The Details That Create a Beautiful Guest Experience
You can do many beautiful things to ensure your guests have an amazing time at your destination wedding in the Bahamas. And not just a fantastic time but a second-to-none experience that leaves an indelible mark in their memories.
In this post, I’ll guide you through all the details needed to create a beautiful wedding guest experience worth remembering. From the welcome party to the after party, you’re about to discover what’s required to create a dream Caribbean wedding you and your guests are sure to love.
Give Your Guests a Warm Bahamian Welcome – Beautiful Destination Wedding Guest Experience
We recommend placing thoughtful welcome bags in the guest rooms or at the check-in desk to be handed out as guests arrive.
The best welcome gifts contain all kinds of goodies, including some basics, such as bottles of water and something to eat. Think delicious Bahamian rum cake or banana bread, nuts, dried fruit, a sweet and sour mix with coconut and curry, and plantain chips – all local.
You can also include honey, depending on where the wedding occurs, as honey is a popular product in the Bahamas.
We recommend including a welcome letter on lovely stationery with the timeline, information about the property/sitemap, and a list of possible guest excursions in the Bahamas.
Then, on the first evening, invite the in-house guests to a warm welcome event, such as a Bahamian BBQ on the beach. Your guests can enjoy a beautiful spread of food surrounded by lovely décor, their toes in the sand, and a live calypso band playing in the background. You can even finish off the evening with a bonfire and smores.
Island Activities Abound
Your destination weekend will continue with all kinds of island activities. What you choose depends on the island you’re on and the type of experience you want your guests to have.
For example, if you’re on Exuma Island, consider an excursion swimming with the pigs. Plan this for a whole day to avoid squeezing the experience into a short time. Guests can enjoy seeing a beautiful sandbar, watching iguanas and turtles, and stopping for lunch before heading out to play with the little piggies.
If you’re getting married on Harbour Island or Eleuthera, you’ll want to treat your guests to time on the stunning sandbars and play with the turtles. Friends and family will love seeing how the sea drifts back to form the gorgeous mass of pink and white wet sand.
And for our couples in Nassau, your activities might include taking a boat to North Exuma or Rose Island, where you can have lunch on the beach. Once evening rolls around, it’s time for your rehearsal dinner or welcome party; choose from a beach venue or terrace overlooking the ocean and stunning palm tree tops. Sky bars are also marvelous as you take in the sea, the palms swaying in the breeze, and steel pans playing in the background.
The Marvelous Main Event – Beautiful Destination Wedding Guest Experience
Little touches throughout your wedding day will delight your guests and make it a time to remember when you offer a beautiful destination guest experience.
You might walk down your ceremony aisle alongside an elegant flamingo while a string quartet gently plays. Yes, it’s possible!
Then, the cocktail hour can commence on a gorgeous lawn overlooking the ocean while ambient music fills the air and candles flicker to create a romantic tropical vibe.
During cocktail hour, serve conch ceviche in shot glasses and have live conch salad stations where guests can experience chefs putting together this tasty treat in front of their eyes. Fried conch fritters are also not to be missed. They are yummy, yummy, yummy! And very addictive. Conch is a mollusk and is said to be an aphrodisiac. Do with that information what you will! But the taste is out of this world!
As for the reception, consider a plated dinner so your guests can enjoy a different experience from the more casual meals they’ve had thus far. Include a live band and intersperse with interactive junkanoo performers or a native show experience like fire dancers.
Additional Tips for an Exceptional Guest Experience
- Choose a host hotel so your guests can all be gathered together. And be sure to include ground transport from the airport to the host hotel. As your loved ones arrive, you don’t want them to look around for transportation. It’s a thoughtful touch that makes a big difference.
- Let your guests know how to dress for the weekend. Is it island chic or island elegant? Some weddings are even black ties. Give everyone a cue; some don’t come casually dressed, while others are elegantly attired.
- Most of all, make it fun, fun, fun! Include all the music and activities! Keep it HOT! And cool! And include an after-party. There’s no reason to stop after the main event has ended. So keep that in mind and continue the energy with a nightclub crawl or post-celebration event.
- Hire a wedding planner! Because while having the time of your life is easy in the Bahamas, planning it on your own can be a different story. Thank your lucky shells. I’m here for you and ready to create the party of a lifetime. Are you ready, too? Let’s get started!