Getting married in Seychelles takes twelve steps and a minimum of two weeks. You send us scans of your passports and apostilled birth certificates, we check them with the Civil Status Office, you pick a date, we hold it with a tentative invoice and a deposit of roughly €150 to €500, and a confirmation invoice makes the wedding one hundred percent booked. You bring the original documents with you, our coordinator meets you a few days before the day and takes the balance in cash, the legal ceremony on the beach lasts about 20 minutes, and you fly home with an apostilled marriage certificate. Cancel more than 30 days before the wedding and the only thing you lose is the €100 consultation fee and any official fees already paid. Inside 30 days a share of the price is kept, rising as the day gets closer, because by then our team has held your week and the suppliers are booked. Moving your date, on the other hand, is free at any time.
The whole process at a glance
Twelve steps, in the order they happen. Most of them are ours to do. Yours are the scans, the apostille at home, the date, the deposit, and turning up with the originals.
| Step | When | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Day one | You find your planner. That is us. One message with your names, nationalities and month. |
| 2 | Same week | You send scans of both passports and both birth certificates. |
| 3 | As early as possible | You get the birth certificates apostilled at home, plus any divorce, death or name change papers. |
| 4 | Within days | We confirm with the Civil Status Office that your file is in order. |
| 5 | Once the file is clean | You choose a date, we check the registrar is free. |
| 6 | Same conversation | You choose your extras: photographer, film, stylist, extra certificates. |
| 7 | Date held | Tentative invoice. A deposit of about €150 to €500 secures the date. |
| 8 | Deposit received | Confirmation invoice. Your wedding is one hundred percent booked. |
| 9 | Two weeks minimum before the day | All documents ready. We lodge the notice of marriage. |
| 10 | Arrival | You land with the originals in your hand luggage. We can meet you at the airport. |
| 11 | A few days before | Coordinator meeting. Everything is run through and the balance is paid in cash. |
| 12 | Wedding day and after | A 20 minute legal ceremony, then your certificate and its apostille before you fly. |
Important. This is how we run the process, and the order does not change. The timing does. Some nationalities take a week to get an apostille at home and others take a month, so the two week minimum starts from the day your documents are complete, not from the day you first write to us. If a document is proving hard to get, tell us early. We will do our best to find a way and get you married.
Every couple asks how it works before they ask what it costs. Here is the whole road, from the first message to the apostilled certificate, with nothing left out.
Most wedding sites show you a beach and a price and leave the middle blank. The middle is where couples get nervous, because it is where the money changes hands and where a missing stamp can move a date. So this guide walks the road in order. You will see what we ask for, what we check, when you pay, how much, into which account, and what happens if plans change. Anisa, our wedding planner, runs this exact sequence for every couple, on Mahé, Praslin and La Digue.
The twelve steps, one by one
- Step 1
Find your wedding planner. That is us.
A wedding in Seychelles is a legal civil marriage conducted by an officer of the Civil Status Office, and a foreign couple needs a local organiser to lodge the file, book the registrar and stand on the sand with them. That is what we do, and have done since 2016. Your first message needs only four things: both your full names as they appear in your passports, both nationalities, whether either of you has been married before, and the month you have in mind. Send it on WhatsApp or by email, whichever you prefer.
You will get a reply from a real person, usually the same day, with the exact document list for your two nationalities and the honest answer on whether your month works.
- Step 2
Send us scans of your passports and birth certificates
Two documents are always required, for both of you. A clear scan of the passport photo page, and your birth certificate. A phone photo is fine to start with as long as every word is legible. The passport needs no stamp of any kind. The birth certificate does, which is the next step.
If your name today is not the name on your birth certificate, through marriage, divorce or a legal change, we need the document that links the two. Tell us at this stage rather than later, because it changes the list.
- Step 3
Get the apostille at home, as early as possible
An apostille is a stamp from your own government that makes a document valid abroad under the 1961 Hague Convention. Your birth certificate must carry one. If it does not, go to the office in your country that issues them as soon as you can, because this single step is where most delays come from. In some countries it takes a day, in others a few weeks.
