A wedding in the Maldives conjures images of white sand, turquoise lagoons, ocean views and candlelight dinners. It defines barefoot luxury and offers the privacy many couples want.
Most resorts offer their own wedding packages. These usually include a beach ceremony setup, a symbolic officiant and a professional photoshoot. Couples complete the legal paperwork with a civil ceremony before or after travelling to the Maldives, then celebrate with a symbolic blessing that can include any elements they choose.
Choosing the Best Venue for a Wedding
The Maldives is made up of over a thousand small islands grouped into clusters known as atolls. Each resort typically sits on its own island, creating the privacy the country is known for.
There are around 150 five-star resorts across the Maldives, and each island feels different. Many islands feature natural vegetation, thriving reefs and native wildlife, with accommodation in beachfront and overwater villas.
Every five-star resort offers the essentials for an idyllic small wedding – white beaches, ocean views and restaurants suitable for a celebration. For elopements or intimate weddings, couples usually choose based on the guest experience they want, as resorts can arrange privacy without a full buyout.
For larger weddings, the choice becomes more limited. There are logistical challenges getting large numbers of guests, suppliers and entertainers to some of the islands. Additionally only a few have large event spaces suitable for a wet-weather back up.
Logistical Considerations
The Maldives has been the setting for many luxury and celebrity weddings, but there are a few practical points to keep in mind before planning.
Getting to the Maldives
There are regular flights to Malé International Airport, including direct BA flights from London that take around 10 hours.
Guests reach their chosen resort by seaplane, domestic flight or speedboat, depending on distance. The airport sits on its own island, with local flights, seaplanes and speedboats operating from the old terminal.
Moving between atolls isn’t simple, and often requires returning to Malé, so most visitors stay on one island for the entire trip.
- Most luxury resorts sit 30 minutes to 2 hours by speedboat from Malé, and many operate their own transfers.
- Islands on the southern-most atolls can be reached by a short domestic flight followed by a speedboat transfer.
- For the ultimate arrival, a seaplane gives incredible views of the reefs and atolls. However, they are expensive, luggage allowances are strict, and they only operate during daylight hours and good weather.
Culture and Etiquette
The Maldives is a Muslim country, so while resort islands are relaxed, it’s important to be respectful of local customs. Alcohol can’t be brought in, and locals can’t buy or drink it, but it’s served on private resort islands. Modest dress is required when visiting local communities. Resort dining is international, but menus often reflect local ingredients and flavours.
Setting your Budget for a Wedding in the Maldives
The Maldives is exclusive, and costs reflect this. Everything from ingredients to décor must be imported.
Resorts usually recommend an all-inclusive plan for meals, with alcohol packages starting at £75-£100 per person, per day.
Wedding packages often include the ceremony setup, officiant, photographer, a celebratory meal and a room upgrade. To set your budget, add: flights, transfers, accommodation, meal and drinks packages, and the wedding package itself.
Popular resorts rarely reduce rates in high season due to consistent demand.
The Best Time of Year for a Wedding
The Maldives enjoys warm weather all year. May tends to be quieter as it marks the start of the wet season, which runs until September. Rain showers can be more frequent, but many couples find this period ideal. Prices are lower, the islands are less crowded, and recent weather patterns have meant that the wet seasons have often been dryer, with similar rainfall to the dry season, which runs from from October to April.
Is the Maldives Right for Your Wedding?
The Maldives suits couples seeking intimacy, privacy and a curated experience. It isn’t ideal for large groups, but for symbolic ceremonies surrounded by clear water and quiet luxury, it’s hard to beat.
Legally binding weddings aren’t possible for non-residents, but couples can hold a symbolic blessing and complete the legal process before or after their trip.
Finding Wedding Suppliers for the Maldives
You won’t usually need to bring suppliers with you unless your needs are highly specialist. There’s a strong supplier base in Malé, and many services are included in resort wedding packages. DMCs such as Hummingbird Travel will work with your planner or resort to arrange anything else needed for a spectacular celebration. From a particular type of wedding cake, to a firework display – although it’s worth noting that firework displays need government approval and air traffic clearance, so the paperwork adds £1000s to the cost of even a 2 minute display.
