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St Barthélemy / Special Interests / Weddings & Romance

By James Henderson

A Wedding on St Barths

Getting married in an island as pretty as St Barths is an idyll in many people’s minds and there are many magical places on the island. Gustavia is a charming town and of course there are many villas to chose from to hold your reception, as well as a number of charming hotels and villas where you can spend your honeymoon.

All of this said, the conditions for marriage in St Barths are quite strict. One of the partners must have lived in the island for at least one month before the wedding and 11 days are required for the publishing of the banns. A number of documents (all of which must be translated by an official translator) are required by the civil authorities:

• Identification paper (can be an ID card, passport or green card)
• Medical certificate signed by a registered doctor, dated less than two months before the wedding
• Birth certificate with date and place of birth, and parents’ names, validated no less than three months prior to the wedding
• Vocational wedding certificate (proof of single status or divorce certified by a notary) dated no less than three months before wedding
• Customary certificate, which can be requested from any national consulate

If you wish to be married in church you must approach the priest for instruction. There are Catholic churches in Gustavia and Lorient and a Protestant Church in Gustavia.

With an important event as a wedding, it is vital that you have on-island assistance from someone who has the knowledge and contacts to put the whole celebration together. A couple of the hotels will organise a wedding for you, as will the larger villa operators. If you would like to deal with an independent specialist, then our chosen local organiser is Melanie Smith’s Destination Management Services, and they have long experience of arranging weddings and other celebrations on island.

Recommended accommodation view more

  • Eden Rock Hotels & Resorts

    A small, stylish and extremely fashionable 32-room hotel with 2 villas set on its own rocky promontory above a lively stretch of St Jean beach, right at the heart of St Barths’ north coast Read more

  • Hôtel Le Toiny Hotels & Resorts

    A secluded and refined small hotel with cottages ranged across a hillside in the east of St Barths. There are just 15 private suites, each with a pool and decorated in gracious style, Read more

  • Hotel Le Village St Jean Boutique/Small Hotels & Inns

    A friendly, family-run hotel set on the hillside above St Jean Bay, at the heart of fashionable St Barths. The 27 rooms include self-catering cottages and a handful of hotel rooms, all decorated in bold tropical style. Read more

  • Hotel St Barth Isle de France Hotels & Resorts

    A small, gracious hotel with 39 rooms and suites tucked away in Flamands on St Barths’ north shore, set on a superb stretch of sand. Read more

  • Les Ilets de la Plage Villa & Condo Resorts

    A small and stylish villa retreat tucked away at the quiet end of St Barth’s liveliest beach, St Jean, with 11 simple, yet elegant villas directly on the sand and on the hillside behind. Read more

Browse Weddings & Romance on other islands

Anguilla | Antigua and Barbuda | Barbados | British Virgin Islands | Cayman Islands | Dominica | Dominican Republic | Grenada & Carriacou | Jamaica | Nevis | Saba | 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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St Barthélemy’s weather

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When to go and weather

Looking for inspiration?

  1. Head to St Jean beach where the hip, beautiful people go to see and be seen
  2. Indulge yourself in some designer retail therapy
  3. Sample the delights of fine French wines and dining
  4. Get pampered at one of the many island spas
  5. Experience a night of cinema under the stars during the annual St Barth Film Festival

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