Getting married at sea can save you thousands - and provide an instant honeymoon

810_3428-2(c)Bells Wedding Photography

Lured by the promise of cerulean skies and a relatively hassle-free day, British couples have been getting married abroad for years. Who could resist saying “I do” beside a turquoise sea with a horizon stretching into infinity?

An equal, or possibly greater, incentive is escaping the (£32,273 average) cost of getting married in the UK. By comparison, and with the venue taken care of, tying the knot at sea will cost from around £1,500 for the ceremony, music, flowers and champagne.

Add the cruise fare – say from £4,000 each for a suite on a two-week Caribbean voyage, and another £5,000 for business-class flights – and couples will still be more than £17,000 better off. That’s enough to consider inviting close friends and family along – and treating them to a reception on the big day. Those who marry at the start of the cruise can take the rest of the voyage as the honeymoon (another £8,000 or more saved).

So who conducts the ceremony? In most cases it’s the ship’s captain but vows can also be exchanged at idyllic ports of call in the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, or even Alaska if you’re drawn to a chilly, but memorable ceremony on a glacier. For married couples, vow-renewal services are also available, as are ceremony-only services.

And relax...
The stress factor, or lack of it, is one of the biggest draws of getting married at sea. Couples pick their music, flowers and venue, and the cruise line’s wedding planner makes sure everything falls into place. On board, the ship’s event organiser takes over, booking hair and make-up appointments in the spa, decorating the venue and ensuring everyone is in the right place at the right time. All couples have to do is show up. Weddings at sea are conducted by the captain (or his deputy) under the laws of the country the ship is registered in (Bermuda, Malta and the Bahamas among them).

There are three ways to get married on a cruise: by the captain while the ship is at sea (the ship has to be in international waters, 12 miles from land); on the vessel while the ship is docked, or in a location ashore.

Most importantly...don't forget to pack us with you on your adventure, because you'll want to capture this experience and remember all those moments over and over again :)