Long Island

Special occasions sometimes are better in special locations. Those special locations often provide special services. That is how we came to select Long Island for our wedding getaway. It is probably not the Long Island you are thinking about. Our Long Island is better known as Jumby Bay, Antigua. The whole island is the Jumby Bay Resort, some 300 acres, located about 1.5 miles off the northeastern coast of Antigua in the eastern Caribbean. The island is entirely private.

No, Not Long Island New York

Seriously, you thought Long Island New York was our special wedding destination? You need help.

Antigua

Antigua was an easy choice for our wedding week. The island is a direct flight from many cities on the US East Coast. This enabled friends and family to join us for our special event. By the way, Antigua is pronounced “ann-TEE-ga”. There is no Gua sound in the name. The process for getting married on Antigua was easy too, quite simple actually. A visit to the Ministry of Justice offices on lower Nevis Street in downtown St. John’s was the first stop. The Ministry of Justice offices are only a 20 minute ride from the Jumby Bay mainland dock, easy peasy. We obtained our licenses here. All you need to show are valid passports. Then we completed the applications, paid the fees and waited for one full day before the ceremony could commence. This is a rule of Antigua. Jumby Bay arranged everything for our big day, hair and makeup for the women, beer and beach for the men, the officiated ceremony, and the evening wedding dinner on the veranda of the Estate House.

How great was this? A perfect beach wedding under swaying palm trees and a calypso band playing in the background. And, to top it all off, it was on an island named by Christopher Columbus in 1493.

Jumby Bay Resort

And the resort is gorgeous. Jumby Bay features 28 beautifully decorated suites and villas. Each one is just steps away from the sparkling white beaches and spectacular views of the Caribbean Sea. The island also has 22 private residences to choose from if you want something bigger, more luxurious and, of course, more expensive. We opted for one bedroom suites for us as well as our guests.

Each suite, or villa, has at least two bicycles. They gave you complete freedom to breeze around the island on the nearly 2 miles of paved, palm fringed, winding paths. Everywhere you looked was bursting with bright flowers and tropical plants. A tour led by one of the island’s gardeners is an unusual offering for a luxury resort but it is well worth the time. You get to see exotic fruits such as sugar apple and sapodilla, fragrant herbs and local spices. In the center of the island you would always see free ranging ducks, sheep and chickens.

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Best Time to Travel

The best time to travel to Antigua depends on a number of personal factors. There is less rain during the period from mid December to mid April, but there are more people and the rates are higher. This is peak season for most of the Caribbean. It is also the time when the weather is the most miserable on the East Coast of the US, Europe and the UK. I mention the UK and Europe because there are direct flights from London and Manchester in the UK as well as direct flights from Milan and Frankfurt. This time period also provides the most lush vegetation on the island.

In addition to the travelers escaping from the Siberia-like winters, Antigua hosts its Charter Yacht Show every December. This means boaters arrive from around the world. An International Kite Festival takes place from late March through early April. Kite flying is apparently a big deal in Antigua, especially during Easter.

The second best weather related time to visit Antigua is mid April through late May. The crowds are gone, the weather is still very nice and the rates are more reasonable. Any time after May and before December you run the risk of hurricanes and lots of rain.

April weddings in Antigua are beautiful and, of course, special. We were not disappointed.