Weddings · Michamvi Pingwe
Wedding in Zanzibar: Vows, Weddings and Proposals at Matlai
Quick answer
Where can you hold a wedding in Zanzibar?
A wedding in Zanzibar at Matlai takes place on the beach in front of our small hotel at Michamvi Pingwe: that is your venue, for marrying, renewing vows or proposing. We provide the beach and 6 rooms in 2 villas, for up to 12 overnight guests (18 with extra beds). Castaway Weddings takes care of the entire wedding; you book the rooms with us. Prices on request.
| Guests staying | 2 to 12 (18 with extra beds) |
| Rooms | 6, in two villas |
| Wedding partner | Castaway Weddings |
| The hotel provides | Venue, rooms, dinner, butler |
| Prices | On request |
| How to start | WhatsApp or email |
| Last verified | 21 October 2026 |
Who is a wedding at Matlai for?
Three kinds of guests write to us: couples who marry here, couples who renew their vows, and guests who come to propose. Matlai is the venue and the house: the beach in front of the hotel, the rooms, meals from Zatiny’s two kitchens and a butler. Our trusted partner Castaway Weddings takes care of the whole wedding: you contact Pamela directly at castawayweddings.com, and you book your rooms with the hotel.
Which kind of celebration fits you?
Four ways to celebrate at Matlai. We have no price list for weddings: send us your date and the number of guests, and we answer with a quote.
| Celebration | Guests | What it is | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proposal | 2 | A private set-up for the question, at the hotel. Tell us what you imagine; we suggest how and arrange it. | On request |
| Elopement | 2 | Just the two of you: a ceremony planned with Castaway Weddings, then dinner and the first night here. | On request |
| Intimate wedding | Up to 12 staying overnight | Your closest people in our 6 rooms, the ceremony with Castaway Weddings, dinner from Zatiny’s two kitchens. | On request |
| Whole hotel | All 6 rooms | Both villas for your group alone. The rooms cost from US$3,290 a night in 2026 with half board (low season); the celebration is quoted on top. | On request |
Rooms and the celebration are priced separately. Room prices and seasons are on rooms and rates; the whole-hotel booking is described on exclusive use.
Can you help with a proposal?
Yes. Many guests have proposed at Matlai, and the hotel is flexible: tell us what you have in mind, and we suggest how to do it and arrange it.
Three ideas to start from: a floating breakfast the next morning, a private dinner on the beach in the evening, or flower petals and candles on request (extra charge). If the answer is yes and you want to marry on the same trip, Castaway Weddings takes care of the whole wedding (see below).
What can you add to the wedding week?
Bibi Harusi is the Swahili bridal tradition, and the Bibi Harusi body scrub at Bustani Spa is the treatment couples book before weddings, anniversaries and proposals. It lasts 60 minutes. Bustani Spa is Maryam’s own business in our garden, open daily from 09:00 to 18:00, and you pay the spa directly. See the spa menu and a short film of the ritual.
Dinner can be a table on the sand at the beach entrance, dressed with palm leaves, bougainvillea and kerosene lamps. Tell the butler in the morning and it can be the same evening. You order from Zatiny, our one restaurant with two kitchens: both menus are on offer.
How many guests can stay, and can children come?
Matlai has 6 rooms in 2 villas: 2 in Villa Kidosho and 4 in Asili House. 12 guests can stay overnight, and 18 with one extra bed in every room.
Children: rooms booked one by one are for guests aged 14 and over. A whole-villa booking takes every age. If your wedding party includes children under 14, book a whole villa or the whole hotel.
Can foreigners get legally married in Zanzibar?
Yes, but the legal part follows Zanzibar’s own law, and a ceremony on a beach is not a marriage unless it is registered. According to the German Embassy in Dar es Salaam, civil and church marriages in Zanzibar fall under the Marriage (Solemnisation and Registration) Decree, and Islamic marriages under the Marriage and Divorce (Muslim) Registration Decree. A civil marriage at the registry office is generally valid when both partners meet the personal requirements; a religious ceremony alone can be ineffective when the partners have different religions.
Castaway Weddings, our trusted partner, can arrange either a legally binding wedding with the official documents or a symbolic ceremony only (the ceremony without the official registration, which is not a legal marriage). Contact them directly for details and for what each needs.
