Getting Married on a Boat in Singapore!
Ah… that once-in-a-lifetime, magical moment…
Any plan that surrounds “getting married” can be super daunting to young couples (both bride and groom included). As one of the most important milestones in our lives, this is an occasion we’ll definitely want to be perfect!
Over the years, we’ve accumulated a fair share of yacht wedding experiences working with many different couples, meeting roadblocks along the way and learning from them. We thought we’ll share some tips and suggestions we’ve gathered from our couples so far, and hope these help guide couples out there who are thinking of hosting a yacht wedding, solemnization, or even a vow renewal on board!
Hosting a wedding on a yacht is not something exclusive to the rich and famous only.
Our couples are from all walks of life. While some couples choose to celebrate in a grand and elaborate style, we also have many who prefer something simple and laidback, allowing the beauty of nature and the scenic views to add the magical touch. We’ve hosted both local couples and couples who flew into Singapore from overseas, couples ranging from 20 years old to 80+ years old, and culturally diverse couples too!
So here are some things you need to think about when planning a yacht wedding:
1. Who are you inviting? - managing your guests
Unlike a typical banquet wedding/solemnisation, we have a limited capacity on board our yachts, so the guest list usually has to be really small and selective. Our smallest yachts Ximula and Gracefully can accommodate up to 18 people, while our bigger yachts, such as Ocean Diva can hold up to 27 people, No Name 2 can hold up to 30 people, and Eagle Wings can hold up to 50 people.* Beyond 50 people, you can consider chartering 2 or more yachts together.
Please note restricted capacity is applicable for each yacht during this COVID-19 period, due to safe distancing measures. Please check with our team for more information.
Do note that unlike other venues, our yacht berths are private areas; guests are unable to access the yacht on their own and will need to be assembled and escorted by our captain/crew with an access card. Hence, the recommended arrival procedure would be for all guests to arrive and gather at the meeting point in the marina at a set time (typically 10-15 mins prior to the event) before we bring all guests to the yacht. Alternatively, if guests are arriving at different timings, you will need to assign one of your friends as an usher to bring the guests to the yacht individually, while our captain and crew look after the arrived guests on board.
2. What time should you book? - charter itinerary
For a yacht wedding/solemnization, we’d usually recommend a minimum of 4 hours. This gives sufficient time for the solemnization ceremony itself (which usually takes about 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on how long are your speeches, how many photos you’d like to take, etc), a scenic cruise around the Southern Islands of Singapore where you can have a mini-photoshoot with all your guests, for every guest to help themselves to some food and drinks, and for you and all your guests to relax and enjoy the experience too!
The best time that we’d recommend for you to have your ceremony would either be early mornings from 7am - 11am (when it is not too hot), or evenings from 4pm onwards (when the day starts to cool).
A typical 4-hour itinerary looks like this:
15-30 min before the charter: Arrival of Guests & Boarding
1st hour: Commencement of Solemnization Ceremony
2nd hour: Cruise around the Southern Islands
3rd hour: Anchor at Lazarus Beach / St. John’s Bay for guests to go for a swim, kayak, paddle board, or take a walk on the island
4th hour: Cruise towards Marina Bay area for a view of Singapore’s iconic city skyline as we head back to the marina.
What you’d like to do during the charter is really up to you - we’ve had couples change into their swimwear after the ceremony, and we’ve also had couples who continued with a full scale photoshoot on board or at the islands! Our itineraries are flexible, and we can always adjust it accordingly to what you have in mind.
3. What theme would you like? - styling & Decorations
Unlike in a restaurant or hall, decorations on a boat require extra considerations. As we will be cruising out into the open sea, the most important factor is to make sure your decorations stay in place! Once we’re out at sea, it is not uncommon for decor to be blown away. Therefore, we’d always recommend to engage a professional who is familiar with what is required, which is why we have our partner stylists whom we work closely with for important occasions like these!
Another critical consideration is the time required to decorate the boat: please allocate at least 1 hour for your decorations, or more if your decorations are more elaborate and include exterior setup. Trust us on this: 1 hour is usually not enough, we’d say 2 hours would be a comfortable time for you or your decorator to setup and clear the way promptly before your guests arrive. Typically, yacht charters have a 1-hour turnaround time between charters, which includes cleaning up from the previous party and setting up for the next. Hence, if there is a charter before yours, you may need to book additional charter hours for setup if required.
If you’re looking for a fuss free experience without having to worry about these, leave it to our partner stylists as their services are included in our yacht wedding package (see more below)!
P.S. Within ONE°15 Marina Club, balloons and confetti are no longer allowed, as there have been one too many incidents of these falling into our waters and causing pollution.
4. Food & Drinks
You’re free to make your own arrangements for food & drinks, but we’d always encourage our couples to pre-order with us, so we can settle everything for you on your wedding day itself and you need not fret about whether they were delivered on time or accurately. Whether it’s a mini-buffet to make sure all tummies are filled, or trays of canapés to suit the decor theme, we can assist to liaise with the caterers on delivery and set it up for you prior to your guests’ arrival or meal time.
