So you've decided to get married in the sunny south. Excellent! There are lots of terrific reasons why you may have chosen to tie the knot in beautiful Antigua. It may be to dodge one of those uber-expensive, large weddings that begin lurching out of control. It may be frustration at the difficulty to book a nice place due to such a short summer season elsewhere. It may be because you love the Caribbean and specifically Antigua. Any way you cut it, Antigua is an excellent choice.

As someone who has been photographing wedding couples in the Caribbean for going on four years, I have been taking notes. Lots of notes. Getting married in Antigua is not the same as getting married in a temperate climate or in places like the US, UK, Canada or Europe where wedding infrastructure abounds. And while couples head into the uncharted waters of planning a wedding halfway around the world, sometimes the smaller details are not given the attention they need.

For couples and guests who arrive from abroad, I'd like to take a moment to present a list of do's and don'ts tips to make your wedding easier, smoother and more enjoyable.

AVOID SUN WORSHIP
In the days leading up to your wedding be sure to minimise the sun worshipping, particularly for brides. If there is something that makes a bride gasp, its looking at her sunburned self in her bright white dress. This also goes for bridesmaids. Though not the center of attention, a bridesmaid who is four shades redder than the rest of the party, makes herself so, and not in a good way.

MARRY AFTER MIDDAY
The beach at noon is good for one thing: swimming in the ocean. It is really, really hot in Antigua at high noon. And on a beach, not only is it uncomfortably hot, but the white sand which blesses our beaches make it an incredibly bright place to be. So bright that after a noon beach wedding, it takes an entire day for my eyes to recover. But hey, I'm just the photographer. More importantly, how does the brightness affect the wedding party? There is a lot of squinting going on. Many times I have had to toss excellent group and couple shots because participants are squinting and their faces are scrunched up. Unless...you are okay with sunglasses. Another downside to a midday wedding are that shadows are at their darkest and strongest. The shadows right under the brow, nose and chin are very contrasted with the rest of the face.

KNOW YOUR RESORT
Did you know that one of the largest, most popular, all-inclusive adult-only resorts on island will not allow any external services on its compound? And why should they? Weddings there are very profitable. I've seen three sets of couples step onto the beach 20 feet apart, to be photographed (so much for feeling special). Their house services are not terribly flexible, and the quality is not always up to par. I've had frustrated couples contact me asking if I could pretend to be the bride's brother so I could shoot the wedding. Other resorts can be much more accommodating, but be sure to ask the resort's wedding planner about your options.

BE CAREFUL WITH TRAVEL AGENTS
One wedding couple contacted me to shoot their wedding. Days later they called back upset that they had to cancel the booking. Apparently, their airline's travel agent alerted them that their resort said they could not have the photographer of their choice. This was untrue and was confirmed after I personally contacted the resort's wedding manager. The travel agent stuck to his story and it took the resort's manager to email the wedding couple to ensure they could book whatever photographer they wanted and that the resort's concern was for their satisfaction. The travel agent was no doubt making a percentage on all the services he booked and his unscrupulous actions upset the wedding couple. Fortunately, we resolved the situation, and they enjoyed an excellent wedding holiday.

WEAR APPROPRIATE ATTIRE
Antigua is a beautiful place. A beautiful, hot place with lots of uneven ground and soft sand. Depending on where you are getting married, one should make great consideration for what one chooses to wear on the wedding day. For the same reason a person wouldn't wear sandals on an arctic vacation, some clothing is not the best choice for the Caribbean. Dark, heavy suits for grooms may be typical in the UK, US or Canada but on the beach at sunset, they result in extremely uncomfortable grooms who end up sweating profusely and feeling exhausted. You may think I exaggerate, however, I have had grooms with hair plastered to their heads, sopping sweaty brows constantly with a sleeve, and in one situation I had to digitally remove sweat stains from very inappropriate areas.

