Cruise weddings: Why more couples are getting married at sea
Forget castles or country manors, increasing numbers of couples are opting to get married on a cruise.
Travel agents and cruise lines are seeing a surge in interest from people looking to tie the knot while on board their favourite ship.
P&O Cruises reported a record number of bookings for weddings on the water last year, up 12 per cent.
Several other cruise brands offer wedding ceremonies at sea, including Celebrity Cruises, Cunard, Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean Princess, Virgin Voyages and Holland America Line.
Dave Mills, chief commercial officer at online travel agent Iglu, said weddings at sea are becoming an increasingly popular option, especially for couples aged 40-plus who are looking to combine their love of cruising with a good-value ceremony.
Mills said: 'The beauty of a wedding at sea is that a single point of contact at the cruise line will take over the wedding planning and details, and everything is scalable from a small, intimate ceremony to a huge, lavish event.
'At the same time, of course, customers will have a built-in honeymoon and precious time to spend with loved ones. Each year we will be involved in many such events, increasing slowly but surely in line with overall growth in cruising and a better awareness of the opportunity to do such a romantic thing.
'Lines limit the number of weddings allowed to ensure each couple is rightly the centre of attention on the day. Cunard for example, allows one wedding per ship per day, so early booking is key.'
Wedding packages typically range from £1,000 to £3,000, on top of the cruise fare.
Packages differ but may include a wedding cake, music, food, drinks and spa treatments.
In comparison, the average cost of a wedding in the UK is £20,822, according to Bridebook, so a cruise ceremony and party may work out cheaper – although you would have to convince your guests to pay to attend.
Phil Evans, managing director at Cruise Nation, said: 'Couples have the same benefits as a normal wedding abroad, but with so much more.
'Incredible sunshine, relaxation and beautiful food across multiple destinations, and that's not to mention the incredible range of activities on board, such as bars, classes, pools, restaurants and plenty of other things to keep your guests entertained during travel days.'
Here is how two couples celebrated their big day on the water...
'Sir Richard Branson officiated at our luxury cruise wedding'
Ben Killeen and Emma Thomas from Hampshire were not avid cruisers when they first met on a dating app back in 2015, but soon caught the bug on a Virgin Voyages sailing in 2022. They loved the experience so much that they got married on board a Virgin ship, marking their fourth cruise with the brand.
The couple got married aboard Virgin Voyages' Valiant Lady during a five-night Celebration Voyage from Miami to Bimini last year, stopping off at Puerto Plata, and, to top it off, their ceremony was officiated by Sir Richard Branson.
Ben, 29, a sales manager for a job board, said: 'We were looking at different options, and then this opportunity came up.
'It was surreal when we realised it was Sir Richard Branson who would be there.'
The pair opted for a $4,000 (£3,000) You, Me And The Sea package, which includes intimate ceremonies for the couple and a captain or ship's officer to officiate. This is separate from the cruise fare.
Other perks include priority boarding, streaming of the ceremony, music and decorations, $200 (£150) on-board credit and one beauty treatment each.
Emma, 32, a cabin crew member, said: 'It was all so luxurious. You can go get your hair done, the guys can get a trim or a haircut, and we even went up to Richard Branson's rooftop! We had a few beers that morning and chilled in the Jacuzzi – where else can you do that?
'The view was incredible. I remember looking out at the scenic beauty of Puerto Plata and thinking, 'Wow, we're getting married right here.' It's such an amazing memory to look back on.'
Once dressed in her halter-neck satin maxi dress, Emma was escorted by a crew member to the ceremony in the Perch – a relaxation space on the top deck - with Puerto Plata in the background.
Passengers can choose the venue on board and have a song to walk down the aisle to, or just go straight into the ceremony, which is what they did. You can also select your cake fillings and bouquet.
Emma said: 'Sir Richard Branson met us there, and it was a bit of a blur, but in the best way. He was so warm and welcoming.
'We didn't have any guests – it was just us – but we had Virgin Voyages crew members watching, which was lovely. We were asked if we wanted to say our own vows or if we'd prefer Richard to say something. We opted for him to say a few words and it was just perfect.'
After the ceremony, they headed to The Wake, Virgin Voyages' high-end steakhouse, for dinner.
Emma added, 'It felt like we were in New York. We got to cut the wedding cake there and just soak in every moment.'
It was also Scarlet Night that evening, a big party around the ship, and Boy George was doing a DJ set, making the day even more special.
Emma added: 'It was the most amazing experience. [Friends and family] didn't believe us until we showed them the photos.
'It was high-energy and infectious. I get emotional talking about it because I loved it so much. There's just something magical about it – the people, the places, the experiences. It was luxury from start to finish. I can't recommend it enough.'
Cruise content creators and magazine publishers Jay Cannon, 32, and Dan Wailing, 29, have been on more than 70 cruises together since they met in 2020, so it made sense for them to get married on board.
Jay's first sailing was as a 12-year-old with Fred Olsen, and he introduced an initially sceptical Dan to cruises in 2021.
Since then, they have built one of the biggest YouTube cruise channels in the UK – Sail Away with Dan and Jay – with 41,000 subscribers, and launched Sail Away magazine in October 2023.
They had enquired about a wedding ceremony with Celebrity Cruises but ended up getting an offer from Holland America Line to pay for it after reviewing its Nieuw Statendam ship.
Holland America Line packages range from $1,800 (£1,350) for a symbolic non-legal ceremony to between $2,000 (£1.500 )and $2,500 (£1,900) for an official harbourside ceremony and from $3,000 (£2,250) for a wedding ashore.
These prices include features such as priority boarding, a wedding coordinator, private ceremony, an officiant, music and photos.
The couple were married aboard Nieuw Statendam in September 2024 during a sailing around Turkey, Greece and Egypt.
They were welcomed aboard with champagne in the cabin and rose petals on the bed.
The pair even got a mention on the ship's tannoy and were complimented on their suits by passengers as they headed to their intimate ceremony in the B.B. King's Blues Club on board.
They walked in to Wait a Minute by Willow, and You've Got the Love by Florence and the Machine, played after they exchanged vows with their proud parents watching.
Jay said: 'There wasn't anywhere else that we could have gotten married, [other] than a cruise ship. It seemed a natural fit for us.
'It was a beautiful venue, and the captain presided over the ceremony. It was like having a wedding over two weeks, as we enjoyed the whole ship during the sailing.
'Once we had the service, we got into our swimwear, which you can't usually do at a wedding.
'We then had our first dance in the evening at BB Kings Blues Club. It was a dream come true.'
Jay adds that the cost of a cruise wedding can work out cheaper than doing something on land. He said: 'Everything was arranged [for us], including dinner and pictures, the only thing we didn't have was the wedding car.'
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