An island surrounded by clear waters, golden sand, exotic flora, rainforests and a rich cultural heritage, Sri Lanka can truly be described as ‘the pearl of the Indian Ocean’. The island has long been a popular wedding destination for couples from around the world, as it offers a great opportunity to combine both the wedding and honeymoon into a romantic getaway and cultural adventure.
Mark Duguid, Vice President of Commercial & Product at luxury travel company, Kuoni says: “Apart from booking into a luxurious beach hotel and enjoying a laid-back time in the sun, a trip to Sri Lanka should also include a tour of the island to discover all the amazing sights such as Sigiriya Rock, The Golden Cave Temples in Dambulla, the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, venturing out to the tea country in Nuwara Eliya and spotting wildlife in Yala. The island has so much to offer wedding couples and honeymooners alike, and therefore presents itself an ideal place to combine the two.”
Sri Lanka has consistently ranked as one of the top three countries for destination weddings over the past eight years. If you dream of an unforgettable wedding ceremony amidst breathtaking scenery, then Sri Lanka is the ideal country for you to exchange vows. Serene Pavilions, an award-winning luxury boutique hotel and a member of Small Luxury Hotels, offers the height of romance and the ideal setting to exchange vows: incredibly stylish, completely exclusive and set against the stunning backdrop of the Indian Ocean.
The perfect beaches and resplendent gardens create an idyllic stage for your wedding and tropical honeymoon escape. Perched on the shores of the Indian Ocean in Wadduwa, amidst a coconut-fringed oasis, Serene Pavilions hotel offers a variety of settings for your special day. Whether you prefer to say ‘yes’ to your one and only with sand between your toes and the ocean breeze in your hair, or whether you prefer an elegant marquee in the lush tropical gardens – Serene Pavilions Hotel will create an unforgettable wedding in Sri Lanka.
Total serenity
The exquisite Balinese-style luxury boutique hotel has 12 sumptuous pavilions dotted around a beautifully landscaped garden, filled with lotus ponds, coconut palms and tropical flowers. Each pavilion is the size of a small house featuring a stylish bedroom, living and dining area, bar, pantry, bathroom with a Jacuzzi for two, and even a private plunge pool and covered deck area, while a round-the-clock butler service ensures every whim is met.
The Serenity Spa invites you for rejuvenating treatments, whilst the central swimming pool presents a great place to cool down, enjoy the submerged Jacuzzi beds and top up your tan. The Pavilions Restaurant and the Amritha Bar offer epicurean dishes and delightful cocktails served in the glow of the most stunning sunsets.
A wedding at Serene Pavilions combines the romance of the tropics with bespoke service and hotel management that will listen to your requirements and wishes, and will act upon them to give you the wedding day of your dreams. The hotel offers set wedding packages, which are regarded as mere guidelines, as we at Serene Pavilions understand that each ceremony should reflect the personalities and preferences of the bride and groom.
There is no dedicated ‘wedding chapel’; instead, the bride and groom may choose their own ‘very special location’ – whether you prefer an intimate affair within your pavilion, a grand swirl of marquees in the beautifully maintained grounds, or a beach-front ceremony with the Indian Ocean providing a picture-postcard setting.
We recommend that you take over the entire hotel so we can put our considerable resources solely at your disposal. The hotel can sleep 30 people and host up to one hundred guests. Our experienced and dedicated chefs are here to create a bespoke menu to exacting standards: anything from the vast traditional Sri Lankan wedding fare of rice and curries, to a feast that would grace the dining rooms of an English stately home.
Serene Pavilions has established relationships with top wedding planners, finest floral designers, entertainers, photographers and other specialists, in addition to its own culinary talent, which hold the key to creating a one-of-a-kind lifetime event. Our experienced Wedding Planners will help you tailor your nuptials. Our Wedding Planners’ services are available to you from the time of confirmed booking and throughout the wedding ceremony. This service includes unlimited email and phone consultations.
In Sri Lanka, you can have the option to choose from a variety of ceremonies including civil ceremonies or the more common Poruwa wedding ceremonies. Christian, Muslim and Hindu weddings can also be arranged, each with their own traditions, decorations, flavours and flair.
A Poruwa ceremony is a traditional Sri Lankan wedding ceremony with Buddhist influences. The ceremony takes place on a ‘Poruwa’, a beautifully decorated, traditional wooden platform and involves a series of rituals performed by the bride and groom and their families.
At a Poruwa wedding ceremony, the bride and groom will be accompanied to the Poruwa by a procession of Kandyian traditional dancers and drummers. The Asthaka (master of ceremonies) presents a hand of betel leaves to the couple, which they accept and hand back to him to be placed at an elevated position on the Poruwa. This symbolises the offering of betel to the gods. The bride’s father then takes the bride’s hand and places it on the right hand of the groom as a symbolic gesture of handing over the bride to the groom. Fourteen betel leaves are handed to the couple, each of them take one sheaf at a time and drops it on the Poruwa. This is a custom carried out to remember seven generations of relatives on each side. The groom then places a flower garland around the bride’s neck. Next, the groom and bride exchange vows and wedding rings. Thereafter, the index fingers of both the bride and groom are tied together with a gold thread and the Asthaka pours water over the fingers. Water and earth being the eternal verities, the water so poured and the earth on which it falls are intended to be the lasting witnesses to the marriage. The bride and groom then feed each other from a plate of milk rice and traditional sweets. This is a symbolic pledge to take care of each other for life.
The legal requirements for registrations of marriages of foreign nationals in Sri Lanka is very straightforward. You must have resided in Sri Lanka for at least four days prior to the registration of the wedding. After the ceremony you must get your marriage certificate certified and must obtain official English translations, so that your marriage certificate is valid to submit to authorities outside of Sri Lanka. Our Wedding Planners will be able to assist you with all requirements for the registration of your marriage in Sri Lanka.
‘Intimate Wedding’ packages start at US$2,805 per couple whilst ‘Destination Wedding’ packages start at US$15,805. Please contact the hotel directly for all further details. Our dedicated team will design a wedding to suit your heart’s desire; big or small, traditional or contemporary, the possibilities are endless.
Further information
www.serenepavilions.com
fom@serenepavilions.com
+94 38 229 4444