Informational

Wedding at Bora Bora Ultimate Planning Guide

The Ultimate “How to” Planning Guide for a Wedding at Bora Bora
(complete with paperwork, and locations)

Planning for a one-of-a-kind wedding at Bora Bora? Let the pristine beaches, tall lush green trees and the white sands of the beaches be your wedding witnesses. Bora bora has gained in popularity for its luxurious private resorts and stunning ocean views.

However, planning your wedding at an international destination is not as easy as booking a venue and a minister! There are multiple factors like documentation, places to choose from, seasons to visit, travel and accommodation bookings and a lot more. If you’re looking to have a wedding in Bora Bora, this ultimate planning guide will help you get things started! 

Legal Stuff for Bora Bora Weddings 

As fun and picture-perfect as it sounds, it also has some back-end work that needs to be completed in due time if you want this ceremony to be your legal marriage. Some people have a registered marriage in their nations/cities and just want to have a photographic wedding at Bora Bora. However, if you want to legally get married in Bora Bora, then remember to pack all of these documents along! 

  • Birth certificate copies of the bride and groom must be issued at least six months before the wedding date. For example, if the wedding is in December 2023, then the certificates need to be issued before June 2023.
  • Passports of both with requisite validity 
  • Previous Divorce Certificate, if applicable
  • Residential Proof for the couple 
  • Completed Copy of the ‘Marriage of Foreign Citizens in French Polynesia’ Form

Along with these, you would have to submit the following documents which must be written/translated into French:

  • Death Certificate of the previous spouse, if applicable
  • A letter addressed to the Mayor of Bora Bora – needs to be signed and dated by the bride and groom (An English Copy + A French Copy – both authenticated) 
  • Certificate of No Impediment
  • Marriage contract / Notary certificate, if applicable 

All these documents need to be submitted to the Town Hall at least 60-70 days before the date of the ceremony. If you cannot visit personally, you can arrange for scanned copies or connect with your wedding planners at Bora Bora to help you go the right way. 

Best Ways to Get Married in Bora Bora 

There’s a reason why Bora Bora weddings are so popular. No matter the kind of wedding you want to have, it can all be done in Bora Bora. Don’t believe us? Here are 4 different ways to get married in Bora Bora – something for everyone!

1. Private Resort Beaches 

These are one of the most recommended and picturesque ideas for a wedding at Bora Bora. Due to tourist commercialization, there are multiple resorts on the island, but did you know that most of these resorts also have a private beach entitled to them?! When you plan a wedding through such a resort, they take care of all your wedding planning at the destination and you can sit back and enjoy your wedding on the silver sands and turquoise waters. 

Some of the best private Resort beaches are:

  • The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort 
  • Conrad Bora Bora Nui
  • InterContinental Bora Bora Le Moana Resort, an IHG Hotel
  • Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora 

You can, of course, have weddings at regular beaches too but chances are some random tourists bump into you and photobomb your wedding pictures. To avoid all that, these resort beaches are a perfect option as they offer complete privacy for the ideal wedding at Bora Bora.

2. Cute & Compact – Chapels 

If you want to have a wedding in Bora Bora but don’t want to have a French Polynesian wedding, then you can also have a traditional Christian wedding at any of the churches & Chapels in Bora Bora! 

Here are some Chapels that you can choose depending on the areas that you are living in:

  • Paroisse Saint Pierre-Célestin 
  • Protestant Church 
  • Eglise de Fa’anui

Apart from these, most resorts also have a chapel. So in this case, you don’t want to scour the island finding Chapels to say ‘I do’ in, but rather you can inquire about Resort properties that will provide Chapels.

Some resorts in Bora Bora which have an in-house chapel include:

  • Intercontinental Resort and Thalasso Spa, Bora Bora – Offers the Blue Lagoon Chapel (South Pacific Ocean’s First & Only Overwater Chapel) 
  • Hilton Nui Resort Bora Bora – Offers The Quaint Hilton Wedding Chapel (Nestled within lush greenery and atop a volcanic hill) 
  • Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora – Offers Aherenona Chapel (The grandest of all in Bora Bora with a cathedral ceiling, larger area and magnificent views) 

You can search for properties closest to you and have a beautiful traditional wedding. Weddings at Bora Bora don’t have to be on a beach! Plan your day as you want!

3. Perched Atop Mountains! 

We all know there are two types of people: a beach person and a mountain person! Bora Bora is surely a paradise if you are a beach person but as I said, it has something for everyone. Here are some wedding options you can go for if you want to have a wedding with mountain views and get some epic wedding pictures from the heights of Bora Bora! 