Please note catering self-serve buffets are not allowed during COVID-19 period due to safe distancing restrictions. Please check with our team for alternative arrangements.
Same goes for the drinks, which we will chill prior to the charter so that your guests can enjoy them ice-cold once they come onboard!
If you’re looking to spice up the event further, consider hiring a private chef and/or bartender on board to whip up something really customized to your tastes and preferences!
5. Who will officiate your wedding? - Wedding Celebrant
If you do not have your own preferred wedding celebrant, fret not! Over the years, we have pooled together some solemnizers who are familiar with yacht solemnisations and the required documentation, ensuring a smooth process.
However, if you prefer to invite your own celebrant, do take note of a few things:
It’ll be easier to indicate the yacht club as the solemnization venue, i.e. ONE15 Marina Club / Marina @ Keppel Bay.
If you wish to have our yacht name printed on the wedding certificate, do let us know in advance as you’ll need to submit our yacht license to ROM for approval.
It is important to have a conversation with your solemnizer and verify the documents before the actual event, so that he may run through the ceremony process with you.
Usually, the wedding celebrant will not stay throughout the charter, and will leave once the ceremony ends. However, we’ve had guests who invite them on board with them, so please feel free to do so. Do note that if this is the case, the wedding celebrant will be part of the total headcount.
6. what should i wear? - your outfit(s) of the day
Yes, it is possible to have a few outfit changes during the charter! If this is something that you’d like to do, please let us know beforehand so we can clear out a nice spacious cabin for you to store these outfits properly and change comfortably.
We also understand that makeup and hair needs to be done prior to the charter, and Singapore’s weather may melt your makeup before you make it to the yacht! Therefore, we’d recommend booking additional hours so that you can come earlier and do your makeup in the comfort of our saloon. (It’s also a pretty unique space for behind-the-scenes shots!)
7. Who will capture these memories? - Photography & videography
We have a group of talented photographers & videographers whom we’ve work with, throughout our years of business. These professionals are tried-and-tested on board, because the last thing you want to worry about is a seasick photographer. You may also hire your own crew (or assign one of your friends for the task), and we’d suggest they come for a viewing prior to the event to have an idea of the space.
Please also note that they will also be part of the guest count.
8. How much should I budget? - Costing
After many considerations, we have put together what we believe is the perfect Yacht Wedding Package!
Weekdays: S$268+ per guest (min. 15 guests, max. 30 guests) or S$308+ per guest (min. 30 guests, max. 50 guests)
Weekends: S$288+ per guest (min. 15 guests, max. 30 guests) or S$328+ per guest (min. 30 guests, max. 50 guests)
Included in the Package:
4-Hour Yacht Charter on board one of our yachts
Canapès Menu*
Free flow of Soft Drinks* & Bottled Water
1 bottle of Champagne
Themed Yacht Styling/Decorations*
Bride's Hand Bouquet & Groom's Boutonnière
Wedding Celebrant (by request)
All available equipment on board (e.g. kayaks, stand-up paddle boards, etc)
*Customisable to your preferences/requirements
This is an important occasion, and we’d always make an effort to ensure that all the details are according to what you have in mind! As such, a meetup on our yacht is definitely mandatory (not really, but we insist!), so that we can nail down the nitty gritty details, and both our team and you can get a better feel of how the programme will flow on the actual day. We’d also help to ensure everything is ordered correctly and comes on time, so that you can have a fuss free experience!
Just a disclaimer, we’re not professional wedding planners, but we always endeavour to do our very best!
Other faqS
Any complimentary parking?
The short answer - No.
As we are only tenants of the marina, it is not within our power to issue complimentary parking tickets. Unlike when you book with a hotel, the hotel staff are able to issue complimentary coupons to you. However, you can request for parking coupons if you’re a member of the marina!
Once you enter ONE°15 Marina Club, security personnel will direct you to the Visitor's Carpark (which links to Sentosa Cove Village). Parking rates are S$1.20/hour from 7:00AM to 5:00PM and S$2.40/entry otherwise.
Can elderly people board your boat as well?
Yes definitely! It will be best if you can let us know in advance, so that we can request for a buggy to pick them up instead of having them walk the whole way. Also, do note that our yachts are not wheelchair accessible, therefore any wheelchair-bound guests will still need to be able to step forward to board the boat.
Are there any corkage fees?
No, there are not (YAY)! Please feel free to bring all the food and drinks you want!
Are LGBTQ solemnisations recognised on board?
Unfortunately, no. As our yacht will still be within Singapore waters, we are still governed by local legislations.
How can I make a booking / payment?
You can go to our booking page and send in an enquiry, or drop us an email at hello@ximulasail.com anytime! We will follow up with the nitty gritty details from there.
So you see, the process of organising a yacht wedding is relatively similar to that on land! Organization is key to making sure your big day turns out the way you would like to, so give yourself ample time to think through or share with us your plans. Should you need any help, we’re always just a phone call / email away!
For all other questions that you may have, feel free to leave us a comment below, or drop us an email at hello@ximulasail.com directly!
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