Steps for Planning a Boat or Yacht Wedding

Here are the basic, high-level steps to plan the boat or yacht wedding of your dreams:

1. Find a boat wedding venue

Finding the venue is usually the second step I recommend to any couple planning their wedding. But for something as unique as a wedding on a boat, this is absolutely where you should start.

First, figure out which bodies of water are favorable for your wedding goals. If you leave near the ocean, great. But remember that many rivers and lakes can be options, too.

Next, explore boat and yacht candidates. As you search, you’ll usually see a few main options:

• Private yacht, boat, or vessel: Know someone with a boat? This works well for small, intimate weddings. You’ll have more control over the experience, but also more responsibility for logistics like catering, décor, and timing.
• Chartered yacht or event boat: Renting a vessel is a super convenient way to get married on a boat or yacht. These are designed for group trips and events. They often include staff, restrooms, and layout options. It’s one of the easiest ways to host a wedding on the water without reinventing the wheel.
• Larger cruise-style vessels: These allow for more guests, more amenities, and multiple spaces for different parts of the day. They may also, however, feel less customizable (i.e. larger party = larger responsibility = longer list of rules).

As you explore, make sure that you’re specifically confirming that your boat venue options actually host weddings. Best not to assume.

Also when choosing, pay attention to capacity (comfortably, not just technically), indoor (covered) vs. outdoor (uncovered) space, and how flexible the crew is with timelines and movement.

2. Choose a season for your boat wedding

Season matters a lot when your venue floats. The effects of weather on a wedding day are generally amplified: a windy day on land might be inconvenient, but on a boat it could be downright dangerous.

Summer might feel like the obvious choice, but the other seasons can be surprisingly perfect due to fewer crowds and cooler temperatures. Spring and early fall often offer calmer water and better sunsets, depending on location.

Also consider or inquire about:

• Wind patterns
• Typical wave conditions
• How much of the experience on the boat/yacht is outdoors vs. covered

A boat wedding doesn’t need perfect weather, but it can benefit greatly from predictable weather.

3. Decide on the wedding day plan

Just like a wedding on land, you have options for how to structure your day when getting married on a boat, yacht, or cruise.

First, you may be most comfortable deciding which parts of the day will actually take place on the water:

• Wedding ceremony only: A beautiful option if you want a focused, intimate experience followed by the flexibility of a land-based reception celebration.
• Wedding reception only: Great if you’re hosting a ceremony elsewhere but want a celebratory cruise afterward. Chartered sunset or night cruises, for example, might be attractive for this plan.
• Entire wedding on a boat: Certainly, the size and layout of the vessel will heavily influence what’s possible. But also consider the length of the trip; some guests who aren’t used to being on the water may get restless.

Next, think about where the other moments could happen. For example, look out for options near the wedding boat’s docking location for the following:

• Rehearsal dinner
• Getting ready and guest accommodations
• Ceremony (if this won’t be taking place on the boat itself)
• Reception (likewise)
• After party

Planning a boat wedding often works best when it’s part of a larger, thoughtfully-designed day. Consider hiring the services of an experienced wedding planner to ease the burden. Decide on what elements of luxury you two want to include (no matter how small or large).

4. Consider your guest list

When you get married on a yacht, space is finite. Even when capacity allows, comfort should be your real guide.

A slightly smaller guest list often feels more intentional and more enjoyable on the water. Fewer people means easier movement, more breathing room, and a calmer overall experience.

It also allows your guests to actually experience the setting instead of feeling packed into it.

Also consider space for other considerations, such as wedding favors, refreshments and coolers, and your wedding vendors.

5. Check nearby accommodations and amenities

While this overlaps with step three, the separation is deliberate. Establishing your plan and guest count will certainly dictate what sorts of land-based decisions you’ll need to make for your boat or yacht wedding.

So at this point, your endeavor to get married on a boat is about finalizing those step three decisions and shaping the flow of the day. Maybe that means, for example, planning a couple intentional stops on the boat before heading back to port.

If the town or city your wedding boat departs from has good options for rehearsal dinners, night-of dinners, hotels, and transportation, it usually makes the entire plan feel smoother and more elevated even if you don’t initially book all of the extras.

A great boat wedding feels effortless — even though a lot of intention went into making it that way.

6. Make contingency plans

No matter where you get married, an open-air wedding is always subject to Mother Nature’s whims. Add a boat to the equation, and flexibility becomes essential.

Certainly, weather would generally be the root of all plan changes. You two will put your minds even more at ease if you consider the following:

• Timing adjustments: If you have to wait for storm to pass, will your reception restaurant work with you?
• Docked vs. cruising options: If heading out onto the water is an absolute no-go, can your boat or yacht venue accommodate a celebration on board while tied to the dock?
• Guest illness, lateness: What kind of cut-off decisions need to be made if you find yourselves waiting on guests? (Keep in mind that in some cases, the crew will make these decisions for you.)

The goal isn’t to control your day, it’s to design a plan that still feels calm if things shift.

Northeast Boats and Yachts for Weddings

Here are some wedding boat venues available for charter in the northeast:

Connecticut

• Sail Away Argia (Mystic | here’s an Argia wedding)
• Riverhouse Cruises (Haddam)
• Connecticut River Tours (Essex)
• Skyline Cruises (Norwalk)
• Thimble Island Cruise (Stony Creek)
• Sunbeam Fleet (Waterford)

Rhode Island

• Newport Classic Cruises
• The Newport Experience / Schooner Aurora

Boston

• Charles River Boat Company
• Classic Harbor Line

New York City

• City Experiences
• Prestige Yacht Charters
• Metro Yacht Charters of New York

Alternatives to a Boat Wedding

If your dream wedding is on a boat, yacht, or cruise, but the logistics don’t quite line up, just do things on land near the water. Here are some of Connecticut’s best nautical-themed wedding venues.