Walking barefoot down the aisle, feeling the sea breeze in your hair while exchanging vows, putting wedding bands on with the sunset as a silent witness – all experiences couples are unlikely to have in Canada, but utterly ubiquitous during a wedding in the Caribbean.
Naturally then, hoteliers in St. Martin are eager to assist Canadians create a fairy-tale wedding experience tiny territory (shared by France and the Netherland), framed by green palm trees, fresh orchids, and the gorgeous background of the dazzling Caribbean Sea.
However, along with natural beauty and easy accessibility, there are various other factors as well that make the destination ideal for the Big Day, including the possibility that logistics can be a lot simpler and smoother than at home.
To help lift the veil on getting married in St. Martin, here is a conversation with Stephanie Moritel, executive assistant manager at La Samanna, A Belmond Hotel, Saint Martin (French side):
1. When is the best time for a destination wedding in St. Martin?
While there is never a “bad time” to say “I do” in Saint Martin, I would recommend November and early December as well as April, May, and June. Those months are during the off-peak season and have the best value.
2. How do you get there?
The island has two airports. The likely arrival point will be St. Maarten’s Princess Juliana International Airport on the Dutch side, which has grown from a military airfield built by the United States in 1943 into the second-busiest airport in the eastern Caribbean. The other airport is L’Espérance Airport, in Grand Case on French St. Martin which caters largely to inter-island commuter airlines and small private aircraft.
3. What is the legal paperwork or documents that have to be taken care of prior to arrival?
It all depends on whether (the couple) wants to get legally married in Saint Martin, French West Indies, or just want to have a symbolic ceremony followed by a reception and party with friends and family. At La Samanna, we can assist and take care of getting the file ready if you wish to do it all on the island. We will send a list of the required documents, get them translated to French by an accredited translator and apply on your behalf at the municipality.
Upon your arrival on the island, a few days before the wedding, we will accompany the couple to the Civil Registry to pre-sign all the certificates and legal documents. On the day of, they will say “oui” just like any French citizen, get the Livret de Famille and multi-language wedding certificate to then share with local authorities once home. (A legal wedding package fee applies). It is important to remind all couples that same-sex marriage is legal in France and thus in Saint Martin.
4. Do you also handle offsite weddings? What are other venues that couples have wanted to consider?
We can assist in planning and coordinating all kinds of off-property events with ground transportation, venue privatization and yachts. Couples tend to venture out for their rehearsal dinner to experience the local gastronomic scene and the vibrant island atmosphere. We also receive many requests for day trips in some of Saint Martin’s scenic areas to turn the rehearsal dinner into a playful day, such as a high-end catamaran trip to Tintamarre or a hiking and tree-top canopy tour.
5. Photography is a key component – what are some good spots to have wedding photos taken in St. Martin? Or at your hotel?
We always recommend getting some shots off-property before the wedding. We have had amazing sessions in the nature reserve in Tintamarre for instance. On the day of the wedding, the couple usually does a “getting ready” session in our villas or specialty suites. For the “First look” session, we suggest our beautiful and lush garden before heading to L’Idylle, our wedding arch, for the ceremony. Obviously Baie Longue beach, our mile-long beach, is a must for some sunset couple shots!
6. How many people typically attend a destination wedding?
We have seen all sizes and formats from elopements to intimate weddings with 30 guests. Larger wedding celebrations have ranged from a fun gathering of 70 to 90 guests all the way up to a grand affair with a full hotel privatization and 180 guests.
7. Are there any unique wedding ceremonies that you have helped plan? What’s the most unusual request you’ve received?
Every wedding we plan is as unique as the couple. We build a strong relationship with them, discuss their expectations, ideal vision of their big day and then create a tailor-made itinerary for their wedding weekend.
In almost 10 years of wedding planning at La Samanna, I have witnessed a full ceremony in Marigot church with the local women choir singing traditional South American and Caribbean music, to a cello and piano classical duet playing the Star Wars soundtrack as an introduction to the bride walking down the aisle… You should have seen the face of guests the first 20 seconds until they realized it was a joke between the bride and groom!
8. Are there any local customs that St. Martins have that might be incorporated into the plans Canadians have for a wedding in St. Martin?
Some of the most revered customs in St Martin date back to the Arawaks, the island’s first inhabitants. To honour these traditions, we crafted an Arawak ceremony script based on a water ritual that has its roots in this pre-Columbian, indigenous communities.
9. What kind of budgets should a couple plan for a destination wedding or a honeymoon in St. Martin?
Budgets do tend to vary greatly as every celebration planned at La Samanna is unique and tailor-made. Elopements generally start at US$2,590 in addition to the regular hotel stay. For a full wedding, the reception packages start at $350 per guest.
Beyond the ceremony, couples, and guests can explore the two-territory island, known for lavish, unspoiled landscapes and idyllic beaches, and home to dozens of different nationalities and cultures.
The small 88-sq.-km. territory is also a gastronomic capital, featuring a blend of traditional French and global gourmet cuisine.