Sea Shells and Wedding Bells: "I Do" Island Style!
By Pat Cantor
 A destination wedding is so much more than just saying your vows in an exotic location. It’s all about truly enjoying your wedding, partying with your loved ones and guests, indulging in a great vacation and honeymoon, and totally de-stressing the regular wedding-planning process. And of course, there are the simply beautiful wedding pictures shot against a stunning background worthy of postcards.
The biggest bonus? You can scale back the guest list to just those folks you really love being with and cut your costs significantly, compared to what you ’d spend on a traditional wedding back home. It makes the wedding much more intimate, much more fun for you, and more budget-friendly and affordable. The same applies to couples who want to renew their vows, another very popular way of celebrating special moments.
 One of the most beautiful and versatile places to hold your destination wedding is St. Maarten/St. Martin. Being half-Dutch/half-French and totally Caribbean, the island has surged into the forefront of destination weddings, as there is so much to offer the wedding couple and their guests—from where you hold your ceremony to where you play and party. There is an activity and indulgence for everyone in your wedding party, from energetic little kids to sedentary adults. And all of it is fun. You have boat rides and every imaginable watersport, horseback riding, zip-lining through rainforests, deep-sea fishing, gambling, island hopping, spa treatments, amazing shopping and the Caribbean’s best restaurants. Need a place to house your guests? The island offers a wide range of accommodations, from large, international resort hotels to boutique inns, condos and luxury villas. It depends on your budget and whether you want full-service or self-service; and whether you would like to have lots of activities close at hand or just to close the door of a villa and chill out in the peace and quiet of an island sunset.
The Perfect Gift
Another huge advantage of hosting your wedding or renewal of vows on St. Maarten/St. Martin is the amazing array of duty-free/tax-free shopping, fine dining and fun things to do during the day to entertain everyone in your wedding party. Shopping is certainly one of the fun things to do on the island. You can shop for beautiful things for yourself and your home, select bride and groom gifts for each other, choose gifts for your bridesmaids and groomsmen, and your guests can also buy your gifts right here. Ballerina Jewelers is known for exquisite jewelry, renowned designer collections and fine timepieces, as well as white, canary or pink diamonds set in handcrafted platinum and gold mountings. Majesty Jewelers brings you the Journey Diamond jewelry, which symbolizes the breadth and depth of your unique relationship. The Journey Diamond Collection features a sequence of graduated diamonds arranged in a setting from the smallest to the largest—representing the growth of a couple’s love and the strengthening of their relationship over time.
 The largest distributor of diamonds in the Caribbean is Diamonds International, an excellent place to purchase your engagement ring and wedding bands. The selection is extensive and features both loose stones and diamonds and fine gems in a wide range of settings. In addition to providing jewelry for the bridal couple, Diamonds International is an excellent source for your gifts for the bridesmaids and groomsmen, including sterling silver jewelry, pearls and other jewelry for the women, and watches, cufflinks and money clips for the men.
At Jewels by Love, you’ll find superb his and hers fine watches from some of the world’s finest watchmakers, including Patek Philippe, Breguet, Vacheron Constantin, A. Lange & Söhne, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, -Ulysse Nardin, Hublot and Oris, as well as some of the finest jewelry and accessories on the island. All the jewelry is designed in-house and handcrafted by Europe’s finest craftsmen.
AMA and AMA Bella are excellent shops for fine jewelry and designer jewelry such as Angelique de Paris, in addition to sunglasses and a terrific assortment of handbags, luggage and fine leather goods at the Ama Bella location.
Enhancing the Experience
If you want to indulge in beautiful Champagnes, fine wines, top liquors and wonderful cigars from around the world, stop by Antillean Liquors in Philipsburg, where you’ll find your favorites at duty-free/tax-free prices, often the lowest on the island. Another excellent location is Vinissimo in Marigot. The owner is a well-known wine expert who also has shops on St. Barths and Anguilla. Vinissimo prides itself on the high quality of its products offered at very reasonable prices. Every wine, Champagne and spirit is carefully selected.
