Activities ranging from water based ones to jaunts into one of the island’s villages all await you and your guests.

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Water Activities
The beautiful turquoise water that surrounds the island is one of the main attractions here. And beachfront hotels offer a full variety of water-oriented activities to help visitors take advantage of it.

Activities for your wedding in the Bahamas include snorkeling, water skiing, jet skiing, paddle boating, windsurfing (including lessons) and parasailing. In addition, it’s easy to book group space for your wedding guests on daily sailing cruises and deep sea fishing trips.

Grand Bahama’s colorful reefs and gin-clear water attract scuba divers from around the world. The Underwater Explorers Society (UNEXSO), is one of the premier scuba diving operations in the world, is located here.

The famous Dolphin Experience is also located at UNEXSO. Bahamas wedding groups can avail themselves to this activity several times each day, and can learn about these remarkable creatures, then get in and swim or snorkel with them.

In our next post, we’ll feature other fun things for you and your guests to do during your Bahama wedding on Grand Bahama Island.

The post Grand Bahama Island – combination of big-city islands and charm of smaller ones appeared first on Chic Bahamas Weddings.

A Bahamas destination wedding on Grand Bahama Island offers a rare destination that really does have it all.

For destination wedding brides and grooms who crave secluded, easy to access beaches for a Bahamas wedding, they’ll find it here — great beaches, virtually every water sport imaginable, golf, tennis, shopping, sightseeing, varied dining, casino gambling and nightlife.

For couples wanting to get away from it all on a Grand Bahama honeymoon on the heels of a destination wedding here, there are miles of deserted sugar-white beaches. And just beyond the wide boulevards and hotels of Freeport/Lucaya (the island’s primary resort area), you and your guests can explore colorful little villages, sample true Bahamian cuisine and experience the local culture firsthand.

“The island is a lovely combination of the big-city islands and the quiet, laid-back charm of the smaller ones,” said Marva Munroe, event director of Chic Bahamas Weddings, a full-service wedding planning company based in the Bahamas. “When you combine this with Grand Bahama’s location (only 65 miles and 30 jet minutes from Florida), you have an exciting, value-oriented destination for your wedding.”

Today we feature highlights from a pink and creme beach Bahamas wedding on one of Grand Bahama Island’s myriad pristine, secluded beaches.  Enjoy!

The post Pink and Creme Bahamas Wedding appeared first on Chic Bahamas Weddings.

Think about your priorities.

Is it more important that the destination fits your budget, that it has certain attributes or that it’s easily accessible for you and your guests? “Even if you know you want a beach or a historic inn, you can truly find yourself all over the map,” says Karen Bussen, author of Simple Stunning Weddings. “Once you decide what your priorities are, you’ll be able to narrow it down to a few key options.”

Get the scoop on a potential location.
Look on websites like epinions.com and tripadvisor.com for real-people opinions of resorts. Read through the reviews to get an overall impression, and take any raves or pans with a grain of salt.

Keep your guests in mind.
If a friend or family member is flight-phobic, even your wedding may not be incentive enough to get her halfway around the world.

Watch your numbers.
Many sites require you to have a certain number of guests to book the space; if you don’t have enough, you could end up paying for meals or rooms for guests who are no-shows.

Do your research to ensure you get what you want.
A hotel’s claim of “luxury” may not match your idea of the word. Study the details to get a truer sense of what to expect.

Get a guarantee.
If you chose your villa for that mega hot tub or elaborate barbecue grill, get a written guarantee that everything will be in working order when you arrive or you’ll get a significant savings on the rental.

If you can, scout it.
The cost is well worth the peace of mind you’ll feel after meeting with your vendors in person and seeing how the site works.

Factor in all the costs when you’re determining affordability.
In some parts of the world, hotel taxes and resort fees can add 20 percent to the room cost.

Know the marriage rules.
If there are residency requirements or paperwork needs you can’t fulfill, consider having a legal union at home and a nonbinding ceremony at the site.

Remember the currency rates.
As the dollar’s value fluctuates, so does the cost of your wedding.

Find out exactly what’s included in the package price.
Some resorts include just the location fee, and you’ll pay extra for flowers and food; others will include decor and even photography in their price.

Have a plan B.
Ask what options are available if the weather doesn’t cooperate. Your resort may have an indoor location you could use, or they may allow you to postpone things until later in the afternoon or even the following day.

Find out what happens if your guests stay off-site.
Some resorts require a day fee for visiting guests from other hotels.

