Weddings At Sea
Weddings at sea are becoming increasingly popular, thanks to the opportunity to combine your wedding and honeymoon in one amazing holiday. Lots of cruise lines offer weddings and vow renewals at sea, including Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, Cunard and P&O Cruises, with the ship’s country of registration determining whether ceremonies can be officiated on board. Royal Caribbean are among the cruise lines who also offer couples the opportunity to get married ashore, before holding a reception on board.
Wedding packages can be tailor made exactly how you like, just like a traditional wedding. A dedicated wedding coordinator will take care of details from the ceremony itself, to the reception and allocation of all guests involved in the wedding. The coordinator will be on hand throughout your cruise to take care of all the finer details, such as flower arrangements, reception seating and photography. You will have full control of every aspect of the wedding, such as choosing flowers and music, just as you would if you were to get married on land.
A typical wedding at sea package includes the services of a wedding coordinator, invitations and thank you notes, floral arrangements, wedding music of the couple’s choice, the ceremony itself, commemorative wedding certificate and a bottle of champagne on arrival. Some cruise lines also offer an increased luggage allowance for the bride and groom if travelling on a fly cruise. A typical vow renewal package is very similar to that of a wedding at sea, with the addition of special gifts from the cruise line to celebrate the occasion.
Cakes, photography, videography, entertainment and beverages are not usually included in a wedding at sea package and will be priced additionally if required.
The wedding will be held in a private, intimate venue, with some ships having chapels on board for this purpose. The Captain will usually conduct the ceremony, though another licensed senior representative may take over on his behalf in the event of any unforeseen circumstances. Following the ceremony, the signing of the register will take place and a certificate will be issued to commemorate the marriage.