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Brides get them from home and bring them down. We are a small island (less than 20k people live here) so we are very limited in shopping options. If you are going to go with fake I would check out the Beaches Turks and Caicos thread which gives a lot of names/photos etc of places doing fake flowers. Krys

I wrote a response on the Alexandria last night in the Turks 2013 post, hope that helps. I don't think you would need to rent a car the whole time...but renting a car for a day or two for the days you might want to go further out to dinner/shops/groceries is not going to break the bank, most of the car rental places will drop the car off at the hotel. Renting a car is a LOT cheaper than taxis and while we drive on the left...it's not hard to get the hang of it. We don't have a lot of roads on the island so it's not hard to get lost! I would look into it for a day or two but really there is a lot nearby the Alexandria...you'll be on the beach! and if you book an excursion, they will pick you up either on the beach or by shuttle, so no worries there. Krys

The Alexandria is about 1 mile to mile and 1/2 from Graceway Gourmet Grocery store. Graceway Gourmet is in the heart of the Grace Bay area shopping district. You could walk it in easily 20-25 minutes (that would be a slow leisurely walk), we have sidewalks all the way there or you could go on the beach to Seven Stars (tallest hotel on Island) and you're there. I am pretty certain they have bicycles available for use as well (it would be a VERY EASY bike ride). Things that are within quick walking distance: next door Regent Palms- they have a fabulous spa and some restaurants, and some great boutiques. Somerset - also have 2 restaurants (although really one of our favorites is the Alexandria's Mango Reef). You can go to Bay Bistro Restaurant on the other side of the Somerset and also in the development near Alexandria is a local favorite called Smokey's. After Bay Bistro you have a bit of undeveloped Beach and then The Sands, some more undeveloped Beach and Point Grace..Le Vele..Regent Grand and a few others. The Regent Grand is where the heart of shopping complexes are in Grace Bay. You have the Regent Shops, The Salt Mills Plaza and then further down near the Seven Stars Resort is the Ports of Call /Caicos Cafe area and Graceway Gourmet. We do see people walking around or biking around. It depends on how much walking you want to do. Mango Reef is a big favorite among the locals and expats here and we love the beach area around the Alexandria. If you want to have dinner at Coco Bistro or Coyaba or Caicos Cafe in the evening, a car/taxi or shuttle would be better. But there are lots of options for meals near you. If you want to make a morning of shops etc I would recommend walking on the beach early down to Seven Stars, and head to the Caicos Cafe Complex and try the Caicos Bakery for the fresh bread and Croissants (the almond croissants are heavenly) and Coffee or head to Graceway Gourmet which has a outdoor coffee area and little shop (best coffee around in my opinion). Get some ice cream at Island Scoop. I love the Salt Mills and Regent Shops for unique Island arts/crafts/clothing etc. We have some nice galleries and the FOTTAC (flavors of the turks and caicos) shop sells Rum/coffee/sea salt all from here. We really don't have a "town" so to speak, just mainly different areas on island. While The Alexandria isn't in the Heart of Grace Bay, it certainly is within the area and isn't "Way Out" in my opinion. Just make sure if you are going to walk, take water (people dehydrate here easily because they underestimate the sun) and don't head out mid day at the sun's peak. Mind you, once you hit the beach, you won't want to do much else . Oh yes, the Alexandria is within an easy walking distance on the opposite side (towards Beaches Resorts) to one of our more popular snorkeling reefs, by Coral Gardens. That's a great idea as well. Here are some blog posts of weddings at the Alexandria. The Mango Reef beach deck is a great location for a reception! http://brilliant.tc/blog/2012/04/turks-and-caicos-islands-alexandra-resort-tricia-and-matts-wedding-day/ http://brilliant.tc/blog/2012/06/the-wedding-of-carmela-joquim-the-alexandra-resort-turks-and-caicos/ Hope that helps! Krys

I can comment on flowers. Everything on island that has to be flown in refrigerated is going to be VERY expensive compared to the US. We see a LOT of brides with "fake flowers" or jeweled pin bouquets or even shell bouquets that they bring in. Some just may carry a single lily or a couple of gebera daisies etc. If you are on Pinterest...I have a lot of samples of flowers on one of my boards. Also check out the Beaches Turks and Caicos thread in the Beaches and Sandals sections. There are a LOT of brides who have used real touch flowers and have posted samples and you won't believe they are not real! http://pinterest.com/krysmann/wedding-details-from-our-brides/ Hope that helps Krys

