Tying the knot nowadays has become a much more sundry activity as brides' options have gone way beyond old traditions of bells and lace. All woman spoke to top wedding planners at Sandals Royal Caribbean, Half Moon and bridal guru Delaine McFarlane from Beautiful Brides & Mr Tux Ltd to get a feel of the modern approach to getting hitched.

Sandals' wedding consultant Antonette Bowen mentions that most weddings have gotten smaller, allowing for a more creative take on the ceremony. "People are waiting longer to get married these days, with most couples being in their 30s, and so the guests list tends to be focused on closer friends," she said.

Sailboat place cards

Bowen also mentioned that in terms of theme, while at Sandals a beach wedding is the perennial favourite, she notices that trendy colours such as burnt oranges and deep pinks have become a popular choice as colour scheme has become more important than a general theme. Bowen also notes that the beachfront hotel setting is not just for tourists, as many Jamaicans take advantage of Sandals' wedding packages.

"We do the most local weddings of all the hotels," she said.
While known for catering to the international jet-set crowd, over at Half Moon senior wedding planner Racquel Graham-Bernard notes that they do on average 12 Jamaican weddings a year, also small in scale but usually with a simpler all-white or tropical feel, as their clients prefer the lush gardens over a traditional ballroom setting.

Beautiful Brides' founder McFarlane who also spearheaded the recent Wedding Expo held in Kingston, noted that outside of hotels the options available locally are overwhelming, as brides can (and do) find a way to execute any concept or accessory they desire. "I've been at weddings where it's chilly and threatens rain, and the bride and groom offer customised coats or umbrellas to the guests!," she said.
Making your special day stand out can be a costly affair, so budget wisely.

Use aunty's photo to mark her seat

Tips for giving your ceremony some simple custom touches:

*Getting married outdoors? Head downtown and buy a stack of hats from a wholesaler, then print strips of ribbon with your wedding date and tie around the brims. Hand them out as sun-shading mementos of the big day.
*Seating children together at the reception gives parents room to breathe. At the kiddie tables substitute the traditional floral centrepiece for a candy-filled arrangement to make their experience a little sweeter.

*Living on an island, waterfront wedding spots such as the Morgan's Harbour hotel are popular. Embrace the at-sea aesthetic by substituting traditional place cards for paper boats with guests' names written on them.
*Sticking with dry land? Make smaller land weddings even more intimate by using candid photos of the guests to mark their seats.

*For the ultimate in beach wedding luxury, treat guests to hand-crafted palm hand fans, and centrepieces encrusted with shells as those getting the ultimate beachfront treatment do with a Preston Bailey Seascape wedding package, offered exclusively at Sandals resorts.

*Who says flowers have to be supported by a stand from the ground up? Try hanging centrepieces throughout your reception for a looser take on the floral arrangement. Preston Bailey's luxurious centrepieces from his Floral Elegance wedding package at Sandals positively drip with floral luxury.

Executive Class

Gardens with Gravel

Death to the Mullet!