What could be better than a wedding ceremony on the sandy shores of the azure sea? Many couples plan to hold their wedding ceremony on tropical islands. Hotels and inns offer all-inclusive wedding programs on the islands. Almost everywhere you can arrange either an official marriage registration or just a beautiful and memorable ceremony.
Marriage, concluded on almost all tropical islands, with some exceptions, is legally legitimate in most states, including the Russian Federation. In order for it to be recognized as valid, an apostille is placed on the marriage certificate - a sign that the union was concluded at the international level.
Wedding in the Bahamas
The Bahamas or Bahamas is an island state near the United States that includes more than 700 land masses, of which only 30 are inhabited . This is one of the most popular places for a symbolic or official wedding.
You can schedule a ceremony for almost any time of the year ; the archipelago is always warm and sunny. The Bahamas has only rainy seasons, May-June and September-October with heavy rainfall. Hurricanes can also hit the islands from June to October.
The celebrations are organized by hotels ; the program usually includes:
- wedding coordinator services;
- decorating a room or outdoor wedding venue;
- musical accompaniment;
- preparation and forwarding of all documents necessary for the wedding, payment of state fees;
- photographers Service;
- drinks and a sweet table designed for the bride and groom;
- souvenirs from the hotel.
If necessary, the program may include the services of a make-up artist , a hairdresser for the bride, manicure and pedicure, and space for two more guest-witnesses.
Accommodation, air travel, travel from the airport to the hotel and back, personal expenses and visas are paid additionally.
Rates depend on the island and the hotel where the wedding is planned. Usually, couples flying on a honeymoon are given discounts.
Prices
Here is the approximate cost of formal wedding procedures on the islands. The price depends on the selected package of services, additional activities, accommodation, flights, meals.
- Mauritius - from 1600 euros;
- Cuba - from 750 euros;
- Crete - from 1900 euros (with documents and registration);
- Dominican Republic - from 1200 euros;
- Santorini - from 3000 euros;
- Seychelles - from 1000 euros;
- Maldives - from 1200 euros;
- Hainan - from 1000 euros;
- Java - from 750 euros;
- Samui - from 1000 euros;
A symbolic wedding will cost 2 times less, and a wedding will cost 1.5 times more. As I wrote above, many hotels provide newlyweds with good discounts, and sometimes even give them accommodation.
Wedding in Mauritius
Another very popular destination for weddings is Mauritius, an island republic in East Africa. The island has many secluded coves and bays for a romantic ceremony.
Documents are submitted one month before the planned date of the celebration.
The package of documents includes passports of the newlyweds, birth certificates, name change, divorce, if anyone planning to get married has already been married before, as well as an official request for marriage registration.
All papers must be in English . The translation must be certified by a notary. After filing three days before the appointed day, the couple arrives and checks into the selected hotel or hotel. Wedding programs are provided by any hotel in Mauritius; newlyweds can get a discount on the celebration itself or be given free spa treatments and dinner for two.
Registration can be offsite , on the beach or any other beautiful and romantic place, or on land owned by the hotel. All details are discussed with the wedding manager after check-in on the eve of the ceremony. The package of organizational services is standard: ceremony, hairdresser and makeup artist for the bride, wedding cake and a table with snacks, music and translation services.
Lily Beach Resort
Close your eyes and imagine your dream wedding in the Maldives. Can you imagine yourself standing in front of your loved one, in complete silence, broken only by the sound of the soft waves and the wind gently swaying the palm trees? The staff at Lily Beach Resort will make sure that this dream becomes a reality. They have endless options for their guests and focus on what their guests want.
Lily Beach Resort
Their two most popular packages are Essential Memories, which is simple but romantic and offers fresh floral decor, buggy transportation to the venue, traditional Maldivian dancing and drummers, canapés and cakes - all captured by a professional photographer.
The other is Everlasting Memories, which includes everything the Essential Memories package offers, plus spa massage, a spectacular sunset cruise, wedding dinner, breakfast and a private picnic on Sun Lily. You can even come up with your own wish list and customize the packages according to your wishes.
Estimated cost:
- Essential Memories package: 14,630 MVR;
- Everlasting Memories Pack: MVR 26,100.
Location: Lily Beach Resort, South Ari Atoll, 87 km and 25 minutes by seaplane from Male International Airport.
