Getting Married in Cayman ...Is it legal back home?

Probably the question I get asked most often about getting married in Cayman is "is it legal back home?" The answer is a resounding YES! Let me walk you through what happens.

First your marriage must be performed by a person who is licensed by the Cayman Islands government as a "Marriage Officer". I get quite a few requests from couple who want to bring their own officiant with them. That's fine...as long as you understand that whom ever says the words, your Cayman Marriage Officer has to do the paperwork which makes it legal.

As a visitor, you must be married by a Special Marriage License. Your Marriage Officer will do the documentation for this, and then sign that everything is in order. You will be given the Special License to keep as a souvenir. It is rather nice, as it has the seal of the Governor of the Cayman Islands. There are other arrangements in place for residents, and one requirement is a time requirement for the Banns of Marriage to be posted.

Visitors can be married the same day they arrive, as long as I have time to get the Special Marriage License. Special arrangements can be made for visitors who want to be married on a weekend or Public Holiday, when the Governor's Office is closed.


After the ceremony, you have to sign three documents. Ladies, you sign your maiden name, or the name on your documents. You don't sign your new married name at this point. The first document is a certified copy of the Marriage Certificate, which is yours to keep. It will have the couple's signatures, the witnesses signatures, and my signature and seal as a Civil Registrar of Marriages aka Marriage Officer.

The next two documents will be handwritten, and you should check that all your details, especially your legal names, and your postal address is correct. One of these documents is kept in my Marriage Book, and I file the Duplicate Marriage Certificate with the Registrar General.
This is akin to your County Clerk, or Public Records Office at home.

When your marriage is filed, I make an application on your behalf to get your Registered Marriage Certificate. This document will be sent to you by mail, within 3 working days of your marriage. This is the legal document you will need to have your driver's license changed to your married name, your passport changed etc. It will have the seal of the Registrar General. a watermark of the Cayman Islands crest, and on the back it will say "Secure Document."

Some European and Asian countries require an Apostille. If in doubt, be sure to ask. The USA and UK do not require an Apostille.


Many people tell me they want to be married "just the two of us". Well, under Cayman law you must have two witnesses over the age of 18. Here is a picture of me explaining to some witnesses where you have to sign. If you don't have witnesses, then let me know and I will provide them. You should give these witnesses a small tip ($20/$30) as a token of appreciation for them getting dressed nicely and coming out specially for your wedding.
This is what your certified copy looks like. I like to take a picture of what I call "The Proof"! If you have any questions, email me at mywedding@candw.ky.

Favourite Spots (6)- Pedro St James Castle

Pedro St James Castle is one of the oldest buildings in the Cayman Islands, and it's beautiful grounds overlooking Pedro's Bluff is a favourite spot for large local weddings.

Here is Vernon Jackson, OBE, JP, Cayman's most popular Marriage Officer, presiding at the wedding of his grand-daughter.
The beautiful bride with her new husband, and her three brothers,

The wedding reception was themed to reflect the groom's Indian heritage, with an array of
jewel colours. Event planning was by Lions Productions, photography by Rebecca Davidson of "Picture This."
This was a fabulous family event, and what did the mother of the bride do? I relaxed and enjoyed it. First rule of thumb for the mother of the bride? Let someone else manage the event!

Real People- Real Weddings (2)

In 2007 I performed 100 wedding ceremonies, most of them for visitors. I really appreciate it when couples take the time to let me know they enjoyed the whole experience. For one thing, a heartfelt testimonial is the best advertisement. Here is a quote from the couple below,

"I want to send you a note to say D and I are still in wedded bliss, almost one month after the beautiful beach wedding... The wedding was so absolutely perfect and represents a moment not to be forgotten. We've had several discussions since returning home about how meaningful it was to stand in the surf, to feel the warmth of the setting sun, and exchange our promises to one another. It was truly one of life's mountain top experiences. and captured at sea -level no less...so from both of us, a very heart-felt thank you!"

Here is another unusual shot from my favourite photographer, Cayman Girl! Thanks D and S for being such good sports. We both enjoyed working with you very much. Enjoy your fabulous pictures of your special day, and all good wishes for a life-time of happiness together.

Adam and Jasmine's Wedding

I liked this bridal bouquet, with white calla lilies, being held here by the flower-girl, who took her duties very seriously. Flowers by "Inspirations", a new flower shop recently opened in George Town.


Yesterday's wedding...Adam and Jasmine from Fredericton, New Brunswick. The weather had been a bif "iffy" but it turned out perfect, cool and calm. Photos by Fevi of Passion Photography.

