BOLANS VILLAGE,
Antigua -- Beverly King revived the groom, who had fainted while
reciting his wedding vows, with a glass of red wine.
The ceremony
continued. The couple was pronounced husband and wife, and the
champagne celebration began.
As wedding
coordinator for 13 years at Jolly Beach Resort in Antigua, King has
had plenty of practice making sure that weddings exceed a couple's
expectations.
"I stopped counting
when I hit 1,000 weddings, but I know I did more than 200 last
year," King said.
The 462-room,
all-inclusive resort is spread over 40 acres, and King has "learned
how to run fast" because she often coordinates two weddings a day
during the busy "marriage months" of April, May and
June.
Two gazebos often
are used as wedding sites -- one is on a hill above the main pool,
and the other is at the beach.
King, an Antiguan
by birth, has worked at Jolly Beach for 23 years and started
coordinating weddings in 1989 when she moved from the restaurant to
the guest services desk.
"Part of that job
involved arranging weddings for our guests. I fell in love with the
magic and never looked back," she said.
As coordinator,
King handles all the arrangements -- from the marriage license to
the photographer, videographer, steel band, flowers, cake and
champagne and any other requests, such as the bride who wanted a
choir at the ceremony.
"I hated to tell
her there wasn't enough advance notice, so I put my magic cap on
and found her a choir," she said.
Another bride
wanted a palm tree in the gazebo. "Her dream was to be married in
the Caribbean with a palm tree in the background," King said. She
solved that with a potted palm tree behind the gazebo.
Often, King does
not meet the couple until right before the wedding, and they
frequently come with an entourage.
"I recently had a
bride and groom who brought 80 friends and family from Boston. We
handled everything by phone, and the celebrations came off without
a hitch," King said.
Antiguan
regulations stipulate that couples arrive one working day prior to
the ceremony to process necessary documents.
King acknowledged
that many Caribbean resorts offer wedding services.
"Although we have
competition, it's the personal service that makes Jolly Beach
weddings superior," King said. "Clients know they can contact me
anytime they need assistance and assurance."
The resort's
standard $595 wedding package -- waived if the wedding party books
five rooms for seven nights -- includes the license, bouquet, cake,
champagne, an e-mail announcement to 10 friends, massage oils, wine
and dinner for two and a $50 voucher per couple for a catamaran
cruise.
Daily rates start
at $140 per person, double, through Dec. 20 and cover room, meals,
house brand beverages, Kidz Club activities, taxes and
service.
Jolly Beach
completed a $15 million upgrade three years ago. Facilities include
a beach, five restaurants, five bars, two pools, water sports, a
fitness center and tennis courts. The new Grand Princess Casino
complex is next door.
For details, visit
www.jollybeachresort.com or call (866) 905-6559. King can be
reached at (268) 462-0061 or via the Web site's wedding information
request form.
To contact
reporter Gay Nagle Myers, send e-mail to [email protected].