DO NOT MAIL/FED EX ANYTHING DOWN TO THE T&C!!!! Yes I am shouting, but I mean it. Anything shipped on island is subject to a 36% import duty + shipping and clearing fees (yes, you would owe 36% of the value of items being shipped, if you ship $100 worth of items duty/taxes to the government is $36, not including the shipping fee and customs clearing fee). You would have to include a receipt of all items for duty assessment. if you do not include receipts, it would delay clearing and they can assess values as they see it! It is WAY too expensive and too chancy on clearing problems to ship. You should not have any problems with customs at the airport as all of the items you are bringing are going back off island. You will be fine. It is a lot cheaper to just pay for an extra suitcase or for someone to bring a suitcase or so down! (I have lived here for more than 17 years....DO NOT ship it here!) Krys

Just to give a little info here from some of the questions asked in the past few weeks : May and June are peak wedding season here. Some resorts will start to bring down prices in June, but for the most part it's been fairly busy and steady all season this year. Our quiet season (or as the locals call it "silly season") is September after Labor day thru to American Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving week is packed usually and hotels will charge prime rates. The first two weeks of December are quiet and then the middle of January also are quiet before the main tourist season starts. September through November will have better rates on accommodations, but it is also Hurricane season, I do advise travel insurance on the remote chance of a hurricane during that period. Other than Beaches Resort, Hotels on island are pretty willing to work with guests who are caught by a hurricane. Beaches has a hurricane policy but can switch you to a Jamaica resort to fulfill their obligation and the problems that arise with airfare and guests that may stay at other resorts can make it hard if a hurricane comes through. If booking with Beaches, book with a Beaches travel certified specialist and do airfare with them as well...that makes a huge difference. Now, as I said, it is hurricane season, but they are few and far between and can hit any part of the Caribbean. On the plus side, I find that weather wise, late October and November have great temperature as well as water temps and not as many people on the beach. If you want to compare and check on resorts and villas on island I highly recommend www.turksandcaicosreservations.tc (I am not affiliated with them, but they are local and tourists and friends love their service). Their site lists all of the resorts in one place so you can compare costs and dates etc instead of going back and forth onto different resort sites. They also have always had any resort promotions/deals on their site as well as a few specials specific to them. Even if you just want to use it to get an idea on room rates, it's a great resource. We are a MUCH higher cost destination than anywhere in Mexico or Jamaica really. Each of these destinations is very different in terms of the beaches/water, the land excursions and the culture etc. Provo is known as a laid back quiet destination, for people that love the water/beach and water excursions. There is a little shopping, no tours inland unless you head to North or Middle Caicos and not much nightlife at all. Most of our weddings are making their own parties really, and just enjoying the time together with friends and family. We do have really nice restaurants and food so that is a bonus (but it can be expensive). If you do decide to tour around the island or want to head out to blue hills/the conch shack or Chalk Sound/Sapadilla Bay: rent a car: they are much cheaper than taxis, we have two main roads that can get you pretty much anywhere and it's not tough to get around and very safe. Most will drop off the car for you at the resort. Alexandria Resort is located in between the Veranda and The Palms. It's a great little resort, with a nice on site restaurant (Mango Reef) and super pool as well as a wide stretch of beach. My Aunt and Uncle stayed there around Easter last year and the rooms are really nice. They had a great time. We've had a few weddings there; Mango Reef has a nice deck just by the beach and it makes for a nice location. Here is one of them that shows some great photos of the reception and beach set up: http://brilliant.tc/blog/2012/04/turks-and-caicos-islands-alexandra-resort-tricia-and-matts-wedding-day/ Someone else a little earlier asked about the Leeward Resort and wondered about the pricing. The Leeward Resort is located in the Leeward channel part of the island near the marinas and in a residential area. It was built on an area where the old marina was and a man made beach was put in. It is not part of Grace Bay and the channel the beach is on will have current and be a lot different from Grace Bay. Getting to anything other than the resort will require a taxi or a car. NOTHING is within walking distance at all. That being said, I have heard of a few people staying there who loved it as it is very quiet and the guests seem to have the place to themselves and the rooms are nice. Weather in May and June tend to be warmer (August and September are usually the hottest most Humid months in my opinion): think summer on the East Coast BUT we do tend to have good breezes coming off shore to cool things down. I actually found our temperatures 10 degrees or more cooler than the East Coast in Late June early July this year (and the breezes make a huge difference). When we talk to our brides, we always check our sunset calender and can give you a time for your wedding so that it's about an hour to an hour and 1/2 before sunset. We recommend that for a few reasons: 1) you and you groom don't want to be too hot 2) your guests don't want to be too hot 3) That time will allow for great warm flattering "golden" light and less eye squinting. Plus you finish up your time with some great sunset shots. I think I covered most of the questions I could answer from the past posts. It's been a busy season this year for us so I haven't caught myself up. PM me if you have any other specific questions or ask here! Krys

