Aruba in the Dutch Caribbean is set to become the UK’s newest and hottest wedding destination for UK couples.

This idyllic desert island, still largely undiscovered by the British, has not previously allowed visitors to marry there – although it has been a popular honeymoon destination for American newlyweds.

However, The Aruba Parliament passed a law at the beginning of 2002 enabling couples over the age of 18 to marry on the island, subject to submitting appropriate documents 14 days in advance. The new law took effect on New Year’s Day 2002.

Completed forms and other documentation, including birth certificates, must be submitted by post or in person to Aruba’s Office of the Civil Registry. Birth certificates must have a raised seal. Couples must also submit an apostile, which is a statistical search proving that they are both free and eligible to marry. Both can be obtained from the Office of National Statistics on 0870 243 7788 at a cost of £11 for the birth certificate and £15 for the statistical search.

The development is likely to help spur further growth in the number of UK visitors discovering this island – which lies just 18 miles off the Venezuelan coast. Located outside the hurricane belt, Aruba enjoys a consistently dry climate, with temperatures around 80°F every day of the year.

The island boasts some of the best beaches in the Caribbean, with a wide choice of hotels, from large international chain resorts with luxury facilities to more intimate, European-style properties. Boasting superb diving and other watersports, the island is also ideal for those who enjoy golf, horse-riding – and shopping in the duty-free shops of island capital Oranjestaad.

5,000 British tourists visited the island in 2001 – a figure that is building thanks to leading tour operators now featuring package holidays to Aruba. These include Kuoni, Sovereign and Croydon-based Interchange.

The wedding planner at the Occidental can arrange a beachside ceremony with a priest at a cost of $200. But the couple must still be legally married in the Town Hall first. For this it is best to use Aruba Weddings For You, who can arrange a number of wedding packages from basic ceremonies at £425 to celebrations with all the trimmings. Call Bonnie Stanley at the Occidental on 00297 864500 or e-mail b.stanley@aruba.allegroresorts.com

Flights are available with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, with departures from 18 UK regional airports, via Amsterdam (KLM has 17 flights a week, direct to Aruba from Amsterdam; flight time around nine hours); or with American Airlines from London-Heathrow via Miami.

For further information on Aruba and for a list of operators with holiday packages, call the Aruba Tourism Brochure Line on 020 7401 8961.

Call Lissy Lampe at Aruba Weddings For You on 00297 837638, e-mail , or log onto the website at http://www.arubaweddingsforyou.com