Courtney & Bradley: Destination Wedding
A Week-Long Wedding at Sea: Courtney & Bradley’s Symbolic Destination Wedding in Sicily
Courtney and Bradley didn’t want their wedding to be just one day.
They wanted time. They wanted shared experiences. And they wanted to spend meaningful, uninterrupted moments with the people they love most, not just during a ceremony, but throughout the entire celebration.
So they planned a symbolic destination wedding in Sicily that took place during a port day on their European cruise, turning one stop on their itinerary into one of the most meaningful days of their lives.
Their wedding was woven directly into a seven-night European cruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey of the Seas, creating what Courtney later described as a week-long wedding. And while planning a wedding during a cruise port day does come with extra considerations, the experience that followed was nothing short of magical.
Getting Married in Italy During a Cruise Port Day
Courtney and Bradley’s ceremony took place on land in Sicily while the ship was docked in Messina, making their wedding a true port-day destination wedding.
This is an important distinction. Not all cruise weddings work the same way.
Some cruise ports offer fully integrated wedding programs through the cruise line, where logistics are coordinated by an onboard wedding team and issues can be handled quickly if something goes wrong. Sicily was not one of those ports.
That meant Courtney and Bradley worked with an independent local vendor team and planned their wedding day knowing there was one very real non-negotiable: everyone had to make it back to the ship on time.
Leading up to the wedding day, there was understandable anxiety. Transportation timing mattered. The ship’s schedule mattered. There wasn’t a built-in safety net if something ran late.
But in the end, everything came together exactly as it should.
The Local Team That Made It All Work
Planning a wedding during a cruise port day leaves very little room for error. Timing matters. Transportation matters. And having a team that understands both the destination and the constraints of a ship’s schedule matters even more.
Courtney and Bradley worked with an experienced local team in Sicily who knew how to bring their vision to life while keeping everything on track:
Wedding Planner:
L’Amuri Weddings
Photographer:
Anna Vlasiuk,
destination wedding photographer in Sicily
Videographer:
Curio Studios
Florals:
Arredo Verde
Venues:
Il Poggio Del Tempo Perduto
and
Il Castello di Roccavaldina
When you’re getting married during a port stop, the right vendor team is not just a nice-to-have. It’s what allows you to stay present, relaxed, and fully immersed in the day, knowing someone else is watching the clock.
Why They Chose to Get Married During a Cruise
The cruise wasn’t just transportation. It was the foundation of the entire experience.
Courtney and Bradley love cruising, and they wanted to share that love with their family and friends. More than that, they wanted to spend real time together. Not a rushed weekend. Not a single evening that flew by in a blur.
About 25 guests sailed the full cruise with them, while others chose to fly into Sicily just for the wedding. This flexibility allowed guests to participate in a way that felt comfortable for them, without pressure or expectation.
Before the trip, Courtney admitted she had moments of doubt. With guests choosing different ways to attend, she wondered if a simpler plan would have been easier.
After the cruise, she had zero regrets.
Spending an entire week traveling with their people changed everything.
A Seven-Night European Cruise That Became a Week-Long Wedding
Courtney and Bradley sailed aboard Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey of the Seas on a seven-night European itinerary:
- Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy
- Messina (Sicily), Italy – wedding day
- Santorini, Greece
- Mykonos, Greece
- Naples, Italy
- Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy
With sea days built in, the pace felt intentional and balanced. Guests explored bucket-list destinations during the day and reunited each evening, sharing stories about what they saw, what surprised them, and what they never would have experienced otherwise.
The ship itself became part of the celebration.
“No, Sit Down and Eat” – An Italian Wedding Moment We’ll Never Forget
One of Courtney’s favorite memories from the wedding day had nothing to do with timelines or logistics.
Multiple times throughout the day, the wedding planner and venue manager had to stop Courtney and Bradley and insist they sit down and eat.
In Italy, this is non-negotiable.
It was such a small moment, but it perfectly captured the energy of the day. Unrushed. Joyful. Full of intention. The kind of wedding where people genuinely care that the couple is present and enjoying every second.
Courtney genuinely enjoys planning. She thrives on organization, details, and logistics. Wedding planning? She loved it.
What she didn’t love was managing travel for 25 people.
Loving Wedding Planning, Not Travel Logistics
Courtney genuinely enjoys planning. She thrives on organization, details, and logistics. Wedding planning? She loved it.
What she didn’t love was managing travel for 25 people.
