Incredibly stylish, completely exclusive and set against the stunning backdrop of a tropical tea estate, at Kahanda Kanda you really can host your dream destination wedding in Sri Lanka. We also host intimate occasions and corporate retreats. Our experienced team will tailor make your wedding or event to suit your needs; big or small, traditional or contemporary – the possibilities are endless. Minimum stays are required for large events and the hotel can sleep up to 28 guests.
Couples can choose a non-denominational civil service conducted by a Celebrant, with or without a Registrar for the legalisation, and/or a traditional Buddhist ‘Poruwa’ ceremony. The more colourful ‘Poruwa’ ceremony can be tailored to your requirements. Services conducted by a Celebrant take approximately 25 minutes with spoken vows and readings, and traditional Buddhist ceremonies take up to 45 minutes. The choice is yours.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to have a formal Christian wedding ceremony in a garden in Sri Lanka. Only civil services or Buddhist ceremonies are permitted. You can have a Christian blessing by a clergyman; however, you will need to be in Sri Lanka months prior to meet with the minister.
To get married in Sri Lanka, you’ll need to provide a statement to say you are unmarried and therefore able to get married in Sri Lanka, issued by the local authority where you are resident. You’ll also need a copy of your passport, along with a copy of the tourist visa issued on arrival in Sri Lanka.
If someone is making this application on your behalf, they will need a letter of authority it is important that the signature on the letter of Authority should be the same as on passport.
Your Marriage Certificate:
Your wedding certificate will be issued in Sinhala and will need to be translated into English in order for it to be legally recognised in your own country. In most cases the Sinhala wedding certificate can be issued immediately, the English translation can take up to three days.
It is then required that this certificate, as well as the original Marriage Certificate (in Sinhala) be taken to the Consular Section of the Ministry of External Affairs in Colombo along with a copy of your Passport and a copy of the Tourist Visa issued on arrival in Sri Lanka.
After approval from the Ministry of foreign affairs in Colombo, it is then required that your paperwork be taken to the Consular/Embassy of the country that has issued your passport, for further verification. We can organize this all for you and since each country charges a different amount for this, and all couples will be advised as to this cost on a one off basis (different countries charge different rates).
When we have completed, we will then courier all relevant paperwork to you, for you to keep.
Weddings can be conducted from Monday to Sunday excluding bank holidays. The couple must be 18 years or over. There is a minimum residency of five days i.e. couples must be in Sri Lanka at least three days prior to the wedding day to meet with the registrar. Parental consent is required if under 21.
The following documentation is required in advance:
