For wedding cruises you have to be ready to expect something other than the usual wedding, because unless all of your guests are attending the cruise with you, they will have to leave before the ship leaves. The good thing about a cruise ship wedding is that the wedding and honeymoon are together, so you’ll definitely be the newest newlyweds on the ship, and the cruise staff will always be willing to go the extra mile on your vacation.

The ceremony itself is normally held in the small chapel on board the ship and you are married by the Captain, some cruises offer the option to get married at one of the ports on the beach as well. Since the chapel is usually very small the amount of guests allowed is also somewhat limited. After the ceremony there is a one-hour reception with appetizers, after which all guests that have not decided to take the cruise will be told to leave the ship. All photography and video is handled by the cruise ship staff and you will be able to see and buy your pictures while onboard the cruise.  Some cruises will even give the option of satellite broadcasting the ceremony so that guests unable to attend the wedding will still be able to watch the ceremony live over the internet.

Popular destinations for a cruise ship wedding are often the Caribbean islands as the warm sunny beaches are often seen as very romantic. There are options to get married on the beach as well instead of on the ship, but this means that guests would either have to take the cruise or arrange some sort of transportation to the island. Another popular destination is Alaska because many cruises offer the option of getting married on top of a glacier. While this is a very unique option, only the bridge and groom are present for the ceremony as the helicopter cannot transfer a large amount of guests.  If you choose a Disney cruise option, then you’ll have the option to be married on Disney’s own private island, the small island gives the true, beautiful tropical island experience.

Though you are limited to a set amount of guests and the time spent with your guests depends on whether or not they can afford to take the cruise with you, cruise ship weddings tend to be more affordable. They offer everything included, even the honeymoon, so you’ll never have to worry about any of the little details later. Some cruises even rent tuxedos on board so you won’t have to even have to worry about that.  Wedding Cruises are a truly unique experience, but what makes it memorable is that it is your special day, and not necessarily the where and how.