Grand Cayman Wedding - Unity Sand Ceremony

This weekend I did a wedding at the Ritz Calton which included the Unity Sand Ceremony. The Sand ceremony is becoming more popular, especially for beach weddings, although this one wasn't on the beach. The Sand ceremony can be very beautiful, if it is done properly, fortunately for me this one really worked well.

Getting ready for the Sand ceremony you need to know a few things. First of all, its better not to just scoop up some sand from the beach and use that. You have to make sure the sand is clean and dry, because the whole idea is to make a nice pattern in the receiving container. I use aquarium sand which is natural, and pours well. I also recommend not using too many colours, since you ncould end up with a "brown" effect. In this wedding, the couple used white and green, their wedding colours.

There are a couple of ways to start the sand ceremony. If mothers are present, they can pour a bit of each colour into the receiving containing and say a few words, here are some words I like: "With these grains of sand, we add our blessings to this union, may it be forever happy and forever loving." Sometimes the Wedding Celebrant will pour some sand to form the base, if I do it this is where I use some Cayman sand, poured from a beautiful shell. (NB this shell was given to me by my husband of 36 years, so it has special memories for me and I am very protective of it!)

Otherwise, the couple each pours a layer of sand, separately, to represent the foundation of the marriage. The Wedding Celebrant says some words, I don't think these words should be too syrupy, or too long, and then the couple pours sand from their containers at the same time. I say to my couples, you have a whole minute to pour the sand, so go slowly. It is nice to have some music or a song while this is going on. Remember if you are doing the pouring you can't see the pattern emerging.

At this wedding the attendants got involved, saying things like " You need a bit more green, now", "Time for a bit more white" etc. This made the whole experience more fun. It also helped the couple relax, after all it's not an experiment...there's really no way you can do it wrong.

When the pouring was finished, I held up the vase so all the crowd could see the pattern, and said a few more words, and then the couple went back to their original spot for the pronouncement, and of course "the Kiss"!

People ask me when is the best time in the ceremony to do the Unity Sand Ceremony. Some people like it at the very end of the ceremony, but I don't. I think the best place is after the vows and the rings, but before the pronouncement. If you are including children,as many people do this is a way to have them around you when the pronouncement takes place, so that they are included.

Right now I am planning a Unity Sand Ceremony for a June wedding renewal which will include children. Apart from the fact that I will write the ceremony so that it is unique to this family, I am hoping to include something else like shells at the bottom of the receiving container, or something which will remind them of their special vacation in the Cayman Islands and special family event.

As a mother and grand-mother, I spend a lot of time thinking about "memory-making events". That's why I try and personalise my weddings and renewals, by using words which are authentic and have real meaning for the participants. You don't have to use the same words as everybody else, you can say the words and use the music which are special to you, and then I will give you your personalised script.

Fun Weddings in Grand Cayman

Caymanian's have a saying " My spirit took to (her)", or conversely, "My spirit didn't take to (her) meaning I liked this person (or didn't like this person) on sight. Well, when I met Fevi Yu, wedding photographer extraordinaire, my spirits took to her immediately. I felt like saying "Girl-friend, where have you been all my life?" Nevermind she is young enough to be my daughter, I love the fun weddings we do together. She has so much energy, and so many fresh ideas and her pictures are truly special as you will see below.


One of the nicest couples I have met in a long time, their wedding was as much fun for them as it was for us! This is one of my favourite spots on Seven Mile Beach.

Another great picture on the same beach!

Another couple, same beach, same day.

One of Fevi's trademark shots "The Wedding Jump!"

As you can see, I am not afraid to get my feet wet...although I kept looking at how big
the waves were getting, I didn't want to lose my favourite hat!

If you want wedding photography, ask for Fevi aka "Cayman Girl".

Your Wedding ...Your Way

These days I'm seeing less of the very formal weddings, I guess because my cruise wedding clientele is growing. Neverthesless, from time to time I have a bride who wants to go all out with the formal wedding gown, train, veil. etc. Just because you're having a destination wedding doesn't mean you can't have the wedding of your dreams, including the gown of your dreams.

Our office is just across the street from this beach, and we have excellent facilities if you want to get dressed in our dressing room. Fortunately there is also a good hair-dresser in our building. Zulema's so you can get that upswept wedding 'do.

There's nothing like a Seven Mile Beach wedding. The sand is very clean, and pink, and yes the water does look like this. Because we are a few miles away from the capital, George Town, we don't get the crowds, so when we say a "quiet" beach, this is exactly what you'll get.