Key West Yacht Wedding – Plan an Intimate Ceremony on the Water

Key​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ West attracts lovers from everywhere for the same reasons. The light. The water. The feeling that the usual norms of life here, somehow, don’t quite apply. It’s a super popular destination wedding spot in the US, and a lot of Key West weddings on the water reflect that. 

Most of them are not exactly what you want. 

The typical Key West boat wedding is a 65-foot catamaran, 100 guests, a DJ, buffet-style catering, and a dance floor. Some love that exactly. But if you are reading this, probably not quite so. You are after a genuine yacht, a short guest list, and a ceremony which is truly your own, not someone else’s idea of your version. 

A Key West yacht wedding on a private charter is a whole different ball game and only makes sense, in fact, for the right couple.

How A Private Yacht Wedding Differs

It’s not about better vs worse. It’s about what exactly you are purchasing.

An event on a large catamaran is designed with volume in mind. The vessel accommodates 100-150 people; the package offers catering, a sound system, and a crew that is trained to handle a reception, and everything runs like clockwork.

If you plan a full-on reception on board with your extended family, college buddies, and your parents’ neighbors, this model is perfect for the purpose.

A private yacht wedding is not in any way aiming at that.

The yacht is a cruising vessel, primarily a piece of equipment meant to be on the water, not to be converted into a function room. Your ceremony will be on the foredeck, and the guests will be in the cockpit. The captain will find a quiet stretch of open water or a secluded anchorage and will keep the boat there while you are exchanging vows. The only accompanying sounds will be water, wind, and the officiant’s voice.

No DJ. No buffet. No list of 80 guests to be managed.

What you have are your six persons, or your twelve, or just the two of you. Champagne. A sunset that covers most of the work. And a crew whose sole aim is to make this particular afternoon perfect.

If your guest list is under 20 and you want your wedding day to feel personal and not produced, a private yacht is a good option.

What a Yacht Wedding or Elopement Actually Looks Like

This is even simpler than most couples anticipate. That simplicity is the whole point. 

Elopement (2 people + officiant)

Going aboard the yacht in the late afternoon. Sailing out as the light gradually changes. The captain chooses a good spot, anchoring by the harbor view, open horizon, wherever the conditions are the best that day. Your officiant does their part. The couple exchanges their vows. Champagne is served.

The total time of the event is two to two and a half hours. It is a Key West sunset cruise during which you happen to live the most important moment of your ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌life. 

Here are a few practical detials you should know: 

Florida​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ doesn’t require a marriage license waiting period, and this rule is the same for both residents and non-residents. A couple can get their license at the Monroe County Clerk’s office in Key West, and it is common practice to receive it the same day. 

Anyone who is a notary public, judge, or ordained minister may perform the marriage ceremony. Lots of Key West elopement on a boat officiants specialize in boat weddings, and they are the only ones who really know how to operate a moving deck.

Hire a photographer! If you want a type of lighting that even photographers can hardly explain, the water during golden hour is the perfect source. The photographer and crew will get everything ready because they are experienced with this kind of scenario.

Micro-wedding (6–20 guests)

The same structure, just more people. The ceremony happens on the foredeck. The toast will be in the cockpit, and attendees will spread around the deck to find their places. A catamaran like Somewhere or London Sky will have enough space for a wedding ceremony area, a reception area, and room for people to move around without bumping into each other.

You can have a sandbar stop if all your group desires it. Plus, a longer sailing hike can be added. The day will be yours, not the venue’s, because scheduling it will be around what you want, not what the venue wants.

Not getting married on the yacht?

A private charter is still a good option on a wedding weekend. A dinner rehearsal on the water becomes that memorable evening to which nobody forgets. The day-after sail is the recovery that doesn’t feel like recovery. 

If you have your land venue ready, a sunset charter will give a perfect ending to your weekend that a dinner reservation cannot.

Stock Island Marina: The Venue and the Yacht in the Same Place

This is the part most couples don’t know about, and it’s worth knowing.

