Wedding on Boat in Marbella

A wedding on a yacht in Marbella is the rarest charter we run — usually one Saturday per high-season month — and the most logistically rich. This page covers the actual playbook: which boat for the ceremony vs the reception, whether you need a registrar on board (mostly no — see below), how we coordinate the photographer's shot list, and what the day actually looks like start-to-finish.

The legal piece (read this first)

A wedding ceremony on a Spanish-flagged charter yacht is not legally binding in Spain unless you've completed the civil paperwork ashore beforehand. What most couples do: complete the civil registration at Marbella town hall a few days earlier (treat as a paperwork formality), then do the actual ceremony on board with a celebrant, family, friends — the day everyone remembers. Religious / symbolic-only ceremonies on board are common and need no paperwork. Tell us which route you want when you enquire.

Best boat for a wedding

The day, hour-by-hour

1. 12:00 — Hair and makeup ashore at the hotel (Don Carlos, Marbella Club, Puente Romano common). We'll coordinate transfer.
2. 14:30 — Boarding at Puerto Banús with the wedding party + photographer. Champagne welcome, white-rose decoration we've pre-loaded.
3. 15:00 — Cast off, slow cruise to the ceremony anchorage (Río Verde or Cala del Faro, picked the morning of based on wind).
4. 15:30 — Anchor and ceremony. Bow set up with the celebrant. Music via the on-board system (sent us your processional + recessional 24h before).
5. 16:00 — Group photos at La Concha and the swim platform.
6. 16:30 — Reception begins. Cava + canapés we've coordinated with the catering team.
7. 18:00 — First dance on the flybridge. Couple-only swim if you want it.
8. 19:30 — Return to Puerto Banús, met by transfers to the dinner venue.

What we coordinate vs what you bring

We coordinate: the boat, skipper, fuel, drinks (cava + wine + beer on board), light snacks, anchor location selection (wind-aware), basic deck flowers/runner if you ask. Standard inclusions apply.

You coordinate (we recommend vendors): celebrant or registrar, hair / makeup, photographer / videographer (your own or a Marbella name we can recommend), wedding cake, catered hot food, DJ for any after-party ashore, hotel and transfers.

Marbella wedding photographers we've shot with

We don't take a cut and we don't sell photography. But the wedding photographers who deliver consistently good Marbella yacht shoots tend to be: Spanish-based shooters who know the light (sun angle drops fast after 17:00 in spring/autumn), have shot with our crew before (they know the boat's best angles), and bring a second shooter for the dock + reception split. Ask us for a current shortlist when you enquire — we update it every season.

Pricing example

Typical small-wedding all-in (boat + crew + drinks-on-board + light deck dressing, on the Azimut 39 for 8 guests + couple, 4-hour charter): €1,299. Add a catered cocktail-hour reception (€55/head x 10) = €1,849. Plus your photographer, celebrant, dinner ashore, hotel. Bigger weddings on the Mangusta 80 start around €4,719 for the boat alone.

Booking and lead time

Wedding bookings: 3–6 months ahead for July/August Saturdays. Off-season (Oct–May): often available 4 weeks ahead. 50% deposit secures the date, balance 14 days before. Weather backup plan: we always identify a Plan-B date 1 week later when you book. Weather-cancelled weddings get 100% refund or free reschedule.

Tap Book now top-right with date, party size, ceremony / reception split, and which boat you've shortlisted. We respond within 30 min during business hours with a full quote and timeline.

Frequently asked questions