Planning Nassau Wedding

Hello!

My fiance and I are planning a wedding in Nassau for next June. Does anyone have experience marrying there? Suggestions for wedding planners would be greatly appreciated.

Also, I know there is a residency requirement in Nassau of 24 hours before application for the license. I've read on here that being in Bahamian waters for a period of time before application, totaling 24 hours, would satisfy this requirement. Is there any truth to this?

Thanks in advance! :)

Congrats! My fiancé and I just got engaged and we're set to get married in April 2011! I don't have much (well any) knowledge of the Bahamas, but I would do a google search for wedding planners in the area. Then I would visit a few sites to get a feel for them. After that I would do a search within these boards on the companies that you're interested in and see what people have said in the past.

Of course people are so helpful on here that you might not have to do any of the above! Good luck and keep us in the loop!

Congrats! My fiancé and I just got engaged and we're set to get married in April 2011! I don't have much (well any) knowledge of the Bahamas, but I would do a google search for wedding planners in the area. Then I would visit a few sites to get a feel for them. After that I would do a search within these boards on the companies that you're interested in and see what people have said in the past.

 

Of course people are so helpful on here that you might not have to do any of the above! Good luck and keep us in the loop!

Congratulations yourself!! :D

Thanks for the advice! I've poked around a little bit on Google but am hoping someone has some firsthand knowledge. Before the itineraries came out on RCI we were looking elsewhere and I found some great suggestions on here. Now that the itineraries are out the other ports are out of the question and Nassau makes the most sense.

The least favorite option is signing a local marriage license at home and then using the wedding ceremony in Nassau for show. My fiance isn't too keen on that idea... :)

I worked as a TA for several years, and at the time, you had to be physically there for 24 hours before you could receive a wedding license. It's a "residency" requirement. Sandals Royal Bahamian would not perform weddings unless the couple had physically been in the Bahamas (on land) for at least 24 hours. Jamaica has a 48-hour "residency" requirement. It doesn't matter if the ship is in Bahamian waters for 24 hours. (You're talking about Coco Cay?) The Majesty only spends about 8 hours in port at Nassau (last I heard), so that wouldn't work for you. Have you called the RCI Royal Romance Department? They can answer your questions. Good luck to you!

I worked as a TA for several years, and at the time, you had to be physically there for 24 hours before you could receive a wedding license. It's a "residency" requirement. Sandals Royal Bahamian would not perform weddings unless the couple had physically been in the Bahamas (on land) for at least 24 hours. Jamaica has a 48-hour "residency" requirement. It doesn't matter if the ship is in Bahamian waters for 24 hours. (You're talking about Coco Cay?) The Majesty only spends about 8 hours in port at Nassau (last I heard), so that wouldn't work for you. Have you called the RCI Royal Romance Department? They can answer your questions. Good luck to you!

Thanks for your help! :)

Actually, Nassau will be the first port of call and we'll be there from 8am to 11:59pm. They changed the itineraries on Majesty. Our back up plan is to get a marriage license in Massachusetts before we leave and then use the ceremony as just a ceremony. We shall see! :o

I worked as a TA for several years, and at the time, you had to be physically there for 24 hours before you could receive a wedding license. It's a "residency" requirement. Sandals Royal Bahamian would not perform weddings unless the couple had physically been in the Bahamas (on land) for at least 24 hours. Jamaica has a 48-hour "residency" requirement. It doesn't matter if the ship is in Bahamian waters for 24 hours. (You're talking about Coco Cay?) The Majesty only spends about 8 hours in port at Nassau (last I heard), so that wouldn't work for you. Have you called the RCI Royal Romance Department? They can answer your questions. Good luck to you!

After you mentioned it I decided to go back to the Royal Romance site and check out their package and this is what it said:

The ship must be in Bahamian waters for 24 hours prior to arriving in Nassau to meet the licensing requirements.

We're going to make some calls Monday and see what we can do...

After you mentioned it I decided to go back to the Royal Romance site and check out their package and this is what it said:

 

The ship must be in Bahamian waters for 24 hours prior to arriving in Nassau to meet the licensing requirements.

 

We're going to make some calls Monday and see what we can do...

Well, good luck to you! If Nassau is your first port of call, you might have a problem with the 24-hour thing. If you went to Coco Cay first, and then Nassau, the 24-hour thing might work! Is your ship going to Key West? Might be easier there, as it's US. (Bad beaches for swimming, but some really beautiful scenic spots!) In any event, you'll have to pay extra for a wedding! Will it just be the two of you, or will friends/family be cruising with you as well? I've booked a few wedding cruises, (and paid to go on two of them!) and hopefully, can give you some advice. For one, neither the TA or the cruise line are allowed to get involved with Royal Romance/The Wedding Experience. It's a whole separate company. You're pretty much on your own. Continue to read reviews here, and let us know!~ Good for you for researching!

Oops - just read your 6/20/11 Majesty itinerary. On my last four cruises to Nassau, there were 4-6 cruise ships there. I know Coco Cay is a tender port. Sorry to ramble....I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for! Safest on your itinerary would be Miami, Key West, or getting that Mass. license ahead of time and doing the "ceremony". Once again, good luck to you!

Well, good luck to you! If Nassau is your first port of call, you might have a problem with the 24-hour thing. If you went to Coco Cay first, and then Nassau, the 24-hour thing might work! Is your ship going to Key West? Might be easier there, as it's US. (Bad beaches for swimming, but some really beautiful scenic spots!) In any event, you'll have to pay extra for a wedding! Will it just be the two of you, or will friends/family be cruising with you as well? I've booked a few wedding cruises, (and paid to go on two of them!) and hopefully, can give you some advice. For one, neither the TA or the cruise line are allowed to get involved with Royal Romance/The Wedding Experience. It's a whole separate company. You're pretty much on your own. Continue to read reviews here, and let us know!~ Good for you for researching!

 

Oops - just read your 6/20/11 Majesty itinerary. On my last four cruises to Nassau, there were 4-6 cruise ships there. I know Coco Cay is a tender port. Sorry to ramble....I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for! Safest on your itinerary would be Miami, Key West, or getting that Mass. license ahead of time and doing the "ceremony". Once again, good luck to you!

Thanks for the well wishes! :D

We have a guest list of about 30-35 right now and have confirmations from about 3/4 right now. The itineraries just opened Thursday so that's when we made the final decision. Nassau works best because it's in the beginning of the cruise and we'll be in port for about 16 hours. We would have preferred a 5-night but RCI isn't offering those next summer out of Florida. We were planning Cozumel expecting RCI to offer similar itineraries to those this summer.

What has your experience been with Royal Romance? They seem very pricey for not a lot. We were comparing them against private wedding planners in Cozumel and found the private to be much more reasonable. :confused:

Thanks for the well wishes! :D

 

We have a guest list of about 30-35 right now and have confirmations from about 3/4 right now. The itineraries just opened Thursday so that's when we made the final decision. Nassau works best because it's in the beginning of the cruise and we'll be in port for about 16 hours. We would have preferred a 5-night but RCI isn't offering those next summer out of Florida. We were planning Cozumel expecting RCI to offer similar itineraries to those this summer.

 

What has your experience been with Royal Romance? They seem very pricey for not a lot. We were comparing them against private wedding planners in Cozumel and found the private to be much more reasonable. :confused:

Will these people be cruising with you, and have you booked through the RCI GROUP DEPARTMENT if you have at least 8 double-occupancy cabins booked in any cabin category? I booked a wedding cruise for a couple and 40 cruising guests through the Group Dept. on the 4-night Sovereign of the Seas (sister ship of the Majesty) out of Pt. Canaveral several years ago. The ship went to Coco Cay and Nassau. At that time, weddings could only take place while the ship was in a US port (Port Canaveral), so that's where they got married, onboard, before the ship left. The Wedding couple ended up getting their suite for free - because of Group Booking perks, and we had all planned this from the beginning. They still had to go through Royal Romance for the wedding itself, and the reception. The price kept going up because of the number of people in attendance (most were cruisers, but some were not), and only the WEDDING COUPLE was allowed to communicate with RR. Royal Romance (AKA The Wedding Experience) is a privately owned and operated company that contracts with cruise lines, but they are a separate entity. Neither your TA or RCI can assist you. Their main complaint (and I was there) was that the wedding cake was too small (it was), there weren't enough hors d'eouvres (one serving and then no more), and drinks (one per person) for this hour-long reception. They were disappointed with RR, but they did get married. Pictures were missing for a few months. The day this ship returned to Pt. Canaveral, I boarded the 3-night Carnival Fantasy - also a wedding cruise I'd booked. Again, booked through the Group Dept. and they had to get married on the ship before it left. Can't remember the name, but they went through Carnival's Wedding Dept. Big difference! Half the people, huge wedding cake, and plenty of eats and drinks at the reception. They were able to take their pictures off the ship with them. I won't promote one line over another, because the Wedding Dept. sets everything up. I still think you'll have a problem getting married in Nassau, because it's your first Port, and your ship will not have been in Bahamian waters for 24 hours. Just telling you my experiences, and once again - best of luck!

We decided to just let everyone book on their own because couples will want different accommodations. If I could ever log into the RCI website, I plan to link the reservations together so that we can all be seated at large tables together at dinner.

We just e-mailed weddingsinthebahamas.com to find out their hours to call this weekend. I'll keep you updated.

Thanks again for your help. :)

We decided to just let everyone book on their own because couples will want different accommodations. If I could ever log into the RCI website, I plan to link the reservations together so that we can all be seated at large tables together at dinner.

 

We just e-mailed weddingsinthebahamas.com to find out their hours to call this weekend. I'll keep you updated.

 

Thanks again for your help. :)

Thanks for the update, aurelius! I REALLY hope everything works out for you! If you read a lot of reviews about the Wedding Depts. on the different cruiselines, I think you'll find varied opinions and experiences, so go with what's comfortable with you. I hope you don't run into a problem with that 24-hour thing! Have you considered getting married on Coco Cay the day after Nassau? That would satisfy the residency requirement, and it is a beautiful island with some very scenic spots! You'd have to go through Royal Romance, though. Good luck with whatever you decide, and I think it's great so many of your friends and family will be with you. Betcha can't wait!!

Thanks for the update, aurelius! I REALLY hope everything works out for you! If you read a lot of reviews about the Wedding Depts. on the different cruiselines, I think you'll find varied opinions and experiences, so go with what's comfortable with you. I hope you don't run into a problem with that 24-hour thing! Have you considered getting married on Coco Cay the day after Nassau? That would satisfy the residency requirement, and it is a beautiful island with some very scenic spots! You'd have to go through Royal Romance, though. Good luck with whatever you decide, and I think it's great so many of your friends and family will be with you. Betcha can't wait!!

I would love to do it on Coco Cay but we would like to do it as early as possible on the cruise and I want everyone to have a nice fun, relaxing day at Coco Cay! I love that place! :)

We decided to just hit the town hall before we go and get a marriage license...we just aren't going to tell anyone! At least then we're guaranteed it will be nice and legal! :D

I would love to do it on Coco Cay but we would like to do it as early as possible on the cruise and I want everyone to have a nice fun, relaxing day at Coco Cay! I love that place! :)

 

We decided to just hit the town hall before we go and get a marriage license...we just aren't going to tell anyone! At least then we're guaranteed it will be nice and legal! :D

Gotcha! So...official "wedding" at the town hall before you go (secretly), take the license with you, and have the beautiful "for looks only" ceremony in Nassau. Sounds perfect! No "residency" stress, either! Have you decided yet where in Nassau you'll do the ceremony? Beach? Villa? Resort? You are ONE SMART Bride! (Hope you haven't told your guests about this website!)

Again, best of luck to you, and I (and others) would LOVE to hear how everything goes!

Gotcha! So...official "wedding" at the town hall before you go (secretly), take the license with you, and have the beautiful "for looks only" ceremony in Nassau. Sounds perfect! No "residency" stress, either! Have you decided yet where in Nassau you'll do the ceremony? Beach? Villa? Resort? You are ONE SMART Bride! (Hope you haven't told your guests about this website!)

 

Again, best of luck to you, and I (and others) would LOVE to hear how everything goes!

Man...do I sound that feminine on here?! I'm the Groom! :eek::p:D

My name is Ed by the way.

I don't think anyone that is going is aware of this site. We're the cruise addicts in the family! :)

Man...do I sound that feminine on here?! I'm the Groom! :eek::p:D

 

My name is Ed by the way.

 

I don't think anyone that is going is aware of this site. We're the cruise addicts in the family! :)

Best wishes Ed :) (and Bride to be)

guess we all think its the bride that does the research. Its great to see the groom involved!!

Man...do I sound that feminine on here?! I'm the Groom! :eek::p:D

 

My name is Ed by the way.

 

I don't think anyone that is going is aware of this site. We're the cruise addicts in the family! :)

Oh, my!! My sincere apologies! Like someone else mentioned, it's usually the Bride who researches! Well, Ed, sounds like you have things well-planned, so you're ONE SMART GROOM! (I'm really sorry about that)

Oh, my!! My sincere apologies! Like someone else mentioned, it's usually the Bride who researches! Well, Ed, sounds like you have things well-planned, so you're ONE SMART GROOM! (I'm really sorry about that)

No worries! :D I would have assumed the same thing. Quite honestly, if we weren't doing a destination wedding with the cruise I wouldn't be nearly as interested in the particulars. :eek: This is how I really wanted it to be. I don't have much interest in a traditional wedding with the big reception after. :)

No worries! :D I would have assumed the same thing. Quite honestly, if we weren't doing a destination wedding with the cruise I wouldn't be nearly as interested in the particulars. :eek: This is how I really wanted it to be. I don't have much interest in a traditional wedding with the big reception after. :)

Neither did my oldest son! He and lovely wife "eloped" and were married on the (now defunct) SVC Windjammer Legacy in Nassau in June, 2005. They were married aboard ship. This was a year after his younger sister pulled all the plugs for the traditional full-scale wedding and all that it encompassed. (Think I made my last payment a couple of years ago??). He was a groomsman with tux, looking very uncomfortable, and planning ahead. We all kind of "knew" ahead of time, and he and lovely bride enjoyed the bottles of wine and goodies left in their cabin. ( Who, me??) I say, "Way to go"!! So....looks like you're Honeymooning in Key West?

Neither did my oldest son! He and lovely wife "eloped" and were married on the (now defunct) SVC Windjammer Legacy in Nassau in June, 2005. They were married aboard ship. This was a year after his younger sister pulled all the plugs for the traditional full-scale wedding and all that it encompassed. (Think I made my last payment a couple of years ago??). He was a groomsman with tux, looking very uncomfortable, and planning ahead. We all kind of "knew" ahead of time, and he and lovely bride enjoyed the bottles of wine and goodies left in their cabin. ( Who, me??) I say, "Way to go"!! So....looks like you're Honeymooning in Key West?

Thanks for the support! I'm glad it worked out for them. My mom is excited about the wedding but is worried that we'll regret not having the big wedding locally but I would regret not doing the destination wedding! :)

Actually the Key West trip is this coming June with my family. For a Honeymoon we're just going to turn the wedding cruise into a Majesty B2B. We haven't booked the second leg yet as the prices will probably come down a bit before then. We booked the first leg now because it doesn't matterwho goes...but we need to be on it! :D

Thanks for the support! I'm glad it worked out for them. My mom is excited about the wedding but is worried that we'll regret not having the big wedding locally but I would regret not doing the destination wedding! :)

 

Actually the Key West trip is this coming June with my family. For a Honeymoon we're just going to turn the wedding cruise into a Majesty B2B. We haven't booked the second leg yet as the prices will probably come down a bit before then. We booked the first leg now because it doesn't matterwho goes...but we need to be on it! :D

I doubt you will have regrets... and if you do, you can always hold a 2nd reception at home or even a 1 year anniversary party. Follow your dreams :)

I doubt you will have regrets... and if you do, you can always hold a 2nd reception at home or even a 1 year anniversary party. Follow your dreams :)

I doubt we will either! I can't wait!! Instead of 4-6 hours of wedding fun :rolleyes: we'll have a whole week of fun! :D

Thanks for the support! I'm glad it worked out for them. My mom is excited about the wedding but is worried that we'll regret not having the big wedding locally but I would regret not doing the destination wedding! :)

 

Actually the Key West trip is this coming June with my family. For a Honeymoon we're just going to turn the wedding cruise into a Majesty B2B. We haven't booked the second leg yet as the prices will probably come down a bit before then. We booked the first leg now because it doesn't matterwho goes...but we need to be on it! :D

I've read lots of great reviews about the Majesty - everyone seems to love it! Good choice. Let us know what kind of "ceremony" you end up with on Nassau, OK?

I've read lots of great reviews about the Majesty - everyone seems to love it! Good choice. Let us know what kind of "ceremony" you end up with on Nassau, OK?

Will do! I personally love the Majesty. It's the ship that started the addiction for us. The only problem is we haven't branched out too much yet...fine with me but my better half really wants to try some newer ships. We went on the Enchantment and had a hump balcony on the Navigator booked for January of this year but Colleen got sick the week before and the doctors suggested against travelling. That stunk! :cool:

For the ceremony and reception we booked Compass Point in Nassau. It looks really nice! We have plenty of time to iron out the particulars but since the date isn't negotiable we reserved that now.

We officially reserved Compass Point in Nassau for the wedding ceremony and small reception. The ceremony will be on the pier, then an hour for cocktails and Hors d'œuvre, then dinner and after dinner back to the ship for drinking in the lounges and perhaps dancing!

Compass Point:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/compasspointbeachresort

We officially reserved Compass Point in Nassau for the wedding ceremony and small reception. The ceremony will be on the pier, then an hour for cocktails and Hors d'œuvre, then dinner and after dinner back to the ship for drinking in the lounges and perhaps dancing!

 

Compass Point:

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/compasspointbeachresort

Great link, and it all sounds and looks wonderful! Now, about that dancing once you're back on board: Don't sign up for any popular reality show! (We expect great pictures.)