- Can you legally marry on a boat in Amsterdam?
- Yes. Your legally binding vows can be exchanged on board once the ship is designated as a wedding venue and a licensed celebrant sails with you. We arrange the application, the celebrant and the coordination with the City of Amsterdam. Many couples choose the Amstel by the Magere Brug, or a quiet canal within the UNESCO ring, for the ceremony itself.
- How many guests can come aboard?
- Our saloon boats host weddings for 2 to 60 guests, and our traditional sailing ships for 20 to 200 guests. For parties above 200, we bring in two ships side by side, for instance a dinner boat and a dance or lounge boat on the IJ.
- What is included in a wedding on board?
- A fully catered wedding day (from € 10,000) includes eight hours of exclusive use of the ship with skipper and crew, the sailing route, ceremony set-up, catering and drinks on board, table linen and styling, sound for ceremony and party, and one dedicated wedding planner who builds the timeline and is present on the day.
- Why choose a ship over a traditional venue?
- A ship is entirely yours: no other parties on board, no fixed floor plan, no closing time shared with anyone else. The backdrop also keeps changing, from canal houses and bridges to the IJ skyline and the open Markermeer, so ceremony, reception, dinner and party each get their own setting without guests ever having to travel.
- Where can guests board?
- Regular boarding points are the Amsterdam city centre (canal ring and Amstel), the IJ near Amsterdam-Noord and Oosterdok, Muiden by the Muiderslot castle, IJburg and Durgerdam. Boarding near your hotel, ceremony venue or party venue along the water is almost always possible on request.
- What happens in bad weather?
- Every ship has a covered, heated interior, so the wedding always goes ahead. In strong wind on the Markermeer, we divert to more sheltered water, such as the IJmeer or the city centre; the skipper decides this together with your planner no later than the morning of the wedding.
