Arranging a wedding can be stressful – who to invite and who not, venue, reception, caterers, cars, and more.
Then there is the cost of everything, not to mention the honeymoon. So how about combining a hassle free wedding and a luxurious honeymoon by getting married at sea?
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Instead of stressing out about your guest list and the cost of it all, combine a hassle-free wedding and a luxurious honeymoon by getting married at seaCredit: Royal Owned
It’s more popular than you might think – so with a cruise line that hosts 1,500 weddings in a typical year, it’s got a lot of practice.
With staff on land and on board to ensure that everything goes according to plan, just book the cruise, select the items you want from the brochure, relax and look forward to your big day.
Where can you get married
CRUISE ships sail all oceans so there are many ways to tie the knot.
How about the Indian Ocean? Or maybe the Pacific on a cruise to Hawaii? For guaranteed good weather, the Caribbean is another obvious choice, but fjord cruises in Northern Europe are also great for those who are not sunbathers.
Another popular choice is the transatlantic voyage between Southampton and New York on Cunard’s famous liner Queen Mary 2. You can sail in either direction or fly back by sea.
If retail therapy is your thing, you can fly out, shop, and then sail back. Unlike airlines, the captain of QM2 doesn’t care what your luggage weighs.
The ceremony itself can take place on deck or in a private room – the choice is yours, but take into account the possible weather and the size of your party.
If only the two of you are present, a couple of the ship’s senior officers will be happy to stand as witnesses.
What to expect
LINES offers packages from £ 2,000 excluding the cruise price. At this price you can expect flowers for the bride and a matching buttonhole for the groom, photography, a cake, champagne and some extras that vary from line to line.
All event organizers have dedicated wedding coordinators to work with you to plan your perfect big day. On Fly-Cruises, P&O and Cunard allow additional luggage on your flight and offer an ironing service for the bride’s outfit.
On Cunard, the bride is accompanied to the ceremony by pages dressed in scarlet red. Other lines offer special meals, breakfast in bed or on the balcony, special gifts and even wellness and beauty appointments to prepare for the big day.
After the ceremony, everything from a private lunch or dinner to the ship’s entire nightclub can be booked.
Is everything official?
SOME ships only offer wedding ceremonies, while others – including Princess, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Cunard, and some P&O ships – offer officially recognized marriages.
These take place on a day at sea when the ship is in international waters and are carried out by the captain. They take place legally in the country where the ship is registered and do not need to be registered when you arrive at home.
Same-sex marriages can be entered into as long as they are legal in the country where the ship is registered.
It may take a while for your official marriage certificate to arrive, but you will receive a memorial certificate that day – a lasting reminder of your very special wedding.
Is it just weddings?
NO! If you are looking for an engagement ceremony or want to renew your vows to celebrate a very special anniversary, you can also book arrangements.
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You can expect flowers for the bride and matching buttonholes for the groom, photography, a cake, champagne and a few extras
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Some ships only offer wedding ceremonies, while others offer officially recognized marriagesCredit: Princess OwnedI’m a Disney expert and these are the best days to visit the parks
