Turks and Caicos Destination Wedding Guide
There's no wedding destination quite like the Turks and Caicos Islands, where beautiful white-sand beaches, sparkling turquoise ocean water, and breathtaking sunsets make it a dream location for tying the knot (even for celebrities).
If you're thinking about getting married in Turks and Caicos, it's highly recommended that you hire a wedding planner to help you navigate the process. There are certain legal requirements weddings must meet to be considered valid in the Turks and Caicos, and a planner will ensure your celebrations go smoothly. They can also help you hire vendors, plan your flights, accommodation, and activities for your guests.
While there are nine inhabited islands in the country, most weddings take place on the main island of Providenciales.
This guide offers useful information and tips on how to host the perfect destination wedding in this sunny archipelago.
Why Turks and Caicos?
If you're dreaming of a Caribbean beach wedding, Turks and Caicos is a spectacular place to say "I do." World-famous Grace Bay Beach is the most popular beach location for weddings, but there are many equally beautiful lesser-known coasts to choose from that promise the same turquoise water and soft white sand (see Best Beaches).
Travel to these islands is straightforward for most visitors from the United States and Canada. Daily direct flights from over 20 North American cities serve the islands—it's only about a 90-minute flight from Miami and less than four hours from New York and Toronto.
It's typically possible to find all of the vendors you need—photographers, DJs, wedding planners, hair stylists and makeup artists, and more—right on Providenciales. Some of the luxury resorts even offer wedding planning in-house.
There are also plenty of activities to keep you and your guests entertained in the islands before and after your nuptials, from kayaking and snorkeling to sailing cruises and island tours.
Which Island to Get Married On
Providenciales
Providenciales is the simplest choice for a Turks and Caicos destination wedding. It's home to the vast majority of service providers and vendors, as well as resorts, restaurants, and tour companies. Nearly all international flights to the country land here.
Wedding costs are usually lower on Providenciales than on the other islands, as you won't have to cover travel expenses for your vendors and can typically fly direct.
Private Islands
Parrot Cay, Pine Cay, and Ambergris Cay are private islands that can provide a more exclusive and luxurious setting than Providenciales. Each island has a luxury resort that typically offers some level of wedding planning assistance for guests. The beaches are exceptionally quiet and provide a more intimate experience. Parrot Cay and Pine Cay are accessible by private ferry from Providenciales. Ambergris Cay Resort typically organizes private domestic flights for guests.
South Caicos
The quiet island of South Caicos offers uncrowded coastlines, beautiful ocean water, and two upscale resorts that can accommodate weddings. The island also welcomes direct flights from Miami twice per week for most of the year.
Other Islands
Grand Turk and North Caicos are feasible options for elopements or micro-weddings. These islands have a more laid-back Caribbean vibe with no large luxury resorts and very quiet beaches. Planning a wedding on these islands can be more challenging as they lack the infrastructure needed for mid to large events. A ferry connects Providenciales to North Caicos, and daily flights operate to Grand Turk.
Best Time of Year for Weddings
The best time of year to get married depends on your wedding budget and your venue. While the country experiences around 350 days of sunshine per year, January to April usually offer the best weather for a beach wedding. Air temperatures are a little more comfortable than in the summer, and these months usually experience less rain. This is considered the high season for tourism, so expect higher prices for flights and accommodation (and less availability).
The cheapest time of year to get married here is from August to early November (the low tourism season). Prices for flights, accommodations, and tours can be as much as 30% cheaper during these months. Unfortunately, weather at this time of year—which also coincides with the Atlantic hurricane season—is less predictable. Expect more rain and cloudier days.
Planning a Turks and Caicos Wedding
It's highly recommended that you hire a wedding planner to help you plan your celebration and navigate the various legal requirements. Not only will this save you significant time and stress, but it will also ensure that your marriage is locally and internationally recognized.
Turks and Caicos wedding planners typically charge based on the size of your celebration (guest count), with the option to include add-on services like activity planning or honeymoon planning. If you’ll be importing any food or items, a planner can take care of local customs duty processing and shipping.
Booking a resort with an in-house wedding planning service is another way you can streamline the planning process. The all-inclusive Beaches Turks & Caicos resort (part of the Sandals group) offers their trademark WeddingMoons package, which includes planning services, dinners, photography, and spa visits.
It's typically recommended that you start planning a year or more before your wedding date, especially for large celebrations. The wedding industry here is small and companies often book 6 to 8 months in advance. You also may have difficulty finding a venue—particularly one that can accommodate 100 persons or more—if you wait until the last minute.
Top Wedding Venues
Grace Bay Beach
This 3-mile-long (4.8 km) beach has been named the world's best many times, and offers perfect white sand and crystal-clear turquoise water. The sunsets at Grace Bay Beach are spectacular, and many couples choose to plan their ceremony for this time of day. What makes Grace Bay a great wedding venue is the many resorts that line the coast—often, couples will host a Grace Bay ceremony followed by a reception at one of the resorts.
