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Anguilla / Special Interests / Weddings & Romance

By Sara Macefield

Anguilla for Romance

Anguilla’s rarefied, unspoilt and peaceful atmosphere makes it an ideal romantic retreat for couples looking for the perfect antidote to stressful 21st Century living. Lovebirds looking for a beach-based hideaway can find miles of blinding white sands that are among the best in the Caribbean; they can stay in sumptuous villas where the staff will attend to their every whim; and eat at some of the best restaurants in the region where gourmet food is served amid beautiful, relaxed surroundings. The locals are friendly and the pace of life is unhurried, but for those wanting to explore can take boat trips to nearby deserted islands for snorkelling and fishing or hire a jeep to find their own private corners. Frustrated shoppers with itchy feet (and wallets) can even take the ferry to the livelier French island of St Martin, just 20 minutes away for some retail therapy.

Wedding in Anguilla

Anguilla is an ideal place for anyone planning a wedding in a romantic beach-front setting. You can choose to get married in one of the local churches, on an offshore cay, at the courthouse or on a sail boat, anywhere that appeals within reason. Getting married on the island is fairly straightforward and most hotels have their own wedding and honeymoon packages.

The larger villas will tailor make your wedding and are great as an Anguilla honeymoon villa. The management and staff will ensure that everything is organised in advance, from start to finish. They can provide anything you need, from catering services to procuring the marriage licence, sorting out entertainment and photography, and providing a decorating service.

Legal requirements for getting married in Anguilla:
Two witnesses are required.
Both parties must be on Anguilla for 3 days prior to getting married to acquire the Special Marriage Licence which takes 48 hrs to process

The following Original Documents are required from both parties:
 Passports and airline tickets
 Birth Certificates
 Passports
 If divorced, original or notarised copy of Decree Absolute.
 If widowed, original Death Certificate of deceased spouse
 The cost at present for the Special Marriage Licence is US$284 but if one of the partners has resided in Anguilla for 15 days prior to the wedding the cost is US$40, payable in cash.
 An EC$100 stamp duty is payable.

The marriage ceremony must be performed by a certified officer, ie minister or magistrate, who will require the special marriage licence.

Licences are obtained from the Judicial Department in The Valley on weekdays between 8.30am and 2.30pm and takes approximately 48 hours or two business days to process.

Civil weddings performed by a magistrate rather than a priest or a minister, can only be conducted at The Magistrate’s Court, which is open from 10am to 3pm Monday to Friday. Ministers will marry couples at their chosen location be it on the beach, at a hotel, villa etc. Additional arrangements and fees are payable if you opt for a church wedding. The fee for the minister in this case will be US$100 plus charges for organ music, a choir and so on.

In order to get married in the Catholic Church you will need to provide confirmation papers, baptismal certificate, freedom to marry papers from your own church, where you should also consult with your parish priest before planning your wedding on Anguilla.

Do think about the time of day you are planning on getting married, and what you are going to be wearing. Is it practical or comfortable to wear a full-blown wedding dress and high heels? What about your guests? Most weddings take place late afternoon to avoid the heat and for the sunsets photographs.

Contributors: Deana Bellamy and James Henderson.

Recommended accommodation view more

  • Cap Juluca Hotels & Resorts

    Spectacular white walled Moorish style buildings set on striking white sand make this one of the Caribbean’s most famous and best loved hotels. 98 rooms in suites and villas with a good mix of ‘get away from it all’ and an upbeat and active atmosphere. Read more

Browse Weddings & Romance on other islands

Antigua and Barbuda | Barbados | British Virgin Islands | Cayman Islands | Dominica | Dominican Republic | Grenada & Carriacou | Jamaica | Nevis | Saba | St Barthélemy | St Eustatius | St Kitts | St Lucia | St Martin/St Maarten | St Vincent and the Grenadines | Tobago | Trinidad

Or read our other island guides

Anguilla | Antigua | Aruba | Bahamas | Barbados | Bermuda | Bonaire | British Virgin Islands | Cayman Islands | Cuba | Curacao | Dominica | Dominican Republic | Grenada and Carriacou | Guadeloupe | Haiti | Jamaica | Martinique | Montserrat | Nevis | Puerto Rico | Saba | St Barthélemy | St Eustatius | St Kitts | St Lucia | St Martin/St Maarten | St Vincent and the Grenadines | Tobago | Trinidad | Turks & Caicos Islands | US Virgin Islands

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Anguilla’s weather

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When to go and weather

Looking for inspiration?

  1. Try Cove Bay for one of the Caribbean's best white sand beaches
  2. Dine at the fantastic Blanchard's
  3. Stay at the beautiful Cap Juluca
  4. Play at the Temenos Golf Club, designed by Greg Norman
  5. Take a boat trip to the stunning unihabited Prickly Pear Cay

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