A private island wedding on the Riviera is rarer than the brochures suggest, and that is exactly what makes it special.
The Lerins islands off Cannes are the real article, and Le Grand Jardin is the one estate you can take over entirely.
Plan the boat logistics first, because the water that gives you privacy is also the thing that complicates the day.
True private island weddings on the French Riviera centre on the Lerins islands, a short ferry from the old port of Cannes. Le Grand Jardin on Ile Sainte Marguerite is the standout, a twelve bedroom estate in private botanic gardens reached only by sea. La Guerite, on the same island, can be booked for a celebration, while neighbouring Saint Honorat, home to a working monastery, hosts a limited number of private events. Late May to September gives the warm settled weather these crossings need.
Sea on every side, and the mainland kept at a polite distance.
The French Riviera is not an archipelago, and that is worth saying plainly. The coast from Saint Tropez to Menton is a string of headlands and harbours, not islands. The genuine exception sits just off Cannes, where the two Lerins islands float a short ferry ride from the old port. Sainte Marguerite is the larger, a wooded nature reserve the French call the forest on the water, and Saint Honorat is smaller and quieter, still farmed and run by the monks of its abbey. Together they are the only place on the Riviera where a couple can truly marry on an island.
The prize is Le Grand Jardin, an estate of around three and a half acres of botanic gardens on Sainte Marguerite, with a house of twelve bedrooms, reached only by boat. Taken exclusively, it gives a wedding party the rare feeling of an entire island address to themselves, with the pines, the sea light and the silence that the mainland resorts can never quite deliver. On the same island, the La Guerite restaurant is a Riviera institution that can be privatised for a celebration, and Saint Honorat opens its grounds and abbey buildings to a small number of private events each year.
The honest caution is logistics. Everything arrives by water, which means tide tables, last boats, and a clear plan for elderly guests, suppliers and the inevitable late night return. Build the boat schedule before you fall for the view, because a beautiful island ceremony can unravel at midnight if no one has thought about how a hundred guests get home. Choose the settled months from late May to September, work with a planner who runs these crossings every season, and a Lerins wedding becomes the most private day the Riviera can offer.
Three island settings, ranked on merit.
We rate these for genuine island privacy, the quality of the setting, how a wedding flows across the day, and the practicality of the boat plan. The order is our honest view and nothing else.
Le Grand Jardin
Ultra luxuryA twelve bedroom estate set in private botanic gardens on the island, reached only by sea, that a wedding party can take over entirely for a weekend of complete seclusion.
La Guerite
PremiumA celebrated island restaurant with a beach and a lounge, a long standing Riviera name that can be privatised for a ceremony or a long Mediterranean lunch by the water.
Saint Honorat Island
DistinctiveA monastery island still farmed by its Cistercian community, with vineyards and historic buildings, that opens to a small number of private and corporate events each year in a uniquely contemplative setting.
The practical things, told straight.
An island wedding carries costs the mainland does not, chiefly boats, logistics and the premium for exclusive use of a rare setting. Treat every number as indicative and confirm directly, because the crossing plan and the catering move the total far more than the venue fee alone.
What it costs
As an indicative April 2026 guide, an island wedding on the Lerins for 40 to 120 guests often lands between EUR 90,000 and EUR 400,000 all in, with exclusive use of an island estate such as Le Grand Jardin for a full weekend at the top of that band. Boat transfers and a wet weather plan are real line items, not extras.
Getting there
Nice Cote d'Azur airport is the gateway, around 30 to 40 minutes by road to Cannes. From the old port of Cannes the Lerins are a short ferry, and private boats and shuttles handle a wedding party. Plan the last crossing of the night carefully.
The legal bit
A legally binding French civil marriage must take place in a town hall, with residency requirements that catch many couples out. Most international couples complete the legal step at home and hold a symbolic ceremony on the island. A local planner confirms the current rules and timing.
When to marry here
Late May to September gives the settled seas and warm evenings that island crossings need. July and August are hot and the coast is at its busiest, so late spring and September often feel calmer and the boats run easily.
An island day rewards a planner who runs the crossings.
A Lerins wedding lives or dies on coordination. The right planner books the boats, times the transfers around the ceremony and the late night return, brings in caterers who can work an island kitchen, and keeps a clear weather plan in reserve. Tell us your date and guest count and we will introduce a Riviera planner who knows these islands intimately.
Browse our planner directoryWe will send a shortlist of island settings and the right planner.
Tell us your date, your guest count and the feeling you are after. We will send a considered shortlist of Riviera island venues and the right local planner to run the day.
No cost to you. We reply within two business days. Your details go only to our team.
Riviera island weddings, answered.
Are there really private islands on the French Riviera?
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The Riviera is a coast of headlands rather than islands, so the genuine island options are few. The Lerins islands off Cannes are the real article, and Le Grand Jardin on Ile Sainte Marguerite is the one estate you can take over entirely. We would rather tell you that plainly than oversell.
How do guests get to the island?
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By boat from the old port of Cannes, a short crossing handled by private shuttles for a wedding party. The point to settle early is the last boat of the night, so that every guest, including older relatives, has a clear and comfortable way home.
Can we have everyone stay on the island?
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Le Grand Jardin has twelve bedrooms, so your closest circle can sleep on the island while the wider party stays in Cannes and crosses for the day. Most island weddings work on this model, with the estate held for the inner group.
When is the best time of year?
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Late May to September. The seas are settled, the evenings warm and long, and the crossings easy. July and August are hot and the coast is at its busiest, so many couples favour June and September for a calmer feel.
What is the weather backup plan?
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Essential. An island leaves no easy escape, so a covered option and a wind plan are part of any serious island wedding. A planner who works the Lerins will hold a clear contingency and watch the marine forecast in the days before.
Photography is licensed stock from Unsplash, shown to evoke the setting. It does not depict a specific venue.
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