Ceremony Options for your Destination Wedding

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Last updated on February 13, 2024

What Type of Wedding Ceremony?

The ceremony for your destination wedding is an opportunity for a picture-perfect snapshot.

You probably picked the site for your ceremony when you initially booked the wedding venue – i.e., the hotel or resort.

But what are your options for the type of wedding ceremony?  Religious, interfaith, civil, symbolic, spiritual…what's the difference?

  • A religious officiant conducts a religious wedding ceremony that includes specific religious rites. Some officiants are more rigid about incorporating certain requests for this type of ceremony, such as using secular music.
  • An interfaith wedding is the blending of two (2) different faiths and may require you to find two (2) separate officiants – one for each faith. Some countries may not recognize an interfaith wedding as legally binding, so find out!
  • A spiritual wedding ceremony works if neither of you prefers specific religious rites or permissions.
  • A civil ceremony has no religious elements and simply conforms to the local legal requirements and rules. A registrar or marriage official conducts it.
  • A symbolic ceremony is not a legally binding ceremony at all.

Wedding Ceremony Ideas

Here are a few ways that you can personalize your destination wedding ceremony.

  • For an island wedding, serve arriving guests with cool drinks before the ceremony starts.
  • Set up personalized directional wedding signs so your guests know exactly where to go to attend the ceremony.
  • Put some thought into creating a playlist for your wedding ceremony. Incorporating local sounds for your destination wedding ceremony is an authentic and memorable touch.
  • Ensure you provide seating for a wedding ceremony that lasts longer than 20 minutes.
  • As you exchange your wedding vows, consider including a local phrase of good wishes with your vow – another authentic, local touch.
  • Track local sunrise and sunset times as you decide when you would like your wedding ceremony to begin.

Debbie is a destination wedding travel advisor and the face (and voice) of HitchedAway. With a focus on breathtaking destinations and venues in the Caribbean, her goal is to demystify the process of planning your special occasion from hundreds or thousands of miles away.

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