Dreaming of a destination wedding in the Maldives? With a multitude of different wedding and reception venues, it’s a breeze to imagine your dream wedding coming to life at the sunny side. Just envision the two of you exchanging vows on a secluded stretch of powder white sandy beach under the clear skies as the waves gently caress your feet or with family and friends gazing on as you celebrate your new life. You’ll be saying “I do,” and falling in love with Maldives all the while! What better way to begin a new life, than to tie the knot in a place that celebrates living?
The shift in wedding trends toward smaller ceremonies, an emphasis on a celebration shared with friends and family and destination weddings that embrace local culture are becoming popular. For newly engaged couples breezing through the destination wedding planning process, there is literally a world of choices, but none as perfect as the Maldives – home to the most beautiful beaches and crystal-clear waters in the world and a warm, welcoming island lifestyle.
For the evolving, modern wedding party, the Maldives makes it easy to create the kind of shared experience and adventure that transforms the wedding day into a lifetime memory. Settlements across the island resorts have unique venues that couples can choose from, customizing an event to match their unique personality. Whether a ceremony in complete privacy, an entire island resort or a beach bonfire and cookout under the stars, the Maldives has something to suit every taste. There are in-house wedding coordinators who can help couples with proposals and frequently asked questions. However you’ve imagined your special day, Maldives will surpass your every dream, and you are only a few steps away from planning your Destination Wedding in The Maldives:
I have to agree that finding the perfect venue in Maldives for your big day can be tricky, with so many island resorts to choose from and there is no obvious way to decide between them. Every resorts’ Instagram looks amazing and all their websites goes on about the crystal clear waters lapping the soft white sandy beaches, but give little in the way of critical help. To help narrow down the myriad options, I’ve done a bit of research for you and have curated my top picks:
Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort & Spa – Retreat to this haven of tranquility on Villingili Island in Addu, reachable by a 70-minute scenic seaplane or domestic flight crossing the Equator from Velana International Airport, Malé, or a 10-minute speedboat ride from Gan International Airport. The island is renowned for its lush vegetation with banyan and coconut trees in abundance, as well as a coral reef teeming with life. The island boasts 132 villas and come in a variety of options; from tranquil pool villas, spacious one and two-bedroom beach villas and ocean villas built on stilts over the lagoon, to tree house villas with spectacular views. The resort offers guests a selection of four romantic wedding themes, traditional weddings, Maldivian weddings, rejuvenate weddings and weddings on-board the resort’s luxury sailing yacht “Horizon”.
One&Only Reethi Rah – Set on one of the largest Maldivian islands in North Malé Atoll and accessible by luxury yacht, the island has endless white sand coves and the largest lagoon of the atoll. This superb all-villa resort consists 128 villas and residences that are discreetly positioned amidst beautiful landscaping, each with a sheltered sandy shore or private deck over the crystal lagoon. The resort offers an unparalleled array of luxurious options to choose from, be it the beach, the wedding pavilion on the northern tip of the island or the “fire” restaurant, it’s guests will have a dedicated coordinator to attend every conceivable detail to ensure their guests’ “I do’s” are truly theirs.
Hurawalhi – Striking natural beauty and distinctive design unites at Hurawalhi Maldives, an adults-only resort tucked away in the the warm, inviting waters of Lhaviyani Atoll, reachable by a 40-minute seaplane flight from Velana International Airport, Malé. The resort invites couples to celebrate their wedding at one of the most beautifully idyllic, romantic destinations in the world: a small, tropical island featuring stunning white sand beaches, majestic palm trees and cerulean waters surrounding the azure lagoon. It is also home to the world’s largest all-glass undersea restaurant 5.8, the perfect venue for couples to tie the knot surrounded by thousands of tropical fish, brightly colored corals and the deep blue sea. Wedding planning at Hurawalhi is overseen by a team of world-class event planners who understand and manage an exceptionally personalized celebration of love.
