Discover Romantic Turks and Caicos

If chasing the green flash, dipping your toes into white sand and swimming with tropical fish in truly turquoise water sounds like heaven on earth to you, then consider your honeymoon and destination wedding location on the island of Providenciales in romantic Turks and Caicos. 

Surrounded by the majestic natural beauty dreams are made of, this Caribbean island, just a three-and-a-half hour flight from New York City, is a hot spot for destination wedding couples seeking a certain level of urban luxury. When you touch down at Wymara Resort and Villas (formerly Gansevoort Turks + Caicos), perched on the famed Grace Bay Beach, island life is majestic. You and your guests can take over the 91-room property, where everyone gets an ocean view. With plenty of space in each room and fully equipped kitchen suites (which can be stocked prior to your arrival), guests of all ages will be happy here.

If you’re a foodie, you’re in luck. The cuisine on property is a highlight. On Wednesdays, you’ll find a fisherman’s menu at the beachfront restaurant where you select your local seafood and watch chefs prepare it as live local music plays in the background. Guest Services Manager, Brendan O’Neill, describes the local fare. “We have lobster and conch year round. These are some of the key island ingredients we have on the menu. Conch ceviche is a favorite at the hotel.”

Also, stay up late to a DJ spinning tunes in Stelle on Fridays and partake in an all-you-can-eat sushi night twice a week in this indoor/outdoor eatery. Stelle is also home to your included breakfast buffet each morning and is a great location for an after-party on the wedding night.

If you’re on the island on a Thursday night, try the local fish fry that takes place just next door to Wymara Resort. Enjoy live local music, all the conch fritters you can imagine, rum cocktails mixed into freshly cracked coconuts and a night filled with fun under the stars.

Daytime activities are plentiful too, though simply napping on Grace Bay Beach tops many bucket lists. For those who seek underwater sports, a dive at one of the largest barrier reefs in the world is a must-do. Snorkeling is in abundance closer to shore and, if you’re lucky, you might spot JoJo, the island’s famous solitary dolphin who has adopted tourists as his family since separating from his pod as a calf. 

To go on the lookout for JoJo, take a group or private boat tour and get picked up right from the resort. Then, get intentionally marooned on a nearby uninhabited island for an afternoon of sun, sand, fresh conch and even a beach party if you choose.

Come wedding day, say “I do” for up to 200 guests on the sand at Wymara Resort and Villas. After all, this is why you came to the famous Grace Bay Beach. Or, consider an intimate wedding alternative at the recently opened Wymara Villas. Just an eight-minute drive from the hotel, the villas provide a completely different hotel-like experience, one ideal for small groups. The four- and five-bedroom oceanfront homes each come complete with two pools and patios, a sunken fire pit lounge area and stairs that lead right into the water. With resort rights and a shuttle to take you to-and-from, a beach ceremony followed by a small cocktail hour and reception in your villa is a match made in heaven. 

Come honeymoon time, enjoy the Exhale Spa at the resort, attentive poolside service and all the amenities you could expect from a beachfront vacation hot spot with all the luxuries of city life and views that can’t be beat.

This article first appeared in the Fall/Winter 2018 issue of Destination I Do magazine.