OVERVIEW
Dealing with religion and your destination wedding can be a big thing. So, whether you’re preparing for a symbolic ceremony, or need a spectacular Mandap, Chuppah, or chapel for your religious ceremony, we have the perfect destination to suit your beach wedding abroad.
Many destinations offer specific venues for religious weddings, and others can tailor the venue to fit your requirements. However, not all religious ceremonies are legally recognised in all destinations, and not all venues are licenced for religious marriages.
To make it easier, we’ve detailed the top destinations for religious weddings below.
Catholic
To have a Catholic wedding abroad you need to be practising the faith and also both bride and groom need to be baptised Catholic. Catholic weddings must be performed on sanctioned ground, so many hotels have their own chapel or beachside location. Check out the Chapel at Moon Palace Cancun for breathtaking ocean views.
Asian
Whether it’s a Sikh, Hindu or Muslim wedding, there’s no denying South Asian weddings are unique and grand affairs! Each resort has experienced wedding planners on hand to customise every detail of your celebrations. From the traditions of Mehndi and Henna artists, to the Mandap décor options, every detail can be planned to fit your family’s desires.
Check out the stunning Dreams Riviera Cancun in Mexico, or the luxurious St Regis Resort in Mauritius.
Blessings
Many of the stunning wedding locations you might be pinning to your Pinterest boards are not actually licensed for a marriage – but this doesn’t mean you can’t have a ceremony at these venues. It just means you need a blessing instead. A blessing isn’t legal, but it is identical to a normal ceremony, so your family and friends will be none the wiser!
This gives you the freedom to choose a location that doesn’t offer legal weddings, such as the Maldives or Dubai. With a blessing, you’ll need to do the legal paperwork before you leave the UK, which can be done at your local registry office. There’s no need to make it an official ceremony (unless you want another excuse to celebrate!) – you just need to go through the motions to make sure your nuptials are legal and obtain your marriage certificate, ready for your ‘proper ceremony’.
