Plan Your Wedding at Sea

So your planning your summer wedding. Just imagine, standing on deck of a beautiful cruise ship, a gorgous sunset over the sea's horizon, the warm tropical breeze, the unforgettable scent of the sea in the air, and uniting with the love of your life in marriage. This year, thousands will say "I do" while standing on deck of a major cruise line, or on a romantic beach. Many cruise lines are now planning weddings onboard in a public room on the ship. The number of couples having cruiseline weddings is growing at a phenominal rate.

Many major cruise lines now even have their own wedding chapel, and the captain is authorized to marry you at sea. You can choose from an onboard cerimony, to a shore side cerimony while the ship is in port. Wedding packages vary depending on the cruise line you choose to hold your special day with. Your plans can include anything from a formal sit down reception, to an open bar and hors d'ouevres. You can also choose a destination wedding package, where the bride and groom and their guests will be taken to a wedding site, where you will be provided beautiful tropical flowers for the bride and groom, a wedding cake with a keepsake topper, sparkling champagne, keepsake champagne flutes, and of course the cerimony. You can even choose to have a photographer, videographer, live music and tuxedo rental at an additional cost.

What attracts many to having their wedding on a cruise ship, is convenience of having a wedding/honeymoon combination. There is no lag time, between the cerimony and travel to the honeymoon destination. One thing to take into consideration when planning your wedding "at sea", is most do not have the cerimony while the ship is sailing. A lawful wedding cannot take place in international waters unless the ship has a special license, so most weddings take place in port. There are cruiselines that are licensed to perform weddings while at sea, so before you book your plans, be sure to know exactly what you want, and whether the cruiseline can comply with your needs.

Another plus to having your wedding on a cruise, the cruise line will be able to handle all of your wedding plans, taking much of the stress of planning a wedding off the bride and groom, thus allowing the happy couple to fully enjoy the beginning of the rest of their life together. You will be able to choose the color of your floral decorations, your cake size and style, food, and cocktails. You may choose photograph and video packages as well. The cruise lines that offer wedding packages, will provide you with a wedding planner.

Just like a traditional wedding, you will still want to book your plans 8-12 months in advance. Generally, the larger the wedding party, the further in advance you will want to book. If you have a very small party, or just the bride and groom, booking so far in advance is not as critical as with larger groups. The price of your wedding, varies depending on the size of your party and the type of reception you wish to plan. You may choose to have your guests onboard for your cerimony, then depart prior to setting sail.

One must not forget one of the most important things when it comes to planning a wedding, the marriage license. Remember, you must obtain your marriage license from the state or island you have the cerimony performed in. Your cruise lines wedding planner should assist you in obtaining your marriage license. You will be required to bring with you a birth certificate, and most of the time a passport, so remember, if you do not have these documents, be sure to get them several months prior to your wedding date. If you do not have a passport already, these can take several weeks to receive after applying for one.

If you are considering planning your wedding on a cruise line, a travel agent will be able to steer you in the right direction. They can tell you which cruise lines are able to provide you with your wants and needs, tailoring to your wishes. Having a cruise wedding is a fun filled, romantic alternative to your traditional wedding, it may not be for everyone, but if you are looking for a unique option, it may be worth your time to inquire about a cruise wedding.