British Virgin Islands - Necker Island

The very notion of tying the knot on a billionaire's private Caribbean island is enough to make most bridges go weak at the knees. When the moneyed mogul in questions is Sir Richard Branson, You know you're in for a fun wedding with all the stops pulled out. The Virgin entrepreneur was himself married here in 1990, when he flew in to his wedding dangling from a helicopter dressed from head to toe in white.

With their stunning sunsets, deserted withe-sand beaches, gleaming jade waters, feet-in-the-sand beach bars and sophisticated resorts and yacht clubs, the islands all offer romance as a standard ingredient. But Necker's private status makes it an island apart. When Branson discovered it in the late 1970s, it was a barren outcrop. In the late 1960s the famous war photographer Don McCullin and a friend had been marooned here without food or water as as survival test. The lasted 14 days, during which time they chopped down the island's few existing palm trees. Eleven years later, Branson was on business in New York when late one evening he heard in conversation that some of the smaller, uninhabited outer islands in the British Virgin Islands were up for sale. On hearing that a trip would be arranged if he seemed interested in buying one, Branson grabbed the chance of an all-expenses-paid jaunt, and when a little while later he touched down in the BVIs he was met in splendidly luxurious style with a limo and a helicopter.

'We spent the day looking at the different islands from the air,' says Branson, 'and finally, towards the end of the day, we saw one that looked slightly more hospitable than the others and I indicated to my guide that this was the island I wanted to buy. A brief exchange on price then followed, after which I was whisked back to the helicopter base, where I was left to find my own way back to the airport!'

Two years later, in 1982, the same company approached Branson to say that if he could slightly improve his offer it would now be willing to listen - and so necker became his.

Almost completely encircled by coral reefs, Necker is just 4 km (2 miles) in circumference, yet is marked by scenic contrasts. Beautiful sandy beaches punctuate jutting headlands, and cactus-studded ridges top sweeping hillsides. An airy Balinese-style house was build on Devil's Hill, looking as if it had grown out of the rock at the apex of the island. Now known as the Great House, it has a fantastic communal dining table, full size snooker table, comfortable hammocks and floor cushions, plus nooks and crannies with Balinese statues looking out to sea: all places to find your own space and relax as if this were your home.

As soon as couples arrive in the BVIs, they can apply for a marriage license at the Attorney General's Office on the island of Tortola (a short boat ride from Necker). The license takes three days to process, and once granted is valid for three months from the date it signed. Couples should then go to the Registrar's Office to schedule an appointment for the date and time of their wedding. If couples have made an appointment before traveling, they need to confirm it upon arrival. As the Registrar has to travel from Tortola to Necker for the wedding, the couple may have to cover his of her transport costs.

Weddings often take place on the jetty, against a backdrop of the ocean and the island itself, on the palm-fringed Turtle Beach with a backdrop of the Balinese-style houses, at the Beach Pavilion under thatch, or in the Great House. The founder of Virgin Records offers plenty of musical choices, from a calypso band to a string quartet.

After a day of being pampered in Bali Leha, the Necker Island Spa that is build into a cliff overlooking the sea and offers delights such as an aloe and mint wrap (using ingredients freshly picked from just outside the door), the bride may be picked up in her bridal carriage - a golf card decked out with flowers and ribbons. Richard Branson has even been known to sail brides on his hobie cat to their wedding on Turtle Beach.

The beauty of getting married on Necker is that anything goes. The staff will do their utmost to make weddings here the ultimate in special days, from setting the ceremony on a clifftop overlooking the sea to creating firework displays or letting off hundreds of balloons. There is an amazing energy and sense of fun to this place.

The Branson philosophy of throwing away the rulebook is definitely at work here. Intimate weddings of up to 26 guests are best, with a private house-party atmosphere and everyone staying on the island. For larger wedding parties, there are plenty of five-star resorts just a short boat ride away, such as Biras Creek, Bitter End Yacht Club and Little Dix Bay.

Receptions can be held pretty much anywhere in the resort. Larger parties can spread out barefoot on the beach with a bonfire barbecue. For 26 or less, the Great House is the perfect location for a more formal dinner. Wedding receptions can have a theme, such as Vegas casino. Greek, James Bond or Eighties disco. Couples can make use of the entire island, with events in different spots.

For fun and games, a floating sushi bar can be set up in the beach pool, served by the Necker chefs: for this a a canoe is filled with ice, decorated with leaves and flowers and topped off with sushi and sake. For a more laid-back wedding party, a floating shooters bar is similarly sybaritic, with staff serving shots from the decorated floating canoe in the pool, and plenty of pool games.

Days at Necker are totally tailormade. Every morning at breakfast, staff will ask everyone what they would like to do, from waterskiing to playing on the aqua trampoline, lazing by the thatched Crocodile Pavilion and stunning pool, or playing a game of tennis (in 1997 Andre Agassi brought his new bride Brooke Shields here).

The Great House has a total of ten luxurious bedrooms, including a Master Suite with rooftop terrace and Jacuzzi, ideal for a bride and groom to entertain their guests. For extra privacy and ultimate romance, three authentic one-bedroom Balinese houses are dotted around the island, name Bali Hi, Bali Lo and (the most recently created) Bali Cliff, which is build into the cliff with an open-air bathroom over the sea. Couples can lie in bed listening to the waves crashing beneath them. Bali Hi has a meditation room and spacious lounge area with CD player and television for late-night lounging. Bali Lo is the most secluded, with its own private swimming pool and elevated meditation room with panoramic island and sea views. They are all wonderful places for both late-night parties and preparing for a wedding.

Branson's initial aim was to build a home there that could be used by his family and friends for holidays, while keeping the island as unspoilt as possible. That same philosophy of treating visitors as his personal guests on his private island is still very much apparent. When newlyweds escape to their chosen room, they will find their bed scattered with petals, and chilled Champagne awaiting them on the balcony. And of course there's no long flight before waking up in the perfect honeymoon spot.

The British Virgin Islands are best explored by yacht. Even if neither of you are sailors, you can lie back and let a chartered crew do all the work. Sunsail (www.sunsail.com) is a great company to book a luxury crewed yacht charter which will take you the most romantic spots.

BEST TIME OF YEAR TO GO
Beautiful all year round, especially Christmas, but avoid September and October as this is hurricane season.

CEREMONIES
Civil ceremonies anywhere on the island.

PRE-WEDDING RESIDENCY
Three working days.