If your idea of marital bliss includes rest, relaxation, and a spectacular tropical beach that's close to home, then we've found the perfect place for you.
By: Stefania SainatoCulture Club
On Thursday nights, the tourism board hosts a "fish fry" that showcases the islands' culture, music and of course, cuisine. We were fortunate to attend during lobster season (May through October) but it's not just a seafood cookout — there's a variety of food to please even the pickiest palates. You can also shop for handcrafted souvenirs, jewelry and home décor from local artisans. However, our favorite part was witnessing local children and visitors like ourselves (who may have had a little too much rum punch), busting our their best dance moves during Junkanoo.
Photo Credits: Stefania Sainato
This festival is believed to have originated in the Bahamas during the 16th and 17th centuries, when slaves were given a special holiday around Christmas time and they could leave the plantations to be with their families. After emancipation, their descendants continued this tradition, which has evolved into a celebratory parade. As costumed performers lined up in a procession moved through the crowd, it was impossible not to sway to the beat and get swept up by the excitement of the horns and drums. Keep an eye out for the unmistakable "rake and scrape" musicians as well, who use the most unconventional of instruments: a butter knife scraped against a hand saw.
Getting Married in Turks and Caicos
Since its grand opening in 1993, the Grace Bay Club has established a stellar reputation as the leading five-star resort in Provo. It offers four categories of accommodations: the adults-only hotel, family-friendly villas, the penthouses, and the luxurious estate property (which includes exclusive facilities, making it a hotel within a hotel). No matter which section you choose, you're guaranteed an oceanfront view, which is a big draw for honeymooners. The ambiance is posh yet welcoming. Everywhere you turn, romance awaits: take a dip in the glass-bottom pool, dine beneath glowing lanterns at Anacoana or grab a cocktail at their 90-foot Infiniti Bar (the largest in the Caribbean). My husband and I felt that at any moment, we could rub shoulders with a celebrity, and it turns out that our hunch wasn't too far off — we ran into Pretty Little Liar's Lucy Hale when we visited.
Photos courtesy of Grace Bay Club
The hoteliers are constantly reinventing the brand to keep it fresh and modern. Case in point: They've teamed up with celebrity interior designer Thom Felicia to reinvent the design concept of the villas in 2014, followed by renovations to the Estate section in 2015. Their beachside pop-up restaurant and bar also gets assigned a new theme and menu each year: right now it's Jars (where everything is served in a jar) and last year, it was Stix (which has since relocated to West Bay Club).
This commitment to innovation extends itself to weddings as well. They offer an a-la-carte package where Shameka Simmons, their weddings coordinator, works with couples to custom-tailor exactly what they'd like to include. Whether you want to have 200 guests or an elopement, a specialized menu, island-style entertainment, fireworks or a bonfire on the beach, they can make it happen. Unlike many other resorts, Grace Bay Club only hosts one wedding per day. (Stevie Wonder's daughter counts herself as a recent bride.) We had the pleasure of doing an anniversary shoot with Christine from Paradise Photography, one of their recommended vendors, and we had so much fun working with her. (The basic wedding package starts at $2,700 and up; gracebayresorts.com.)
We couldn't ask for a more magical anniversary. In fact, we may have set the bar a little too high for future years!
