The all-inclusive Elite Island Resorts (www.eliteislandresorts.com) in the Caribbean are offering free weddings (valued at $899), if couples book a FamilyMoon package. Mexico's Azul Hotels (www.karismahotels.com/azul), upscale all-inclusive resorts that cater to families, promise everything from complimentary walkie-talkies -- to keep track of everyone to organized children's activities -- to junior spa treatments, which seem to draw more couples, said Faith Wishnie, the director of wedding services for Azul Hotels by Karisma. At Walt Disney World (www.disneyweddings.com), ceremonies often include special gifts to the kids in honor of the moment, said spokesman Michelle Bauman (not to mention special guest appearances by the kids' favorite Disney characters!)

ONLINE PLANNING

But perhaps the biggest reason destination weddings have become so popular -- and we're talking an average 368,000 a year, more than 7,000 every weekend, according to Brides Magazine research -- is because of the Internet, said Brides' Bratten. Much of the planning -- and that includes coordinating with the guests -- can now be done online.

And then there is the cost. A destination wedding can be a lot cheaper because fewer guests come. Not to mention the fact that the honeymoon can start as soon as the wedding ceremony is over -- with plenty of relatives on hand to watch the kids.

Still, the Laymans opted to steal away for some just-us time. But Marjorie Campbell-Kennedy and her husband Dylan kept Colter with them after everyone left. ''It was wonderful -- just the three of us,'' she said. ``The perfect ending to a perfect wedding.''

There's just one problem. Colter keeps asking when they can go back to Belize.

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