A wedding on the water is not a venue with a different view. It is a venue with a fixed guest list, a fixed timeline and a departure time, and those three things decide most of what follows. Here is the order the decisions actually come in, rather than the order the inspiration photos suggest. ## 1. Your guest count picks the vessel, not the other way round This is first because nothing else can be settled until it is. There are two vessels and the number decides which one. **Sun Goddess** takes up to 135 guests on a day charter. It is 114 feet, with two entertainment decks, two licensed bars and a dual-level galley, and the foredeck is the part most couples are picturing. **Mermaid Spirit** takes up to 150 guests by day. It is a 100 foot tri-deck catamaran with a chef's kitchen, and it has 11 en suite cabins that sleep 22, so it is the one to ask about if the wedding party is staying aboard. A boat has a hard ceiling in a way a function room does not. A room can squeeze in ten more; a vessel cannot. So the guest list needs to be close to final earlier than it would be on land, and it is worth deciding before you fall in love with a particular deck. ## 2. The ceremony can happen on board, and the celebrant is yours to book Yes, you can marry on the foredeck with the Broadwater behind you. What people do not always realise is that the celebrant is a separate booking: you need a registered marriage celebrant, and they come to the boat. We can recommend partners if you do not already have someone. Treat it as its own line on the plan with its own confirmation, because it is the one element that cannot be improvised on the day. ## 3. The light decides your ceremony time On land you pick a time and the light is whatever it is. On the Broadwater the light is the reason you are there, so run it the other way: decide when you want the ceremony photographed, then build the timeline backwards from it. A late afternoon ceremony puts the vows in soft light and the reception into golden hour and dusk, which is the sequence most couples are after. An earlier start gives you brighter, higher-contrast photographs and a longer reception before dark. Neither is better. They are different evenings, and choosing deliberately is better than discovering which one you booked. ## 4. Catering is a lead time before it is a menu Everything from canapes and grazing boards through buffets to multi-course seated dinners and private chef fine dining is available, through our culinary partners. The thing to know early is that the ambition level sets the lead time. Canapes for 60 is a short conversation. A seated multi-course dinner for 130 is not, and it needs to be settled at roughly the same time as the date rather than two months out. Bar service runs on a bar tab or by consumption, and drinks packages are available. No external food or beverage comes aboard, so the catering conversation is the whole food conversation. ## 5. Styling, flowers and the things you can add Floral arrangements, table styling and custom decor can all be coordinated through the event team, so you are not obliged to bring a separate supplier for each. Entertainment is available as a DJ or a band. Photography and videography can be arranged, and on some charters watersports are available if the day turns into an afternoon rather than an evening. The useful question to ask is not what is possible but what is coordinated: the more that runs through one team, the fewer vendors you are managing from a boat that has already left the pontoon. ## 6. Have the wet weather answer before you need it Both vessels have covered deck areas and interior spaces, so an event runs whatever the sky does, and there is always a contingency plan. Ask for yours in writing when you book rather than on the morning. It usually comes down to where the ceremony moves to, and knowing that in advance is the difference between a change of plan and a crisis. ## 7. Getting everyone there Departure is from Marine Stadium Jetty & Pontoon at Main Beach, roughly ten minutes from Surfers Paradise and fifteen from Broadbeach, with free parking at the pontoon. For a guest list in the dozens, maxi taxis are the usual answer. The one instruction worth repeating on the invitation: a boat leaves. Put a be-there-by time on the invite that is well before the departure time, because the vessel cannot wait for the car that took a wrong turn. ## What it costs Charter is quoted rather than priced from a list, because the figure moves with the date, the hours, the guest count, the catering and the bar. There is no list rate, and any hourly figure for these vessels published on a broker's website is not ours. If you want a real number, the fastest route is to send a date, a rough guest count and the kind of catering you have in mind. That is enough to quote against. ## Frequently asked questions ### How many guests can you have at a yacht wedding on the Gold Coast? Sun Goddess accommodates up to 135 guests for a day charter and Mermaid Spirit up to 150. Mermaid Spirit also has 11 en suite cabins sleeping 22, for a wedding party staying on board. ### Can you legally get married on a boat on the Gold Coast? Yes. The ceremony can be held on the foredeck with the Broadwater as the backdrop. You need to book a registered marriage celebrant separately, and they join the vessel. We can recommend partners if you do not have one. ### Where does a Gold Coast yacht wedding depart from? Marine Stadium Jetty & Pontoon, Main Beach, about ten minutes from Surfers Paradise and fifteen from Broadbeach. There is free parking at the pontoon. ### What happens if it rains on a yacht wedding? Both vessels have covered deck areas and interior spaces, so the event runs regardless of the weather, and a contingency plan is agreed in advance. Ask for yours in writing at the time of booking. ### How much does a yacht wedding cost on the Gold Coast? It is quoted rather than listed, because the price moves with the date, the hours, the guest count, the catering and the bar package. A date and a rough guest count are enough to quote against. Any hourly rate for these vessels published on a broker's site is not the operator's. ### Can you arrange flowers, styling and entertainment? Yes. Floral arrangements, table styling and custom decor are coordinated through the event team, and a DJ or band, photography and videography can all be arranged. ## Where to start Send a date, a guest count and the catering you are imagining. The date is the scarce part, particularly on a Saturday, so it is worth asking about before the rest is decided.