For most couples, we recommend beginning the planning process 12–18 months before the wedding, particularly if you have a specific resort, wedding date or venue in mind.

Starting early gives us more flexibility with resort availability, room categories, wedding venues and group accommodations. It also gives your guests time to budget, request time away from work and plan their travel.

A shorter timeline doesn't necessarily mean Curaçao is off the table. We'll simply focus on the best options available for your dates, guest count and priorities.

There isn't one island that's best for every couple.

Nassau and Paradise Island can be ideal for couples who want larger resorts, extensive amenities, activities and relatively easy travel logistics for their guests.

Grand Bahama combines resort accommodations with beaches, nature and activities, while Exuma offers extraordinary water and a more intimate island experience. Eleuthera and Harbour Island can be wonderful for couples drawn to boutique properties, charm and a more secluded celebration.

And those are only some of the possibilities throughout the Bahamas.

The right island depends on your guest list, budget, wedding vision, resort preferences and how easily you want your guests to reach the celebration.

Behind The Scenes helps you compare the complete experience—not simply choose the prettiest beach.

Neither is automatically better. They offer very different destination wedding experiences.

Nassau and Paradise Island generally provide more resort choices, restaurants, activities and transportation options, which can make them particularly appealing for larger or multigenerational wedding groups.

The Out Islands can offer a more intimate, secluded and distinctly island-focused experience. However, depending on the island, guests may need an additional flight, ferry or other transportation after arriving in the Bahamas.

In fact, the Bahamas defines the Out Islands—or Family Islands—as the islands outside Nassau/Paradise Island and Freeport, Grand Bahama. Some have direct international air service, while others are reached by connecting through Nassau.

For your wedding, we consider whether the additional travel is worth the experience—and, most importantly, whether it works for your guests.

Yes. U.S. couples can legally marry in the Bahamas.

Both parties must meet the Bahamas' residency requirement before applying for a marriage license. Couples may apply one day after arriving in the Bahamas and can marry once they receive their approved license. The official Bahamas guidance currently states that marriage-license processing takes two business days, excluding Bahamian holidays.

Couples must provide documentation including valid passports, birth certificates, photo identification and evidence of their arrival date. Additional documentation may be required if either person was previously married. Two witnesses age 18 or older are also required.

Marriage requirements and government procedures can change, so couples should always confirm current requirements with the appropriate Bahamian authorities and their wedding provider.

The Bahamas currently requires couples to have been in the country for at least one day before applying for their marriage license.

According to the Bahamas' official marriage-license information, couples may apply the day after arrival and marry after receiving their approved license. Current guidance says processing takes two business days, excluding Bahamian holidays.

For a destination wedding, however, we recommend allowing more time than the legal minimum whenever possible.

Arriving early gives you time to settle in, meet with your wedding team, handle final details and enjoy the destination before the celebration begins.

Your wedding trip shouldn't begin with you racing against the clock.

For U.S. guests flying to the Bahamas, a valid U.S. passport is required for international air travel.

Because passport and entry requirements can change—and requirements can differ depending on nationality and method of travel—we recommend that every guest check the current requirements well before departure.

This is something we encourage couples to communicate early in the destination wedding process, particularly for guests who don't already have passports.

Don't wait until final payment to discover that Grandma's passport expired three years ago.

That last sentence is a little more playful than the rest of the site, but I actually like it here. It sounds like advice from an experienced planner rather than generic travel copy. If you'd rather keep the page completely formal, use:

Early communication gives guests plenty of time to obtain or renew their passports before the wedding.

It can be—and that's one of the destination's biggest advantages. But accessibility varies significantly by island.

The Bahamas currently has 20 international airports receiving scheduled commercial service, with nonstop and connecting flights from numerous U.S. and Canadian gateways. Nassau is also an important connection point for travel to many of the Out Islands.

Some islands, including Exuma, Eleuthera and Grand Bahama, have direct international service from selected gateways, while other islands may require a connection through Nassau or additional regional transportation.

That's why Behind The Scenes considers more than airfare.

We look at the complete guest journey—from their home airport to the wedding resort—before recommending an island.

A beautiful destination isn't the right destination if getting there creates unnecessary challenges for the people you most want beside you.

Start with the wedding experience you want—and the guests you're bringing with you.

A large full-service resort can be ideal for bigger or multigenerational groups because guests may have access to multiple restaurants, activities, room categories and amenities without leaving the property.

A smaller resort or island property can provide greater intimacy, privacy and a more personal sense of place. That can be wonderful for couples planning a smaller celebration, but accommodations, restaurants, transportation and other services may be more limited.

We consider your guest count, guest budgets, ages, room requirements, wedding venues, activities and travel logistics before recommending one over the other.

The goal isn't to choose the biggest resort or the most secluded island.

It's to find the setting where your wedding—and the people coming to celebrate it—will feel at home.

One small correction to the earlier Bahamas page copy: for the legal-marriage section, I'd make sure it doesn't imply that couples can simply arrive, wait 24 hours, and immediately marry. The official Bahamas guidance distinguishes the one-day residency before applying from the time needed to process the marriage license. The FAQ wording above is the more precise version I'd use throughout the page.

Many destination wedding guests stay approximately three to five nights, while others extend their trip into a longer Caribbean vacation.

For the Bahamas, I would encourage guests to allow enough time to experience something beyond the wedding itself.

An additional day can mean exploring the out islands, visiting another beach, enjoying local dining or simply having time to relax after the celebration.

Your wedding may be the reason everyone comes to the Bahamas.

It doesn't have to be the only thing they remember about it.

Typically, yes.

For most destination weddings, guests are responsible for their airfare, accommodations and personal travel expenses.

The wedding couple generally covers the wedding itself and any additional events or experiences they choose to host, such as a welcome reception, group excursion or farewell brunch.

Clear communication about anticipated costs, booking instructions and deadlines helps guests decide whether they're able to attend and gives them time to budget.

Behind The Scenes helps organize the travel side so your guests have a clear process—and you don't have to become everyone's travel agent.

A wedding room block creates an organized way for your guests to reserve accommodations at your selected resort.

Depending on the resort and group agreement, your room block may include specific room categories, negotiated or contracted rates, deposits, booking deadlines, minimum room-night requirements, cancellation terms and group concessions.

We look beyond the room rate to understand how the agreement affects the wedding couple, guests and overall wedding experience.

Behind The Scenes helps connect your accommodations and wedding so they function as one plan rather than two separate pieces.

Absolutely.

Choosing a resort is one of the most important decisions you'll make because it affects much more than where everyone sleeps.

We consider your wedding vision, guest count, guest budgets, room categories, resort layout, wedding venues, packages, location, transportation and whether you want the weekend to feel primarily resort-centered or island-centered.

We aren't simply asking:

“Would you vacation here?”

We're asking:

“Will this work for your wedding?”

That's a very different question.

When your destination wedding and group accommodations are booked through Behind The Scenes, our destination wedding planning and travel services are included at no additional planning fee.

Keeping the wedding and accommodations together allows us to help coordinate the resort, room block, guest travel and wedding experience as interconnected pieces.

Already booked your Curaçao wedding, resort or accommodations elsewhere? We may still be able to help.

Professional planning services are available for weddings and travel arrangements booked outside of Behind The Scenes, and professional planning fees apply in those situations.