Many islands, on the lookout for a way to attract still more tourists, allow foreigners to marry with a minimum of red tape, government fees and residency requirements. With a Caribbean wedding, the bride and groom have a picture-postcard setting for the ceremony, and they're already in the honeymoon spot that most couples dream of. My oldest daughter and her husband took a costly but fascinating submarine trip 850 feet into the ocean along a barrier reef. As a thank you to the guests for coming so far from home, Lisa and Colin hosted a half-day catamaran trip. We grilled hamburgers.
Destination weddings are also a terrific way to get to know the in-laws.
I'd met Lisa's family, but here I spent five days with them. If you're trying to make everyone happy, no. On the other hand, there's less stress and less interference. Lisa and Colin quickly scrapped their plan of a Houston wedding when friends, family and even acquaintances immediately began offering unsolicited advice on everything from wedding sites to florists. Her lifelong dream of a beach wedding sounding better and better, Lisa and Colin started planning.