DIY Wedding for Two – Can I pull this off without a Wedding Planner?
Sep 21st, 2014, 03:45 PM
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DIY Wedding for Two – Can I pull this off without a Wedding Planner?
Wedding/Honeymoon April 29th – May 10th, 2015 (just the two of us). Big reception when we return home and photos so no need for a Big To-Do wedding. Just want quiet beach, a few pictures, and call it a day. Do not want to do it at a resort.
I have been reading all the wonderful forum posts for days for tips and ideas but I’d really love any suggestions or recommendations on my plans or even just to tell me I’m riding a “Crazy Train” and this is not possible. =)
My plan: Spend the $1,300 I would have spent on Wedding Planner and use that money towards my DIY Wedding Planning and get to spend 4 extra days in Anguilla! Stay at a cheaper villa (Shoal in Bay) then move to our honeymoon villa (Meads Bay Beach Villas) May 2nd – 10th.
Planning to arrive in SXM Wednesday (4/29/15) afternoon then take shuttle over to the island. We are staying at Shoal in Bay for 4 nights, and then on 5/3/15 moving to Meads Bay Beach Villas for 7 nights.
We plan on renting a car, but not sure where to begin, so I am very open to suggestions.
(Wednesday) April 29th – Arrive in Anguilla
(Thursday) April 30th – Trip to Court House for Marriage License; Find Minister or Justice of the Peace
(Friday – Sunday) May 1st – 3rd Find Minister, if still needed, find florist for a small bridal bouquet, bakery for a small cake, find location on the beach to get married on.
(Monday) May 4th - Get married on the beach @4:30
My Questions:
Marriage License - Apply for marriage license two days prior to the day of wedding.
Does that mean business days? Could I apply for marriage license on a Friday, and then get married on Monday? Or would I have to fill out the application on a Wed/Thurs to get married on the following Monday?
Is this wishful thinking? Or can I find on my own and can anyone recommend the following:
(1) Minister or Justice of the Peace (Where do you find one, is there a list?)
(2) Two Witnesses (thinking I could find two people and pay them say $25-$50 bucks for 15 mins)
(3) Photographer for 1-2 hours
(4) Beach Location for Wedding (Somewhere quiet with low traffic)
(5) An Arch for the ceremony (Not a “must have” but would be nice for pics)
We are so excited to get to get married in Anguilla! Thanks in advance for any thoughts, comments, and/or recommendations!
I have been reading all the wonderful forum posts for days for tips and ideas but I’d really love any suggestions or recommendations on my plans or even just to tell me I’m riding a “Crazy Train” and this is not possible. =)
My plan: Spend the $1,300 I would have spent on Wedding Planner and use that money towards my DIY Wedding Planning and get to spend 4 extra days in Anguilla! Stay at a cheaper villa (Shoal in Bay) then move to our honeymoon villa (Meads Bay Beach Villas) May 2nd – 10th.
Planning to arrive in SXM Wednesday (4/29/15) afternoon then take shuttle over to the island. We are staying at Shoal in Bay for 4 nights, and then on 5/3/15 moving to Meads Bay Beach Villas for 7 nights.
We plan on renting a car, but not sure where to begin, so I am very open to suggestions.
(Wednesday) April 29th – Arrive in Anguilla
(Thursday) April 30th – Trip to Court House for Marriage License; Find Minister or Justice of the Peace
(Friday – Sunday) May 1st – 3rd Find Minister, if still needed, find florist for a small bridal bouquet, bakery for a small cake, find location on the beach to get married on.
(Monday) May 4th - Get married on the beach @4:30
My Questions:
Marriage License - Apply for marriage license two days prior to the day of wedding.
Does that mean business days? Could I apply for marriage license on a Friday, and then get married on Monday? Or would I have to fill out the application on a Wed/Thurs to get married on the following Monday?
Is this wishful thinking? Or can I find on my own and can anyone recommend the following:
(1) Minister or Justice of the Peace (Where do you find one, is there a list?)
(2) Two Witnesses (thinking I could find two people and pay them say $25-$50 bucks for 15 mins)
(3) Photographer for 1-2 hours
(4) Beach Location for Wedding (Somewhere quiet with low traffic)
(5) An Arch for the ceremony (Not a “must have” but would be nice for pics)
We are so excited to get to get married in Anguilla! Thanks in advance for any thoughts, comments, and/or recommendations!
Sep 21st, 2014, 03:54 PM
#2
Not so easy!
Anguilla is not the kind of place you can just show up and find a minister for an easy wedding.
Anguilla is not the kind of place you pay someone $25 to witness!
Anguilla is very upscale and expensive.
If DIY, you must go months before to set things up
Here's another thing you need a planner for, its a foreign country! You need permits. You need paperwork. There are rules (for example, you need to be on island at least 3 days before you can marry)
Ministers get booked many months ahead
Florist will be expensive
Photos will be expensive, and probably gorgeous
$1300 is nothing compared to what you end up spending, and you can't just show up and expect anything to happen (find a photographer, a minister, register, etc)
Although beach areas are public, you have to abide by laws
Some if the resorts do have some nice wedding packages, might really want to go that route--
Anguilla is not the kind of place you can just show up and find a minister for an easy wedding.
Anguilla is not the kind of place you pay someone $25 to witness!
Anguilla is very upscale and expensive.