The embassy lists what Tanzanian officials usually ask for: a passport for each foreign partner, two witnesses with an ID or passport, and a divorce order or a death certificate if one of you was married before. German citizens also need a certificate of no impediment (Ehefähigkeitszeugnis) from their registry office at home.
Whether the marriage counts at home is decided by your own country. The UK government, for example, tells couples to check the local law and to ask the person conducting the ceremony, the authority that registers marriages there, or a wedding planner. One option is a symbolic ceremony here and the legal marriage at home; ask your registry office before you decide. For the planning in more detail, read our wedding planning guide.
Which season, and what time of day?
The dry months run roughly from May to October; November to March is warmer and more humid. The beach in front of the hotel changes with the tide, and the south-east coast faces the sunrise: the sun sets behind the villas, not over the sea. So the hour of a ceremony by the water depends on the tide on your date. Send us the date and we check it; the tide calendar shows the water for any day.
How does it work, step by step?
- Send us your date, the number of guests, the kind of celebration, the nights and any children, on WhatsApp or by email.
- We check the rooms and the tide for that date and answer with what is possible.
- We introduce you to Castaway Weddings, who take care of the whole wedding; you talk to them directly.
- You book the rooms; a 25% deposit secures them, as for every stay (see policies).
- You arrive; the butler and the partner team look after the day.
What about the days around the wedding?
The honeymoon starts in the same room. The honeymoon packages add a candlelight dinner, a floating breakfast, spa time and a sunset trip, and they can be booked for any length of stay.
If your date falls in Ramadan, read Ramadan on the east coast first: the restaurant and bar stay open for guests.
Do you hire out the whole hotel?
Yes. Both villas and all 6 rooms can be booked by one group, so your guests are the only guests. That is for bigger celebrations; a couple marrying on their own needs only their room. How it works is on exclusive use of Matlai.
Where these facts come from
Official sources
- German Embassy Dar es Salaam (Auswärtiges Amt): Marriage and Getting Married in Tanzania: Which law governs marriages in Zanzibar, the documents Tanzanian officials usually ask for, the German certificate of no impediment and recognition in Germany.
- GOV.UK: Getting married or registering a civil partnership abroad: What the UK government tells couples: check the country's law and ask the person conducting the ceremony, the registering authority or a wedding planner.
Checked on 21 October 2026. We link to the bodies that set the rules, not to summaries of them. Rules change: check the page itself before you travel.
Good to know
Questions travellers ask
The questions couples ask before they write to us.
Can we get married at Matlai?
Yes. Matlai provides the venue on the beach in front of the hotel and the rooms, and Castaway Weddings takes care of the wedding with you. Castaway Weddings can arrange either a legally binding wedding with the official documents or a symbolic ceremony only; contact them directly for details (see the legal section below).
Who takes care of the wedding?
Castaway Weddings, our partner. Contact Pamela directly at castawayweddings.com, and book your rooms with the hotel.
Can you help with a proposal?
Yes. Many guests have proposed at Matlai. Tell us what you have in mind, and we suggest how to do it and arrange it: the hotel is flexible.
Can we marry with just the two of us?
Yes. An elopement needs only your room: you book it like any other stay, and Castaway Weddings plan the ceremony with you. Booking a whole villa or the whole hotel is only for bigger celebrations; you do not have to book the whole hotel to marry here.
Can we renew our vows at Matlai?
Yes. A renewal of vows works like a wedding here: we host you and your guests, and Castaway Weddings take care of the wedding with you. Tell us the date and how many of you there will be.
How many guests can we have?
Up to 12 guests can stay overnight in our 6 rooms, or 18 with an extra bed in every room. Ask us about guests who do not stay at the hotel.
Can we bring our own photographer or planner?
Tell us when you enquire. The wedding is handled by Castaway Weddings, so tell them about your photographer or planner; we tell you what works at the house and the two teams agree the details.
Are children welcome at a wedding?
Yes when your group books a whole villa or the whole hotel. Rooms booked one by one are for guests from 14 years, and bookings with children go by enquiry.
What does a wedding at Matlai cost?
It depends on the date, the guests and the ceremony, so it is on request. The rooms are priced like any stay.
Have your dates?
Tell us your dates — we’ll hold the beach week and send the tide table for it.
Send us your dates