Wedding help - calling all Buddhists
 

My fiance and I are planning a honeymoon on St. Barts in April. But we would actually like to do our ceremony (very small and low key, just the two of us) on the island. I'm sure this is impossible but it doesn't hurt to ask... does anyone know if there are any Buddhist monks on the island. Okay, stop laughing. I know there's a christian church, but if anyone has any other suggestions I would love to hear them. Thanks all!

Have you considered paying for a monk's airfare from the US? I'm sure that with a hotel night or two added in you could find someone very happy to perform your ceremony.

Have you looked into French marriage laws? As I understand, it takes at least a month of residency to be married on SB, just like France. Have a great honeymoon, nonetheless!

Yes, one of you must have lived there for at least a month but you could get married at home and renew your vows there. So what if you renew them a few days after the first ceremony. Make it a habit.

Yes, we are planning on doing the legalities in the US, and have a meaningful ceremony once we get there. I'd love to fly a monk in to do it, but it's not in our budget. Thanks for suggests and advice.

If you are a member of a Buddhist congregation, I would think your best bet is to ask the members of your congregation, as they may know of other congregations in the Caribbean which you can contact. You might search the web as well under something like "Buddhist organizations or congregations". I am not sure which branch of Buddhism you follow, and you may not be able to find a monk from your branch; I am not sure if you would consider using a monk from another branch.

I am not a practising Buddhist, but have been to several weddings of Buddhists, and it is my understanding that there is no formal wedding ceremony, and no monk needs to be present; a couple can perform their own ceremony with prayers and offerings to Buddha. I believe you should also consult a Buddhist astrologer to determine the most auspicious date and time for your wedding.

There is a website run by a Zen Buddhist organization which has a chat room, you might post your question there. Take a look at http://www.well.com/~btanaka/zen/zen.bb.html and http://www.quicktopic.com/21/H/rp6tHmrpfau