The Bight Beach
The Bight Beach is the western continuation of Grace Bay. Likewise, it fronts several resorts that can host small to mid-sized weddings with a beach ceremony. This coast tends to be a little less crowded than Grace Bay, yet still has the same white sand and crystal-clear water.
A Private Villa
There are many beautiful private villas on Providenciales that can provide a more intimate setting free from passerbys. Most are located in Leeward, Turtle Tail, Chalk Sound, Sapodilla Bay, and Taylor Bay. For small celebrations, it's a convenient way to combine your accommodation and venue expenses (and may even save you a little money). Not all villas permit weddings—check with the property before planning.
Church Weddings
Providenciales has many churches of various denominations that host weddings. Keep in mind most churches are smaller than you might expect, and not all are air-conditioned. Some require additional documentation (such as baptism certificates, etc.) before they will allow you to get married.
Typical Turks and Caicos Wedding Costs
The cost of a destination wedding in Turks and Caicos varies significantly, depending on the size of your wedding, your flights, where you plan to stay, and the level of luxury. Typically, the smaller your wedding, the greater the savings as many vendors charge based on guest count.
One way to reduce costs for yourself and your guests is by staying at a resort that offers group rate pricing. These properties will offer discounted rooms (typically 10–25% off) for larger groups.
The cheapest venue is the beach—all beaches in the country are public up to the high-tide point (and free).
| Example Costs | |
| Accommodation for Two (6 Nights) | $3,500–$9,000 |
| Wedding Planner | $4,000–$10,000 |
| Wedding Photographer | $1,375–$6,050 |
| DJ | $1,000–$3,000 |
| Minister or Officiant | $1,000 |
| Marriage License Fee | $150 |
Turks and Caicos Wedding Photographers
Most Turks and Caicos wedding photographers are based on Providenciales, but are willing to travel for weddings on other islands. The local photographers are specialists when it comes to capturing beach weddings and the amazing hues of the country's turquoise ocean.
There are several local studios to choose from that have decades of experience capturing destination weddings. Most are also able to provide videography, either themselves or through a third-party provider.
It's typically not feasible to hire a wedding photographer from overseas, as they'll need to obtain a work permit to legally provide wedding photography services.
Flowers and Décor
Given the local climate, there isn't a huge selection of local tropical flowers that you can incorporate into your bouquet and décor. Nearly all flowers need to be imported.
Special orders can take a while to arrive, so it's important to select your arrangements well in advance of your wedding date. There are several local florists that routinely supply weddings.
DJs and Entertainment
While DJs are the go-to for most weddings, the country has a great live music scene with many talented bands, singers, solo musicians, and music groups available for hire. Solo saxophonists and steel pan musicians can be a nice addition to your ceremony or cocktail hour.
You can also look into alternative entertainment, like a junkanoo band to liven up the dance floor or fire dancers.
Catering and Wedding Cakes
You have the option of reserving with and dining at a restaurant (see Best Restaurants in Turks and Caicos for ideas) or using the services of a caterer and hosting at a location of your choice. Most resorts have an onsite restaurant that will cater resort weddings.
Almost any food or ingredient can be imported by air with advance notice. As a tropical archipelago, the local dishes center around fresh seafood—adding in some cracked conch, grilled lobster, or locally caught fish is a nice way to make dinner memorable.
Romantic dinners can be set up right on the beach at several beachfront restaurants. Private chefs can cater for private home or villa celebrations.
Other Vendors
A variety of hair stylists and makeup artists offer their services for weddings and can accommodate a large range of hair types and skin tones. Most salons offer travel to your resort, villa, or other accommodation to help you get ready (out-of-salon fees may apply).
The ceremony has to be performed by a local Justice of the Peace, a minister, or a registrar. Your wedding planner can help you arrange this, as well as all necessary documents and licenses.
Accommodations
There’s a large selection of hotels and villas to choose from, most of which are located on Providenciales. There's everything from luxury resorts to boutique inland hotels. While they aren't true budget hotels, some properties offer more cost-effective stays.
If you're traveling with a large group, contact the resort or hotel directly to arrange a discounted group rate for your party.
For smaller weddings, it may make sense to book a vacation villa—some of the more expansive mansions offer more than 10 rooms.
Honeymoons
Just as Turks and Caicos is a wonderful destination for engagements and weddings, it's an equally great place to spend your honeymoon. The islands are relatively quiet, there's a great dining scene, and there's a large collection of romantic experiences you can book to make your honeymoon one to remember.
Many of the best honeymoon resorts are located on Providenciales and directly on Grace Bay Beach.
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