For brides, wedding dresses tend to be cooler. However, dresses can vary widely in their ability to restrict the bride's movements. Some brides choose wisely with a dress that is both beautiful and easily manoeuvred. There have been a few times when a bride looked absolutely fabulous, but when it came time to step off a completely smooth, flat floor (and there are many) they became fairly immobile.

STAY HYDRATED
When you arrive in Antigua, you will discover you perspire. A lot. In order to maintain supple, soft skin, make a concerted effort to drink lots of water as soon as you arrive. And remember, alcohol dehydrates.

GUYS, KEEP A HANKY IN YOUR POCKET
Antiguans carry them for a reason. They are for wiping away perspiration. The last thing you want is your face to appear doused in water throughout your wedding event.

TAKE CARE WITH YOUR HAIR
Hairstyle to a bride is as important as her dress. Nothing can spoil a wedding and photos as much as a bad hair day. There are plenty of hairstylists in Antigua who are very qualified. Unfortunately, the single biggest complaint I have heard is their late arrivals. Plenty of time should be allocated for the preparation of hair. Down here, we call it being on 'Antigua Time'. Don't leave it too close to the ceremony.

The second important thing to consider is the durability of a bride's chosen hairstyle. It is prudent to remember that what comes with the outdoors is a breeze and occasionally a wind, particularly when you are out on the beach. One of our photographers photographed a wedding couple on the beach and when the photos were presented, all the bride could do was gasp at her very ornate and intricate hairstyle shifting about her head. While we do our best to adjust locks that are out of place, unless a hairdresser is on hand and we have an extended period of time to fuss, the best photographer and an uncompliant set of follicles do not make a good match.

RESORT PHOTOGRAPHER
Most resorts have their preferred wedding photographers. I've met a number of them and they are quite competent. However, a photographer who shoots multiple times a week or daily on the same grounds, is going to get into a bit of a groove. Dare I say, their photos begin to look similar; same poses, same locations, just different couples. Be sure to ask to see a resort photographer's portfolio. Nothing is more discouraging for two wedding couples at to compare their photos and discover their shots are totally interchangeable.

PHOTOGRAPHY DRESS REHEARSAL
A photographer will have a good idea of the best spots on the resort grounds to use as a backdrop for wedding photos. That said, every wedding couple should explore the grounds for nice places to be photographed. What would be optimal is for the couple to explore with their camera and taking photos of each other to review the locations. Lighting is everything so be sure when exploring to do it at the approximate same time of the day as when the actual shoot will take place.

KEEPSAKE OPTIONS
Wedding photography is important. Some folks like to also have a video shot of the ceremony. But there are other special items that serve as wedding momentos. More and more, new media is the nicest means to document your big event:
digital slideshow: Enlarged prints in frames or in an album are nice, but what's even nicer is a slideshow which can be played on a large computer or TV screen. Viewing photos on a 30-inch monitor or 48-inch TV makes an 8x10 seem small by comparison. A digital slideshow is more than just a set of images loaded onto a disk, it can have nice transitions and include a musical soundtrack of favourite wedding songs.
website gallery: There are many places to put photos online that are free, facebook, flickr, and kodak are just a few. However, to customise your pages and brand them to your event, the next step up is a beautiful slideshow which can act just like the DVD digitial slideshow, but be online. The advantage to this route is all it takes is an email for friends and family around the world to enjoy the images.
family keepsakes: When in Antigua, consider doing a little beachcombing for unique gifts for family and friends. A wallet-sized wedding shot is nice to give out, but a wallet-sized shot as a tag fastened to a small nylon mesh bag containing tiny sea shells really helps to illustrate one's trip.

NEXT TIME: Working with your hotel/resort to ensure your wedding day is perfect.

robby breadner is a professional photographer who shoots visiting and local couples everywhere on the island, in a photo-journalistic style. His goal is to capture spontaneous, honest expression from wedding couples enjoying their day. He can be reached via email at themoment@hi-octanecreative.com or by calling +1.268.724.1088. His portfolio is here and due to being so busy hopes to be updated soon with fresh wedding shoots. Be sure to check back as his photography website will be redesigned and relaunched in January 2010.