East Coast, Sri Lanka
The quietest beaches on the island, and a season that runs when the west coast is wet.
Trincomalee is on the east coast, where the dry season runs April to September. That is the opposite of the south, so it is the one to pick for a mid year wedding. The beaches at Nilaveli and Uppuveli are the least crowded in Sri Lanka. Venues are small: jungle cabins and beachfront hideaways rather than ballrooms.
April to September, with May to August the best of it. That is the opposite of the south coast, and it lines up with the mid year holidays when overseas guests can travel. Avoid October to January, when the northeast monsoon arrives.
Five and a half to six hours from Colombo by road, or an hour by domestic flight to China Bay with a 30 minute transfer. From Sigiriya it is about 3.5 hours. Most couples arrange a minibus for guests.
Uga Jungle Beach takes up to 100 in a jungle and beach setting. Trinco Blu by Cinnamon is the largest at 81 rooms, Anilana Nilaveli sits on Nilaveli beach, and Amaranthé Bay is the lagoon side option.
Twenty to 100 guests is the sweet spot. The venues here are boutique rather than ballrooms. Trinco Blu has the most rooms at 81 and Uga Jungle Beach caps at 100. Past 150, the west coast has more capacity.
Yes. The resorts are international standard, the domestic flight from Colombo takes an hour, and the main sights, Fort Frederick, Koneswaram Kovil and Pigeon Island, are well established. The hotels listed here run destination weddings regularly.
Snorkelling at Pigeon Island, whale watching between March and August, and some of the emptiest beaches in Sri Lanka. It pairs well with a few days in the Cultural Triangle or the hills.