Weddings in Barbados – One Love. One Life. One Caribbean…

One Caribbean Estates takes the stress out of destination weddings, working hand in hand with co-ordinations, decorators, vendors and venues to make your dream Barbados wedding a reality; and of course, it all begins with the perfect place to stay in Barbados. We have access to some of the most romantic luxury villas in Barbados. Whether your dream is a perfectly picturesque villa for two, a larger villa to entertain the whole family, or a spectacular luxury villa to wow your guests, our team will help you curate the Barbados wedding of your dreams. Contact us for more information and take the first step down the sand-covered aisle.

Barbados Beach Weddings

Getting married in Barbados can only mean one thing for many of our guests; a Barbados beach wedding.

Getting married on the beach in Barbados is relatively simple as it is not required that space be previously registered, as is the case in the UK and some other countries. This makes a Barbados destination wedding particularly enticing as you can choose a beautiful spot that’s just perfect for you. You will need to apply for a Magistrate or Marriage Officer to agree to marry you at the place and time you prefer and we can assist you in securing this integral part of your special day. We give you all the requirements for marriage in Barbados further on in the blog, that apply for all weddings.

Here are our top tips for choosing beach weddings Barbados:

• Beachfront villas for a truly luxurious experience and a day that runs from morning to ceremony and from dancing to bed. This choice makes for an exquisite celebration of love. Contact us to receive a portfolio of Barbados luxury wedding villas.
• Beachfront hotels for everything including Barbados destination wedding. Most hotels have a wedding planner in-house and you and your guests will have a place to stay and a fully stocked bar and restaurant at your disposal. This Barbados beach wedding option is perfect for couples who want everything to be included and as little extra work as possible.
• Beachfront restaurants for a simple beach wedding with access to great food and drinks, served by an experienced team. 
• West & South Coast Beaches for pristine white sand and turquoise water. Choose the West for a perfect sunset backdrop.
• East Coast Beaches for an easygoing vibe with a dramatic backdrop. The East Coast is more rugged than the South and West Coasts and has an energy that feeds off the surfing community. If a beach BBQ, fresh coconuts and bottles of beer is your dream, then the East Coast is for you. 

Wedding Venues in Barbados

If sandy nuptials are definitely not your thing, you can still have the Barbados destination wedding of your dreams when you select one of the island’s many venues. Take a look at our highlights of wedding venues in Barbados:

• Resorts and hotels for a great choice of indoor and outdoor settings, with on-hand and well-trained staff, as well as somewhere for you and your guests to lay their heads.
• Beautiful boats for something a little different; take your guests out on a sunset cruise and get married floating on turquoise waters.
• Historical houses for a traditional wedding in a consistent climate and incredible photos to remember forever.
• Tropical gardens for the most romantic of settings and nature’s decoration skills included.
• World-renowned restaurants for couples who know good food and want to share it with their guests.

Contact us to begin choosing your perfect wedding venues in Barbados.

Barbados Wedding Villas

We’ve devoted a whole section of our blog to where to get married in Barbados on Barbados wedding villas because this is simply one of our favourite choices for weddings in Barbados. Barbados has so many beautiful villas with backdrops to create the photos and memories of your dreams. When you choose a Barbados villa for your wedding you are giving yourself the gift of choice, as well as the gift of ease. Imagine arriving at your villa a day or two before your wedding day to settle in and get to know your home from home; perhaps you’d like to invite the most special people in your life to join you. Whether low-key and easy is your thing or a majestic and luxurious magazine-style destination wedding is your dream, there is a Barbados villa for you and a team of dedicated helpers to achieve it. Perhaps your rehearsal dinner is a Caribbean BBQ by the pool or a sumptuous local culinary delight, created by one of the island’s renowned chefs right in your own kitchen. A Barbados villa wedding brings your dream to you from the moment you arrive on the island till whenever you choose to leave!

Here are a few considerations:

• Inside or outside - choose a villa that has the space you want for your ceremony and reception. There’s so much choice there’s no need to compromise. Be patient, the right villa is waiting for you and we’ll help you find it!
• The best sunset is on the west - if you want a sunset ceremony with photos to match, choose a villa on the west coast and the closer to the ocean or the higher up, the more spectacular the view will be.
• Size matters - beautiful Barbados wedding villas come in all shapes and sizes and we’re here to help you choose the villa for your perfect Barbados wedding. 

