Destination Weddings: Bungalow Resorts in Belize, Bermuda & Panama

Nothing says romantic hideaway like an airy bungalow perched on stilts over a gentle lagoon. While many popular properties featuring overwater villas are located in far-flung locales in the South Pacific, there is a handful in the Caribbean as well. Breezy, intimate and service-oriented, these resorts offer that same away-from-it-all feeling, plus amenities for destination weddings.

Cayo Espanto, Belize
This six-cottage property has hosted a constellation of A-listers, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Penelope Cruz and Harrison Ford, all of whom came in search of personalized pampering far from the paparazzi. Treat yourselves and up to 18 guests to the ultimate in luxury at Cayo Espanto, a five-star private island resort, located three miles off the coast of Belize. (It may appear super-remote, but this English-speaking country is a two-hour flight from Houston and Miami.)

Host your special day at the resort’s Casa Ventanas, an overwater villa set on a 150-foot long pier, completely surrounded by the sea. Swap vows on the walkway and you’ll treat your guests to uninterrupted views of paradise. Then enjoy a candle-lit dinner under the stars, savoring such creative dishes as lime bisque, grilled plum and chile-glazed prawns, and prime rib roulade stuffed with figs and pecans.

Activities include ensuite spa services, hosted island explorations, sunset sails and birdwatching tours at the Maya ruins on the mainland, among others (wedding packages start at $11,995 and include a ceremony, a fi ve-night stay for two, all meals and nonalcoholic drinks, nonmotorized water sports, one spa treatment per person, per day, private butler service and several guided excursions; aprivateisland.com).

9 Beaches Resort, Bermuda
Located on the pink shores of Bermuda, this informal hideaway includes, yes, nine beaches and a colony of chic little canvas-sided cabanas sitting over a tranquil bay. Here, the dress code is beachwear and a smile.

After exchanging vows on any of the spits of sand, enjoy a barefoot bash at the beach bar, Dark ’N Stormy, named after the island’s popular -- and potent -- rum concoction. Or make it a bit more formal with a sit-down dinner at the Hi-Tide Restaurant, which overlooks the blue-green sea. Pre- and post-nuptials, you and your guests can enjoy snorkeling, kayaking, sailing, swimming and sunning right off your overwater verandahs. Or stay in bed all day, and watch the underwater show through the comfy cabana’s Plexiglas floor (wedding packages start at $1,400 for an intimate ceremony on the beach and include a coordinator, an officiant, a bouquet and boutonniere, a champagne toast, a cake and photos; 9beaches.com).

Punta Caracol Acqua Lodge, Panama
The glories of nature set the stage and dictate the eco-policies of Punta Caracol Acqua Lodge, an environmentally sensitive haven in the Bocas del Toro archipelago of Panama. Nine private cabins-on-stilts stretch like a necklace along the coral reef, guaranteeing some fantastic underwater viewing.

In keeping with the region’s traditions, each cabin has been crafted from local wood. Weddings here are intimate affairs in accordance with the resort’s commitment to eco-friendly practices. Meals are offered at the thatch-roof open-air restaurant. And ceremonies are held in overwater suites or on docks set just above the ocean. In addition to snorkeling, kayaking and diving along the reef, you can swim with the dolphins, visit deserted beaches on neighboring islands and hike in nearby rain forests (wedding ceremonies and receptions start at $10,000; puntacaracol.com).

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Lawfully Wedded
Although legal requirements differ in each nation, all request that you obtain a wedding license and provide copies of divorce or death certificates, if applicable. In Belize, you can get a marriage license within 24 hours for a $250 fee, plus an administrative tariff of $5 and proof of citizenship. Bermuda requires that couples submit a completed Notice of Intended Marriage form and $243 to the Bermuda Registrar General within 3 months of the wedding date. There’s a 15-day waiting period, and the license, which is $24 more, is valid for three months. Panama requires that passports, birth certifi cates and blood tests be authenticated, notarized and translated, before obtaining a license at $20, three days before the wedding. Note: Each document has a $30 processing fee. -- Mara Berkoff