4 Reasons Why You Should Have your Wedding in Sri Lanka
Weddings mark one of the most special moments in our lives. To honour it, we make it as lavish as we please and invite all our loved ones to partake in the event. But planning a wedding is not nearly as joyous as the occasion. After all, there’s so much to think about, from invitations to flower arrangements, to the wedding garments, and the rings.
With all that, who has the time to hammer out details of a destination wedding? Why even consider?
When it comes to love, Sri Lanka is a passionate country, and when it comes to celebrating that love, we go hard or go home. It’s home to anyone who wants to call it home, and treats you just as well. So, let us help you decide.
We’ve compiled a list of reasons as to why you should consider celebrating your special day in Sri Lanka.
1. Beach Weddings
The great thing about an island wedding—particularly one in Sri Lanka—is that there are so many locations available to you all year round. Why run after that one beautiful seaside pavilion back home when you have an endless list of similarly beautiful ones here in Sri Lanka? If it’s monsoon season along one part of the island, there are sunny beaches waiting for you on the other.
2. Mountain Weddings
If you don’t feel like getting married by the beach, how about the misty hilltops of Nuwara Eliya, or even alongside one of the many picturesque waterfalls in the region? Location is everything, as you could transport your wedding ceremony to a fantasy land with the right scenic backdrop of a mountainous range.
3. Cheap is good
Who says “the more expensive, the better”? Why not have a great quality wedding while spending half, or even a quarter of the amount?
The thing about Sri Lanka is, decor can be locally sourced for just a fraction of the price charged in most other countries. The same goes for food. What’s better? A lot of Sri Lankan caterers provide a variety of cuisines, so you could really mix it up to suit the tastes of everyone attending.
4. What’s fashion got to do with it?
If the traditional white dress and black suit aren’t really working for you, consider trying some of the local wedding outfits instead! It’ll make for a great story to show and tell people back home and an interesting experience overall. For example, the traditional Kandyan garments include an osariya for the bride and nilame for the groom. The osariya worn at Sinhala-Buddhist weddings is a densely embroidered saree, with silvery gold threading and tons of sequins and pearls. The bridge is adorned from head to toe in gorgeous jewellery. The groom’s nilame outfit is made from silk and is less densely embroidered albeit still quite luxurious.
5. Fun in the traditional sense
In fact, why not just have a proper Sri Lankan wedding? Sri Lankan weddings are ridiculously fun, especially once the bar’s open, where local coconut arrack and whisky are popular offerings. When the religious ceremony at the beginning ends and everyone has had their dinner and sufficiently socialised, baila music begins to play. Now this is truly when the party starts. Every uncle and aunty would be dancing to the soundtrack of their younger days, while those who didn’t grow up during the golden days of baila still join in with as much enthusiasm to show off a few of our classic dance moves. Fun is a key factor, as there is very little tolerance for super-formal weddings here. We just let our (in)famous island spirit take over!