Getting Married in Kandy & Hill Country

Kandy has a different climate from the coasts. The southwest monsoon hits the hills hard in May and June, and the northeast monsoon brings rain in October and November. January to April and July to August are the most reliably dry windows. Humidity is high all year, but temperatures stay cooler than on the coast, and the cool evenings suit a wedding dinner.

Recommended wedding months

January to April and July to August

Peak season is February to March, and the shoulder months are December and June.

Heritage manor house. A property with a pool, gardens and the character of a private house rather than a hotel, among the most personally managed boutique stays in Sri Lanka.

Eccentric boutique. A small hotel with painted interiors, an art collection and a candlelit atmosphere. A ceremony in the dining room or painted salon is more an experience than a resort wedding.

Private boutique. Small garden hotels above the city and tea estate bungalows nearby offer fully private settings for small ceremonies. A Kandy ceremony followed by a few nights on a tea estate is a well-regarded itinerary.

Kandy is reached from the international airport at Colombo by road. The central railway from Colombo Fort is scenic but not advised for guests with luggage or limited mobility, so a private car transfer is standard for wedding parties.

Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB), Colombo. The arrival point for all international flights, with direct flights from London Heathrow and connections via the Gulf.

Sigiriya Domestic Airstrip (SEH). A small airstrip near the Cultural Triangle, useful when a Kandy wedding is combined with an excursion to Sigiriya or Dambulla. Service is limited, so availability should be confirmed ahead.

Kandy offers stays from small boutiques to full resorts, and city-centre hotels suit guests who want to walk to the Temple and the lake.

Manor house outside the city. A two-hundred-year-old manor with a pool, gardens and personal service, suited to exclusive hire.

Central Kandy, painted boutique. A small hotel with eccentric painted interiors and an art collection.

Hilltop resort above Kandy. A large resort with valley views and full facilities, the reliable choice for larger wedding groups.

City centre. A lakeside hotel and a small garden boutique for guests who prefer walking access to the Temple and the lake.

Kandyan cooking is the inland hill-country style, using whole spices more heavily than the coastal kitchen, with ceremonial dishes tied to Buddhist and cultural celebrations.

Kiribath (Milk Rice). Rice cooked in thick coconut milk, cut into diamonds and served with lunu miris, an onion and chilli sambol, or with jaggery. It is served at every Sinhala celebration, including weddings, and is traditional, not tourist pastiche.

Devilled dishes. Dry-fried meat or seafood with chilli, tomato, capsicum and onion, a hill-country style. Chicken or pork cooked this way is the usual celebration dish at Kandyan events.

Pol Sambol. Fresh grated coconut with red onion, dried chilli, lime juice and Maldive fish, the everyday condiment of Sri Lanka, tasting fresher when made from hillside coconuts.

Temperature. Mornings and evenings in Kandy are cooler than on the coast, so guests from Colombo or the south coast should pack a light layer. Higher up at Nuwara Eliya a jacket is needed.

Temple dress code. The Temple of the Sacred Tooth requires covered shoulders and knees, removal of shoes and no leather goods in the inner shrine. White or light clothing suits the Puja ceremony, and the rules belong in guest information packs.

The train journey. Observation car seats on the Kandy to Ella train, with panoramic windows, should be booked in advance through Sri Lanka Railways or a travel agent.

Photography permits. The Royal Botanic Gardens require a permit for professional shoots, including pre-wedding photography, arranged through the Department of National Botanic Gardens before the photographer arrives.

The legal requirements for marrying here, and who needs a visa, are being checked and are not published yet. Confirm both with the official authority that will marry you before you book.