With a lush mountainous landscape encircled by a choice of luxurious resorts and idyllic white-sand beaches fringed by gently swaying palm trees, St Lucia is the perfect spot to say 'I do' – and the ideal destination for that long dreamt of beach wedding!
From the majestic backdrop of St. Lucia’s Piton Mountain to picture perfect white-sand beaches, St Lucia offers a wide choice of stunning venues for your destination wedding.
The legal requirements for getting married in St Lucia are quite straightforward.
To get married in St Lucia, couples are required to apply for a marriage licence through a local solicitor or Notary Public who will prepare and sign your marriage license.
While there is no official residency period, couples should allow between three to five working days for the marriage application to be processed.
There is a waiting period of two business days for a civil marriage. This allows time for the Publication of Notice.
Religious marriages will have a longer waiting time as the publication of banns must be read three times in the church at intervals of at least one week or by posting the names of the bride and groom at the church door for 15 days before the wedding date.
If you want to get married within 24 hours of arriving in St Lucia, you can apply for a special licence.
Couples wanting to get married on the same day that they arrive will need to mail all documents ahead of time to the Attorney General so that the application can be processed by the time they arrive.
Ensure that all documents are in your legal name, and provide affidavits in cases where you are known by another name. Originals of all documentation are preferred.
If you’re unable to obtain an original Decree Absolute / Death Certificate you may provide a certified true copy.
All documents must be issued in English, otherwise they must be translated by an Official Translator and subsequently certified.
Documents required for getting married in St Lucia, include…
Marriages performed in St Lucia are internationally recognised and legally binding.
Note: Weddings cannot take place on holidays or weekends and must be performed between sunrise and sunset.
You can obtain your Marriage Certificate by writing to the Registrar (Registry of Civil Status, Peynier Street, Castries, Saint Lucia, WI), with full details including date of marriage, names of parties, maiden name of bride and where you got married.
Enclose a Postal Order or Money Order to the value of USD$10 payable to The Registrar. On receipt of payment the Marriage Certificate will be issued and mailed to you.
European Union citizens (except the United Kingdom and Ireland) may need to have their Marriage Certificate apostilled (or authenticated).
This does not apply to citizens of United States, Canada, Australia or New Zealand.
Citizens of Asian countries, South and Central America should check with their Civil Registrar/Marriage Officer as to whether an Apostille is required for your country.
Your wedding planner can assist you in obtaining the Apostille.
Some faiths may require additional documents for a church service. You may want to check this with your wedding planner or local minister.
For instance, couples of the Roman Catholic faith should allow sufficient time before the wedding date in order to process all the necessary paperwork (certificates of baptism, dispensations, statements of freedom to marry, etc.).
The wedding ceremony of a Roman Catholic must take place in a church rather than in a resort or on a beach.
As Saint Lucia is predominantly Roman Catholic, there are several beautiful Catholic churches that make for a very scenic but spiritual settings.
Regular Marriage Licence – EC$335 (USD$125),
Special (same-day) licence – EC$540 (USD$200),
Registrar – EC$100 (USD$37),
Certificate of Marriage – USD$10.
The majority of hotels in St Lucia provide professional wedding planners who can insure that the entire process of getting married in St Lucia, including fulfilling all legal requirements, is stress free.
For more information, visit the wedding portal at St Lucia Tourist Board to learn more about requirements, top wedding venues and recommended wedding planners.
Further information: Visit the Government of Saint Lucia website. You can download a Civil Status Marriage Application Form at the government website, which also provides information on obtaining the Marriage Certificate – (Registrar: Email: civilreg@candw.lc, Tel: 1 (758) 468-3195).
Please note: while accurate at time of publication this information is for guidance purposes only and liable to change without notice. Please check with your wedding planner at your resort of choice or the relevant embassy of the country in which you intend to marry for up-to-date details before your wedding.
Latest update: How to get married in St Lucia: 8 May, 2022
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