Just to clarify Beaches policy on "outside vendors". As long as the vendor is booked for 3 nights in a room on property they may be on property to photograph a wedding. Now we have done this a number of times. On one occasion the bride and groom booked a room in our photographers name (a low priced room) and used it as a meeting place/storage. Other brides have paid the 3rd person room fee for 3 nights under the photographers name and added it to a room with two of their single friends rooms (our photographer doesn't stay there, just has a room with their name on it). If you have specific questions, ask Ileana, she knows how to make it possible. Here are a few of the weddings we have shot on property. http://brilliant.tc/blog/2012/06/the-wedding-of-julie-and-jessie-at-beaches-turks-and-caicos/ http://brilliant.tc/blog/2012/01/the-wedding-of-kelly-and-wilson-at-beaches-turks-and-caicos/ Here is a 3 part blog post of a Large Beaches wedding: http://brilliant.tc/blog/2011/06/turks-caicos-beaches-resort-veena-litty-part/ http://brilliant.tc/blog/2011/06/turks-caicos-beaches-resort-veena-litty-part-2/ http://brilliant.tc/blog/2011/06/turks-caicos-veena-litty-trash-dress-shoot-part/ Hope that helps Krys

There are also a number of threads on the T & C in "the Islands" section if you are looking at resorts other than Beaches. If you are interested in Beaches, the Beaches t&c thread has loads of info. Krys

A good place to look to get lots of ideas for locations is www.turksandcaicosreservations.tc . They work with all of the hotels/condos/villas on Provo and will have the resorts specials as well as some of their own (and have rates for dates as well). We are a much higher priced destination than Mexico, but check out Sibonee & Villa Del Mar; Comfort Suites can have a good room rates as well. Ocean Club Resorts and Royal West Indies may be an option. Thanksgiving week is one of the higher priced times here so be aware that coming that week will add $$ onto the rates. Hope that helps! Krys

As for bands, I like Bowen Arrow, they played at a recent wedding and had everyone really dancing (they also won the island's battle of the bands last year, this year's battle is this Saturday). There is also another new band on island I just saw at a Gansevoort wedding in May who really got the crowd moving as well, I'll check on their name...they had changed it and were just working together but the lead singer is a big participant in our island arts foundation and has a great voice. It is wedding season right now and everyone is slammed busy as well as band members have day jobs. If you haven't heard back in a few days from someone, definitely re send the email, we have a lot of problems on emails here and it may also have gone into a spam filter. No one I know is upset because someone tried again to get them! Definitely resend! Krys

We don't have a "lot" of local culture but we do have some things to do other than just lay on the beach. Some ideas: A day trip to North and Middle Caicos, you can arrange a day trip to take the ferry over, check out Wade's Green a post revolutionary war plantation (mainly ruins but pretty cool), head over to Middle Caicos and take a tour through the caves or just spend a day at Mudjin Harbor...breathtaking views and beach. Check out Big Blue eco tours, we love their kayak tours: they take you to areas you can only get to by kayak and really show you a great day. We love going on Atabeyra: a hand built sailing schooner, gorgeous boat and David and his crew do a great sunset tour at a great price (if you are here right after a full moon, definitely do the glow worm cruise...very cool!). Most of our activities focus on the water: deep sea fishing, bone fishing, snorkeling, scuba diving, sailing, paddle boarding, kite boarding. The Conch farm is a quick and easy tour and not something you'll find anywhere else. Hope that helps with suggestions. A week in Grand Turk might be a bit long, maybe plan 2-3 days and come back or add a few days over to Salt Cay...very historical. You can also look into staying in Middle Caicos or North...very different islands than Provo and a ferry ride away vs plane ride. I would love to stay at the Middle Caicos blue horizons resort...AMAZING VIEWS! you can look on www.turksandcaicosreservations.tc where they list all of our hotels/condos/villas in one place with rates etc to compare...it's a great site that I send all my friends to when they want to come and visit (and aren't staying with me) hope that helps Krys

