Wedding In September on the X Solstice

[yoyoyomonkeysss]

Hey everyone, 

 

My husband and I will be doing our symbolic wedding ceremony on Celebrity Solstice this September to Alaska. We have 4 immediate family members (no one else will be attending) that are sailing with us for the entirety of the trip. We really just wanted an intimate ceremony in front of family and even forego the reception. Our wedding will be the first sea day. It will be our first time on a Celebrity ship, I have only sailed on Princess and Carnival in the past. 

 

I'm hoping to get some advice from you all, any recommendation is welcomed! 

1. Where's the best place to have our ceremony? Looks like Blu is pretty popular based on my research but I'm open to other suggestions.
2. Where are some great places to take photos on the ship? Also, any experiences with wedding photographers on the ship, I'm curious how the photos will turn out and if it will be worth it to purchase. 
3. Does Celebrity have makeup and hair session you can book on the wedding day? What are your experience with it? Do I bring my own tools and supplies? 

[emmas gran]

I think you should address these questions to Celebrity.

Blu is a restaurant for Aqua class passengers!

[Brews'n'Cruise]

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding.

 

I got married on the Silhouette 7 years ago so have some first-hand experience. Celebrity were fantastic and treated us really well through the entire cruise, it was a really special experience. We got married in Murano, I am not sure how many venues they offer but Murano is probably a good place for a small group, there were only 4 in our party.

 

We took the photo package offered by the ship for a wedding, this is totally different to any other photo package they might offer and it cost over $1K, not sure how much it would be now. The photographer took us all over the ship, it lasted an hour or so, so you get lots of opportunities for photos, and the package included all the photos printed and digital.

 

The Spa will offer all sorts of packages for you to get looking your finest for the ceremony.

 

Andy.

[dcbiker97]

16 minutes ago, emmas gran said:

I think you should address these questions to Celebrity.

Blu is a restaurant for Aqua class passengers!

The fact that Blu is a restaurant  for Aqua passengers has nothing to do with her question. 
 

Celebrity often holds events in spaces outside their normal use times. Blu would be nice because of all the light. Tuscan Grille would also be nice overlooking the ships wake. 

[Northern Aurora]

I was actually on the Solstice when a couple were married on the bridge!  The couple (and their respective adult children) had staterooms on the same floor as ours and I remember speaking to the bride.  I have no idea how large the wedding party actually was but it had to be 6 or 8 folks.  The ship was rocking enough that the bride was laughing that she was concerned about falling down and her new husband was joking that their marriage was "off to a rocky start."  But I also remember that the bride told me she was pleased with how Celebrity handled the event and thought that the captain did a very good job conducting the ceremony.  If my memory is correct that happened in 2016 and it was Captain Zisis.

 

 

[NutsAboutGolf]

You'll need to pick an itinerary if you already haven't, then you go here to skim the FAQ https://theweddingexperience.com/celebrity-cruises

 

Just note that it isn't remotely cheap (minimum of several thousands) and you can get whatever you want but for a (in most cases expensive) price

 

I would suggest an alternative...While you'll need to check with the ports, there can be many ports where you can get a Justice of the Peace to meet you on a beach, they'll bring a photographer and you have a ceremony in the sand with a photographer for under a grand.  Since it's symbolic, the wedding license in a foreign country potential headache isn't even a factor

[yoyoyomonkeysss]

5 hours ago, dcbiker97 said:

The fact that Blu is a restaurant  for Aqua passengers has nothing to do with her question. 
 

Celebrity often holds events in spaces outside their normal use times. Blu would be nice because of all the light. Tuscan Grille would also be nice overlooking the ships wake. 

Thank you! That's great to hear there will be more than one potential option for the ceremony. 

[yoyoyomonkeysss]

1 hour ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

You'll need to pick an itinerary if you already haven't, then you go here to skim the FAQ https://theweddingexperience.com/celebrity-cruises

 

Just note that it isn't remotely cheap (minimum of several thousands) and you can get whatever you want but for a (in most cases expensive) price

 

I would suggest an alternative...While you'll need to check with the ports, there can be many ports where you can get a Justice of the Peace to meet you on a beach, they'll bring a photographer and you have a ceremony in the sand with a photographer for under a grand.  Since it's symbolic, the wedding license in a foreign country potential headache isn't even a factor

We'll be doing a "Nautical Nuptials", their version of getting married on the sea. It will be a sea day and based on what we read, the captain can help officiate. My understanding the photographer will help take photos, but if you want to keep prints it can be pretty pricey upward to 1-2k. 

[yoyoyomonkeysss]

5 hours ago, Brews'n'Cruise said:

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding.

 

I got married on the Silhouette 7 years ago so have some first-hand experience. Celebrity were fantastic and treated us really well through the entire cruise, it was a really special experience. We got married in Murano, I am not sure how many venues they offer but Murano is probably a good place for a small group, there were only 4 in our party.