The same applies to any situational document. A final divorce decree if either of you has been married before. A death certificate of the former spouse if either of you is widowed. A deed poll or name change certificate. Each one needs its own apostille from the country that issued it.
Documents must be in English or French. Anything in another language needs a certified or sworn translation, which you can arrange at home or ask us to arrange here. Send us the scans of the apostilled and translated versions as soon as you have them. We cover the apostille in detail in our guide to documents for a Seychelles wedding and, if either of you is divorced, in getting married in Seychelles after a divorce.
- Step 4
We confirm your file with the Civil Status Office
Before anybody talks about money, we take your scans to the Civil Status Office in Victoria and confirm that everything is in order for your two nationalities. If something is missing or a translation is needed, you hear it now, while there is still time to fix it at home. Nothing is invoiced until this check is done. That is deliberate. We never ask for a deposit on a file that could still be refused.
- Step 5
Choose your date, and we check it
Once the file is clean you tell us the date you would like, or two or three in order of preference. We check the registrar’s diary for your island and the beach, and come back with a yes, or with the nearest day that works. Weddings run Monday to Thursday in the normal course, which keeps the certificate and apostille inside the same working week. Our guide to how many days you need in Seychelles shows how the date sits inside a five, seven or ten night trip.
- Step 6
Choose your extras
The package covers the legal ceremony, the registrar, the certificate and apostille, the chauffeur, the gazebo, the flowers, the cake and the sparkling wine. Everything else is an extra, priced per island and added only if you want it. We know you want the day to feel like yours, so here is what couples add, with the numbers.
Photography. The one almost everyone keeps. A local photographer on Mahé is €550. Our professional photographer, who works in English, German, French, Russian or Italian on request, is €850 on Mahé, €1,090 on Praslin and €1,190 on La Digue for a two hour shoot with 270 to 300 naturally edited images, around 160 for every hour photographed. A cinematographic wedding film is from €1,290 on Mahé, €1,550 on Praslin and €1,640 on La Digue, and every film includes cinematic drone footage that is otherwise €125. Look before you decide: the portfolio and 45 of the best frames are on our photographer and videographer page, and every film is on the ToHappyEndings YouTube channel.
Stylist. Hair and makeup at your door on the morning, €230. We highly recommend it.
Extra certificates. An extra original marriage certificate with its own apostille is €110, and two are €200. Most couples take one or two, and we suggest it for a practical reason. Some registrations at home, and some visa or bank processes, require you to hand over an original and do not always give it back. With spare certificates you keep one at home, one with your travel papers and one in the file, and you never have to write to us a year later asking for a replacement, which then means new government fees plus international courier charges, currently €85 by DHL or FedEx. It is far cheaper and simpler to order the copies while you are here.
- Step 7
The tentative invoice and the deposit that holds your date
With the date checked and the extras chosen, we send a tentative invoice. It shows the full price of everything you have selected and the deposit that secures the date. The deposit depends on what you have added and is usually between €150 and €500. You can pay it to our EU account in euros, to our US account in dollars, or to our Seychelles account in rupees. The rupee account means a currency conversion and international bank fees on your side, so we suggest paying in whichever of euros or dollars is most convenient for you, at least for the deposit.
Inside every deposit sits a €100 consultation fee, and that part is never refundable. If you cancel more than 30 days before the wedding, we keep the €100 and any official fees already paid, and refund the rest of your deposit. From 30 to 15 days the deposit is kept, from 14 to 8 days half the price, and inside 7 days the full price, because by then the notice of marriage is lodged and the things that cannot be unbought are paid for. If the date needs to move, that is not a cancellation, and we are very open to date changes. The rest of the price is settled later, on the island, and is explained at step 11.
- Step 8
The confirmation invoice. You are booked.
As soon as the deposit arrives we send a confirmation invoice stating that your date is booked and your wedding is one hundred percent confirmed. From here we lodge the notice of marriage with the Civil Status Office, which by law is published for 11 days before a marriage can take place, book the registrar, and start on the beach setup, the cake and whichever extras you chose. You will hear from us with a running order of the afternoon before you fly. If you want to see what that looks like, read your Seychelles wedding day, hour by hour.
- Step 9
Two weeks minimum. One week in a real emergency.
