It's no secret that I love Cyprus and I think if I had known more about the island 26 years ago when I got married I might well have opted for it as our wedding destination. Now I just drop massive hints to the children about how nice it would be to attend a wedding there.
There are a few rules about getting married in Cyprus but there are lots of experts on the island offering packages which could even include getting married in a picturesque church, on a luxury yacht, on the beach or in the gardens of a luxury hotel overlooking the sparkling sea.
You can have a religious service if you wish performed by an Anglican (C of E) vicar or a Catholic ceremony - for a Catholic wedding to be valid you will need to have an additional civil ceremony.
Don't panic about not understanding the service - most Cypriots speak English anyway and weddings for British citizens would be performed in English.
The Legal Bit
You can get a special licence which means you only have to be resident in Cyprus for three days to get married there. If you don't apply for a special licence you have to wait 15 days after you submit a notice of marriage to the Marriage officer in the municipality you are choosing to get married in. You have to be resident for 20 days in total for this permission to be granted.
You need to take along quite a bit of paperwork but it's generally standard stuff like a passport with at least six months validity, photocopies of the passports of your witnesses, birth certificate for the bride and groom etc.
Your wedding licence will be issued in English and will be valid back in the UK and recognised around the world.
Cyprus does not yet offer same sex marriage but does allow same sex civil partnerships. Lots of secular wedding venues on the island welcome same sex couples and will help organise blessings, symbolic weddings and other celebration ceremonies indoors and out.
There's a useful website with more detail on the legal bit of organising a wedding in Cyprus but I'll echo their wise advice which is to double check requirements at the Embassy or High Commission of the Republic of Cyprus.
You can find information about the fees to be paid to the Cypriot government for paperwork to allow you to get married there, for extra certificates and civil ceremonies here.
Details on the cost of religious ceremonies can be found here - usually around €600 on top of the civil cost for both Anglican and Catholic ceremonies.
What About The Weather?
Cyprus obviously has many more warm and sunny days than us ( around 330 a year) and even if you choose a Christmas wedding you may well be lucky enough to enjoy some sunshine and be able to enjoy some time outside-ideal for pictures.
July and August can be very hot though reaching the late 30's and even the 40's so if you are planning a wedding there then don't kit your bridesmaids in long synthetic fabric dresses or your groom and best man in top hat and tails - they will really suffer and could even be ill.
If you are very keen on a summer wedding perhaps think about planning a sunset ceremony when the risk of heatstroke and sunburn are lower!
It can be colder, wet and windy in February and March but by April the weather is really starting to pick up and you can expect temperatures in the late teens/low 20's, rising as the month goes on.
Adding Extras
Of course you could buy an all in package including everything from flowers to photographers but as I mentioned most people in Cyprus speak English and there are lots of British ex-pats running businesses on the island who will be happy to help you create your own bespoke event. Just do a quick internet search and see what I mean!
One thing which is proving very popular in Cyprus right now is to have singers, musicians or a choir performing before, during or after your wedding or other significant event.
One choir, B S#ARP (pronounced B Sharp) featuring English speaking choristers have made quite a name for themselves performing wedding flashmobs.
They can mingle with your guests and then pop up as a surprise to perform almost any kind of genre from jazz, musicals, soul and motown to present day sounds. It has gone down very well with parties in Cyprus!
They are also happy to provide a set during the reception or while your guests are arriving - or at any point during your special day. They started in 2016 (the basic YouTube video below gives a glimpse of them at one of their first public performances back then) and are now a confident and accomplished team
Last year a bride booked B Sharp to surprise her groom. Choir leader (and professional singer) Melanie Ballard wrote a personalised song with individual arrangements and lyrics including their names. So romantic!
Imagine how lovely this would be at a wedding, anniversary party or special birthday?
Something special like this costs around €150 and you should chat to Melanie several months before your event so she can work with you to create the perfect piece and give her talented singers time to be word and note perfect.
Melanie also sings solo and plays piano and sax at weddings and other events and along with the choir does lots of fund raising for animal and cancer charities in Cyprus. You can always find out where they will be performing next on their Facebook page.
Check out this beautiful video -the link takes you to a page then you need to click on B Sharp.
It features of one couple's wedding in Cyprus with B Sharp performing a personalised song as the backing track and once you've wiped your eyes, start planning that dream wedding in the sun now!
Like British weddings, weddings in Cyprus can take some time to plan to create the perfect day so if you got or gave a ring on Valentines Day and you are thinking about getting married there this year you really need to get going. Or why not book a holiday this year on the island of love and find out why its the perfect place to make your commitment.