 

We took the photo package offered by the ship for a wedding, this is totally different to any other photo package they might offer and it cost over $1K, not sure how much it would be now. The photographer took us all over the ship, it lasted an hour or so, so you get lots of opportunities for photos, and the package included all the photos printed and digital.

 

The Spa will offer all sorts of packages for you to get looking your finest for the ceremony.

 

Andy.

Good to know! Did you like the photos? On the brochure/pamphlet they shared the photos are from early 2000s, and nothing recent. I wonder if that has changed. If you don't mind me asking, how much did you pay for photos? 

[DingoMom]

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! While I have never done a wedding package, and I cannot give you prices, I know that hair & makeup can be done in the spa and the quality of the photos (and ship photographers) is very good. To save some $, you could do your nails pre-cruise and go on your Roll Call to see if there are any pro (or semi-pro) photographers willing to work with you on your day…would likely cost WAY less than the ship’s!

[CruiseCrew123]

Not sure how intimate the day will be with 2000 plus people on board though who may decide you are their entertainment for the day 

[madat]

I was married at sea in 2019 by Captain George aboard the Silhouette.  We had bad weather on the day and were offered to change the date to later in the cruise, but we went ahead as the date was important to us   We had 7 guests and the ceremony was held in Blu.  The area of the restaurant that was used for the ceremony was decked out beautifully, including roses scattered on the floor.  We paid for the photo package (yes, I think it was around $1,000 USD) and were very happy with the prints we selected.  This was despite not getting any outside shots - it was raining heavily and the seas were rough.  Our photographer was very creative and did a great job - some of our favourite shots were taken during the ceremony and later at the entrance of Tuscan Grill.  The on-board wedding co-ordinator was fabulous throughout our cruise.  She was in contact with us from the moment we boarded and took care of everything with great efficiency.  And our dinner reception in the private room at Murano's was an evening we will never forget.

 

Our wedding was mid-afternoon and very private and intimate, and by no means were we anybody's "entertainment for the day".  Our cabin steward, the on-board wedding organiser, and all of the crew we encountered throughout our cruise went out of their way to ensure we had a very memorable and unique wedding and honeymoon.  We were spoiled throughout, with a bevvy of delightful surprises, including a private tour of the bridge, invitations to the helipad for special viewings, and lots of special attention.  My husband and I were told we were the second, Australian, same-sex couple to be married aboard a Celebrity ship.  Our claim to fame - LOL.  

 

I hope your experience is just as wonderful as ours.  

[Brews'n'Cruise]

17 hours ago, yoyoyomonkeysss said:

Good to know! Did you like the photos? On the brochure/pamphlet they shared the photos are from early 2000s, and nothing recent. I wonder if that has changed. If you don't mind me asking, how much did you pay for photos? 

I can't remember exactly how much the package cost, I think it was a little over $1,000.

 

Andy.

[NutsAboutGolf]

11 hours ago, CruiseCrew123 said:

Not sure how intimate the day will be with 2000 plus people on board though who may decide you are their entertainment for the day 

They’ll close down venues for a private event if you’re willing to pay

[yoyoyomonkeysss]

On 6/6/2023 at 6:59 AM, madat said:

I was married at sea in 2019 by Captain George aboard the Silhouette.  We had bad weather on the day and were offered to change the date to later in the cruise, but we went ahead as the date was important to us   We had 7 guests and the ceremony was held in Blu.  The area of the restaurant that was used for the ceremony was decked out beautifully, including roses scattered on the floor.  We paid for the photo package (yes, I think it was around $1,000 USD) and were very happy with the prints we selected.  This was despite not getting any outside shots - it was raining heavily and the seas were rough.  Our photographer was very creative and did a great job - some of our favourite shots were taken during the ceremony and later at the entrance of Tuscan Grill.  The on-board wedding co-ordinator was fabulous throughout our cruise.  She was in contact with us from the moment we boarded and took care of everything with great efficiency.  And our dinner reception in the private room at Murano's was an evening we will never forget.

 

Our wedding was mid-afternoon and very private and intimate, and by no means were we anybody's "entertainment for the day".  Our cabin steward, the on-board wedding organiser, and all of the crew we encountered throughout our cruise went out of their way to ensure we had a very memorable and unique wedding and honeymoon.  We were spoiled throughout, with a bevvy of delightful surprises, including a private tour of the bridge, invitations to the helipad for special viewings, and lots of special attention.  My husband and I were told we were the second, Australian, same-sex couple to be married aboard a Celebrity ship.  Our claim to fame - LOL.  

 

I hope your experience is just as wonderful as ours.  

I love this for you and your husband! You make me believe this can work out at the end. If you have any recommendations on connecting with The Wedding Experience, I'm all ears. I'm having such difficulty to get through with them just so I can register and pay for our wedding. 

