A ceremony written from scratch
Paul Cunliffe is an English-speaking wedding celebrant and master of ceremonies based full-time in Phuket. He has led ceremonies on the island since 2014 and says he has officiated more than 500, on beaches, in private villas and at resorts.
He works as a specialist for the ceremony itself rather than as a wedding planner. Every ceremony is written from scratch around the couple, and he sends three full example ceremonies to read first. Couples can take lines from them, choose one outright or start from a blank page, then refine a personal draft together until both partners are happy with it.
Beaches, villas and resorts
Most of his work is on Phuket’s west coast, at Hua Beach, Layan, Surin, Kamala, Kata and Bang Tao, in private villas around Cape Yamu, and at resorts such as Thavorn Beach Village and The Surin Resort. He also travels to Phang Nga and Khao Lak, Krabi, Koh Yao and Koh Samui, with travel costs quoted for the date and venue.
Rituals and blessings
Beyond weddings he leads elopements with two witnesses and vow renewals, including Thai monk blessings, on their own or combined with a Western-style ceremony. Unity sand, ring warming and hand-fasting rituals, readings and family moments can be written into the ceremony, and he has led many same-sex ceremonies.
What to know
The celebrant service starts from 8,000 THB, and a master of ceremonies for the reception from 15,000 THB. A ceremony led by a celebrant in Thailand is symbolic, not legally binding, and he gives guidance on legal registration, which most international couples complete in their home country. Peak season runs from November to April, and six to nine months ahead is comfortable. Around 80 per cent of his bookings come directly from resorts and established planners, so he arrives early to coordinate with the planner and photographer. He is co-owner of Unique Phuket Wedding Planners with his partner Supparin.
