Your destination wedding dreams come true

By Annette Burden

Q. My fiancé and I want to take a Caribbean cruise for our wedding and honeymoon, but we'd rather get married on the beach than aboard ship. Which islands allow that? Where do I start?

A. Most Caribbean nations and territories welcome wedding couples arriving by ship with open arms. Some, like the Cayman Islands, make marrying so easy, you don't even have to appear in person for the paperwork -- the minister brings it to you.

Each destination has idiosyncrasies, however, and the maze of required documents, residency and waiting periods can be challenging to navigate solo. Your best bet is to rely on the cruise line to help you with the legalities.

Before contacting the cruise line, have a good idea of which voyage you'd like to take. Consider your budget, the length of the trip, the ports that interest you, the size ship you prefer, the amenities and so on. Once you match your preferences to a particular carrier, request a brochure from the company's wedding department.

In addition to the cruise lines, agencies like The Wedding Experience, a Florida company that specializes in cruise weddings, can also be a terrific resource. Bon voyage!

Q. I have already chosen a powder blue Maggie Sottero wedding gown. Any suggestions for the wedding party attire color? I am getting married in January at Old Bahama Bay Resort & Yacht Harbour.

Since you're already thinking "out of the box" with a Bahamas wedding and a blue gown, how about setting off your dress with white for the wedding party? You could then repeat your blue (or a slightly darker version) in the details of your attendants' dresses -- hems, sashes or wraps.

For more ideas, check out threaddesign.com/press, under "Thread Weddings," and vucouture.com/weddings.html. They're both good sites for sparking ideas on design and color.

Q. I'm planning our wedding for Montego Bay, Jamaica, and worried about the expense for some of our friends. How would you word an invitation saying that in lieu of a gift, the guest's presence is requested? At the same time, I'd like to have a registry for those who will be unable to come.

Any mention of presents must never appear on the invitation. Etiquette requires that beyond setting up a registry for guests' convenience, you should appear completely unconcerned with gifts. With the exception of posting a discreet link on a wedding Web site, it's considered bad form to announce where you're registered. Most people will know to ask your mother or best friend.

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