How to Get Married in Bermuda
Getting married is by far one of the
largest investments you can ever make in your whole life. That
would be a big decision to make, thus it should be planned and
decided as early and as sure as possible. But, what if you decided
to get married in Bermuda? Well if that’s the case, then the more
you need to have it well-planned earlier than usual.
Bermuda is deemed throughout the
world as a perfect destination for wedding. It is in fact rated by
certain magazines as one of the top 10 wedding destinations on earth
that hundreds of couples choose to travel to the island and say
their “I dos” every year.
But the question now is why is
Bermuda considered as a perfect destination for wedding, and even
for honeymoon? Well, let’s find out the answer to that question
just right here.
Why is Bermuda Ideal for Wedding?
There are a number of reasons that
many couples decide to tie the knot in Bermuda. Most of their
reasons are pretty personal though, but the idea of the place being
a paradise worth visiting and dwelling does contribute a greater
part on it. The possible reasons for such growing preference may
include the following:
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Bermuda provides the most
romantic setting coupled with the breathtaking sceneries around,
plus the renowned soft pink sand beaches where couples can
enjoy. To mention but a few, there are the old historic
churches, cliff tops at sunsets, pink sand coves that are
secluded, lush flowering gardens, and even the magical stone
moon gates that are shaped like a large wedding ring, making the
place truly ideal for couples.
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More than a hundred places where
you can exchange your vows are out there in the island ready to
give you space. Churches, beaches, hotels, and other possible
wedding hubs are available for you to choose from.
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If you prefer to marry in a
natural setting, Bermuda has a nearly endless of lovely outdoor
locations, and many of them are overlooking the beautiful
Atlantic Ocean.
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Bermuda has a rich culture and
wedding tradition that could add charm and beauty to your
ceremony. One of the most well-known wedding rituals in Bermuda
is that the bride and groom need to have their own cakes during
the ceremony. And, before they celebrate their wedding, they
must take a just-married walk through at least one moon gate for
good luck.
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Getting married in Bermuda is
very much easy and simple. No blood tests or certificates are
required. Only the Notice of Intended Marriage is needed.
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Only few legal formalities are
needed and Bermuda has a close proximity to the United States.
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Professional wedding planners are
available throughout Bermuda to help you plan create that dream
wedding ceremony of your life. Along with this, other well
developed infrastructures are available, including florists,
photographers, hair stylists and beauticians, entertainers,
caterers, tuxedo hire companies, and a lot more.
-
Bermudians are friendly people
who will always greet you with a smile on their face.
Indeed, there are a lot of wonderful
things in Bermuda that could provide charm to your wedding day.
Perhaps the best part of it is the fact that you can easily find
your spot in just a matter of minutes to say “I do” and there’ll be
no need for you to hop on a place just to find a perfect location
for your honeymoon. Bermuda already has it. All you need to do is
to decide.
Steps to Take for a Successful
Bermuda Wedding
So you’ve decided to get married in
Bermuda. Well, the next best step you can do now is to be ready for
it and plan everything that you’ll need for that wonderful wedding.
Plan in advance and ask for the experts’ advice if you can. And,
know everything that is needed to make that forthcoming wedding
ceremony of yours worth remembering.
Here are some of the helpful steps
you can take to make that wonderful Bermuda wedding possible:
Step #1:
Obtain a Marriage License
Just like in any other places, a
marriage license is required for wedding in Bermuda. So if you
have plans to take or exchange vows in Bermuda, the first and
foremost step you can make is to obtain that license.
The marriage license for a Bermuda
wedding is available for residents and non residents of the island.
It comes in a form of Notice of Intended Marriage which can be
obtained from the Registrar General’s office and is published in the
Bermuda newspapers three times. Once obtained, the couples are
required to fill out the form and the name and residential addresses
of both parties must always be shown in full. The form must be
sent back to the Registrar General together with the correct
payment.
For the divorce couples, the Bermuda
government required the couples to submit copies of final divorce
decrees together with the Notice of Intended Marriage. No blood
tests or any other health certificates are needed just to make this
request. This is also true even for the first-timers.
It is further important to note that
in Bermuda, once the Notice of Intended Marriage is published in two
of the local newspapers, a period of about 14 days must pass by from
the date of receipt of the notice prior to the issuance of the
license to marry. Speaking of issuance, the marriage license can
actually be issued by the Registrar General on or after the 15th
day provided that or formal objection or whatsoever has been raised
to the planned marriage. The license will be issued within three
months and its validity will remain for about three months since the
date of issue.
Note that no couples age 16 and below
are allowed to obtain the license and marry in Bermuda.
Step #2:
Plan Your Budget
As mentioned earlier, a wedding in
Bermuda is one of the biggest investments you can ever make. Given
this fact, it is then necessary for every couple to plan how much
they can afford for their wedding. The point here is to set the
budget as early as possible.
If you are nonresidents of Bermuda,
it is necessary for you to think how much you and your fiancée are
willing to spend on your stay in the island. Consider first the
possible rates for the airfare, as well as the accommodations. Ask
yourself where you can possibly stay in Bermuda. Do you prefer to
stay in the hotel or beach resort? How many days and nights you are
planning to stay? You’re also considering Bermuda for your
honeymoon, right? Well, settle these matters. If possible, try to
talk to your prospective guests and know exactly how much they’re
willing to pay to travel to Bermuda just to witness your wedding.
But, if you plan to take the possible expenses of your guests,
including the travel costs, then be sure to factor that in on your
budget.
