Cruise weddings are booming as the market expands.

It used to be that couples getting married on cruise ships tended to be older, with many of them celebrating second or third marriages. Often it was just the two of them. Not anymore. While that demographic still books cruise ship weddings, the market has expanded, according to professional wedding planners who contract with cruise lines to develop wedding packages.

"It really is across the board," says Valerie Brizuela, manager of public relations and marketing for Miami-based The Wedding Experience (877-580-3556). "It used to be second marriages because it was less formal. It used to be elopements, but now people are bringing guests. And brides and grooms are getting younger." The trend is so hot these days that most cruise lines now include wedding chapels on their new ships, although weddings also can take place on deck or in a lounge, Brizuela says.

While many people refer to cruise ship nuptials as weddings at sea, there really is no such thing, unless the betrothed couple books with Princess Cruises (800-774-6237), since Princess' ships are registered in Bermuda, where local law allows ship captains to officiate at weddings. "It ties in with our history as the Love Boat," says Jan Swartz, Princess' senior vice president of sales and customer services, referring to the popular TV series of the 1970s and 1980s, in which Captain Stubing officiated at weddings aboard the Pacific Princess.

While most cruise lines can't offer true weddings at sea, couples can get married aboard a ship that is docked in a port where they can obtain their marriage licenses by an officiant licensed by the local government. In many cases, couples wed in the port of embarkation before the ship departs. Their guests can board for the ceremony and reception, and then disembark before the ship departs. Increasingly, however, wedding guests stay on board for the cruise.

Therein lies the draw for travel agents, since the wedding packages themselves are not commissionable. "With travel agents, the big incentive is that they're booking whole groups," Brizuela says. "It used to be just the bride and groom, but now we're finding 150-person weddings. The average is 35 people."

Adds Chris Scurr, director of marketing for Royal Occasions (888-475-5511), a cruise wedding planning company in Delta, British Columbia, "Group travel and cruises are the only way to make any money today in travel. More and more people are sailing with the couple. We just did one the other day for 100 cabins on Holland America Line. That's a nice order for the travel agent, who works from her home."

That prospect already has many travel agents delving into the cruise wedding market, according to Swartz. "We're seeing travel agents doing outreach to local wedding planners, working with local churches and synagogues, attending wedding expos and advertising in local wedding publications," she says.

Some couples wed while the ship is docked in an exotic port. For example, couples booking their weddings on Holland America (877-724-5425) in the Caribbean can wed just off the line's private island of Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas, complete with a Bahamian officiant and a certified copy of the marriage license from the local court. Carnival Cruise Line (888-227-6482) also is starting to offer weddings at Half Moon Cay, Scurr says.

While cruise lines offer set wedding packages that include basics such as an officiant, bouquet, boutonniere, champagne, a wedding cake and photographic services, many packages offer add-on options such as extra flowers, additional photos and video services. In addition, couples can forego the packages for completely customized weddings.

The biggest draw for betrothed couples considering cruise ship weddings is affordability. The average landside wedding costs $27,852, according to Conde Nast Bridal Group's American Wedding Study, Brizuela says. In contrast, the average cost for a 100-person wedding aboard a cruise ship is $7,000. "For the amount of money you save, you could pay for Mom and Dad's cruise," she says.

In fact, a cruise ship wedding can cost as little as $1,000 or less. For example, Carnival Cruise Line's "Just for the Bride & Groom" package is priced from $750, including a civil ceremony, a champagne toast with keepsake flutes, flowers, a wedding cake, pre-recorded wedding music, a decorated bridal aisle and photography.

Cruise lines also offer vow renewal programs, which are even less expensive and complex. In fact, some lines, such as Crystal Cruises (800-804-1500) and Silversea Cruises (877-760-9052) only offer vow renewal packages.

In addition, Princess launched its "Engagement Under the Stars" in June, which allows a prospective groom to videotape his proposal, which is broadcast on the ships' giant "Movies Under the Stars" screen on deck. The package, priced at $695, includes additional perks such as champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries, an engagement photo session and a couples' massage.

Cruise ship weddings aren't for everyone, however, since they are generally offered as part of a pre-set package. "A bride can't be too much of a control freak," Brizuela says. "She has to give up control to the wedding planner. That's the whole idea-to have a stress-free wedding. But anything can be added. If a couple wants specific transportation or fireworks, we can do that."

Even if a bride and groom or their families want to spend money on a completely customized wedding, certain items, such as flowers and food, are dictated by the port they're docked in at the time of the nuptials. For example, if a couple on Windstar Cruises (800-544-0443) wants to wed while the ship is in a tropical port, the bouquet will most likely consist of tropical flowers rather than roses. "There aren't as many choices as there would be in Miami or Los Angeles," Scurr says. "But within the restrictions of the port, whatever they want, we'll get it if at all possible."

Meanwhile, Royal Occasions is currently working with Regent Seven Seas Cruises (877-505-5370) on a wedding program that will offer only customized weddings, Scurr says. At press time, the program was slated to begin on Nov. 1.

In another initiative, Royal Occasions is negotiating with a cruise line to promote same-sex weddings on cruise ships departing Vancouver and Nova Scotia via RSVP Vacations (800-328-7787) and Olivia Cruises and Resorts (800-631-6277), both of which specialize in the gay market. "That's an emerging market for cruise ship weddings," Scurr says.