Once in Ocho Rios, there are plenty of distractions to help John forget about the fact that they'll be back on the same roads in a few days. To cool off, they might swing by Dunns River Falls, where tourists can either climb the leveled falls as part of a human chain led by a guide or amble along a boardwalk bordering the falls. Dunns River is a very popular excursion for cruise ships, which dock at Ocho Rios on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. The cruise crowds usually clear out by 2 P.M., so an afternoon visit makes sense on those days. Otherwise, early morning is usually the least crowded time to cool off at the falls.

Another way to have fun--and get wet--is a river excursion on bamboo rafts with Calypso Rafting. Marney thinks she'd enjoy rafting, but tells us that she faces an uphill battle. "My husband, the grouch, thought it was a lot of money, but I'm working on him," she says. Marney has been fascinated with dolphins since she was a child and says "swimming next to one would be the experience of a lifetime." We suggest Dolphin Cove, but seeing as John balked at the $50 rafting trip, he's not going to be thrilled to hear that 30 minutes of swimming with the dolphins costs $179.

Tarsha White, her fiance John Jones Jr., and his parents, Marney and John (Photo: John-Francis Bourke) [enlarge photo] THE DESTINATION WEDDING WORKBOOK Combine your wedding with your honeymoon! Download this excerpt from The Destination Wedding Workbook, full of checklists and tips. If you don't already have it, you will need Adobe Acrobat, a free (and easy!) plug-in, to read the PDF Download the PDF Download Adobe Acrobat THE DESTINATION WEDDING WORKBOOK • Introduction • All-Inclusive Resort Weddings • Guests at All-Inclusive Weddings • Resort Comparison Worksheet • Hotel Weddings • Resort Wedding Coordinators TRIP COACH • John Bigley and Paris Permenter answered your questions about destination weddings SEPTEMBER 2006 ISSUE • Table of Contents: September 2006 • Australia: The Great Ocean Walk • Germany Castles • Road Trip: Lake Champlain • Trip Coach: Jamaica • 40 Best Vacations

The group is staying three nights at the RIU Ocho Rios, where the wedding ceremony will take place, and will have lunch one day at the restaurant that's hosting the reception, The Ruins. "The sea at Ocho Rios is the most beautiful ice-blue water," says Tarsha, who's lived in the U.S. for 14 years but has always wanted to get married in Jamaica. "And the waterfall at The Ruins is breathtaking. What more perfect scene for a wedding?"

The Joneses love coffee, so if their driver takes them through the Blue Mountains on the way back to Kingston they should stop at one of the many roadside coffee "factories." These are usually little more than simple stands where a couple of workers roast beans in what looks like a large frying pan over an open fire. Prices should be haggled over, but the beans are generally much cheaper than what you'd pay in tourist areas.

Before flying home, the Joneses will finally get a chance to check out the Bob Marley Museum, in the building that was both the reggae legend's residence and his recording studio. To see the museum's collection, which includes platinum records, concert memorabilia, and the bullet holes in the room where Marley survived a 1976 assassination attempt, visitors must take a tour. The last one leaves at 4 P.M. "I bought one of the Wailers' albums in the '70s, and was an immediate fan," says John. "Going to the museum with Tarsha and John Jr., who are also Marley fans, will be meaningful. He was an artist whose music touched many generations."

Surprise!

Goldeneye, the one-time home of James Bond creator Ian Fleming and current exclusive resort owned by Island Records founder Chris Blackwell, is letting our foursome have the run of the place for an afternoon, at no charge. They'll be welcomed with a tour of the 15-acre property, a buffet lunch of traditional Jamaican cuisine, access to a private beach and Jet Skis, and the resort's cool new adventure: snorkeling with stingrays.

Lodging

Food