Macau offers endless opportunities for weddings with something for every taste and budget
Macau offers wedding planners a huge advantage. Videos are a big part of weddings in Hong Kong, and Macau offers endless opportunities to photographers and videographers.
Photo shoots can be done on the steps of the Ruins of St Paul’s or in the shadows of the Guia Lighthouse, the Statue of Kun Iam along the waterfront of the Outer Harbour or the Statue of A-Ma on a hilltop in Coloane Park.
The ancient Portuguese district of Sao Lazaro, Lilau Square and the Taipa Houses Museum provide endless photo opps. In addition to Dom Pedro V Theatre, St Augustine’s Square and the Moorish Barracks, there are colourful Chinese temples and lovely open spaces such as Lou Lim Ieoc Garden, Camoes Garden and the Municipal Park of Dr Sun Yat-sen. And what about Macau Tower or the Macau Cultural Centre?
Couples favouring a Western style wedding can exchange vows at one of the city’s lovely churches. There is the Cathedral of Macau, with its twin belfries, or the plaster-clad churches of St Dominic’s, St Anthony’s and St Joseph’s.
Chapels such at St Francis Xavier, Our Lady of Penha or St James are more appropriate for more intimate gatherings.
Couples that prefer a less orthodox ceremony can exchange vows overlooking the sea at the Sea Patio of the Grand Coloane Resort or the Pousada de Coloane or next to the swimming pools of one of the growing number of five-star resorts that dot the landscape.
As for wedding banquets, wedding planners are clearly spoiled for choice. Hotels and restaurants offer a stunning array of venues. Their kitchens can turn out anything from traditional Chinese wedding banquets to haute cuisine and traditional Macanese fare. There is something for every taste and budget, from lavish star-studded events with thousands of guests to intimate affairs with a handful of family and close friends.
A short list of some of the newest wedding venues follows.
The Parisian Macao: As Macau’s newest hotel with one of its most imposing landmarks, the Parisian offers some of the most romantic spots for photo shoots. In addition to the half-scale replica of the Eiffel Tower in front, there are more than 20 replicas of Parisian landmarks around the 3,000-room property. Cocktail receptions can be held by the pool and wedding banquets for 2,500 guests in the 3,400-square-metre ballroom.
Wynn Palace Cotai:The 1,706-square-metre Wynn Palace Cotai is Macau’s second-newest hotel. Guests can make their grand entrance in air-conditioned skycabs, which give a bird’s-eye view of a spectacular performance lake. The 1,614-square-metre Grand Theatre Ballroom can accommodate 960 guests for banquets.
Four Seasons Hotel, Macao: How about walking on water? The wedding couple can make a dramatic entrance by ambling across a transparent walkway atop a shimmering pool to a transparent platform, where they can take their vows against a background of sparkling lights and a cascading waterfall.
Indoor function rooms can handle banquets of 600 guests.
Pousada de Sao Tiago: St James Chapel is within the Pousada de Sao Tiago, a boutique hotel that was created inside the ruins of a 17th century Portuguese fort. An outdoor terrace and an indoor restaurant adjoin the chapel, ideal for an intimate wedding.
Macau Tower: You can’t beat Macau Tower if you’ve got the nerve. Imagine shots of the wedding party posing in their wedding finery 233 metres in the air on Skywalk, a 1.8-metre wide walkway with no handrail.
More than 1,000 guests can be accommodated at the Outdoor Plaza or the 4th floor terrace, with the Sai Wan Bridge as a backdrop, for yet more photo opps. The Banquet Hall can hold more than 800 guests.
Hotels and restaurants offer a stunning range of venues for banquets whether it’s a lavish star-studded event with thousands of guests to an intimate affair with a handful of family and close friends