We've seen lots of brides bring down silk or jeweled or shell bouquets. There would be no problem I would see in customs. You would have to declare if you were bringing in live plants, but silk is no problem. No worries there. (I have lived here 17 years and have brought on island many many things, just go through the nothing to declare line, unless you have more than the allotted amounts of alcohol or cigarettes) Krys

believe me, it's cheaper for husbands to give jewelry than flowers here, but refrigeration on airplanes is expensive. Actually, anything on airplanes is expensive these days. With response time, please be aware that it is CRAZY busy with weddings right now here. For us, All of our photographers are booked out day in and day out and we have numerous days we could have booked over and over if we had more photographers. We've got LOTS of weddings this week alone and EA is probably doing the flowers for the majority of them and others so their main focus is on brides who are on island. Last week we had a number of weddings on Sunday as hotels were fully booked for weddings on Saturday. Know they will give you the same attention when you are here but I do know they are working flat out and emails will be delayed. So are the rest of the wedding vendors on island. It's not unusual for April/May to see long work days and in the case of my husband 3-4 weeks without a day off. Natalie the owner of EA had a baby not long ago and was back on full work weeks within days of arriving back on island. Be patient, our busiest time is this Apr/May/June period, things slow down some in July and then August/Sept tend to be catch up months. It doesn't hurt to send a reminder email as well. Sometimes our local servers are not efficient so keep that in mind as well. (I have things that have gone into spam that make no sense). I personally don't mind a reminder email, it keeps me on my toes! Krys

There are no wholesale flower shops. Remember, the population of the entire country of 9 islands is 20,000 people. It's only in the past 5-6 years that we have had 2 flower shops. All of the flowers except for bougainvillea have to be flown in (and refrigerated along the way, + import duties and clearing fees of over 35%, it's not surprising that flowers can get expensive quickly here). We're a very dry island; Native vegetation consists of cactus and scrub brush and with a limestone rock base and very little rainfall, growing flowers here for a retail base is just not an option. I am always amazed when I see what our flower shops on island do considering how much has to be brought on island and timed exactly for the wedding day (shipping etc). Sorry there isn't another option, we just aren't that big... I know a lot of brides look at real touch style flowers for bouquets so they can come back home with them, as well as flower pin bouquets and we have even had some made of shells. I have tried to tag a bunch of details from our brides on my Pinterest acct if you want to see some different ideas. I have two wedding specific boards, wedding locations and wedding details...both show lots of reception and dinner set ups along with the resorts etc and a link to the blog post if you want to see who did the work. Krys Here are the links to those boards http://pinterest.com/krysmann/turks-and-caicos-wedding-locations/ http://pinterest.com/krysmann/wedding-details-from-our-brides/

We have great dr's on island if for any reason you need an antibiotic. Don't bring an antibiotic unless it's been prescribed for a specific ailment...there is too much antibiotic resistant bacteria in the World right now, don't use one unless it's needed. Our water is safe to drink/brush teeth etc. It's from a desalination plant...no problems there. Tetnus shots are a good shot to stay up to date with even at home...but we can do that here if for any reason you needed one. I haven't had a Hep A vaccine since I went to Africa 17 years ago...again, not very necessary that I know of. We have just had a lot of rain in a short period of time, which tends to produce some mosquitoes over the next 2 weeks (hotels spray, but you could get bitten at dawn and dusk). It's not bad, but if you are sensitive to biting insects and are arriving in the next couple of weeks, bring some Off from home...it's more expensive here. (Again they won't be bad compared to rainforest type places, but just more than we're used to. Hope that helps... krys