Many guests had never cruised before. Some had never left the country. Courtney knew there would be questions, uncertainty, and a constant stream of “what do I do next?”
Her goal was simple. She wanted someone she could direct people to so travel planning didn’t live on her plate.
One Website, One Point of Contact, Zero Stress
As their destination wedding travel agent, my role went far beyond booking cabins.
I managed the guest experience from start to finish, including creating a dedicated wedding travel website so guests could see their cruise details, understand how to book, and know exactly what to do and when.
Courtney loved that she could choose how involved she wanted to be. If she wanted updates, she had them. If she didn’t, she didn’t.
As she put it, “It was helpful because I knew things when I wanted to know.”
A Cruise Wedding That Felt Easy for Everyone
Booking a cruise can feel overwhelming for first-time cruisers. Booking a cruise for 25 people can feel impossible.
And yet, every single guest told Courtney the same thing: they couldn’t believe how easy the process was.
From booking to check-in to embarkation in Europe, everything felt streamlined. Guests of all ages felt supported, informed, and comfortable. That doesn’t happen by accident. That happens when group travel is planned intentionally.
The Balcony That Became Part of the Love Story
One of the most meaningful moments happened away from the ceremony itself.
Courtney and Bradley had an aft-facing balcony cabin. Before the wedding, they practiced their first dance there. After the wedding, Courtney hung her dress on the balcony and took photos with the open water behind her.
Those quiet, in-between moments became some of their most treasured memories.
From Doubt to Zero Regrets
Before the trip, Courtney had moments of uncertainty. With guests choosing different ways to attend, she wondered if a simpler plan would have been easier.
After the cruise, there were no regrets.
Spending a full week together transformed their wedding into something deeper. It wasn’t just a ceremony. It was shared meals, shared adventures, and nightly conversations about what everyone experienced that day.
Is a Port-Day Wedding Right for You?
Port-day weddings can be incredibly special, but they do come with unique considerations that couples should fully understand before choosing this path.
One important factor to be aware of is that port days are not guaranteed. While it is rare, ships can occasionally be unable to dock at a scheduled port due to weather, mechanical issues, or other operational factors. If that were to happen, a wedding planned for that port day would not be able to take place as expected.
This was something Courtney and Bradley understood going into their wedding, and it was honestly one of the most nerve-wracking parts of planning. It does not happen often, but it is a real risk and one that deserves thoughtful consideration.
A port-day wedding may be a great fit if you:
- Love the idea of a destination wedding paired with extended time with guests
- Are comfortable with a structured timeline and firm return-to-ship requirements
- Understand and accept the small but real risk associated with port availability
- Have experienced planners and travel professionals helping you plan strategically
It may not be the right fit if:
- The idea of a potential last-minute change feels overwhelming
- You prefer maximum flexibility and certainty around your wedding location
- You would not feel at peace knowing a port could be missed, even rarely
When couples go into a port-day wedding with clear expectations and the right team supporting them, the experience can be seamless, meaningful, and absolutely worth it.
The Advice Courtney Would Give Every Destination Wedding Couple
Courtney’s biggest piece of advice is simple: expect change and let go of control.
Guest counts will fluctuate. Plans will shift. People will surprise you, sometimes at the very last minute. Trust the professionals you’ve chosen to work with and go with your gut.
Hire people who give you that calm, confident feeling. Read reviews. Choose teams who show up, communicate clearly, and genuinely care.
A Wedding That Was Bigger Than One Day
This is what destination weddings do best.
They slow time down.
They create space for connection.
They turn a single day into a collection of memories that last forever.
As Courtney said simply and perfectly, “It was just magic.”
Planning a Cruise Wedding or Port-Day Destination Wedding?
Whether you’re dreaming of getting married onboard a cruise ship or planning a symbolic wedding during a port day, you don’t have to navigate the logistics alone.
From choosing the right itinerary and cruise line, to managing guest travel, timelines, and contingencies, I help couples plan cruise weddings and destination weddings with clarity, confidence, and care.
If you’re ready to explore what’s possible and want support every step of the way, I’d love to help you plan a wedding experience that feels just as meaningful as Courtney and Bradley’s.
Ready to explore a cruise wedding or a port-day destination wedding?
I will help you choose the right itinerary, build a realistic plan for the wedding day, and make guest travel feel simple from start to finish. If you want a wedding that feels like more than a ceremony, let’s map out what is possible.
Start planning