Tahiti Beach Wedding

As a wedding destination, Tahiti offers couples a great choice of beach wedding venues. The islands of Tahiti are universally rated as some of the most romantic settings on earth and it’s hard not to fall under their romantic spell.

With its palm-shaded coves, romantic secluded beaches, intoxicating scents and alluring people, the magic of Tahiti has for centuries lured poets and writers to her shores, incited sailors to mutiny and inspired some of the world’s most beautiful paintings.

Civil and traditional ceremonies
Getting married legally in French Polynesia takes longer than on most other South Pacific islands. For this reason many couples complete a civil wedding in their home country and enjoy a romantic traditional style Tahitian wedding in Tahiti or one of the other Society Islands.

Obtaining a marriage licence for civil (legal) ceremony
A lot of mundane paperwork is required for couples planning to get officially married in Tahiti, much of which must be prepared before your arrival. This must then be presented to the municipality where the wedding is to take place.

Documents required
Here's what is required for a wedding in Tahiti:

• Certificate of residency (at least one month of residency)
• Original or certified copy of birth certificates for both the bride and groom (issued within the last three months) including translation into French
• Pre-marriage medical certificate for bride and groom (issued within the last two months)
• Birth certificate of children to be legitimised (if necessary)
• Copy of the notarised marriage contract (foreign-born persons)
• Customary certificate (from country of nationality)
• Certificate of celibacy
• Foreign nationals must post the publication of marriage bans for 10 days with the appropriate authorities at their place of residence and have the witnessing certificate.

Traditional Tahitian Marriage Ceremonies
This is the most popular form of ‘marriage’ in French Polynesia and can be arranged through local specialists who will make your wedding ceremony unforgettable. (Remember these marriages are a pure Tahitian experience and they are not legally recognised or binding marriages.)

Your wedding ceremony can be as elaborate as a royal event or as simple as an “I do” on a pristine white beach.

Imagine standing on a white sandy beach in a palm-shaded cove, while a Tahitian trio serenades you and your lover: you exchange tiare leis and receive a wedding blessing from a Tahitian priest as a warm tropical breeze ruffles the swaying palm fronds above you in a landscape that includes an extinct volcano soaring majestically into a clear blue sky.

The ceremony then sees you wrapped in a traditional tifaifai – a handmade wedding quilt. Pure magic.