Boat Marriages

Getting married on a boat is certainly one of the most unique and memorable ways to “tie the knot”, but it’s not as easy as many think.

First, the belief that any ship’s captain can marry a couple at sea is a myth. Anyone, even captains at sea, must be legally licensed to perform weddings, regardless of the locale; otherwise the “marriage” is not legally binding.

Most Cruise Line Captains are licensed to perform weddings at sea, but don’t expect that sightseeing boat you rented for the day gives the boat’s owner the right to perform a marriage. However, a boat owner can certainly provide their boat for a marriage ceremony if the prospective bride or groom provides their own priest, rabbi or clergyman.

In fact, getting married on a boat is gaining in popularity. Not only because boating itself is a romantic adventure, but the average cost for boat weddings are also much cheaper that a traditional church wedding; and boats, and boat weddings, are by nature, unique, romantic, and intimate occasions.

Where can you have a boat wedding? Anywhere you can float your boat. If there’s a body of water, you can get married on it, be it a cruise ship, sailboat, powerboat or gondola. And nothing could be more romantic than saying “I do” and tying the (seaman’s) knot during a romantic excursion along the Chesapeake Bay or Maryland’s inland waterways.

Offering or renting your boat for a wedding or reception is a unique opportunity for a cruise, but you need to have a boat that matches style and beauty of the moment. No one takes a cruise on a dingy tugboat, so your boat’s exterior and interior needs to match the style and beauty of the occasion. CMC Canvas LLC provides that quality protection for your boat.