Wedding hotels

Amanyara

Turks & Caicos, Caribbean

Wow factor   Amanyara’s location on the northwestern tip of Providenciales makes it the best spot to catch a Caribbean sunset – what better backdrop?

Need to know   Although ideally suited to intimate ceremonies of up to 20 guests, the resort can cater for larger parties, provided you book it in its entirety. Otherwise, 80 per cent of the wedding party are required to stay three nights or more. Couples need to stay on Turks & Caicos for 48 hours before requesting a marriage licence (which can take up to 72 hours for approval).

Inspiration   Staff can arrange simple Christian or non-religious ceremonies either on the beach or in the intimacy of your own pavilion or villa.

Cotton House

Mustique, Caribbean

Wow factor   The air of decadent luxury on a perfect private island will make your matrimony more than memorable.

Need to know   Choose between the verdant setting of the Cotton House's 13 acres of manicured tropical gardens or a sun-kissed ceremony on the white-sand beach. Staff are happy to arrange decor according to your tastes and can put together an appropriate soundtrack on request. The hotel can host weddings with up to 36 adult guests and 12 children.

Inspiration   Celebrate in style with a chartered helicopter flight around Mustique and the neighbouring Grenadines.

Eden Rock

St Barths, Caribbean

La Banane

St Barths, Caribbean

Wow factor   Exchange your vows at sunset on a white-sand beach on the Caribbean’s most glamour-laden island.

Need to know   Le Banane works in conjunction with a private events company to tailor wedding arrangements to your needs and ensure that all licences and logistics are sorted smoothly. The hotel requires that all nine bungalows are booked to hold a ceremony at La Banane and no weddings can be held between 20 December and 6 January.

Inspiration   Take the bridal party to swim with the dolphins off the coast of Anguilla, while the groom’s men try their hands at big-game fishing for marlin and tuna far out at sea.

Laluna

Grenada, Caribbean

Wow factor   An intimate hideaway in a secluded bay setting, Laluna is ideal for wedding ‘escapes’ with a select number of guests – as a number of musicians, models and movie stars can testify.

Need to know   Couples marrying in Grenada are required to stay on the island for three working days prior to the event, and must have birth certificates, and a notarised letter confirming singledom. Laluna requires at least eight of its cottages to be booked to host a wedding reception, but recommends exclusive use – the resort can accommodate 32 people.

Inspiration   Laluna’s staff can tailor-make any aspect of your wedding, including flowers, cake and photography. It would also be churlish not to treat the bridesmaids to a spa treatment the day before.

Little Good Harbour

Barbados, Caribbean

Parrot Cay

Turks & Caicos, Caribbean

Wow factor   Follow in Hollywood footsteps with an intimate sun-kissed beach wedding on a private Caribbean island.

Need to know   Couples tying the knot in Turks & Caicos need to stay at least three days before the wedding, complete a marriage-licence application form upon arrival, and provide birth certificates and legal evidence of single status. For $1,200, Parrot Cay’s wedding coordinators can organise everything from schedules to soundtrack. The hotel’s pastry chef can create a bespoke cake for around $250. Although the hotel’s maximum wedding party size is eight guests, larger events may be possible, subject to availability and time of year.

Inspiration   Savour a pre-nuptial sunset dinner in a tiki hut overlooking the beach or a candlelit meal in the screened Shambhala cottage.