Our Venue Recommendation
We started our search for the ultimate Maldives wedding destination with Anantara, as it’s one of the resorts that is perfect for a small wedding, but has also hosted complete buyouts for large weddings.
Anantara Maldives – A Seamless Wedding Experience Across Three Islands
From previous experience with Anantara Hotels, we’ve come to expect high standards across the board – from stylish accommodation and excellent dining to spacious event areas and world-class spa facilities. Anantara Maldives delivers on all fronts, making it a strong contender for destination weddings. We spent four nights exploring the resort, staying in both a beachfront pool villa and a deluxe overwater villa, and visiting seven of the resort’s restaurants and bars, plus the spa.
Effortless Arrival & Setting
Located just 30 minutes by speedboat from Malé International Airport, Anantara Maldives is exceptionally accessible. Transfers are available around the clock, and guests are checked in before leaving the airport, allowing for a smooth and stress-free arrival.
The resort is set in the South Malé Atoll and is made up of a cluster of islands surrounded by a shallow lagoon. Three of the islands have guest accommodation, while Gulhifushi – the resort’s private Picnic Island – is dedicated to daytime escapes, events, food trucks and sunset drinks.
Three Islands, Three Experiences
Anantara Dhigu is the largest and most family-friendly of the three, making it ideal for weddings with children or group activities. There’s a kids’ club, plenty of watersports, and bikes with each villa to explore the island’s sandy paths and boardwalks. The west-facing beach offers beautiful sunset ceremony backdrops, and several restaurants and private dining decks can be adapted for receptions.
Anantara Veli is an adults-only retreat (unless privately hired), designed for calm, elegance and privacy. It’s ideal for smaller weddings or proposals, with standout sunset views from its stone jetty and thatched pagoda. Dining is a particular highlight on Veli, with Japanese, Thai, Indian and tapas options – all beautifully executed.
Naladhu Private Island is the most exclusive of the three. Not even shown on the resort maps, it offers just 20 houses – including a 600 m² two-bedroom residence and a Jo Loves by Jo Malone signature villa. Guests enjoy à la carte dining and full in-villa service. This is the perfect choice for honeymooners or intimate weddings requiring total privacy. Access is restricted to Naladhu guests only.
Planning Your Wedding
The resort allows full buyouts of any of the three islands, but most weddings are held on the beach or on Picnic Island, followed by a private dinner at one of the bars or restaurants. The flexibility across the three properties makes it easy to shape the guest experience based on the couple’s preferences – from child-friendly group trips to peaceful adults-only escapes.
Weddings are usually organised in partnership with experienced planners and local DMCs like Hummingbird, ensuring smooth coordination. Anantara offers a comprehensive ceremony package including a celebrant, photographer, beach setup, floral arch and an indoor backup venue – essential in the Maldives where weather isn’t always predictable.
Final Notes
During our stay, the resort was operating at 95% capacity – a clear indication of its popularity. For honeymoons or weddings, early booking is strongly advised to secure the best room categories and preferred dates.
Other Popular Choices for a Luxury Wedding in the Maldives
If you’re looking for natural beauty and seclusion, Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa is one of the most remote properties to the south, accessed by commercial flight and a 30 minute speedboat transfer. It’s known for its pristine beaches and minimal seaplane and speedboat movement.
Other highly regarded options include:
- Four Seasons Maldives – two private islands offering a refined, exclusive feel.
- COMO Maalifushi – beautiful, contemporary, and designed for quiet luxury.
- One&Only Reethi Rah – spectacular but without its own reef, so less suited to diving and snorkelling.
Take a look at our Venues in Maldives page for more information on these and other venues.
“One of the things that really stood out was the team behind Anantara. You can genuinely feel how much they love working here. Even in low season, 650 staff from 26 nationalities live and work together to look after just 197 villas. That sense of community comes through in everything they do, and it truly elevates the experience.”
Alison Hargreaves