Wedding in Seychelles
Seychelles is an island nation in East Africa, comprising 155 islands, of which 33 are inhabited.
The required package of documents is submitted three weeks before registration; all documents must be officially translated into French or English and notarized. The newlyweds should arrive no later than three working days before the wedding date . On the wedding day, the registrar will perform the marriage ceremony.
Mainly celebrations are held on three islands of the Seychelles: Mahe, Pralines and La Digue . Registration can take place at the hotel or on the beach. You can take her to the lagoon you like. Young people can arrange an off-site registration on one of the deserted islands, in peace and quiet, enjoying the wild nature.
Each of the hotels offers several wedding programs of varying prices , including the ceremony, transfer to the beach or lagoon if it is an off-site registration, cake and snacks, sparkling champagne or wine, florist services, hair and makeup for the bride, music and decoration of the ceremony site, photographer services and so on.
The final cost of the program depends on the number of included services.
Some are ready to offer a modest ceremony for free, subject to payment for hotel accommodation for less than 3 days, payment for the services of a registrar and a certificate.
Where and how to hold a symbolic ceremony
Beach
The most popular place abroad among Russians for exit registration is, of course, the sea or ocean shore. Private beaches are perfect for organizing a ceremony, in most cases belonging to hotels, with which you will need to agree so that on the desired day there will be no one else there except you.
You can even move to some small uninhabited island, there are many of them, for example, in Thailand and have a wedding there.
Yacht
Another great place to conduct a symbolic marriage ceremony is a yacht or motor ship. Renting a boat will not be a problem. You can also arrange the entire banquet there after the exchange of vows. Although this pleasure will cost more than the previous one, you will enjoy the boat trip. More daring newlyweds can jump into the sea directly from the watercraft. You will definitely remember such a holiday abroad for a long time.
Required documents
With a staged on-site registration, everything is much simpler than organizing an official one. You will need:
- two international passports;
- visa, if required in the country you are interested in;
- tourist packages or round trip plane tickets;
Buy air tickets in advance and you will save a lot of money. - booked accommodation if you are not flying on a tour package;
- optional medical insurance.
Wedding in Ibiza
Ibiza or Ibiza is an island of the Balearic Islands archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea, belonging to Spain. Ibiza is a real center of club life . But this does not mean that you cannot celebrate a romantic ceremony there.
You can celebrate the ceremony on the beach , in a quiet village or on a yacht. Hotels also offer various ready-made wedding celebration scenarios, including: registration, decoration of the venue, wedding table, musical accompaniment, and so on.
Decor elements
Exotic plants are actively used as beach wedding decor. The arch is decorated with flowing white fabric and floral arrangements, including stylized floral lanterns. The relaxed style of the wedding path is emphasized by paired figurines of seahorses, which symbolize the fidelity and devotion of the newlyweds to each other.
If guests are present at the celebration, organize a buffet area on the beach. A creatively designed table, unusual placement of glasses, palm leaves, bamboo, coconut halves, pebbles and shells as the main materials - to create a sophisticated island atmosphere, just show a little imagination.
Wedding in Hawaii
Hawaii or the Hawaiian Islands is one of the states of the USA . Since the islands are part of the United States of America, in addition to a foreign passport, young people need to apply for a visa.
Entry to the Seychelles and the Bahamas is visa-free.
To enter into an official marriage, you need a marriage license, which is purchased for a state fee approximately a month before the ceremony
The wedding can be held on one of the islands: Hawaii, Maui and Oahu . Exit registration or ceremony at the hotel is possible. Otherwise, it’s about the same as with the other islands.
Video: who needs this service?
Do young people really need turnkey wedding planning services? How profitable is this? Answers to these questions in a detailed analysis from Irina Korneva:
Such an organization of a wedding event is ideal for a young couple with limited free time. Newlyweds just have to choose the services offered by specialists.
Despite the fact that the general plan for such events is similar, professionals always take into account the wishes of each couple, offering individual solutions taking into account the interests of the couple, as well as the general style of the wedding - you are guaranteed a unique professionally organized celebration.
Wedding in the Philippines
The Republic of the Philippines is an island country in Southeast Asia, between Indonesia and Taiwan.
