan a destination wedding, with the average number of guests about half that of a hometown wedding (around 70 compared to 141).
Brides magazine’s 2011 American Wedding Study shows couples spend an average of $26,501 on the wedding event (The Knot survey shows an average cost of $26,984), and the average length of stay is six days/nights for the couple, while guests stay three days/nights. Indeed, the wedding industry, both at-home and destination, is big business — estimated to generate some $40 billion-plus per year in the U.S. alone.
It’s been a boon to Cayman’s tourism sector, an economic engine that filters throughout the islands’ service and hospitality industries. Figures from the Cayman Islands General Registry show that, on average, more than 1,000 couples tie the knot in the Cayman Islands each year, with over 50 per cent participating in destination weddings. Last year, 547 visiting couples exchanged vows here, while 534 residents said “I do.” Those numbers have decreased slightly compared with 2009, but the outlook is promising for future growth.
Destination weddings are a growing global trend partly because they can often be more affordable for couples to host than holding one in their hometown, says wedding planner Rebecca Bateman-Green of Parfait Weddings, a boutique wedding planning venture in Cayman.
“For one (thing), the guest list is reduced quite significantly, and the backdrop is so beautiful you don’t have to spend as much to enhance the ceremony or reception on décor or floral,” she says. “And, you can have your wedding and honeymoon all in one.”
A smaller guest list usually brings the couple’s closest friends and family together, making it a more intimate, engaging affair. Guests can turn the event into a mini-vacation as the island offers a great range of outings and attractions — from the world-famous Stingray City, Cayman Turtle Farm and dolphin parks to snorkelling, diving and watersports — to keep guests entertained. Brunches, spa days, sunset sails and chartered boat trips are other favourite activities on the islands.
“More couples are opting to spread their weddings over the course of a few days in order to really enjoy and share the destination,” says Grinnals. “They are planning group excursions for their guests that include charter trips to Stingray City, golf outings, spa afternoons, beach volleyball tournaments and farewell Champagne brunches. Many are also getting creative and adding custom fireworks displays, ice bars and after-hours parties/lounges to continue the celebration into the wee hours.”
Best of all, destination weddings expose the Cayman Islands to first-time guests who may otherwise not have chosen to visit these shores. Any guest who comes to a destination wedding is a potential return visitor — perhaps even a lifetime vacationer. It adds significant economic spin-offs that impact a range of businesses, not just those in the wedding industry.
“People make a holiday of it,” says Meg Paterson of Octopus Event Management, which specialises in small destination weddings. “When you get a group down, they are usually here for three or four days, and some may stay for a week or two.”
Weddings are actively supported and promoted by the Department of Tourism, which offers a comprehensive guide and numerous testimonials on its website, caymanislands.ky. Online resources and social media such as Facebook and Twitter are playing an increasingly important role in wedding planning. “The Internet has made the world a much smaller place,” notes JoAnne Brown, CEO and creative director of Celebrations, a major player in Cayman’s wedding planning industry that specialises in destination and luxury weddings. “Couples can now do their research online, and even be in touch with all their wedding vendors via the Internet. Facilitating your dream wedding a thousand miles away from your chosen destination has become more feasible.”
Brown recommends using a professional wedding planner for destination weddings as it can take a good deal of pressure off the couple, making their big day relaxing and stress-free. It can also save money in the end, as professional planners are familiar with all the vendors and know where to get the best deals. “Wedding planning is stressful enough as it is, and a destination is doubly so,” says Brown. “Having an on-island wedding planner is a guarantee that someone is looking after your interests, and that you will have an expert on local laws, regulations and insightful recommendations.”
Brown says Cayman has a distinct competitive edge because of its world-class services. She notes that its thriving destination market is a “testament to the growing desire of couples wanting to run away and get married somewhere exotic, as well as couples who want to share a really memorable wedding experience with the people closest to them.”
While Cayman may not host the most weddings in the Caribbean, it has carved a niche in the luxury and, in particular, the custom wedding market, one of the biggest trends in the industry today. “Custom is the buzzword,” says Grinnals. “Cayman is known for customised, bespoke weddings that are designed specifically for each couple and their special guests.
Indeed, options abound when it comes to planning a dream destination wedding in the Cayman Islands. Transportation spans from luxury limousines to elegant horse-drawn carriages. Want privacy? Hop over to Little Cayman or Cayman Brac for a secluded, unspoiled backdrop, with all the amenities needed for the big day. Feeling adventurous? Couples can get married underwater, or aboard a replica of 17th-century galleon, the Jolly Roger. There are several heritage sites that offer spectacular settings, such as the castle-like Pedro St. James — a national historic site featuring a restored 18th-century great house set on seven acres of manicured grounds with striking views of the sea. Grand Old House is a former plantation home that has been transformed into an elegant fine-dining restaurant perched on the waterfront in scenic South Sound.
The Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park is another favourite wedding locale — a lush garden and woodland preserve that blooms year-round with exotic tropical flowers, plants and trees. Most hotels host weddings, while numerous condos, resorts and high-end restaurants along the famous Seven Mile Beach strip, as well as more secluded villas and guest houses in the outer districts, are also available to stage memorable weddings. Beach weddings, however, are the most popular as noted in the Brides survey.
In the end, the venue, size and type of celebration come down to the couple’s unique style. “Every wedding is different,” says Paterson. “There are so many choices — it can be whatever you want it to be.”
Remove some of the stress of wedding planning and visit caymanairways.com/weddings and caymanairways.com/honeymoons for specially tailored wedding and honeymoon travel packages.
Source: caymanairwaysmagazine.com