Zanzibar is the ideal place for a beach wedding with it’s beautiful coastline and a wide range of accommodation to choose from. The beaches in Zanzibar are a paradise, interspersed with picturesque fishing villages. Where the people live a simple way of life, unchanged over the years. A wedding and honeymoon on Zanzibar will leave you and your guests relaxed, and rejuvenated. Ready for the exciting adventure that awaits! Zanzibar weddings can be coordinated for all party sizes. Whether it is just the 2 of you or a large number of guests. Once we have your requirements, we will find the most suitable venue from a sultan’s palace to the beautiful beach.
Zanzibar Wedding
Zanzibar Beach Wedding
Weddings on the beach are an informal event – barefoot and fabulous. Having said that, some brides have donned magnificent designer dresses, which have sparkled on the beach. Don’t forget that shoes need to be removed before boarding boats and dresses need to be hoisted up! Please keep in mind the weather when planning outfits, Zanzibar is hot and humid year round. Smart casual is perfect for a wedding on the beach. The majority of the weddings take place in the late afternoon to early evening. This is a beautiful time of the day in Zanzibar. The sun is setting and the photographs always turn out stunningly. Having a late afternoon or evening wedding means that you can enjoy a wonderful candle lit dinner at the waters edge, which is simply spectacular. If you would rather have a daytime wedding, we can just as easily do that for you.
Zuri Zanzibar beach wedding
Zanzibar Wedding Requirements
The legal requirements for marriage in Zanzibar are different from mainland Tanzania. The Embassy suggests that you or the resort where the wedding will take place contact the Government of Zanzibar to discuss your upcoming nuptial. It can sometimes be a cumbersome exercise. Therefore, most couples chose to do the legalities at home and have a symbolic wedding in Zanzibar.
Civil Wedding at Regional Commissioners Office or by Regional Commissioner
Civil ceremonies must be held in the morning and on weekdays only. It will usually take place on the beach with the Regional Commissioner coming to the hotel to perform the ceremony. However, in the event that this is not possible it will be necessary to go to the Regional Commissioners Office. Upon returning to the hotel, there will be a symbolic ceremony on the beach with a decorated canopy usually. In this event, the couple will have to exchange their own symbolic vows.
All out door and beach activities are dependent on tides and weather. Application letter must be in English and signed by both parties indicating that both applicants are single and want to marry in Zanzibar with the intended date of marriage. This letter should be certified by a Public Notary. We also need: 1) Two photocopies of your passport 2) Birth registration certificates 3) Certification of domicile 4) Two passport photographs. 5) A paper stating you are single (extremely important) 6) Names, birth dates and birth place of parents.
This will need to be verified with the Regional Commissioner’s Office at the time of your booking.
Please Note
Prior to the ceremony, the couple must meet with the officials to verify all documentation. This can be the same day as the ceremony. According to Zanzibar Laws, a notice must put on the Municipal Notice Board for the intended marriage twenty one days prior to the ceremony. There is no waiver available in Zanzibar, so the twenty one day period is mandatory (you only need arrive a minimum of 2 days prior to wedding day). Therefore, it is best that all documentation is received at least 25 days prior to planned wedding date.
Documents must be sent by registered mail or courier in order to ensure delivery. We cannot accept responsibility for any documents sent by other means. Please note that requirements and processing periods in Zanzibar are subject to change without reason or prior notification. We cannot accept any liability whatsoever for changes which occur. Please note some resorts only do ‘mock weddings’.
Wedding flowers:
While Zanzibar is not typically known for its tropical flowers, the local Hibiscus and Frangipani flowers are abundant. They add splendor to any wedding table and charm to any Zanzibar bride. Garlands made of sweet smelling Jasmine are traditional in Zanzibar. However should you wish to have roses, we can fly these in from Arusha. There is a minimum order, which can only make a small bouquet or 2 small table flower pots. The colors available depend on the rains in Arusha, and so would require a degree of flexibility on your part. We do require plenty of notice. And even still the delivery and type of flowers available depend on the weather and many other circumstances such as cargo availability, beyond our control. We still do our utmost to get you the flowers that you would like for the wedding of your dreams.
Some of the music options:
Ngoma drummers and dancers – An African music group who delight in the union of souls. Their elation is conveyed through customary dancing and the rhythmic beating of drums. A jubilant beginning to a marriage begun on African sands.
Swahili Jazz – Guitar and saxophone. The richness of the music is perfectly suited to the wedding march, a sunset Dhow cruise and background music to your dinner.
Lutheran Choir – An enthusiastic choir with an amazing flair for the theatrical. Their euphoric song and exhilarating dance enhances the fact that you are no longer two, but one, as their song states.
Islanders Band – A band with very talented singers. Their repertoire ranges from contemporary African to the Rolling Stones, even Elvis! Get ready to dance the night away! They are only available to play for weddings that have exclusive use of the venue. Check with us anyway and we can see what we can do.
Your own music – Should you wish to have your special song/ first dance song played, you are welcome to bring it along and we can play it through the Islanders Band amp. This is only possible if you include the Islanders Band in your package.
Dance Floor – Dancing on the beach is perfect way to celebrate a new marriage. We smooth away the soft sand until we reach the harder more stable sand, which becomes the base of the dance floor. We enhance with dance floor edge with lanterns and shells. Just the thing to complete the island experience.
Wedding Favors:
Favors for your guests or gifts for those in your wedding party are available. We prefer to empower the local community who create beautiful items to choose from. Each gift will have a handmade tag attached with the names of the wedding couple and the date of their wedding, so your guests can keep these beautiful souvenirs and be reminded of your day! Different NGO’S supply these to us and all proceeds go towards them. However, should you have any other requests, please let us know. In order to have a religious wedding in Zanzibar you need to be there at least 2 full working days prior (subject to change) to the wedding day.
Zanzibar Wedding Planning Service
We offer a full wedding planner service, we will ensure that your day is as peaceful and joyous as the occasion deserves and demands. We have a selection of charming wedding packages available that will melt every heart. This said we invite all couples to tailor the packages and create that dream wedding. We have a wide range of optional extras which will make the ordinary wedding, exceptional.
