Planning an Intimate Destination Wedding in Jamaica

Why Jamaica makes it easy

Jamaica is one of the simplest countries in the Caribbean to marry in as a visitor. The rule most couples know is the 24-hour one: you can legally marry after being on the island for a day. The paperwork is a marriage licence, which Bay Vista’s planning team applies for on your behalf, using certified copies of your birth certificates, your passports and, where relevant, a decree absolute or a spouse’s death certificate. Requirements do change, so Michelle will confirm the current list when you book.

Why Bay Vista

A resort wedding comes with a package and a lot of other people. At Bay Vista you have the house, the view and the day. The ceremony happens on the deck or the lawn above the bay, the reception on the same deck an hour later, and eight of your guests sleep in the house. Planning, décor, flowers, balloons and rentals all come from Bay Vista, through Michelle’s company, The Wedding Planner Plus, so there is one team and one conversation, and the venue is also the place you get ready.

A realistic timeline

Twelve months out: choose the date and confirm it with Michelle; the north-coast dry season (December to April) books first. Six months: menu, décor, photographer, the marriage-licence paperwork. Three months: guest travel and accommodation (the villa sleeps eight; ask Bay Vista about places nearby for everyone else). One month: timeline, rain plan, playlist. The week of: arrive at least two days early, get the licence signed, and let the villa be a holiday before it is a venue.

The budget conversation

Ask Bay Vista for a quote with everything listed: the event itself, which is priced separately from accommodation, then the chef and bar, the décor and flowers, the photographer and transfers for your guests. The line that surprises couples most is guest transport, which is why Bay Vista arranges drivers.

Weather and the rain plan

The dry months are December to April. May and June are quieter and greener with short afternoon showers. Hurricane season peaks from August to October; storms are rare but insurance is wise. Whatever the month, a good rain plan on this coast is a tent over the deck and a 30-minute delay, because the rain almost always passes. Bay Vista has one ready.

Need help? Ask Bay Vista

Help with the details, balloons, flowers, a cake, a photographer, a driver or any other arrangement: contact Bay Vista. Send Michelle your date and your numbers and she will come back with what the deck can do for you. Then get on a plane and let the people who have done this for nearly thirty years do it again.