While many people are happy with a classic ceremony among friends and family, others need to go the extra mile for their wedding. Scuba divers are no different in this regard.
From marrying in a tank, while skydiving, or a full “The Walking Dead”-themed one, there is just something about doing something special for your big day.
Scuba divers are naturally drawn to the water and it comes as no surprise that there are actually many who give their wedding vows underwater.
At Social Diving we organize underwater weddings and thought it was time to share some insights, tips, and tricks for those interested.
What is an underwater wedding?
In an underwater wedding, the ceremony, as well as any other part takes place entirely or partially underwater. Usually, people use scuba gear to descend in order to give their vows fully submerged. In some cases, they are accompanied by a wedding party that’s also underwater. Communication usually happens through hand signals and written slates.
There are many perfect places to dive and people get married there all the time.
The wedding party is usually underwater for the entire duration of the ceremony and vows are given with underwater hand signals.
In other cases, the wedding may take on land but can only be reached with scuba gear.
However, there are also other ways than to use scuba gear, as the next video shows.
The bride, the groom, and the priest used special helmets with air hoses instead and married in full suit and dress!
Best Underwater Wedding Locations
There are countless dive sites around the world and many beautiful locations to pick for your underwater wedding.
If you need some inspiration, here are some well-known venues and dive sites that will provide the perfect setting for your ceremony:
- Hawaii, USA
- Bali, Indonesia
- Krk, Croatia
- Ko Samui & Andaman Sea, Thailand
- Cozumel, Mexico
- Bora Bora Lagoon, Polynesia
- Great Barrier Reef, Australia
- Key Largo, United States
- Mauritius
- Cayman Islands
- Bahamas
- Bonaire
If you have a special place that you and your partner dived at together, that will always be the best one to choose.
After all, there is a reason you choose to get married while diving, and what better place than one that has a special place in your heart?
Some other extreme diving destinations people have gotten married at include:
- Lake Baikal at 4°C water temperature
- Song Hong Lake in a cave at 130m depth (see below)
- Georgia Aquarium among sharks and other sea life
How much does an underwater wedding cost?
Just like other wedding ceremonies, the costs for underwater weddings depend on location, logistics, size of the wedding party, and special requests. They can range from anywhere between $7,000 to $30,000 and more if there are dozens of divers, boat charter, and more involved. Also count in the cost of a wedding planner.
Weddings are one of these things where a cost estimate is near useless without knowing the details of the request.
Here are some things that will incur charges and the more people are involved, the more the underwater wedding will cost:
| Average Cost | |
|---|---|
| Rental scuba gear for the wedding party | $60 per person |
| Priest or person to conduct the wedding | $500 |
| Introductory scuba session for non-divers | $80 per person |
| Support divers (usually 3 or more) | $150 per diver |
| Boat charter | $1,000-$4,000 depending on size & location |
| Optional: Marine park fees | Varies |
Of course, these are just the charges incurred directly from the underwater wedding ceremony.
As always, there is much more to think about like travel to and from the location, food, accommodation, and all the usual wedding expenses.
Underwater Wedding Records
People are surprisingly eager to achieve scuba diving records on their wedding days. Here are a few of the best ones.
The deepest underwater wedding on scuba gear between Hiroyuki Yoshida (Japan) and Sandra Smith (USA) took place at 130m (426ft 6.1in) depth in a cave at Song Hong Lake, Trang, Thailand in September 2013. (Guinness World Records)
Speaking of a deep connection, huh?
The largest underwater wedding was attended by 303 divers at the ceremony between Ewa Staronska and Pawel Burkowski (Poland) during an event organized by Orka Group Ltd (Poland) at the Koparki Diving Base, Jaworzno, Poland, on 27 August 2011. (Guinness World Records)
Yes. The entire 18-minute ceremony was held underwater.
They not only used scuba and signals but sign language to communicate underwater.
Also check out all the other scuba diving records people have achieved over the years.
Underwater Proposal
Of course, if people get married underwater it’s no surprise they also propose to each other while scuba diving.
Here is a fun video of one such underwater proposal:
And another one for those who like it a little darker:
How to plan an underwater wedding
The best way to plan your underwater wedding is to consult with a professional underwater or scuba diving wedding planner to work with you.
They will help you with all your arrangements, organization, and on the actual diving day to make this day successful and memorable.
A good underwater wedding planner will also be in contact with the local dive base, as well as hotels and boat operators so you can focus on other things.
At Social Diving, we only work with reputable partners to ensure a safe and hassle-free underwater wedding, no matter where you want to dive at!
If you rather plan your underwater wedding by yourself, it’s best to contact a local dive operator who might have done such a thing before.
Let us help you plan your underwater wedding!
Of course, we think we are a great choice to help you with your underwater wedding! 😃
We can help you with all your underwater wedding arrangements and are with you at every step of the way.
Some of our services include:
- Finding & selecting the optimal location for your underwater wedding
- Planning the underwater wedding ceremony
- Arranging accommodation for you and the wedding party
- Organizing diving sessions & training
- Chartering the boat
- Any other wedding preparations
Contact us and let’s make your wedding unforgettable!