Dreaming of a wedding locale that blends tropical warmth, historic ambiance and at-home accessibility? Puerto Rico offers all this and more, accented with spicy Latin flair.
When Jill Huntley and Robert Taylor decided to tie the knot, there was no question where they would do it: Puerto Rico, the place where they first fell in love. They'd met in Chicago, where they worked together - he as an attorney and she as a trial consultant - but it took a stint doing a trial on the sultry Caribbean island to show them that they were made for each other. "He proposed to me there, too," says Jill. In addition to the romantic memories, convenience clinched the deal. With direct flights from many U.S. airports, their guests could get from chilly winter to tropical beach in a matter of hours. "My family doesn't travel very much," says Jill. "Puerto Rico was less threatening. They didn't need passports - that was huge. And just about everyone on the island speaks English. It's a short trip from the east coast, yet it's like you're a world away."
Just 100 miles long by 30 miles wide, Puerto Rico has remarkably varied geography. With mountains, beach, rainforest and near-desert, brides can choose virtually any setting they like. A modern infrastructure means that wedding planning by phone or email is as easy as calling around the corner, and a host of bilingual wedding coordinators both in resorts and working independently can take care of every detail.
"Puerto Rico offers a rich cultural and ethnic heritage," says Anne Marie Kleis, of AMK Events. She coordinates 35 to 50 weddings a year in Puerto Rico, more than 75 percent of them for North American couples. "The Latin culture makes it a fantastic place for weddings, the excellent climate makes it sexy, but Puerto Rico is also absolutely modern."
