A destination wedding guide for Anguilla, including legal requirements, venue ideas, planning timelines, guest travel, beach ceremonies, and honeymoon planning.
Best for
Beach weddings
Luxury resorts, villas, and intimate ceremonies
Licence timing
48 hours
Both parties must be on-island before applying at the Court Registry
Top areas
West End
Maundays Bay, Meads Bay, Rendezvous Bay, Barnes Bay
Plan ahead
12–18 months
Best for peak season venues
Anguilla works beautifully for couples who want a quieter, more polished Caribbean wedding setting. The island is especially strong for beach ceremonies, luxury resorts like Cap Juluca, Four Seasons, and Malliouhana, private villas, sunset dinners, and honeymoon stays.
The key is planning the legal steps, guest travel, venue logistics, and transportation early, because Anguilla has a smaller, more premium hospitality footprint than larger Caribbean destinations.
Both parties must visit the Court Registry (open weekdays 8:30am–2:30pm) at least two days before the wedding with all required documents.
Choose between luxury resorts like Cap Juluca, Four Seasons, and Malliouhana, private villas, boutique resorts, and relaxed island venues.
Build your schedule around guest arrivals, ferry transfers, rehearsal, ceremony, and beach time.
Many couples stay after the wedding for a quieter honeymoon once guests depart.
Use this as a planning checklist, then confirm the latest requirements directly with the Anguilla Judicial Department or your wedding planner before travel.
Both parties must personally attend the Court Registry (Judicial Department, The Valley) at least two days before the wedding — open weekdays 8:30am–2:30pm — to apply for the marriage licence.
The Government of Anguilla lists the marriage licence fee as EC$650 / US$241.80, plus EC$100 / US$37.20 worth of Anguilla stamps obtained from the General Post Office.
Bring valid passports or original birth certificates along with another valid form of photo identification such as a driver's licence.
If either person was previously married, bring the original Decree Absolute bearing a Seal of the Court of divorce, or a death certificate where applicable. Certified true copies are accepted for divorce documents.
Two witnesses must be present at the ceremony. The ceremony must be performed by the Magistrate at the Court House or by a registered Marriage Officer in Anguilla.
Some countries — particularly in Europe — require an apostille attached to the marriage certificate. The cost is EC$150 / US$55.80, obtained at the Ministry of Finance in Anguilla. Confirm requirements before travel.
Important: Marriage requirements, fees, documents, and accepted procedures can change. Always confirm directly with the Anguilla Judicial Department, Court Registry, or a licensed local wedding planner before finalizing travel plans. Contact the Judicial Department at +1 (264) 497-2377 / 3347.
Anguilla is strongest for beach ceremonies, luxury resort weddings, intimate villas, boutique resorts, and relaxed island celebrations.
Maundays Bay
An iconic luxury resort on Anguilla's Maundays Bay. Cap Juluca's team coordinates all legal paperwork, florals, dining, and group activities. Note seasonal closures typically mid-August through mid-October.
Best for
Luxury beach weddings
Barnes Bay / Meads Bay
A large-scale luxury resort with flexible indoor and outdoor venues — from private beaches and sunset terraces to poolside spaces and beachfront dinner settings. Well suited for larger wedding parties.
Best for
Larger resort weddings
Meads Bay
A bluff-top resort with elevated views over Meads Bay, cascading infinity pool, award-winning spa, and a beach bar. Praised by couples for its attentive staff and all-inclusive wedding week experience.
Best for
Elegant resort weddings
Shoal Bay East
A boutique beachfront resort on Shoal Bay East offering barefoot beach ceremonies, pergola receptions, bonfires, string lights, and a spa set in an authentic 300-year-old Thai house.
Best for
Intimate boutique weddings
West End / Beachfront
A private villa can work well for intimate weddings, family groups, and couples who want more control over the setting, schedule, and guest experience.
Best for
Private celebrations
Rendezvous Bay
Bankie Banx's iconic beach bar built from driftwood and salvaged boats on Rendezvous Bay. Available for private events on select evenings. Home to the annual Moonsplash Music Festival each March.
