Planning to say “I do”? Bermuda [1] is a top wedding destination, thanks to its heart-stopping scenery, proximity to North America, and relatively easy marriage requirements. The island dotes on long-held wedding traditions, including romantic moongates (kiss beneath one and a long marriage is assured), horse-drawn carriages, his-and-hers gold and silver cakes, and locations like historic churches, public gardens, clifftops, and beaches that promise highly memorable nuptials.
Scores of visitors get married in Bermuda every year, so everyone from local wedding planners to clergy and hotels are ready to ease prospective brides and grooms through the process. Many guesthouses and hotels have special wedding packages, churches offer chaplains for off-site locations, and even Bermuda’s sometimes burdensome bureaucracy has honed the business of getting married into a painless to-do list.
Couples must have their “Notice of Intended Marriage” published in Bermuda’s newspapers. You can download the form from www.bermudatourism.com [2], or request one from the Registrar General’s Office (tel. 441/297-7709 or 441/297-7707). No blood tests or health certificates are needed, but copies of divorce decrees or death certificates must be submitted with the completed form. After that’s published, a license to marry is granted, valid for three months. Actual marriage certificates can be ordered in advance or at the time of the wedding for $22.
Civil ceremonies can be performed in the Registry’s marriage room for $203. Churches can be booked for a fee, and officiating clergy can be arranged to perform the ceremony on-site or elsewhere. Catholic churches in Bermuda will marry non-resident Catholics if baptismal certificates and other documentation are provided in advance (for details, visit www.catholicbermuda.org [3] and click the International Marriages link). Couples seeking marriage blessings or renewal of vows need to provide copies of their original Catholic church marriage certificate. Justices of the Peace cannot perform marriages in Bermuda. You must have two witnesses to any wedding ceremony; these can often be provided by the Registry office.
Professional wedding planners in Bermuda have a good reputation for efficiently coordinating all the details, from flowers and photographers to accommodations and catering. For information, contact Bermuda Bride (tel. 441/295-8697, info [at] bermudabride [dot] com), The Bridal Suite (tel. 441/292-2025, info [at] bridalsuitebermudaweddings [dot] com), or The Wedding Salon (tel. 441/292-5677, bwhitecross [at] bellsouth [dot] net).
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/bermuda/discover-bermuda
[2] http://www.bermudatourism.com
[3] http://www.catholicbermuda.org