The post Destination Wedding Planning appeared first on Chic Bahamas Weddings.

In general, how are the rules different for destination weddings?

I always shudder at the word rule and emphasize that etiquette is based on being respectful, considerate and honest — you do what’s going to make the most people feel comfortable. Use common sense and think about the guests from their perspective, whether you’re planning a destination or hometown wedding. There’s not always a single black-and-white answer other than applying these principles of etiquette.
– Peggy Post, author of Emily Post’s Wedding Etiquette

What should the couple pay for?
The couple would cover the expense of housing their attendants, just as they would for out-of-town attendants traveling for a hometown wedding. However, paying for multiple nights’ accommodations can be a hardship for some, and every tradition is negotiable. Typically, the groom’s family, or the couple, pays for the rehearsal dinner, and the reception dinner is covered by the bride’s family, or by the couple. A couple doesn’t have to pay for planned activities at the destination, though some people choose to. When you send out travel information, include a note that explains what expenses you plan to cover.
– Pamela Lach, author of The Bride’s Etiquette Guide

What gifts are appropriate?
If the couple can pay for a group activity, welcome dinner, flights or accommodations for the bridal party or guests, that’s a huge gift in itself. I don’t think favors are required for any wedding, but I always think the welcome baskets are great. You can usually put them together without spending a lot of money, and they really help make guests feel at home.
– Post

The post Destination Wedding Etiquette Tips appeared first on Chic Bahamas Weddings.

Black and white wedding … white peony bouquets.  Photo By / Lyndah Wells Photography.

Whimsical green Cymbidium and purple Dendrobium orchids grace this arbor. Photo By / Erik Mosvold Photography.

Coral garden roses make up this beautiful bride’s bouquet.  Photo By / Jackie Ray Photography.

Peacock beach wedding.  Photo By / Lyndah Wells Photography.

The post Bahamas Wedding Flowers appeared first on Chic Bahamas Weddings.

This infographic does a fantastic job of debunking this myth; a wedding in the Bahamas actually costs around 11% less on average compared to a typical wedding!

The post A Recession Proof Wedding in The Bahamas appeared first on Chic Bahamas Weddings.

The post Best Bahamas Beaches appeared first on Chic Bahamas Weddings.

Happy Easter!

We share with you today top Bahamas wedding repins from our Pinterest boards.  The top photo is a beach arbor made of local pine tree trunk.  Middle photo is a table centrepiece, the third photo is a purple and yellow outdoor wedding and the bottom image is a bridal party at the beach.  Take a peek at our Pinterest boards here: http://tinyurl.com/cmbka2a 

The post Pinterest Top Repins appeared first on Chic Bahamas Weddings.

The Engage!13 Luxury Business Summit dates have been announced!  Events take place June 2 – 5 at the Biltmore Estate, Ashville, North Carolina and December 9 – 12 at the Montelucia, Scottsdale, Arizona.

I’m so excited and can’t wait to attend these most spectacular events.

The Speaker Line-up includes:

David Stark, Carley Rooney, Colin Cowie, Keija Minor, Mindy Weiss, Randy Fanoli, Jes Gordon, Anthony Luscia, Matthew Robbins, Harriette Rose Katz, Todd Fiscus, Marcy Blum, Michelle Lord Rago, David Beahm, Peter Callahan, Abby Larson, Tait Larson, Andrea Wasserman, Ceci Johnson, Jillian Clark, Anne Cheroff, Sylvia Weinstock, Liz Banfield, Brooke Thompson, Jasmine Star, Angela Desveaux, Liene Stevens, Xochitl Gonzalez, Sean Low, Lara Casey, Harmony Walton, Kristy Rice, Susan Moynihan, Maura Scarmack, Ellen Black, Cindy Novotny, Simon T. Bailey, Kathryn Arce, Rebecca Grinnals.

The post Engage!13 dates announced appeared first on Chic Bahamas Weddings.

One of the biggest fears travelers have is of losing their U.S. passport while abroad. This can indeed be a frightening experience, but you can prepare for it in advance, and there are things you can do if it happens.

It’s always a very good idea to make copies of your passport before the trip, and take one of those copies with you in a safe and separate place. Having a copy on you will make replacement much easier. Leave another copy at home with a trusted family member or friend.

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis_pa_tw_1168.html

The post 5 Things You Must Do If You Lose Your Passport Abroad appeared first on Chic Bahamas Weddings.