  • Conrad Bora Bora Nui – Offers a chapel located on a hilltop providing mesmerizing views of the lagoon and Mt. Otemanu. 
  • Sofitel Bora Bora Private Island – Spend your day getting pampered by top-notch services on this private island and get married atop a unique hillside venue with dramatic ocean and mountain views. 

4. Other Unique Wedding Plans 

If you are looking to have a completely unique experience with some never seen before plans, here are some top picks:

  • Wedding on Motu Tapu – A package offered by Hilton Nui Resort Bora Bora allows you to get married on the sacred isle of Motu Tapu. It is a place of holistic importance and a historical standpoint of the Tahitian royalties. 
  • Sailing Weddings – Rather than just picking one destination, get a yacht and sail the Pacific while you get married overwater on the yacht itself! 
  • Wedding on Corals – well, not exactly ‘on’ them, but St. Regis & Four Seasons Resorts do provide some packages that allow you to get married on the beach just feet away from the Corals. 
 

Best Times for Bora Bora Weddings

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The climate at Bora Bora Islands is largely classified into two categories – wet and dry. The wet months (November – April) are of course the rainy season on the islands when there are very low numbers of tourists on the go. 

While it is not the best time to visit Bora Bora, the airfare, and tariffs of all resorts and accommodations are quite low and budget-friendly during these months. So if you want to plan a budget-friendly elopement to Bora Bora, then these could be your dates! You can easily go for a chapel wedding which can be conducted indoors even in the rain. Outdoor weddings might be a challenge during these months. 

From May onwards till back to November is the dry season. These are the best months to visit Bora Bora. The weather is sunny, dry, bright, warm and shiny. It is of course the favorite of many tourists and the rates of all flights, resorts and accommodations are doubled. 

Even though these are dry months you can expect an occasional rain shower from time to time as well. The peak season for all tourists is in June and July. These months should be avoided for weddings as it would be crowded and messy to plan a wedding amidst mobs of tourists flocking in. 

Essentially the months of August and September are the middle ground. It is the perfect season just about to enter the wet months – not too warm, not too cold – yet having a relatively low number of tourists along with some affordable rates. These are the most preferred months to plan Bora Bora weddings. 

Why a Destination Wedding in Bora Bora

The islands are listed among the top most romantic places on earth. The credits to Bora Bora being famous among couples has to go the Mount Otemanu which rises from amidst the vast ocean like a green emerald with a ring of corals around it. 

The entire island is surrounded by an atoll. Diverse corals and largely thriving marine life are just some more beautiful add-ons to visit Bora Bora. If you want to plan your wedding at Bora Bora, there are few better options.

The resorts here are all specialized and experienced in wedding planning having arranged so many themselves. You can block your accommodation dates and ask the resorts to plan a wedding for you. They would be more than happy to put together a traditional French Polynesian wedding for you including flower garlands, local music, and amazing meals. 

Bora Bora Weddings Cost

Bora Bora weddings can range from $2,500 to $10,000 on average, based on the package and venues you choose. These are just the costs of your wedding day including all arrangements made on the day itself and do not include your accommodations or airfare. 

Bora Bora weddings are usually barefoot paradise. Such soft and white sands underneath and you want to be in your fancy shoes? A Big NO! Most weddings have a tropical theme with the couple being in their favorite tropical shorts and dresses. Add on some wreaths to give the couple a royal feel on the island, and you have a fun and bright Bora-bora-style wedding right there! 

Wedding Package Bora Bora

I’m based in the San Francisco Bay Area, but travel all over for weddings. I offer a simplified all inclusive package (lodging, airfare, transportation, meals, included) starting at $10,000.

Conclusion

Now that you have everything you need to know for planning a wedding in Bora Bora, you can focus on the water sports, beaches and sightseeing of Bora Bora, Feel free to research excursions to neighboring French Polynesian islands like Tahiti or just relax in the premium resorts and recharge yourself to face the hustle and bustle of the city!

With its wide venue choices and extremely hospitable resorts and services, Bora Bora is an ideal wedding destination for international weddings. So what are you waiting for? Save the dates now! 

If you’d like to chat about your wedding in Bora Bora, please CONTACT ME to discuss details!

Interested In More Information? Please Fill Out the Form Below!

415 756 9335 

ianchinphotography@gmail.com

762 10th Ave San Francisco, CA 94118

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