If DIY, you must go months before to set things up
Here's another thing you need a planner for, its a foreign country! You need permits. You need paperwork. There are rules (for example, you need to be on island at least 3 days before you can marry)
Ministers get booked many months ahead
Florist will be expensive
Photos will be expensive, and probably gorgeous
$1300 is nothing compared to what you end up spending, and you can't just show up and expect anything to happen (find a photographer, a minister, register, etc)
Although beach areas are public, you have to abide by laws
Some if the resorts do have some nice wedding packages, might really want to go that route--
Sep 22nd, 2014, 09:51 AM
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with some pre-planning this should be doable. i would certainly not wait until you are on island to make any of you plans though.
contact a florist now, here's one http://antiguaflowers.com/
this page is informative: http://www.antigua-barbuda.org/Agmarr01.htm
here is just one example of a antigua photographer (there are several) http://www.frankpanarophotography.co...l/antigua.html
witnesses should be easy. just ask some couple you meet at the resort to join you. i'd offer them dinner somewhere rather than cash.
to find info on any the above just type things like antigua photographer into your search engine.
if you get overwhelmed a planner might be helpful to pull it all together and may not be as expensive as you think since you don't have any guests coming. it's free to ask.
contact a florist now, here's one http://antiguaflowers.com/
this page is informative: http://www.antigua-barbuda.org/Agmarr01.htm
here is just one example of a antigua photographer (there are several) http://www.frankpanarophotography.co...l/antigua.html
witnesses should be easy. just ask some couple you meet at the resort to join you. i'd offer them dinner somewhere rather than cash.
to find info on any the above just type things like antigua photographer into your search engine.
if you get overwhelmed a planner might be helpful to pull it all together and may not be as expensive as you think since you don't have any guests coming. it's free to ask.
Sep 22nd, 2014, 04:04 PM
#5
I think a wedding planner would be money well spent.
I'm only guess but the 2 waiting days, I'll assume could well mean 2 business days.
If you really want to try to do this yourself, I believe you need to get ALL this arranged in advance somehow (online, phone, fax, letters) not wait until you just show up unannounced and try to pull it together on the spot.
That said I do know a couple who got legally married spontaneously in Dominican Republic but they just went to the courthouse (had to go on two different days). But they weren't after arches, wedding dress, flowers, photographers, etc. Their witnesses were just two people who happened to be there.
I'm only guess but the 2 waiting days, I'll assume could well mean 2 business days.
If you really want to try to do this yourself, I believe you need to get ALL this arranged in advance somehow (online, phone, fax, letters) not wait until you just show up unannounced and try to pull it together on the spot.
That said I do know a couple who got legally married spontaneously in Dominican Republic but they just went to the courthouse (had to go on two different days). But they weren't after arches, wedding dress, flowers, photographers, etc. Their witnesses were just two people who happened to be there.
Sep 23rd, 2014, 07:52 AM
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oh shoot roams i misread. sorry BhamMichele. however, info is still easy to find by searching 'weddings anguilla' or 'photographer anguilla', etc
i still think it's doable. my bff and i planned her daughters island wedding (not on antigua or anguilla) by ourselves a few years ago - there were guests and the only thing the resort planned was the reception food.
we found gorgeous flowers, a baker that made an incredible cake & cupcakes for the rehearsal gathering, the minister & photographer. bride knew which beach she wanted the ceremony on from previous visit & bought her dress from home.
again sorry for the confusion.
i still think it's doable. my bff and i planned her daughters island wedding (not on antigua or anguilla) by ourselves a few years ago - there were guests and the only thing the resort planned was the reception food.
we found gorgeous flowers, a baker that made an incredible cake & cupcakes for the rehearsal gathering, the minister & photographer. bride knew which beach she wanted the ceremony on from previous visit & bought her dress from home.
again sorry for the confusion.
Sep 26th, 2014, 10:05 AM
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Have you considered chartering a catamaran for a daysail and having a captain marry you at sunset? That avoids a lot of your issues. Just ensure that your captain is a licensed captain with the proper authority.
Sep 26th, 2014, 11:43 AM
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Continental_Drifter - you are dreaming! The idea of a boat captain presiding at a wedding aboard ship has been pretty much a "hollywood myth" for thew last century. In this day and age a ship or boat captain has no legal authority to marry anybody.
The odds of finding a sailboat captain in Anguilla who has the proper credentials (like a minister, priest, etc.) to perform a wedding are very small indeed!
The odds of finding a sailboat captain in Anguilla who has the proper credentials (like a minister, priest, etc.) to perform a wedding are very small indeed!
Oct 5th, 2014, 09:28 AM
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Most of the information you are looking for is detailed on the Anguilla Tourism Board official site. http://ivisitanguilla.com/weddings/.
Oct 5th, 2014, 09:43 AM
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Most of the information you are looking for is detailed on the Anguilla Tourism Board official site. http://ivisitanguilla.com/weddings/.
Oct 5th, 2014, 02:31 PM
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Okay, I feel a bit silly. I stand corrected!
I asked some friends how they were able to marry aboard a yacht off of the Florida Keys a few years back. Their captain was also an officiant, authorized by the State of Florida.
I asked some friends how they were able to marry aboard a yacht off of the Florida Keys a few years back. Their captain was also an officiant, authorized by the State of Florida.
