Planing a villa wedding in Sri Lanka
The idea is instantly romantic; tropical island, swaying palms, wedding breakfast of lobster washed down with Pina Colada. The logistics of arranging an island wedding, though, can be more problematic.
We’ve helped dozens of couples plan their special day here in Sri Lanka. Here are some suggestions and villa venue ideas for creating a perfect Sri Lankan wedding.
Get moving
There’s a great deal more beautiful boutique accommodation on offer in Sri Lanka than, say, 10 years ago, but a lot of the best-suited villas go early; many indeed booked on repeat each year. Especially if wanting a decent number of guests to join, you’ll need to think about multiple accommodation options so having a good roster of available properties will be key.
Best, then, to book as far in advance as possible – several of the villas we work with will be happy to hold reservations pending later confirmation while you plan out the details.
Know the best people
As in India, weddings are big business here in Sri Lanka – but look for a more western-style setup and the offering is a little thinner on the ground. Especially if planning to host the wedding and reception at a villa, you’ll want a good catering and event planning group on hand.
Have a hub
Think carefully about which villa will host the actual wedding, where the wedding party will stay and what’s nearby. Some great looking villas may be miles from other. Meda Gedara, one of our favourites on the south coast, gets the mix right between feeling beautifully set apart from the crowds, but having a good number of places nearby for other guests. (Critically, it also has a water slide!)
Check the calendar
A fairly fundamental part of the planning – it’s worth checking the Sri Lankan calendar for Poya days and other festivals. Most likely you’ll keep the booze side in-house on the day itself but Poya days here (full moon days) mean all liquor stores shut up shop and bars and restaurants (even in hotels) won’t serve alcohol.
Be careful not to plan a wedding after-party at a nearby hangout on a Poya day.
Be sure also to speak with the villa management on the alochol policy. Licensing is a tricky issue for most villas but some are well set to cater suitably for a large wedding.
A mountain or jungle wedding
A wedding on the beach is the classic, of course, but if happy to head inland you can create some stunning wedding setups. Not so much your traditional villa, but the likes of Ashburnham Estate and the (soon to be added to the Ceylon Villa Guide website) Viceroy House make wonderful venues for the right party, with incredible views, waterfalls (in the case of Ashburnham) and unique isolation.
Planning a wedding at one of these venues may take a little more thought. We can help of course in providing other suitable nearby accommodation and, for those wanting to round the event off on the beach, can help with logistics of the next stage of the party.
Get in touch
If thinking about a wedding here in Sri Lanka we’d love to hear from you. We can help with villa ideas, travel plans, and wedding setup.
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