We recommend a minimum of two weeks between your documents being complete and your wedding day. That leaves room for the 11 day notice, the registrar’s diary and one correction if a scan turns out to be blurry. In a genuine emergency we have married couples inside a week, but only when every document was already apostilled, translated and in their hands. If you are short on time, send everything at once and say so. We will tell you straight whether it can be done. Couples in that position should also read how a short notice elopement works.
- Step 10
Land with the originals in your hand luggage
You must bring the original documents with you, physically, for verification. Passports, the apostilled birth certificates and any apostilled situational papers, in your hand luggage rather than the suitcase, because a suitcase can arrive a day after you do. Our wedding director can meet you at the airport to welcome you, and if you need wheels we arrange a hire car or a transfer to your accommodation. Most couples on Mahé take a small car for the whole stay. Praslin and La Digue couples get the ferry timings from us in advance.
- Step 11
The coordinator meeting, and the balance in cash
A few days before the wedding your coordinator meets you at your hotel or villa. You go through the afternoon together, hand over the originals for checking, confirm the vows, the music, the cake and the pickup time, and settle the balance. The full amount must be paid before the ceremony is conducted.
We recommend paying the balance in cash, in US dollars or euros. There are two plain reasons. Card payments carry a 4 percent processing fee that we would have to pass on, and the Seychelles rupee moves a lot against both currencies, so cash in your own currency is simply the cleanest way to settle. It is also how a small island works. The stylist, the coordinator on the sand and the government fees for the apostille are all paid in person, and cash lets us pay everyone on time. Bring the notes in good condition. Banks here refuse torn or marked bills.
- Step 12
The wedding day, then your certificate and apostille
The legal ceremony on the beach is about 20 minutes. The registrar reads the statutory words, asks each of you whether you take the other, hears your yes and declares you married in front of two witnesses, which we provide free if you come alone. Your own vows and the rings sit inside that time, and everything around it, the barefoot walk, the music, the cake, the two hours with the photographer, belongs to you.
The next working day we collect your marriage certificate from the Civil Status Office and take it to the Supreme Court for the Hague apostille. Our standard is five working days, not counting weekends and public holidays, and we usually have it back within 48 to 72 hours, delivered to your hotel. If you need to fly sooner we push to have it in your hand, and otherwise we send it by DHL or FedEx at your cost. How that document is then recognised at home is covered in is a Seychelles marriage recognised in my country, and the stamp itself in how long the certificate and apostille take.
When you pay, and how much
Two payments, and one small fee inside the first. Nothing else. The government fees, the registrar and the apostille are already inside the package price, never on top of it.
| Payment | When | How | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deposit | After the tentative invoice, to secure the date | Bank transfer to our EU account (EUR), US account (USD) or Seychelles account (SCR) | Usually €150 to €500, depending on your extras |
| Consultation fee | Included inside the deposit | Not a separate payment | €100, never refundable |
| Balance | At the coordinator meeting, a few days before the wedding, and always before the ceremony | Cash in USD or EUR recommended. Card possible with a 4 percent processing fee | The package plus your extras, less the deposit |
The Mahé package is €1,645, Praslin €1,990 and La Digue €2,090, all inclusive. The full list of what each contains is on the wedding packages page.
What if plans change
Life happens, and we have seen most versions of it. A date change is not a cancellation. Tell us as early as you can and we move the registrar, the beach and the extras to the new date with no penalty, subject to the registrar being free. A full cancellation more than 30 days before the wedding means we keep the €100 consultation fee and any official fees already paid, and refund the rest of your deposit. Closer than that a share of the price is kept, as set out in our wedding terms, because the notice of marriage is moving, the registrar is booked and the cake, the flowers and the team are committed. It is all written down in our wedding terms and conditions, so that nobody has to wonder.
Why we run it this way
We check your file before we invoice because a deposit on a file that might be refused is not fair. We hold the date on a small deposit because we would rather you commit to a date than to a large sum. We ask for originals in your hand luggage because the registrar will look at them, not at a scan. We ask for cash on the island because it is the way every supplier here is paid, and because we do not want to charge you a card fee for the privilege of paying us. We are transparent about the process and transparent about the price, and we are ready and happy to get you married.