Best for
Casual island character
Use this timeline as a practical starting point for planning a destination wedding on island.
Decide whether you want a luxury resort, private villa, beach ceremony, or smaller informal celebration. Note seasonal resort closures when choosing dates.
Reserve your planner, photographer, venue, room blocks, ceremony setup, and major guest accommodations.
Share flight, ferry, airport transfer, hotel, rental car, and arrival guidance for guests coming through SXM or flying directly into AXA.
Review legal requirements, documents, ceremony timing, vendor details, dinner plans, and backup weather options.
Both parties must complete the marriage licence application in person at the Judicial Department (The Valley), open weekdays 8:30am–2:30pm. Bring all required documents and fees.
For destination weddings, the guest experience starts before the ceremony. Help guests understand arrival routes, transfers, rentals, and island movement.
Most wedding guests either fly into St. Maarten SXM and connect by ferry, or fly into Anguilla AXA if schedules work better.
Compare flight routesFor guests arriving through St. Maarten, ferry planning is one of the most important parts of the arrival experience.
Plan ferry routeA rental car can help guests explore beaches, restaurants, resorts, villas, and wedding events without relying only on taxis.
View car rentalsMany couples pair the wedding with beach days, boat trips, sunset dinners, and a honeymoon stay after guests depart.
View honeymoon guideA destination wedding works best when the logistics are clear. Make sure guests understand how to get to Anguilla, where to stay, how to move around, and what events are planned before and after the ceremony.
Keep the schedule relaxed. Anguilla is not the place for an overpacked itinerary. Let the beach, food, music, and slow island pace do some of the work.
A local planner can help with legal paperwork, Court Registry timing, venue contacts, transportation, vendors, ceremony setup, and guest coordination.
December through April is busier, so reserve resorts, villas, photographers, and restaurants well ahead of time. Note Cap Juluca closes mid-August through mid-October.
Guests may arrive through SXM by ferry or fly into AXA directly. Give clear arrival instructions, transfer options, and ferry schedules.
Outdoor ceremonies need a simple weather plan, especially if you are using a beach, villa deck, or open-air venue.
Anguilla works best with an easy pace. Leave space between arrival, paperwork, rehearsal, ceremony, dinner, and beach time.
Check passport, divorce decree, death certificate, apostille, and stamp requirements before guests arrive. Court Registry is open weekdays 8:30am–2:30pm.
Use these guides to plan the honeymoon, choose beaches, compare costs, and add special experiences.
Many couples keep the celebration simple, then stay in Anguilla for quiet beach days, boat trips, sunset dinners, and a slower honeymoon after guests depart.
Common questions about getting married in Anguilla.
Yes — Anguilla welcomes destination weddings and has a straightforward legal process for foreign nationals. You need to obtain a marriage license through the Anguilla Registrar's office, which requires both parties to be present on the island for at least one full day before the ceremony. Processing typically takes 24–48 hours. Most resort wedding coordinators handle this paperwork as part of their service.
For a ceremony at Cap Juluca, Four Seasons, or Malliouhana during peak season (December–April), start planning 12–18 months in advance. These venues have limited ceremony dates and book quickly. A more intimate beach or villa wedding with fewer guests can often be arranged with 6–9 months' notice. The legal paperwork itself is quick — it's the venue, catering, and guest logistics that require the longest lead time.
A basic resort wedding package at a luxury property starts around $5,000–$10,000 for the ceremony setup, officiant, and basic florals — before accommodation, catering, and guest travel. Full destination weddings with 30+ guests at a top resort can run $50,000–$150,000+. Villa weddings offer more flexibility on cost and are often better suited to mid-size gatherings of 20–60 guests.
Maundays Bay at Cap Juluca is the most iconic — the Moorish architecture creates a backdrop unlike anywhere else in the Caribbean. Meads Bay (accessible from Malliouhana or Frangipani) is popular for its long, photogenic stretch of sand. Shoal Bay East is the most naturally beautiful beach and suits couples who want the setting to be the star. Private villa ceremonies on any of these bays are also common and allow more personalisation.
