The Municipality of Paralimni–Deryneia is aiming to build a strong civil wedding industry in the coming years. Leveraging the unrivalled natural beauty of the Protaras coastline, as well as key inland landmarks, the municipality aspires to become an attractive destination for hundreds of couples from abroad and Cyprus wishing to get married.
As is known, the tourist municipality of free Famagusta has already undertaken the necessary procedures and added new options and idyllic locations within municipal areas that are considered ideal for civil wedding ceremonies.
According to official statistics secured from the Municipality of Paralimni–Deryneia, there has been a significant increase in the number of civil weddings held in the area over the past three years. Specifically, while 480 civil weddings were held in 2024, the number rose to 620 in 2025, while this year the number of weddings already performed and bookings made exceeds 550.
It is believed that by the end of the summer, the number of bookings will increase, approaching or even surpassing last year’s levels. The municipal authority attributes the rise mainly to the upgrading of existing venues and the creation of new municipal wedding locations, offering those interested a wide range of excellent options.
It is indicative that for this year the Municipality of Paralimni–Deryneia had set a very ambitious target for wedding tourism, aiming for 700 civil weddings. However, due to geopolitical developments in the Middle East, this target is now considered very difficult to achieve. The realistic target is for civil weddings in 2026 to exceed 600.
It is also worth noting that, at present, the relevant municipal department already has advance bookings, with prepayments, for civil weddings both for 2027 and for 2028.
For many years, hundreds of couples from the United Kingdom have chosen Protaras locations for their weddings. In recent years, however, couples have also been arriving from Poland, Hungary, Israel, Lebanon and Ireland, while a significant number of Cypriots also choose the area to get married.
100 people for a single wedding
Wedding tourism in the Municipality of Paralimni–Deryneia and the broader free Famagusta district constitutes an entire industry that generates hundreds of thousands of euros annually for municipal coffers.
Statistics from the Municipality indicate that for a single civil wedding, guests arriving from abroad range from 40 to as many as 100 people, who stay overnight in local tourist accommodation.
Beyond hotels, wedding tourism, through the presence of dozens of guests, generates significant revenue for other businesses as well, such as restaurants, hair salons and taxis. In 2025 alone, the net revenue of the Municipality of Paralimni–Deryneia from civil weddings amounted to approximately €250,000.
New venues
As announced by the Municipality of Paralimni–Deryneia, in addition to luxury hotel options, new municipal venues have been created along the coastline that are considered ideal for weddings. These include PERNERA BLUE WATERS and AYIA TRIADA BEACH VENUE, a seaside venue on the sand in front of the church of Ayia Triada.
Another romantic wedding venue is ST. ELIAS GARDEN VENUE.