Send us everything in one message
You have seen the prices and the add-ons. Now tell us about you, once, and it reaches us complete. No back and forth, no hundred messages.
- One message, not a hundred. Everything we need in a single send.
- A real reply within a day. From a local team on the island.
- Email or WhatsApp. Whichever suits you, same details either way.
Send us your details
Takes under a minute. We reply within a day.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to get married in Seychelles?
A minimum of two weeks from the day your documents are complete, which covers the 11 day notice of marriage and the registrar’s diary. In a genuine emergency we have done it in a week, but only with every document already apostilled and translated. Most couples start three to six months ahead so the apostille at home is never rushed.
How much is the deposit for a Seychelles wedding, and is it refundable?
Usually between €150 and €500, depending on the extras you have chosen. Inside it sits a €100 consultation fee, which is never refundable. Cancel more than 30 days before the wedding and we keep the €100 and any official fees, and refund the rest of your deposit. Inside 30 days a share of the price is kept, rising as the day gets closer, as set out in our wedding terms. Moving your date is not a cancellation. You can move it once, free of our charges, to a new date within twelve months.
Which currency and which account should we pay the deposit to?
We have an EU account in euros, a US account in dollars and a Seychelles account in rupees. Pay in whichever of euros or dollars is most convenient for you. The rupee account involves conversion and international bank fees on your side, so we only suggest it for couples who already hold rupees.
Can we pay the balance by card?
Yes, with a 4 percent processing fee. We recommend cash in US dollars or euros at the coordinator meeting a few days before the wedding, because there is no fee, the local currency fluctuates, and it is how the stylist and the government fees are paid on the island. The full balance must be paid before the ceremony.
What documents do we need to get married in Seychelles?
Both passports and both birth certificates, the birth certificates apostilled in your home country. If either of you has been married before, an apostilled final divorce decree or the former spouse’s apostilled death certificate. If your name has changed, the apostilled document that shows it. Anything not in English or French needs a certified translation. We confirm your exact list with the Civil Status Office before anything is invoiced.
Do we have to bring the original documents to Seychelles?
Yes. Scans are enough to check and lodge your file, but the originals must be with you, physically, for verification before the ceremony. Carry them in your hand luggage, not in the suitcase.
Why do you recommend extra marriage certificates?
Some registrations, visa applications and bank processes at home require you to hand over an original and do not always return it. One extra original certificate with its own apostille is €110 while you are here, and two are €200. Ordering one later means new government fees plus international courier charges, so most couples take one or two spare copies at the time.
Can someone meet us at the airport?
Yes. Our wedding director can welcome you at the airport, and we arrange a hire car or a transfer to your accommodation if you need one. Your coordinator then meets you at your hotel or villa a few days before the wedding to run through the afternoon, check the originals and settle the balance.
What if we are struggling to get a document in time?
Tell us straight away. Between the Civil Status Office, sworn translators and our experience with most nationalities there is usually a route, and we will do our best to accommodate you and get you married. The earlier we know, the more options there are.
- Immigration and Civil Status, Republic of Seychelles. Marriage Registrar FAQ: notice of marriage, documents and fees for foreign couples. www.ics.gov.sc
- Civil Status Act of Seychelles, celebration of marriage before an officer of civil status in the presence of two witnesses. citizenshiprightsafrica.org
- Hague Conference on Private International Law. Apostille Convention of 5 October 1961, status table and competent authorities. www.hcch.net
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora, Seychelles. Authentication and legalisation of documents, apostilles issued by the Supreme Court. mfa.gov.sc
- Central Bank of Seychelles. Daily exchange rates of the Seychelles rupee against the euro and the US dollar. www.cbs.sc
- Immigration and Civil Status, Republic of Seychelles. Visitor permit on arrival, valid passport and return ticket. www.ics.gov.sc
🌺 Mahé from €1,645, Praslin €1,990, La Digue €2,090
Ready for step one?
Send Anisa your names, nationalities and the month you have in mind. She replies with your exact document list and whether your date is free, usually the same day, and nothing is invoiced until your file has been checked.
Message us on WhatsApp[email protected]
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