Getting Married

As TCI's Premier, the Honorable Dr. Michael Misick, proved when he married Hollywood starlet LisaRaye McCoy (star of the UPN comedy All of Us) in 2006 in a celebrity-studded wedding at Amanyara, the Turks & Caicos Islands are a hot destination-wedding spot. You can get married barefoot on the beach, in a ballroom at a luxury resort, on a sailboat, or in one of the island's colorful churches, to name a few choice scenarios. An increasing number of resorts and tour operators are equipped to handle weddings soup-to-nuts. Here is a sampling of options:

• Sail Provo (www.sailprovo.com) can organize a wedding on one of its large catamarans or on a secluded beach, with all the trimmings, for up to 100 people.
• The Regent Palms resort offers customized wedding services and your choice of ceremony locations (on the beach, in the Palms Court -- which was featured in the Aug 2005 issue of Modern Bride -- or in the Messel Ballroom) and reception locations (the Messel Ballroom, on the beachside wooden deck, or in the courtyard).
• Beaches Turks & Caicos (tel. 800/SANDALS) marries couples on a regular basis -- in high season as many as 80 couples a month. It's big business for Beaches, and they take it very seriously, with an on-site wedding coordinator and complete wedding packages to choose from.

You need to meet the following legal requirements to marry in the TCI: You will need to bring a passport, a copy of your birth certificate, proof of status from your place of residence (if single, a sworn affidavit), and a divorce decree if you're divorced. You will need to pay a $50 (£25) license fee and $20 (£10) for a copy of the marriage certificate. You must be on island for 72 hours to establish residency, and the marriage license takes 2 to 3 days to process. Note: If you plan to marry in the one of the island churches, you may need proof of membership.

The Turks & Caicos Islands marriage certificate is legally recognized in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. For more details, contact the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages on Front Street at tel. 649/946-2800 in Grand Turk (the Registry also has an office in Provo at tel. 649/946-5350).