Getting Married in Barbados

As we mentioned earlier on in the blog, getting married in Barbados is relatively simple. There are no required waiting periods or minimum length of stay in order to apply for a marriage license in Barbados.

These are the most important must-knows for getting married in Barbados - legal requirements:

• Apply for your marriage license at the office of the Ministry of Home Affairs - the office is open Monday to Friday 8:30 am - 3:30 pm and we’ll make the appointment on your behalf and accompany you to your meeting.

Bring with you:

• Valid passports & birth certificates
• Your return tickets if you are not Barbadian residents
• Original Decree Absolute if either party was previously married
• Certified Copy of the Marriage Certificate & Death Certificate if either party is widowed
• Documents from your Bishop to the Bishop of Bridgetown if you wish to have a Roman Catholic ceremony
• A letter from the Magistrate or Marriage Officer stating they are willing to perform your marriage on the date you wish, at your venue of choice. (We will accompany you to obtain your letter before your appointment at the Ministry of Home Affairs).

We often get asked ‘how much is a wedding in Barbados?’, to answer this question fully would depend on the type and size of Barbados wedding your wish to have. However, the cost of a wedding in Barbados will include the Marriage License Fees, which are US $175.

Barbados Destination Wedding

Getting married in Barbados is a dream for many couples who are attracted to the tropical climate and traditional Caribbean party atmosphere. A Barbados destination wedding is a great way to combine your wedding and honeymoon plans. There are some fantastic options for wedding venues in Barbados as we have seen, so a Barbados destination wedding doesn’t have to mean a hotel resort or beach wedding, though for lots of couples this is exactly what they want!

This may be the most important vacation of your life, so it’s important to understand the destination from that perspective. With that in mind, here are a few top tips for choosing your Barbados destination wedding:

• Climate - Barbados is a tropical island with temperatures staying relatively steady around 30 degrees centigrade. However, there is a wet season in Barbados which runs from June to November which is also the hurricane season.
• Peak Season Prices - coinciding with the cooler temperatures of the dry season, prices rise in December through to the spring, and January is a particularly expensive month to visit Barbados.
• Busyness - Barbados is very busy with tourists over the festive season and throughout January; the quietest month tends to be September but businesses do sometimes take a month off so your options for dining out may be more limited. It also tends to be very hot and humid in September with a good amount of rain.

Planning a Wedding in Barbados

A Barbados Wedding Planner's Top Three Barbados Wedding Tips:

• Choose a wedding planner that you feel comfortable with to help you to execute your plans and be your eyes and ears on the ground.
• Do adequate vendor research by reviewing portfolios & reviews from previous weddings so you are confident they can produce the service you expect.
• When planning a beach ceremony, be cognizant of the dramatic effect weather can have on the beachfront's appearance. Sometimes the sand is washed away and there is less space to use. Therefore confirming the exact location should not be done too long in advance, a few months is normally sufficient. A plan B can entail the use of a large beach such as Brighton Beach or Brandon's beach which is less affected.

How to Get Married in Barbados - Our Summary and Destination Wedding Barbados Top Tips

We know how important weddings are to couples and their family and friends; we also know that planning a wedding abroad can be nerve-wracking. We sincerely hope this blog on how to get married in Barbados has eased any concerns you may have had and answered a lot of your questions. Barbados is a beautiful island, visitors return year after year and a wedding in Barbados can be the realisation of a dream.

Our top tips for getting married in Barbados:

• Ask a Barbados-based professional for help here
• Dedicate some time to research - we can do it together or for you
• Speak to your loved ones about making your wedding their holiday and what they would like that to look like. We can create one bespoke itinerary for everyone or work with smaller groups who would like this service.
• If you don’t want a planner or concierge to assist you, make sure you know exactly what documents you will need to have with you.
• Remember to make plans for flying with your dress! (We can help)
• Don’t forget to make plans for the days before and after your wedding day; especially if you book your Barbados destination wedding in a busy month.