 One of the island’s newest and most interesting shopping experiences is Tijon in Grand Case. All of the lovely beauty, sun and fragrance products are made on the island, in the boutique’s own laboratory. And you can even take a class in perfume making and actually make your own fragrance; it’s a very unusual way to entertain your guests and give them a unique experience.
Since you are in Grand Case, you’ll find superb restaurants to enjoy. Take a rest from shopping and sightseeing and enjoy the magnificent cuisine. In Philipsburg, you’ll find great places to sit and relax, like the Holland House Hotel’s fabulous new restaurant/bar, and Fusion, the newest and chicest entry to the food scene. Overlooking Great Bay, the restaurant combines a chic decor, delicious food, great service and a private room to host a small party for up to 12 of your guests. It could be a terrific place for the bachelor or bachelorette party. Or head over to Dawn Beach to the beautiful new Westin Hotel. You can host your wedding here, as well as reserve accommodations for your guests. There are two excellent beachfront restaurants and a casino where you guests can do a bit of gambling. Another great way to party and play is to experience the gorgeous beaches and tropical water. Aqua Mania offers great trips to the outer islands, cocktail and dinner cruises, deep-sea fishing, snorkeling and scuba diving, and lots of fun stuff for the kids.
 And to help you and your guests relax and get ready for your dream day, try a spa treatment. St. Maarten/St. Martin’s spas are world-class and very European. Most offer wedding packages like his and hers treatments. Several places to consider are L’Aqualigne, the island’s original spa owned by Belgian-born cosmetologist Marc Van Thielen, who is a true pioneer, artist and philosopher. The Good Life spa’s new owners, Fadi and Gabriella, have taken the spa to an even higher level—combining the best of traditional spa treatments with innovation. The island’s newest spa and fitness center is Le Spa at the Radisson St. Martin Resort, a peaceful space for a rejuvenating journey to rest and relaxation.
Fulfilling Your Wedding Fantasy
Even if you’re not a French or Dutch citizen, you can legally get married on both sides of the island. The big news is that the French government has revised the rather onerous residency laws previously required to get married on the French side. This means that, as of May 2009, you can have a legal ceremony right in romantic French St. Martin. Before that change, couples would marry on the Dutch side or back in their hometown and then have their party on French St. Martin. But now you just need to complete the required forms one month before you get married here. As this is still quite new, it is highly advised that you use a local wedding planner to help you navigate the paperwork. The planners on the Dutch side will be as knowledgeable as those on the French side.
 Although getting married on the Dutch side is not a terribly complex process, you will need to apply for the proper documents and complete the paperwork required by the Dutch government. Some of the documents will need to be translated into Dutch. As noncitizens, couples must be at least 21 years of age, and if divorced you will need to provide a valid divorce certificate. Samples of what you will need include copies of your birth certificates, photocopies of your passports, two forms of photo ID and two original photos of the bride and groom. Costs for government and administrative fees are around $300. Ten days before your wedding, you must request temporary resident status permission from the lieutenant governor of St. Maarten, and you will need to post your wedding bans and publish your marriage bans.
Weddings can only be performed by a government official or registrar. You will also need several witnesses to sign your wedding certificate. You cannot legally be married by a clergy. However, your clergy or spiritual advisor can perform “side by side” with the government registrar. Or you can have the legal, secular service first and then a “renewal of vows” at a later ceremony with your own member of the clergy.
 For expanded information about legal marriage on the Dutch side, contact the Office of Civil Registry, Soualiga Road #6, Philipsburg, St. Maarten, N.A.; Tel: 011-599-542-2457; Fax: 011-599-542-4267. You can also visit the St. Maarten Tourist Office at www.st-maarten.com.