[NutsAboutGolf]

On 6/6/2023 at 6:59 AM, madat said:

I was married at sea in 2019 by Captain George aboard the Silhouette.  We had bad weather on the day and were offered to change the date to later in the cruise, but we went ahead as the date was important to us   We had 7 guests and the ceremony was held in Blu.  The area of the restaurant that was used for the ceremony was decked out beautifully, including roses scattered on the floor.  We paid for the photo package (yes, I think it was around $1,000 USD) and were very happy with the prints we selected.  This was despite not getting any outside shots - it was raining heavily and the seas were rough.  Our photographer was very creative and did a great job - some of our favourite shots were taken during the ceremony and later at the entrance of Tuscan Grill.  The on-board wedding co-ordinator was fabulous throughout our cruise.  She was in contact with us from the moment we boarded and took care of everything with great efficiency.  And our dinner reception in the private room at Murano's was an evening we will never forget.

 

Our wedding was mid-afternoon and very private and intimate, and by no means were we anybody's "entertainment for the day".  Our cabin steward, the on-board wedding organiser, and all of the crew we encountered throughout our cruise went out of their way to ensure we had a very memorable and unique wedding and honeymoon.  We were spoiled throughout, with a bevvy of delightful surprises, including a private tour of the bridge, invitations to the helipad for special viewings, and lots of special attention.  My husband and I were told we were the second, Australian, same-sex couple to be married aboard a Celebrity ship.  Our claim to fame - LOL.  

 

I hope your experience is just as wonderful as ours.  

 

Mind sharing a rough ball park of the all in price range and if it was AUD or USD?

[NutsAboutGolf]

On 6/5/2023 at 9:11 PM, DingoMom said:

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! While I have never done a wedding package, and I cannot give you prices, I know that hair & makeup can be done in the spa and the quality of the photos (and ship photographers) is very good. To save some $, you could do your nails pre-cruise and go on your Roll Call to see if there are any pro (or semi-pro) photographers willing to work with you on your day…would likely cost WAY less than the ship’s!

 

Great ideas, I would recommend the OP ask the wedding POC as I wonder if X wants to charge $1K for their photographer and more for prints, if "smuggling" a photographer on board would be is banned like alcohol

 

 

[madat]

4 hours ago, yoyoyomonkeysss said:

I love this for you and your husband! You make me believe this can work out at the end. If you have any recommendations on connecting with The Wedding Experience, I'm all ears. I'm having such difficulty to get through with them just so I can register and pay for our wedding. 

 

Aw, thank you 🙂  We initially booked the cruise to celebrate our 20th anniversary of our relationship but when we found out that a legal, same sex marriage could now take place, we decided to take the plunge!  As the Silhouette is registered in Malta, this is where our marriage was registered.

 

We initially contacted The Wedding Experience through their website: https://theweddingexperience.com/celebrity-cruises   Once we were registered, an online account was setup for us with a username and password.  At any time we could access our account and send messages to our consultant, choose optional extras etc., upload documents, view our account and make payments.  It was all very transparent and fairly straight forward.

 

We were generally impressed with the responsiveness of our Wedding Experience consultant.  Whilst she was based in Miami, we received all calls in Australia at appropriate times that allowed for the (big!) time difference, and everything ran smoothly.  The most challenging part for us was organising all of the paperwork required by the Maltese government within fairly narrow timeframes.  Our consultant was helpful and pro-active though, and It all worked out in the end.

 

Again, we thought Blu was a lovely venue for our small ceremony.  It was perfect for us 🙂 

[madat]

2 hours ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

Mind sharing a rough ball park of the all in price range and if it was AUD or USD?

 

Not at all.  Marriage Licence + Processing Fee + Nuptials at Sea package + Cake + Champagne + Salon services (haircuts)  = approx $4,000 USD.  This was in 2019.  Surprisingly, we can still access our online account, which is where I've just accessed the above details!  We had 9 people in our party (7 guests).  The photo package was additional.

 

We didn't pay for a formal reception.  Instead, we booked a table for 9 people at Murano's and paid the usual surcharge for a speciality restaurant.  We were allocated a semi-private room, surrounded by wine cabinets, and the staff went out of their way to make our evening very, very special.

[CruiseloverfromGA]

On 6/5/2023 at 10:15 PM, yoyoyomonkeysss said:

We'll be doing a "Nautical Nuptials", their version of getting married on the sea. It will be a sea day and based on what we read, the captain can help officiate. My understanding the photographer will help take photos, but if you want to keep prints it can be pretty pricey upward to 1-2k. 

We were married in November on Apex and were able to get all of the digital images for around $900.  We had several hundred pictures.

[yoyoyomonkeysss]

10 hours ago, CruiseloverfromGA said:

We were married in November on Apex and were able to get all of the digital images for around $900.  We had several hundred pictures.

That's good to know! How were the photos? 

[CruiseloverfromGA]

16 hours ago, yoyoyomonkeysss said:

That's good to know! How were the photos? 

Here are a couple of the 900