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By
Tom Wuckovich
 You're
in love. You've found the perfect mate and now it's
time to take the big step - marriage. The trend these
days is to combine a wedding with a honeymoon…that
is, get hitched in a place that you can also spend some
quality time together - a place that's affordable, still
exciting and beautiful.
Where,
you might ask? A Caribbean island is the biggest buzz
on the wedding/honeymoon scene.
Getting
married in the U.S. Virgin Islands also makes sense
for several reasons. First and foremost, it's U.S. territory
and that means the legal requirements are the same as
those in the states. Couples need to apply for the marriage
license on island and arranging for the ceremony, i.e.,
can be done through local wedding planners usually at
less than the cost stateside.
Moreover,
you're dealing with individuals who speak the same language,
accept U.S. dollars and offer expert advice on local
customs as well as recommendations for special packages.
There's also a booklet distributed by the USVI Department
of Tourism called Getting Married in the United States
Virgin Islands that covers everything you need to know.
What's
left. Deciding which island should be the site of your
nuptials. My recommendation? St. Croix, the largest
of the U.S. Virgin Islands, and probably the least known.
Just over 40 miles away from St. Thomas and St. John,
it offers many of the same amenities: great beaches,
spectacular accommodations, shopping, interesting historical
and natural sites. Best of all, it's less crowded than
St. Thomas but a little more cosmopolitan than St. John.
The
history of St. Croix dates back to 1493 when Columbus
sighted the eastern tip of the island near what is today
called Cottongarden Bay, Nearby, at Salt River Bay,
he dispatched a small party for fresh water but they
were attacked by warring Carib Indians. One Spanish
sailor was killed and all the Caribs were either killed
or captured. Columbus never set foot on the island,
but named it Santa Cruz. It remained a Spanish possession
until 1600 when the French arrived and forced a small
number of settlers to flee. The French renamed the island
Sainte Croix. (CONTINUED...)
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