Wedding & Honeymoon Destination: St. Lucia

If your dream is to have your wedding and honeymoon at Jade Mountain in St. Lucia but simply can't afford the high costs, take a look at these great ideas for the next best thing. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Where to Stay: Anse Chastanet. This is a sister resort and located just two minutes down the hill from Jade Mountain. The views are stunning and it won't cost nearly what it would if you stayed at Jade Mountain.

Travel and Leisure Magazine voted it one of the Caribbeans top 25 hotels. Rates start at $330 a night. Find out more by accessing their web-site at: www.ansechastanet.com.

The Sandal Resorts are some of the Caribbeans top all-inclusive places to spend your vacation in St. Lucia. The resorts include: Sandals Regency La Toc, Sandals Halcyon Beach Resort and Sandals Grande St. Lucian.

All three of the resorts feature some of the most exclusive amenities you can imagine and are for adults only.

For the largest freshwater pool in the Eastern Caribbean,The Sandals Regency takes the cake along with its own private golf course, seven restaurants and twelve bars throughout the property.

The Sandals Halcyon features the legendary Pier Restaurant situated right on the sea as well as three other gourmet five stars.

The Sandals Grande St. Lucian is located on its own peninsula that allows each suite a beautiful view of the water. You can choose a suite that allows guests to swim right up to their rooms.

Another all inclusive resort is The Coconut Bay Resort and Spa. It features an adult only oasis on one side and a family-friendly resort on the other side. Coconut Bay has cabanas, lounge chairs and volleyball courts and is the largest resort beach in St. Lucia.

The Cocoland Water Park at Coconut Bay Resort offers fun activities for children and adults with its thrilling water slides and relaxing lazy river. There is plenty of entertainment for all ages from nightly shows to poolside games as well as many restaurants and bars.

The nearby Ladera Resort sitting more than a thousand feet above sea level has two excellent choices for pre-wedding parties. Log onto: www.ladera.com for additional information.

The Dasheene Restaurant is great when you expect twenty or fewer guests. If you have twenty to eighty-five people in your party then The Pavilion is your best bet.

You could treat your guests to a half day excursion of chocolate making with a "Tree to Bar" experience as well as a gourmet lunch at The Hotel Chocolat.

The resort sits on the islands oldest cocoa estate. The cost is $125 per person. Get further details at: www.hotelchocolat.com.

You can't leave St. Lucia without bringing back a wedding memento of Chairman's Reserve Rum. Order a bottle or two on-line at: www.saintluciarums.com.