If you are the type who wants to
leave everything in the hands of the experts, then be sure that you
have the budget to pay them in. Note the possible costs for your
wedding planners and coordinators. Simply make sure that everything
you planned is within your budget.
Step #3:
Find an Appropriate Setting for Your Ceremony
So you’ve got the license and the
budget. The next move to take now is to find that appropriate
setting for your ceremony. Of course, you’ve got Bermuda as your
wedding destination. But the question now is where exactly in
Bermuda you wish to say your “I dos”? So think about that and be
sure to choose a location that is memorable enough for you to
consider. To find them, read some reviews of the possible wedding
destinations in Bermuda. Look for hotel and resort reviews,
including church descriptions. And, to make everything easy for
you, try to ask for recommendations from the people you know.
Contact a wedding coordinator or planner if possible so to help you
decide on where to take your vows. Note that Bermuda features a
number of sites perfect for wedding ceremonies. For instance, there
is the spectacular beach at the Astwood Park in Warwick Parish, as
well as the charming gazebo in the Lovely Victoria Park of
Hamilton. There are some cliff top hubs out there in Bermuda that
overlook the Atlantic Ocean. A number of hotels, inns and cottages
are even available to give you the best space for your wedding.
If you want to marry in Bermudian
church, then look for the perfect place. Bermuda, as you may know,
does not only have one church. There is many, in fact. So make
sure that you’ve picked up your best option. However, there are
certain considerations that you must note if you decide to say your
“I dos” in the church. One of those is the fact that in Bermuda,
the divorced couples are not allowed to be married in church,
particularly in the Catholic churches. There are also certain fees
that you must consider, and these fees are subject to increase.
Plus, the catholic priests in Bermuda do not perform wedding
ceremonies outdoor.
Think about your wedding reception.
This too will highly matter. Ask yourself what you really want from
a wedding location? Do you want luxury, elegance or a sense of
romance? Decide on that based on what you really want.
Step #4:
Grace Your Ceremony with Bermuda’s Charming Wedding
Traditions
Bermuda is a place blessed with
charming wedding traditions that may add beauty and charm to your
wedding ceremony. So why don’t you consider at least few of these
local customs and make your wedding in Bermuda truly memorable?
Yes, this is indeed a good idea to plan your wedding.
So what sample traditions you can
consider for your wedding?
In the first place, the Bermudians
have this belief about obtaining a lifetime good luck from the moon
gates. The moon gates are actually large stones that are shaped
like a ring. The locals believe that when the couple walks through
these gates, they will get a wedding good luck that will last for a
lifetime. So if you are new to this belief and you are planning to
exchange your vows in this wonderful paradise, I bet there’s nothing
wrong with following such tradition. It is even exciting to do
that.
Aside from that, the local people of
Bermuda have this tradition of preparing wedding cakes for both the
groom and the bride. So this makes two cakes for the wedding: one
for the groom and one for the bride.
The traditional groom’s cake is
basically a plain pound cake that is accented with gold leaf which
for some local a symbol of wealth. It is also a customary in
Bermuda to place whatever the groom’s favorite activity is on top of
the cake.
The bride’s cake, on the other hand,
is a fruitcake symbolizing fruitfulness in the marriage. It is
covered with a silver lead, representing purity. On top of it is a
small vase that contains a cedar branch. It is this object that
represents Bermuda. Aside from that, it is also common for the
bride’s cake to present a potted cedar beside the cake’s table. It
is after the wedding that the bride and groom are requested to plant
the tree on that potted cedar. This is highly considered in
accordance to the people belief that as the cedar grows; the
marriage will flourish with strength and happiness.
For the romantics, you can consider
and experience how it feels to be carried by a traditional Bermudian
horse-and-carriage ride to your honeymoon destination. This too is
one of the highly valued customs for wedding in Bermuda.
So those are just a few of the
interesting historic wedding traditions in Bermuda that you’ll want
to make your own during your wedding day and for the rest of your
married life.
Step #5:
Decide When to Book
So everything is settled, from the
license, to the budget and all the way to the perfect destination
and other possible matters involved. Well, now proceed by thinking
and deciding when to book your trip to the island.
Many of the wedding experts these
days suggest that when thinking about wedding in Bermuda, it is best
to book as early as possible, about ten months before the
departure. In the first place, this may seem too early, but to tell
you honestly, Bermuda is such a popular destination for weddings.
As such, there’s a great possibility that even within just six
months before your departure, the resorts and hotels will start to
fill. The rooms and facility selection will then become limited.
So if you want to surely obtain your
desired rooms and facilities, it is better to reserve it ten months
prior to your trip. This will also help you to estimate the number
of your guests, including the length of their stay, then giving you
idea on how much of your budget you will need. To secure your rooms
and lock in your wedding date, you can even put down a refundable
deposit. The total rate, however, will depend on the hotel or
resort you’re dealing with.
A wedding in Bermuda is really an
exciting venture you can decide on. Men and women are warmly
welcomed when they come to the island to say their “I dos”, but it
is important to make sure that everything under the law is
followed. Perhaps one of the most important things to note here is
that Bermuda, although it is a territory of the United Kingdom, does
not have UK laws on marriage and divorce. It has maintained its own
laws, so those who are planning to get married in this island,
whether residents or nonresidents should do so under the established
marriage laws. Once everything is followed, you’ll be guaranteed to
have a wonderful wedding that is made in heaven.
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