Wedding cruises allow the bride, groom, wedding party, and guests to attend a destination wedding and vacation together. Planning ahead is essential, as not all cruise lines allow weddings at sea. Wedding cruises can also be a private ceremony and honeymoon, with the ship’s captain performing the ceremony. The cruise company handles much of the preparation, but a marriage license is still required. Some cruise lines may allow non-cruise guests to attend the wedding, while others may not.
Wedding cruises typically refer to an event where the bride, groom, wedding party, and wedding guests will all cruise together to attend the wedding and vacation together. It is often an arranged wedding and honeymoon type, particularly for people who want to have a destination wedding but want to make it easier or more convenient for more guests to make the trip. Some couples choose to actually get married at sea, on a cruise ship, while others will choose to sail to a specific destination and then get married there.
You need to plan far ahead when trying to plan wedding cruises. Not all cruise lines allow weddings at sea, or are able to host a wedding and reception, so this is your first consideration; many offer harbor weddings. Some of the larger cruise lines will offer wedding cruise packages and will also offer a group rate for guests of the couple going on the cruise. It’s still a fairly expensive endeavor, though; it is usually comparable to a traditional wedding and reception at a location, at least, if not more because the honeymoon is also included.
Of course, wedding cruises don’t have to be a big deal with lots of guests. Some brides and grooms, who were planning to elope or otherwise have a small wedding, will use a wedding cruise as a way to have a private ceremony and honeymoon. The ceremony will generally be performed by the ship’s captain. Some may therefore choose to host a reception when they return to celebrate with friends and family, and that way they can enjoy their honeymoon in privacy without feeling the need to keep their guests happy and entertained. However, there is no shortage of entertainment on cruise ships, so most couples find it offers a good balance for a destination wedding.
Wedding cruises are also ideal for many people because the cruise company does a lot of preparation. The catering and the cake are all in one place, for example, and unless the couple supplies the decor, that too usually comes with the cruise package. Please note that you will still need to obtain a marriage license to get married on a cruise. Also keep in mind that if the wedding is taking place in port, some guests who won’t be on the cruise may be allowed on the ship for the wedding, but other cruise lines may not allow guests on board who won’t be on the cruise.
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