Another option if you want to speed up your wedding planning is to get legally married on the Dutch side (which has only a two-week waiting period) and then have your reception on the French side. One stunning bride and her groom did just that. Lyndy and Charlie (Americans who also live part of the year on the island) had their ceremony on a small, private beach on the Dutch side just before sunset. The pictures, taken by a well-known photographer, were simply amazing. The reception and dinner for their local and off-island guests were held at their charming island home on the French side overlooking Simpson’s Bay. The evening was perfect. A very good local caterer tented the area around the pool to create a magic space for dinner. They also provided the delicious food for cocktails and dinner. A French florist worked with Lyndy and the wedding planner to perfect the arrangements Lyndy wanted. A local steel pan band and DJ played music until the early morning. It was a perfect solution and totally seamless, since they used a well-known local wedding planner, Jean Rich of St. Maarten Beach Weddings.
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Have you visited St. Maarten by cruise ship recently? Then you know one day is just not enough for St. Maarten's 37 breathtaking beaches, the shopper's paradise of Duty Free bling and luxury goods, exciting casinos, entertainment and nightlife -- not to mention the glorious food in this culinary heaven. 
While you could certainly plan your own destination wedding, if you want a totally stress-free experience from the legal applications to exactly where and how your wedding will transpire, it is strongly advised to retain one of our island's excellent 
Often, couples who celebrate their destination wedding on St. Maarten/St. Martin have vacationed here together and fallen in love with the island. They might have even gotten engaged here. If they were smart, they purchased the engagement ring at one of the island's excellent jewelers. The values and selection are fantastic. Plus, the staff in stores like Jewels by Love, Artistic, Colombian Emeralds, Diamonds International, Majesty, Ballerina, Touch of Gold and Zhaveri are knowledgeable and can help you intelligently select the right ring. With our tax-free/duty-free status, the price will be very affordable and much less expensive than back home. 
The earliest official records show that Archduke Maximilian of Hamburg gave Mary of Burgundy what is believed to be the first diamond betrothal ring. The first jeweled engagement rings were strictly for the wealthy and royalty. In addition to diamonds, other precious stones were used in engagement or betrothal rings such as rubies, sapphires and emeralds. Because of their rarity at the time and their enduring nature, diamonds were the stone of choice. Laws were put in place to limit the use of precious stones and other adornments to just the upper crust of society. For those who couldn't afford precious stones, simple rings with two clasping hands or hearts would have been the fashion. As the laws relaxed and the middle class emerged, precious stones for engagement rings became more commonplace, but still expensive. 
With the massive diamond find in the Kimberley region of South Africa in the late 1800s, prices began to drop, and more and more people could afford bigger and better diamonds. As the price of diamonds fell, the fashion among wealthier individuals was to embellish the engagement ring by adding other precious stones to it, such as surrounding a large emerald with two diamonds, or massing the diamonds together with three to five diamonds in a row (the Princess Ring) to once again show an individual's ability to afford "the very best." When Tiffany designed its famous setting in the late 1800s, the diamond solitaire gained fashion status. 
The Finale
St. Maarten/St. Martin offers you everything you could possibly need for a fabulous fantasy wedding or renewal of vows... from some of the world's top cuisine to incredible locations for your wedding to all the jewels you can possibly imagine. Best of all, amazing wedding planners with vision and professionalism give you a beautiful, exotic, stress-free wedding or renewal of vows. All you do is simply make decisions and show up!
More Info
One-stop wedding services for every couple's budget; From the smallest to the most extravagant wedding, reception, vow renewals and symbolic ceremonies. Celestial Weddings and Event Planners handle all the fine details from legal documents to, the perfect location to the fireworks. Above your expectations, surpass your imagination. Visit celestialweddings-stmartin.com for professional assistance. 
St. Maarten Beach Weddings: Steel drums playing your favorite songs. Tropical breezes warm the air...sound enticing? If a wedding on a white sand beach sounds divine, then getting married in St. Maarten/Martin will make your dream ceremony come true. After all, if the French and Dutch can have peace and tranquility for 350 years, it’s a good omen for your marriage! For arrangements, contact:
