Planning Your Dream Wedding In Mauritius

Organising luxury weddings in Mauritius is second nature to many of the tour operators that offer this service. Dedicated staff are on hand to assist in all the arrangements, help you choose your venue, book flights, organize the flowers, photos, wedding cake, food and drink and put together all the finishing touches for your special day.

Wedding organizers will research hotels and check for special group discounts if you are sharing your special day with family and friends. Weddings are tailor made to your requirements whilst staff at many of the islands luxury hotels will endeavour to make your day as special as you deserve.

Before you get swept away by the romance of having a wedding abroad, you will also need to consider the practicalities of getting married in Mauritius. UK residents planning to marry in Mauritius have the choice of a Civil Ceremony or a Religious Ceremony. The following checklist is designed to act as a guide to planning your luxury wedding in Mauritius and is by no means comprehensive.

• Before you fly out you will need to apply for a Certificate of Non-residence by sending a request to the Registrar of Civil Status at least one month before your intended wedding date. It should be sent with copies of both of your full birth certificates and a copy of the first three pages of your passports, as well as any relevant divorce/death documentation. The certificate is then issued by the Prime Minister’s Office in Port Louis, so you need to allow at least 10 days for processing before your wedding date. It is worth enquiring as to any other relevant documentation that you may need on application of your Certificate of Non-residence.

• For a civil ceremony you must be present on the island up to 24hrs before the wedding. However it is advisable you arrive at least 3 days before to complete formalities. For religious ceremonies arrive at least 15 days prior to the ceremony and note that if you decide to have your wedding at one of the hotels you will normally be required to book a minimum stay of 7 nights.

• When you arrive in Mauritius you will have to visit the Civil Status Office ensure you have all your original documents with you otherwise you will not be able to collect your non-residence certificate. You must swear an affidavit before a judge in chambers in Port Louis. The Civil wedding may then be celebrated one day after the publication of your marriage banns, providing you have confirmed time and location with the Registrar. Weddings can be held Monday to Friday, excluding Public Holidays.

• Civil Ceremonies are conducted by a Civil Status Officer commonly at the local register office or at a location of your choice from a hotel to a secluded beach. If you opt for a wedding ceremony at a hotel check whether they guarantee only one wedding per day at the resort as do Beachcomber Hotels, so you don’t have to share your special day with anyone else.

• Two witnesses are required to be present throughout the proceedings.

• Expect the ceremony to last between 20-30 minutes after which you will receive your Wedding Certificate. Clarify with the Civil Status Office to ensure that your Wedding will be registered in Mauritius and in doing so will be legal back home in the UK.

• If you would like a religious ceremony it is possible to have an Anglican or Catholic wedding in Mauritius. However although possible Catholic weddings are very difficult to arrange for non-Mauritians. You must first have a Civil wedding in either the UK or Mauritius, preferably in the UK. If you or your partner have been divorced it will not be possible to have a religious ceremony.

• If your marriage certificate is written in a foreign language you will need to ensure it is translated on your return to the UK.

For planning of luxury weddings in Mauritius you should contact the countries embassy in the UK for further information.

Seed Newsvine

Bookmark this article in your preferred program

Comments

Add Comment

Popular Articles in this cathegory

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.