Seychelles

Getting married in Seychelles

For anyone who reads this blog post, the whole idea of getting married in Seychelles might come across as crazy, daring, spontaneous and not so ordinary. And that’s all correct.

There are a few reasons behind this idea and one of them is the convenience of getting all the paperwork done and legalized in the country we live in - United Arab Emirates.

My partner and I are from two different countries, and it can be really difficult to organize and arrange marriage ceremony in the Spanish or Serbian embassies in the U.A.E.

If we would want to do it in one of our home countries, not only we would need to get things done from abroad but also the stress that comes with it and hustle around the location, time, guests, food etc., would make our life complicated for sure.

On the other hand, if we would want to do it in the embassy of Spain/Serbia in the U.A.E; the struggle of getting appointment is already a task with a hint of headache. Not to mention then translating and legalizing the documents so the marriage is valid in the U.A.E.

That’s exactly why we said let’s go wild and get married in Seychelles.

The benefit of it is getting the appointment, paperwork and legal stuff done with almost no effort. Another benefit is visiting the insanely beautiful island and enjoying the ceremony on the beach.

There are some cons as well such as you might end up doing the ceremony alone with your partner while the family and friends are on a video call, but whoever has the opportunity to come and spend this lovely time with you, they are welcome to join.

As we knew quite a few people who had chosen to get married in Seychelles, we reached out for contact of the company and booked the appointment.

The company is one of many in Seychelles as this service is very popular on this island.

We chose Express Wedding Package that was 750 USD and included: 2 witnesses, valid and fully attested documents, official registrar to conduct the ceremony and DHL express delivery of the documents anywhere in the world.

Now getting to Seychelles was a bit of a challenge. We were visiting Sri Lanka before the trip to Seychelles and were supposed to fly from Colombo, Sri Lanka to Seychelles directly however, that flight got cancelled and our next best option was choosing another flight through Mumbai so we could arrive on time for our wedding.

The things got spicier, and the flight was self-transfer which meant we needed to get the visa for India approved as soon as possible.

We thought we got it all sorted and embarked on the journey to the island of Seychelles.

Just before we will check in to the flight from Mumbai to Seychelles, they asked us if we have some travel form that is required to visit Seychelles.

I felt as if someone threw an ice bucket on my head. What kind of travel form? Never saw it on any website, blog or email.

With little time left to check in and board, we applied for the fastest and most expensive travel form (70 USD) each and contacted that agency directly to approve it on the spot.

Once we got the confirmation, we ran through Mumbai airport and boarded the flight.

The flight was pleasant and was barely 4 hours long.

After landing, we got a taxi that took us to our villa and on the way there we enjoyed the views of the island.

We had breakfast and coffee and started getting ready for the ceremony that was about to happen on the balcony of the villa we stayed in.

The ocean view was spectacular!

Registrar and two witnesses arrived on time, and we managed to put both of our families on one WhatsApp video call to share with us this special moment.

Once we have signed the documents and said goodbye to the registrar and witnesses, we, then, had to go for a photoshoot at the location that was 10 minutes' walk from the villa. By the beach, of course.

The crew from wed-in-seychelles was kind enough to find us an excellent photographer that did the photos exactly as we were imagining and shared ideas of her own that we loved as well.

They included the photography session in the final bill so we could pay it all together which was super convenient.

After the photoshoot we were hungry and tired but still we found strength to celebrate the big day with dinner and drinks while the sun was setting quietly.

The following day was literally the only day where we could try and get to know the famous Mahe island.

As we didn’t want to rent a car, although it’s very recommended, we explored the island by bus, and it took us just few hours.

From Port Glaud, where we stayed, the ride was only 40 minutes, and I must say it was wild. Drivers were going super-fast, and they seem to have a priority anywhere, anytime.

Ticket costs 1 USD and it doesn’t matter how long the journey is, the price is the same for all the stations.

The capital city Victoria is one of the smallest capital cities in the world and has a a population of total 26.500 people.

Exploring Victoria did not take very long: Visiting the market, the national museum or the botanical garden and seeing the clock tower – (inspired by the Big Ben) – and enjoying some nice seafood and cold drink at the harbor took just 3-4 hours.

Right after lunch we went to the famous Beau Vallon Beach which was approximately 20 minutes away by bus.

We could easily see why people call this island Paradise on Earth because the nature just doesn’t seem real. It’s so perfect.

Lush hills, tall coconut trees, pristine beaches and the bluest sky blew us away.

There were plenty beach shacks with fresh seafood and small souvenir shops.

I couldn’t help but get a few for the memory.

Sunburn was after us even though we put tons of SPF, so we decided to go back to Port Glaud and spend the rest of the day in the restaurant call Del Place with great food and picture-perfect sunset.

We know that there were a lot more things to do such as hiking and exploring the other islands, but we were so short on time it was almost impossible.

Would I recommend visiting Seychelles?

Yes, I would.

Would I go back again?

For now, I don’t think so.

While it blew me away with its natural beauty and exquisite beaches, I couldn’t really feel the warmth of the people and culture.

Maybe we didn’t stay long enough to bring a proper conclusion.

However, this island will always be special for is as it’s the place we chose to celebrate our love in, and we will only take the best memories from this adventure.

Feel free to ask questions in the comments or send an email if you want more details about the process of getting married in Seychelles!

And of course, what’s your dream wedding destination? Let me know!

Until next time!

Yours,

Kat