Boat wedding in Sardinia

Have you finally decided to take the next step and plan the wedding of your dreams? Congratulations!

Now, take a deep breath and pick a date, giving yourselves enough time to have a “low stress” wedding planning experience. Whether you decide to do it yourselves or hire a wedding planner for your special day, we suggest choosing that date at least two years in advance. Take the time necessary to plan out all of your ideas and make your wedding a memorable experience, both for you and your guests.

So you’ve chosen the date, great!

Now you have to decide where to hold the wedding. If you haven’t settled on a location yet, why not exchange your vows surrounded by crystal clear blue sea? It’s not your typical location, but the paradisiacal sea of Sardinia! Could there be a more romantic and idyllic setting than a calm protected cove with sparkling turquoise waters? If this idea intrigues you, read on to learn about planning an unforgettable wedding on board a boat.

You’re probably asking yourselves about the price tag of a boat wedding in Sardinia, and how it would impact your wedding budget. There is no “one-size fits all” answer: it depends on a variety of factors. First, how many guests you invite and which costs will be covered by the couple: as the number of guests grows and you decide whether to cover flights and hotel expenses for the guests, the wedding budget clearly increases. Different factors must be considered, one of the most important being the type of boat: there is a significant cost difference between sailboats and motorboats.

The number of guests influences boat choice. If you decide to keep your guest list small, you might consider a getting married on a sailboat. There are many wonderful options, some of which are charming vintage style sailboats, generally able to hold 8 to 10 guests. If the guest list is considerably longer, between 100 to 200, it’s better to rent one or more motorboats. Obviously, the final cost depends on the menu and bar, exactly as it would for a wedding on dry land.

With all of the variables that can affect the final cost, making an estimate isn’t easy: it can range between 120 and 200 euro per guest. Those prices are confirmed by the boat charter company and other service providers or agencies involved in the wedding planning. It often helps to specify your available budget by item in order to get a custom estimate. Before making a final decision, ask for different solutions and menu possibilities in order to have an array of options to consider.

Sardinia is the Italian Region with the largest coast area, boasting 1849 km (1150 miles) of coastline. There are many potential locations for a boat wedding all around the island, thanks to the endless supply of breathtaking beaches and coves all along the island’s perimeter.

We suggest focusing on northeast Sardinia, specifically on the area including Portobello di Gallura, Santa Teresa, Palau, Maddalena Archipelago and San Teodoro / Budoni for multiple reasons listed below:

- Good availability of tour operators and charter companies in these areas, often with specific experience related to this type of event. Their experience also comes from the proximity to the Costa Smeralda, the “Emerald Coast”, often the location for exclusive weddings - both glamour out and alternative.

- Excellent choice of villas and accommodation in the surrounding area, where the wedding party can stay and host guests.

- A variety of breathtakingly beautiful coastlines, made up of a mix of different sized beaches and romantic hidden coves, concealed by anthropomorphic rock formations and typical mediterranean vegetation. This coastline favors sailors and boaters on windier days - you can nearly always find a bay to anchor in protected from gusts. It’s best to chart the course of navigation beforehand (and keep it fairly short), allowing for deviations to guarantee comfort while on board.

- Proximity to different cities and touristic villages which offer a of attractions and the possibility of day-trips for the couple and guests should they decide to extend their stay on Sardinia. This is especially useful when making a “plan B” if bad weather forces you to stay on land. Although it rarely rains during wedding season, it’s important to have a carefully planned alternative should the necessity arise.

Other parts of the island are no less charming and may fit your taste, such as the enchantingly romantic Alghero, an architecturally unique city of Catalan origin. Or the paradise that is Stintino and nearby Asinara Island. It could be that you prefer the capital city of Cagliari: a multifaceted and cultural city on the south coast.
The most important thing is to find a charter company and service providers which suit your needs. It’s preferable to work with a local company, especially for the boat, as relocation away from the home port of call can increase costs significantly.
Regarding the ceremony, you don’t necessarily have to celebrate the wedding while at sea - you may decide to exchange vows on board or else on a beach which has been specially set up for the romantic occasion. Whether the ceremony is celebrated on the boat or the beach, it is generally a symbolic scene in nature, and follows the official religious or civil ceremony held in church or city hall. Therefore, it can be personalized to your tastes: part could be dedicated to the vows or a series of promises made by the couple.
It’s a scene that involves multiple “actors”, but which surely has a choreographic and emotional impact. We suggest including a wedding planner in the preparations - it’s helpful in choosing the celebrant and to make sure everything runs smoothly leading up to and during the ceremony. And why not involve the crew of the boat as well?

Another idea is to choose a theme. It will make your wedding at sea even more memorable, and undoubtedly have a visual impact in photos and films from your special day. There are countless sea related themes, so let your imagination run wild! Decorations and fittings can follow the theme, which often has special meaning to the couple. You can also include the guests, getting them to follow a specific dress code. In addition to the visual appeal and the playful element, the guests will be freed from having to wear traditional formal wedding attire, which may be uncomfortable and ill-suited to a wedding at sea anyway! One idea could be cool linen shirts with Caribbean style straw hats for the men and light flowing summer dresses for the ladies … everything in the chosen color theme, of course!