With mild weather year-round, exotic pink-sandy beaches, and warm turquoise waters filled with reefs, shipwrecks and grottos, including one with a spa (more on that later!), Bermuda has drawn couples to its shores for centuries. Including my husband and I, who got engaged on this small, sub-tropical getaway and recently returned to celebrate a milestone anniversary. Discover why you should consider the destination and this Bermuda wedding venue.

Part of the island’s charm is its unique blend of British tradition and warm, island soul. Bermuda is Britain’s oldest Overseas Territory and thus, embraces cricket, afternoon tea and driving on the left side of the road. Queen Elizabeth II graces banknotes, men wear pressed shorts with blazers, knee-socks and dress shoes, and English is the island’s common language.

You’ll also find West Indian traditions like the Gombey, a popular costumed dance performed to rhythmic drumming, and pepper-rich dishes, like seafood stews, along with conch fritters and rice and beans.

And here’s something else: Bermuda has virtually no crowds and very few cars, because there are no car rentals for tourists and most people simply walk, ride mopeds or take the bus or ferry. What’s more, foreign fast-food outlets are illegal (a Kentucky Fried Chicken in Hamilton opened before the legislation was introduced), meaning there’s plenty of authentic island cooking.

A choice spot to stay is Rosewood Bermuda, which recently completed a $25 million renovation. All 92 guestrooms and suites have become glamorous retreats, most with oversize soaking tubs, wet bars, Italian bed linens, terraces and ocean views. Wander over to the Beach Club Restaurant with its hip new bar and posh cabanas to lounge by the pool, before lunching on French bistro fare like duck confit and cod meuniére. Savor Bermuda’s famous fish chowder invigorated with Bermuda’s Gosling’s Rum and Outerbridge’s Original Sherry Peppers at The Island Brasserie. Then there’s Tucker’s Bar – serving light snacks and rum, the island’s signature spirit.

In addition to its own private beach, Rosewood Bermuda has an 18-hole, par 70 golf course. It also has a spa that incorporates island botanicals from the resort’s garden into pampering options like the half-day “Sense of Bermuda Experience” complete with a massage, facial, mani-pedi and lunch.

“For couples planning a wedding or honeymoon, the reimagined Rosewood Bermuda is the ideal venue to celebrate,” says Managing Director, Paul Telford, also Chairman of the Bermuda Tourism Authority. “The property offers ample flexibility in terms of celebration venues; from the enhanced private beach club, to the golf club, to the new dining venues, including a new Conservatory Bar and Lounge, which means couples can curate a completely unique fête based on their preferences.”

For amorous off-premise adventures, Telford suggests seeing the Unfinished Church in St. George, a half-built, gothic cathedral with no ceilings or floors (other than grass). It’s one of the island’s most popular wedding spots (and a great place to snap a selfie). Another gem is Natura Spa at Grotto Bay Beach Resort and Spa, where you descend into the softly-lit Prospero’s Cave to luxuriate in private couple’s treatments in a tented area among the stalactites. There is “Lovers Lane” to visit near the gorgeous, plant-filled Paget Marsh Nature Reserve and the island’s horseshoe-shaped limestone structures called moongates. It’s tradition for newlyweds to step through for good luck.

Of course, you and your partner will create your own romantic traditions on this beautiful island, less than three hours by plane from most major East Coast cities. For me and my husband, it’s visiting the rock he proposed upon at a secluded beach. For you two? The possibilities are as endless as your love for each other.

This article first appeared in Destination I Do’s Fall/Winter 2018 issue. You can order a copy here.