Actually we have a lot of places on island that you can get married that are not in front of Big Hotels etc. Grace Bay beach down near Leeward is a quiet spot near a residential area so no hotels. Also Sapadilla and Taylor Bay are quiet for the most part but there are villas around . People that get married there are usually renting one of the homes and then get married on the beach in front of it. Long Bay Beach is not far from Grace Bay. You can also charter a boat and get married on one of the uninhabited cays nearby.The Leeward part of Grace Bay is about a 1-2 mile drive from the main hotels. You can arrange for the officiant/bouquet etc, we have 3-4 different officiants on island, all within the same price ranges and a couple of florists for flowers if you aren't bringing your own. This is a recent private ceremony Kellie did a few weeks ago in Leeward (there's one photo with the set up to see what it looks like) http://brilliant.tc/blog/2012/04/anna-scotts-wedding-at-leeward/ a recent sunrise wedding on Long Bay http://brilliant.tc/blog/2012/03/lora-and-samuels-sunrise-wedding/ A larger wedding that happened on Water Cay/Half moon Bay http://brilliant.tc/blog/2011/07/turks-and-caicos-islands-ashleigh-and-pauls-wedding-by-boat/ And a smaller Boat/Cay wedding http://brilliant.tc/blog/2011/05/wedding-jackie-chris-straatman/ Here's a villa wedding at Sapadilla Bay http://brilliant.tc/blog/2012/03/brandi-ron-get-married-at-villa-lynda/ There are a lot of examples on our blog, our internet is slow tonight so I can't pull a lot up but if you search "leeward" "long bay" "taylor bay" "sapadilla bay" and "water cay" you'll find more samples of weddings on our quieter beaches. However remember, Even Grace Bay beach is fairly quiet compared to most beaches in the world! Hope that help you visualize options. Happy Planning! Krys

Hi, I couldn't find the passport requirements you were looking at but I am a resident here and have been for 16 years. Visitors must have a passport if they are not from here and it must not expire for 6 months after they travel (which is actually more of a US requirement and recommendation, they don't want you here and your passport expires and you can't leave LOL). I have come on island with a brand new passport that is only weeks old as have my kids and many of my friends (many of us bring our newborn babies within 4-6 weeks of birth). It's the expiration they worry about. I haven't heard any news about it must be valid for 6 months and believe me that would be news here because of the huge expat population. If you have a link to the wording please post it. Krys

DO NOT SHIP THEM!!! Anything coming onto the island is subject to shipping fees AND 35% + customs duty of the purchase price (yes that is thirty five percent or more). You have to supply a purchase invoice and have someone to clear them for you which adds an additional 10% to the shipment. You will look at at least paying total of 45-55% of the price of your shipment or more and if you don't know the way around getting things cleared, it could be a huge headache as well as costly and you may not get them in time depending on who you ship with. If you live near your bridal party, I would suggest having them bring their flowers down (if you trust them LOL). But as a 17 year resident here, don't even think about shipping them (unless you have an unlimited budget. ) Krys

Glad to help! The most common color of Bougainvillea is bright fuschia with the deeper Purplish version probably the next most seen, (but not as common). We also see a peachy/coral one but those bushes aren't as lush and I have never seen it in a bouquet. The one in the photo is the most used, and most abundant. December is a great time for outside temps. Definitely not as humid, and a nice temperature during the day (low to mid 80's). My mom doesn't do well in hot and humid temperatures (and we don't have a/c at our house) and she comes for 3 weeks in December and loves the weather. Obviously we could get warm or cold fronts during that time and it may be hotter or cooler than normal, but December is when I put away tank tops and get the short sleeve shirts out as I am not sweating!!! (and maybe a lightweight 3/4 length sleeve in the evening for us locals, the tourists are still in full summer gear LOL) Hope that helps. Krys

If you want to see photos of bougainvillea at a wedding for floral details here's a link to a wedding at the sands with boutonnieres and bouquets. Krys http://brilliant.tc/blog/2011/12/the-wedding-of-candice-and-david-at-the-sands-turks-and-caicos/