Soneva Fushi – Dotting the pristine white sandy beaches of a private island in the Maldives, Soneva Fushi’s eco-chic villas are the stuff of romantic Robinson Crusoe-esque escapes. Guests are expected to cast off their shoes and worries: with a superb spa, dazzling house reef and ask-for-anything butler service. The resort’s divine food and impeccable service are some of the winning combinations behind their popularity, although it is the sense of privacy that comes from having only 65 villas on an island a mile long. The resort offers the most exquisite canvas on which they sculpt their guests’ special day, from private sandbank weddings to an evening ceremony on the beachfront garden, an underwater scuba ceremony to the turtle beach champa ceremony, Soneva’s wedding coordinators will move sand and sky to ensure it is everything their guests could ever wish for.
Conrad Maldives Rangali – Perched atop the southern reef of Ari Atoll, Conrad Maldives Rangali offers sophisticated luxury, surrounded by magnificent natural beauty. The island can be reached by a 30-minute scenic seaplane or domestic flight from Velana International Airport, Malé. The resort occupies two islands, Rangalifinolhu, the mail island houses all of the resort’s 150 beach villas, and the smaller Rangali island is home to the resort’s luxurious water villas. Each venue at Conrad Maldives Rangali provides an idyllic dreamscape to celebrate love. The entire island can be exclusively reserved for up to 100 guests, or choose the world’s only undersea chapel, surrounded by the vibrant coral reef and marine life. Topped with a transparent platform, the Quiet Zone is out of the ordinary with a sunset backdrop and views of infinite ocean blues, or sail the turquoise waters aboard the resort’s private yacht.
Movenpick Resort Kuredhivaru Maldives – Situated on the remote Kuredhivaru Island in the undisturbed Noonu Atoll, located 45 minutes north of Velana International Airport. The island features 30 beach pool suites and 72 overwater pool villas and three beach spa pool residences. Whether it is an idyllic beach wedding, a private yacht reception or an underwater ceremony, the tropical island paradise offer tailor made services for their guests to ensure they had timeless memories from a celebration of a lifetime.
Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa Maldives – Barefoot luxury beneath swaying palms with an endless horizon splitting turquoise sea and azure sky – Set amongst the perfect islands and blue ocean of South Ari Atoll, this modern luxury all-inclusive resort boasts 112 suites and villas, an intimate line of luxurious accommodation and top of the range amenities. Choose the beachfront under an elegant canopy on immaculate white sands, accompanied by the scent of frangipani flowers and the sound of waves, or an underwater ceremony among the dazzling coral reefs teeming with colorful sea life.
Gili Lankanfushi – Set on the private island of Lankanfushi in North Malé Atoll, a 20-minute speedboat ride from Velana International Airport, a network of wooden walkways on stilts spans over the lagoon connecting spacious villa accommodations, marine life abounds and gleaming waters beckon. The resort consists of 45 exquisite over-water villas, including the Crusoe Residences and the Private Reserve reached only by boat. From a wedding at the stunning lagoon champa (wedding pavilion), to having champagne at sunset on a traditional dhoni cruise or a star-lit private dinner on One Palm Island to ensure a wonderful day that is unforgettable for unforgettable for the bride and groom.
Cruise Weddings – Say “I do” at sea! Choose a spectacular venue on board a cruise ship, and invite friends and family to share in the occasion. A wedding photo-shoot with a backdrop of the blue sea-sky or an immaculate sandy beach will not ruin the couple’s expectations. The number of cruise ships sailing to the Maldives are on rise, so are the options.
Choosing a wedding date is one of the important aspects of planning you’ll ever make as a couple — it will effect every other detail of your big day. You might have imagined yourself walking down the aisle or how the cake would look like, but until you decide when you’re getting married, you really can’t commit to anything. Weddings at Maldives resorts can take place from sunrise to sunset every day of the week, and couples should plan their ceremony for a day or two after they arrive, to ensure ample time to check on the venue set-up, buggy decorations, cake decorations and the cake cutting ceremony, flower arrangements, hair styling & makeup for the bride and bridesmaid, etc.
…..and don’t forget to share your memorable moments with friends and family back home by tagging @visitmaldives #Maldives #VisitMaldives #SunnySideofLife.
* Please note that Wedding ceremonies in the Maldives are not legal marriages but celebratory ceremonies.
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