Legalization of relations in the Philippines will not be considered official in Russia, so on these islands you can have a symbolic celebration or get married according to Philippine laws, but in Russia the couple will be considered unmarried.
Either way, the islands are beautiful with their sandy beaches and clear water. Particularly popular are off-site registrations on the beach with decoration of the venue, a wedding arch of flowers on the shore and a wedding cake. For the celebration, you can choose one of the islands, for example, Boracay or Bohol .
Some tips
- Prepare for an official wedding abroad in advance, not just a few months, but preferably a year in advance.
- You need to know that some states, before you can be registered, will require you to first live on their territory. For example, on the island of Sri Lanka, this will take four days, in the Seychelles already eleven, but in France as many as forty.
- There are countries where you will have to wait for permission to get married from the authorities. This may take from two months to six months. These especially include: Germany, Switzerland and Austria.
- Abroad, girls do not take their spouse’s surname after the wedding. Exceptions are the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Austria. Therefore, you will need to obtain a certificate of change of surname in Russia.
- Some places have rules regarding religion. For example, on the island of Bali, a couple in love who decides to get married must be of the same faith.
- Choose carefully not only the location for the wedding, but also the state. Find out in advance whether you can officially register there or whether you can only organize a symbolic away ceremony.
- Don’t forget about the list of necessary documents required for registration in a foreign country, especially if you are preparing on your own.
A wedding celebration is an important day in the life of loving hearts, and if you want a wedding abroad, then you definitely need to make your dreams come true. But remember, the most important thing is not the host country, but your sincere and true love!
Wedding in Bora Bora
The island of Bora Bora is one of the islands of the French Polynesian archipelago, located near Tahiti. Entry to Bora Bora requires a visa , so young people will need to obtain an entry permit and a passport in advance.
All documents must be translated into French and notarized
You need to make reservations at least 90 days before the wedding date, and send all documents 60 days before.
An official ceremony is possible only in the local Wedding Palace , but a symbolic wedding can be held anywhere on the island, for example, on the beach or in a cozy quiet lagoon, on a catamaran or in a beach house with a glass floor.
Two witnesses must be present at the official ceremony ; if neither spouse speaks French, an interpreter will be required. The receiving party may provide witnesses.
On the island you can arrange a wedding ceremony according to Polynesian customs - with wreaths, live music, national Polynesian dances and other attributes.
The wedding agency takes care of organizing the celebration with all the details; flights and accommodation are paid separately.
Dominican Republic
A paradise country is the Dominican Republic, which will surprise you with luxurious beaches, unique architecture, tropical forests and high mountains. Swirling in a whirlwind of Latin American passions, you and your guests will remember such a unique holiday for a long time. And you will return home as legal spouses, because a marriage entered into in the Dominican Republic is considered valid in the Russian Federation.
There is only one drawback - an expensive and long flight, which means you will have to spend a lot of money on organizing the wedding.
Wedding in Fiji
The Fiji Islands are an archipelago of the Republic of Fiji in the Pacific Ocean, consisting of 332 islands , of which only a third are inhabited.
On these islands you can enter into an official marriage, but the age of the newlyweds and their witnesses must be at least 21 years old. If the newlyweds are under this age, written permission from the parents or guardians consenting to the marriage must be provided.
All official ceremonies are held in hotels , but off-site registration is possible, which must be discussed with the registrar.
Wedding in Corfu
Corfu or Kerkyra is a Greek island belonging to the Ionian Islands group, the most popular tourist destination in Greece. Cyprus, located near Greece, is considered an independent republic.
On the island you can register your marriage officially, get married in a church or have a symbolic celebration.
As a venue, you can choose an olive grove, ancient ruins or a luxury yacht . Official registration is carried out at the registry office.
Which dress and suit to choose?
If you are having a wedding on an island, then definitely avoid a fluffy, heavy dress and stilettos. Heat, sand, sea - this is the place for a light dress, for example, in the Greek style, which you don’t mind getting wet. Perhaps for a photo shoot you will have to get into the water in it.
It is better to choose a material that will be light and comfortable. This dress will look harmonious against the backdrop of beautiful landscapes. If the ceremony will take place according to local customs, then you will choose the outfit yourself upon arrival.
It is best for a man to wear a light shirt and trousers, or maybe even shorts, which will be comfortable for running along the snow-white beaches.
