There are so many things to prepare for when you are planning a destination wedding; your travel arrangements, accommodations, your guests – but when you travel to Aruba for your big day, the one thing you don’t have to worry about is your color palette. The crystal, blue-marine water, the dazzling white sand, the vibrant rainbow of flora and fauna…Aruba has it in the bag. In fact, Aruba leaves little to be concerned with.

The rehearsal dinner? Try dining in one of Aruba’s many award-winning restaurants. At Flying Fishbone, tables are arranged on a cozy, private beach allowing guests to partake in fresh seafood, sans-shoes. Some bistro tables even meander into the Caribbean waters, making dessert for two sweeter than ever. After-dinner cocktails at White Modern Cuisine are a must. “Aruba offers the best of everything,” says Jonathan Boekhoudt of Aruba Tourism Authority. “The most beautiful beaches, breathtaking sunsets and the friendliest people you’ll ever meet.”

Once you arrive in Aruba, kick back in the nearest hammock and don’t stress about the wedding arrangements. The Ritz-Carlton, Aruba takes every wedding detail into consideration so you can start living the island life the minute you arrive. Their decadent spa offers couples treatments like the “Bano pa Dos,” a romantic bath for two. The Ritz-Carlton’s spa is a dream made in bridal party heaven. “Our spa shower is truly a de-stressing escape,” says Melanie Frayn, Director of Meeting and Special Events at the resort. With every detail in place and the breathtaking island beauty, a ceremony on any beach in Aruba is guaranteed to be picture perfect.

After the “I do’s” are said and done, entertainment abounds in Aruba. There is something for everyone. Nature loving guests can take in the local terrain by UTV, cruising through Arikok National Park with De Palm Tours. Sun worshippers can spend the day on Renaissance Private Island, mingling with the pink flamingos who call the beach home.

A destination wedding or honeymoon in Aruba really only requires a few plans: a plan to rest, a plan to be pampered and a plan to start your “happily ever after” on one big, happy island.

Photos (in order of appearance): Aruba Tourism Authority (1st, 3rd), White Modern Cuisine (2nd), and Renaissance Private Island (4th and 5th).

This article first appeared in Destination I Do’s Fall/Winter 2014 issue. You can order a copy here.