The weather is quite nice here in March (currently right now we are in the low to mid 80's during the day and mid 70's at night). Unless there is a cold or warm front coming in from the states, that would be about what March is like. It won't be hot hot for a ceremony unless you get married mid day. but if you are a few hours before sunset you'll be fine. This time of year we have lovely off shore breezes, in the evening you may even need a light sweater or long sleeves (not cold but when it's windy, it's nice to have if you've been in the sun all day.) Our white sand never gets too hot to walk on, even my kids have no problem walking around in mid day sun on the sand, so there are no worries there. We only have 2 all-inclusives on island, Beaches Resort and Spa, and the Veranda (we also have a club med, but that is really not a wedding location resort in my opinion and it's a very old dated property). There really isn't an indoor wedding venue here, we just do everything outdoors and it's pretty rare that the weather is bad enough to go indoors for anything. (my house is open air, screens only, no glass windows or a/c). The Regent Palms has an indoor ballroom that could fit in 20-30 guests for a ceremony but that is the only place I can think of. Again, as long as you are not getting married at high noon, you should be very comfortable on the beach or out in a garden setting. Obviously if you go with Beaches, you'll use their wedding planner and many of the other hotels on island have someone on site. We have 3 independent wedding planners on island. Diane with Island Harmony, Teresa with Tropical Destination Management and Nila Destinations. All have been around for quite some time and know the island and the resorts. Some of them actually work as the resorts designated wedding coordinator if the resort doesn't have someone on staff to do the job. I would initially check out the resorts and see if you can decide on one and then see how you like their on site coordinator. If you feel you need more that what they offer, seek out one of the above. Hope that helps Krys

I just want to clarify, the Beaches steel pan drummer is employed by Beaches and only available for Beaches weddings. They have their own coordinators/photographers and entertainment at that resort. There is no one I know of outside of Beaches that is a single steel pan player that would be available for events. But I will continue to ask around to see if that has changed. Krys

There is really only one steel drum band on island which is Provo Primary School's Senior Steel Drum Band. (my daughter plays in it). We've never seen another band at any other events. They will play weddings (and have been playing at some private parties on island this month), but it depends if it's during school breaks as many will be off island during those times. You can contact the principal of the school ([email protected]) if you want to find out if it's possible for your date and the costs. I don't know what they charge, but it goes towards the maintenance of the drums which is really expensive so they try to fundraise for it. Here they are playing Wipeout at the fools regatta this year http://provoprimary.com/blog/school-news/provo-primary-steel-band-wipe-out-at-the-fools-regatta/ (they do know slower romantic numbers as well, we should have some new video up after this weekend when they perform at the Friends of the arts christmas concert) A number of brides here have commented on DJ's here, you may want to do a search for DJ and Turks and Caicos or music and Turks and Caicos, I remember quite a few threads have been here on the subject and brides have given reports after their weddings. Hope that helps Krys

September is hot and the wind gets down to not a lot. We don't have air conditioning in our house here (it's set up for lots of breeze and fans), and September is the time of the year I always start saying maybe we should have it installed. If you are going to get married in September, you want to do it 1-1 1/2 hours before sunset (which is perfect light for photos as well). Any earlier will be too hot. When we all go to the beach in September it is always after 3:30-4pm and we stay in the water until 5-6. On the plus side the water is flat calm in September and beautiful and if you have access to getting out of the heat into air conditioned rooms it's perfect. The water is a great temperature as well, it's our favorite time to head to the beach after school or on the weekends (but that's in a swimsuit). Do not put your groom in a tux or something too hot (yes we have seen full tux/suits etc at this time of year and it makes for a grumpy groom). Think lightweight! One thing you will want to strongly consider for a September booking is hurricane insurance. September 7-9 every year is about when our girls school starts every year and 4 out of the past 6 years we've had that delayed/changed etc because a hurricane was coming near/hitting us or just passing us by. We haven't gotten damage but hurricanes can cause havoc on travel plans, flights, and weddings. The first 2-3 weeks in September is the busiest time/likelihood of hurricanes in the Caribbean. So if you are planning for a Sept 9th date, be aware and I would advise hurricane insurance if your travel company etc offers it (and advise your guests as well). Hope that helps Krys

You'll find lots of information in this section, just do a search for "Turks and Caicos". If you have any specific questions, please feel free to ask away. I have lived here in the Turks and Caicos and worked in the wedding "industry" here since 1997. I am happy to help. My main advice would be to figure out which aspects of your wedding day and visit are most important and concentrate on those, and be relaxed about other things. Also plan time to enjoy your trip and your guests but make some time to just spend time with your groom. You can get caught up trying to visit and be with everyone and just end up wiped out. Plan specific times/excursions that people can see you and visit, but also carve out some time to enjoy your stay! Krys