Disclaimer: I was not paid to promote any of the businesses mentioned in this post. For full disclosure I should mention my mum sings with B Sharp!
There are a few rules about getting married in Cyprus but there are lots of experts on the island offering packages which could even include getting married in a picturesque church, on a luxury yacht, on the beach or in the gardens of a luxury hotel overlooking the sparkling sea.
You can have a religious service if you wish performed by an Anglican (C of E) vicar or a Catholic ceremony - for a Catholic wedding to be valid you will need to have an additional civil ceremony.
Don't panic about not understanding the service - most Cypriots speak English anyway and weddings for British citizens would be performed in English.
The Legal Bit
You can get a special licence which means you only have to be resident in Cyprus for three days to get married there. If you don't apply for a special licence you have to wait 15 days after you submit a notice of marriage to the Marriage officer in the municipality you are choosing to get married in. You have to be resident for 20 days in total for this permission to be granted.
You need to take along quite a bit of paperwork but it's generally standard stuff like a passport with at least six months validity, photocopies of the passports of your witnesses, birth certificate for the bride and groom etc.
Your wedding licence will be issued in English and will be valid back in the UK and recognised around the world.
Cyprus does not yet offer same sex marriage but does allow same sex civil partnerships. Lots of secular wedding venues on the island welcome same sex couples and will help organise blessings, symbolic weddings and other celebration ceremonies indoors and out.
There's a useful website with more detail on the legal bit of organising a wedding in Cyprus but I'll echo their wise advice which is to double check requirements at the Embassy or High Commission of the Republic of Cyprus.
You can find information about the fees to be paid to the Cypriot government for paperwork to allow you to get married there, for extra certificates and civil ceremonies here.
Details on the cost of religious ceremonies can be found here - usually around €600 on top of the civil cost for both Anglican and Catholic ceremonies.
What About The Weather?
Cyprus obviously has many more warm and sunny days than us ( around 330 a year) and even if you choose a Christmas wedding you may well be lucky enough to enjoy some sunshine and be able to enjoy some time outside-ideal for pictures.
July and August can be very hot though reaching the late 30's and even the 40's so if you are planning a wedding there then don't kit your bridesmaids in long synthetic fabric dresses or your groom and best man in top hat and tails - they will really suffer and could even be ill.
If you are very keen on a summer wedding perhaps think about planning a sunset ceremony when the risk of heatstroke and sunburn are lower!
It can be colder, wet and windy in February and March but by April the weather is really starting to pick up and you can expect temperatures in the late teens/low 20's, rising as the month goes on.
Adding Extras
Of course you could buy an all in package including everything from flowers to photographers but as I mentioned most people in Cyprus speak English and there are lots of British ex-pats running businesses on the island who will be happy to help you create your own bespoke event. Just do a quick internet search and see what I mean!
One thing which is proving very popular in Cyprus right now is to have singers, musicians or a choir performing before, during or after your wedding or other significant event.
One choir, B S#ARP (pronounced B Sharp) featuring English speaking choristers have made quite a name for themselves performing wedding flashmobs.
They can mingle with your guests and then pop up as a surprise to perform almost any kind of genre from jazz, musicals, soul and motown to present day sounds. It has gone down very well with parties in Cyprus!
They are also happy to provide a set during the reception or while your guests are arriving - or at any point during your special day. They started in 2016 (the basic YouTube video below gives a glimpse of them at one of their first public performances back then) and are now a confident and accomplished team
Last year a bride booked B Sharp to surprise her groom. Choir leader (and professional singer) Melanie Ballard wrote a personalised song with individual arrangements and lyrics including their names. So romantic!
Imagine how lovely this would be at a wedding, anniversary party or special birthday?
Something special like this costs around €150 and you should chat to Melanie several months before your event so she can work with you to create the perfect piece and give her talented singers time to be word and note perfect.
Melanie also sings solo and plays piano and sax at weddings and other events and along with the choir does lots of fund raising for animal and cancer charities in Cyprus. You can always find out where they will be performing next on their Facebook page.
Check out this beautiful video -the link takes you to a page then you need to click on B Sharp.
It features of one couple's wedding in Cyprus with B Sharp performing a personalised song as the backing track and once you've wiped your eyes, start planning that dream wedding in the sun now!
Like British weddings, weddings in Cyprus can take some time to plan to create the perfect day so if you got or gave a ring on Valentines Day and you are thinking about getting married there this year you really need to get going. Or why not book a holiday this year on the island of love and find out why its the perfect place to make your commitment.
Disclaimer: I was not paid to promote any of the businesses mentioned in this post. For full disclosure I should mention my mum sings with B Sharp!