Whom you wed and when you wed is not as important as where you wed, who’s on the guest list and how much it costs! The choices for destination weddings in today’s world are endless – peaceful beaches of Goa, sun kissed Greek Islands, countryside mansions, cruise liners and much more.
So why choose Sri Lanka as your destination wedding? Here are the top five reasons why more and more couples are deciding on Sri Lanka as a fairytale destination wedding location.
1. Lush Locations
Whether you are looking at a small scale private ceremony including just your immediate family members within the privacy of an exclusively luxury hotel or a gala celebration with over a hundred people on your guest list at one of the beautiful coastal resorts, Sri Lanka offers wedding locations to suit every couple’s idealistic demands.
Galle Fort Hotel or the colonial atmosphere of the Mount Lavinia Hotel would be some ideal choices for a beach location while Hunas Falls and Heritance Kandalama offer some stunning hill country backdrops for your big day. Because one size doesn’t fit all, Sri Lanka presents a range of panoramic wedding locations across the island – from beaches to lush mountains to waterfalls to wildlife and much more!
2. Package Deals
When planning a wedding, attention to detail is important. Sri Lankan hotels are well aware about this and spend extra time in creating ‘package deals’ for those who want to wed in Sri Lanka. These packages include the organizing of flowers, candles, tiered wedding cakes, photo albums, music, decoration, champagne, Henna application, singers, drummers, dancers, and even fire blowers! In fact, these things are just a few from the long list of extras that your hotel can add on to the cost of your wedding package. By offering these services in one package, the couple is saved from the stress and hassle of finding several vendors, dealing with different kinds of suppliers and having to settle bills from all over.
And the list doesn’t end just yet – some package deals offer complimentary two nights stay for the newlywed couple in a honeymoon suite!
3. Private Villas
If you are not a fan of gala celebrations at fancy five star hotels, Sri Lanka also offers more intimate settings for your big day at private beach and ocean side villas or even town or country villas that offer a cozy atmosphere and a personal touch. Saman Villas in the southern coast of Bentota offers an exclusive garden setting package with a special six course lobster dinner for your guests. Lavender House in Pussellawa (heart of the tea country) offers romantic backdrops with log fires, period furniture and an environment of a bygone era – ideal for small and intimate functions.
4. Natural Décor
Imagine the grooms grand entrance on an elephant while the bride’s elegant entrance is on an aisle decorated with natural palm trees on either side. This paradise island offers an abundance of natural beauty which is a blessing when you want to create a picture perfect wedding environment, not forgetting to mention that the natural beauty helps save a lot of money that you would otherwise spend on decoration.
In Sri Lanka, you can expect natural beauty such as sandy beaches, coconut groves, frangipani trees, luscious mountains, cliffs, sprawling tea estates, waterfalls and national parks.
5. Celebrations
Regardless of whether you are a Muslim, Jew, Christian or Hindu, this traditional Buddhist nation will allow any sort of wedding celebrations with absolute splendor – worthy of your big day.
Diversity in Sri Lanka is not just in terms of natural landscapes and tourist attractions but also in terms of customs and traditions. Ranging from the fun-fulled Sangeet to the Waleema wedding banquet, all occasions are celebrated with equal importance. Also, with plenty of temples, kovils, mosques and churches sprawled across the island, you could have an authentic wedding celebration similar to those in your hometown!