The LaRoma fleet is stationed at Stock Island and Marina wedding, which is a full-fledged wedding venue on its own. There you will find a waterfront club, a beach, a bar, and an event space that can be used for both ceremonies and receptions. Couples frequently hold their complete wedding at this place, including the ceremony on the beach, cocktail hour at the bar, and reception at the club.

Quite a few couples find this plan works perfectly: the ceremony and reception are at the marina for the whole guest list — 40, 50, 60 people — and then the wedding party embarks on a LaRoma yacht for a private sunset sail to end the night. The smaller, more personal part of the day, reserved for your closest people, takes place on the water. The rest of the guests had the reception. The twelve who matter most got the yacht. 

Or flip it. The two of you, or a few people, witness the ceremony on the water as the sun sets, and then there is a reception at the marina with a larger guest list that wouldn’t have fit on the boat. There, you had your intimate moment. Here is where the party ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌happens.

This​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ is a great solution for the guest-count problem that often makes couples hesitate getting a yacht wedding. You aren’t forced to choose between the people you want to invite and the experience you want to have. You get to have the on-the-water experience and the full guest list at the venue. Since the venue and the yacht are at the same location, they can be managed on the same day.

No other charter company in Key West puts this combination in the same place. LaRoma Yachts is based at Stock Island Marina. Get in touch to plan the full experience. 

What’s Included and What You’ll Arrange

Wedding couples are tracking a lot of details. Here’s exactly how the division of responsibility works.

LaRoma takes care of:

• Private yacht with captain and crew
• Two to four hours on the water, depending on your program
• A sound system with Bluetooth that you can use to play your playlist
• Cooler, ice, and setup for bringing your own bottle (BYOB) or food and drink catering
• Route and anchoring — the captain reads the conditions on the day and finds the best place for the ceremony 

You’ll arrange:

• Officiant. Florida requirements are quite simple; a lot of different people can do it, from notary publics to judges to ordained ministers. Many small wedding yacht Key West officiants are very experienced with boat weddings and will be able to do a deck ceremony without making the guests feel like they’re in an obstacle course.
• Marriage license. Monroe County Clerk’s office in Key West. No waiting period. Can be done same-day.
• Photographer. Bring them aboard. The crew will work around them.
• Flowers and decor. Can be delivered to the marina before your departure. The crew will arrange the set-up on deck.
• Catering. Whatever you want, from just a charcuterie board and a case of champagne, all the way to a fully catered dinner. Local caterers that are experienced with boats can deliver right to the dock.
• Cake. Coordinate with a local bakery for dock delivery before boarding.

If you are missing a starting place, the crew can show you some local officiants, photographers, florals, and catering vendors since they have carried out wedding charters before.

Pricing and How to Book

Elopement charter (2–4 guests, 2 hours): $800–$1,500 depending on vessel.

Micro-wedding charter (6–20 guests, 3–4 hours): $2,000–$5,000+ depending on vessel, duration, and group size.

Overnight wedding charter: Combine the wedding ceremony with a night aboard, ceremony, dinner, and honeymoon, all built into one booking. $3,000–$8,000+. When you reach out, be sure to ask about overnight charter options.

The captain and crew usually get 15–20% gratuity.

Book in advance. Weekend sunset windows in peak season are going to be really popular and go pretty fast, even sometimes months ahead. The date you want will be worth securing a lock before it is gone.

Lock In Your Date 

LaRoma Yachts hosts intimate wedding Key West boat and elopements year-round, from two-person ceremonies at sunset to micro-weddings for twenty. If you’ve already said yes in Key West, or you’re still planning to — the proposal charter and the bachelorette and bachelor party charters are part of the same story. So is the anniversary charter you’ll book when you come back.

The water is the same. The light is the same. The ceremony can be exactly what you actually wanted.

Tell us your date, your guest count, and your vision, and leave the rest to our crew.