Noonu (South Miladhunmadulu) Atoll · Medhufaru
Weddings and events at Soneva Jani.
A five-star resort of 98 villas on Medhufaru in Noonu (South Miladhunmadulu) Atoll, in the north of the country, 45 minutes by seaplane or 60 minutes by speedboat from Velana International Airport. Weddings, private celebrations and corporate events here, planned by a Maldivian team.
- Atoll
- Noonu (South Miladhunmadulu) Atoll
- Island
- Medhufaru
- Transfer
- seaplane · 45 min, speedboat · 60 min
- Villas
- 98
- Brand
- Soneva
- Outside planners
- We confirm within 24 hours
The island: Soneva Jani, on Medhufaru in Noonu (South Miladhunmadulu) Atoll. A five-star resort of 98 villas, 45 minutes by seaplane or 60 minutes by speedboat from Velana International Airport, in the north of the country.
An event here works the way it does on every resort island. The resort provides the venue, the food and drink and the rooms. We design the day, style it, produce it and host it, with one planner from the first call to the last table. Our team and the flowers travel on the resort's transfer, booked as part of the plan.
There is no published work from Soneva Jani or its atoll on the site yet. The projects below are from other islands and show our standard, not this island. Send us your dates and guest count and we will come back within 24 hours.
Recent work.
Our newest projects from elsewhere in the Maldives. None is from Soneva Jani or Noonu (South Miladhunmadulu) Atoll; they show how we plan and style, not this island.
WeddingDestination wedding
Kate & Tom at Emerald Maldives
Emerald Maldives Resort & Spa Fasmendho, Raa · September 2022
- 14 frames · 10 shown
- Nakaiy Uthura
- Seaplane 45 min
WeddingDestination wedding
Katie & Jonny at LUX* South Ari Atoll
LUX* South Ari Atoll, Alifu Dhaalu
- 13 frames · 5 shown
- Seaplane 25 min
WeddingDestination wedding
Stella & Jasni at Four Seasons Kuda Huraa
Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa, Kaafu
- 13 frames · 9 shown
WeddingDestination wedding
J & S at Patina Maldives
Patina Maldives, Fari Islands, Kaafu
- 14 frames · 10 shown
- Speedboat 45 min
The light at Soneva Jani.
The light at Soneva Jani keeps to the same clock all year. Sunset is between about 17:50 and 18:20, and because the sun drops steeply this near the equator, the golden hour is 30 to 40 minutes, not an hour. We set a ceremony so the vows end as the light turns and the photographs happen in it; dinner follows as the sky goes dark within twenty minutes. The sun sets a little north of west from April to September and a little south of it from October to March, so which beach faces the last light is a question we answer on the site visit, not from a map. Noonu Atoll has two monsoons: Iruvai, the dry north-east monsoon, 28 November to 7 April; and Hulhangu, the wetter south-west monsoon, 8 April to 27 November. The northern atolls see less rain over a year than the south, so the odds of a dry Hulhangu evening are a little better here.
Read: the golden hour in the Maldives · the rain plan for a Hulhangu wedding
About the island
- 5.6 kilometre private lagoon surrounding the resort — described as "an awe-inspiring azure spectacle that inspires a sense of calm."
- Many villas feature slides from the top floor straight into the lagoon.
- Retractable roof to stargaze from the master bedroom.
- Island villas tucked into verdant greenery, steps from the white sand beach.
- Exclusive facilities including private pools, outdoor decks and direct access to the lagoon.
- State-of-the-art James Bond-inspired observatory (So Starstruck) with a 16-inch Meade telescope.
- First fully sustainable surfing programme in the world (Eco-Friendly Surfing using equipment made from recycled waste programme).
- Crab Shack voted the world's most romantic restaurant by CNN.com in 2019.
What we plan here.
Every kind of commission we take, on any resort island that admits an outside planner.
The seasons.
No dated work from Soneva Jani yet. The 27 nakaiy, the short seasons of the Maldivian almanac, are on the seasons page, with what each does to the light and the sea.
Questions about Soneva Jani.
Cost, the resort's policy on outside planners, the time of day, the transfer and the season, answered from what we know today.
How much does a wedding or an event at Soneva Jani cost?
There are no fixed packages. Every event at Soneva Jani is designed and quoted on its own, and a proposal with the full cost breakdown arrives within five days and is held for five. Our fee sits on its own line; the resort and the vendors are at cost on the others. Quotations include government taxes (GST) and the 10 % service charge. A 50 % deposit confirms production.
Can we bring an outside planner or florist to Soneva Jani?
Most Maldivian resorts welcome an outside planner booked by the couple or the company, working alongside their own events team; a few run everything in-house. We confirm Soneva Jani's current policy with the resort within 24 hours of your enquiry, before you commit to anything, and if the island is closed to outside vendors we say so plainly.
What is the best time of day for a ceremony at Soneva Jani?
The last 30 to 40 minutes before sunset, which falls between about 17:50 and 18:20 all year this close to the equator. We time the ceremony so the vows end as the light turns and the photographs happen in it; dinner follows as the short dusk ends. Sunrise is the quiet alternative, with the flattest water. Midday is for set-up, not for guests.
How do we get to Soneva Jani?
Soneva Jani is a 45-minute seaplane or a 60-minute speedboat from Velana International Airport in Malé; our set-up team takes the same transfer, with the flowers in cooled boxes, the morning before the event.
What does Soneva Jani handle, and what do you handle?
The resort provides the venue, the food and beverage, the accommodation and, for a wedding, the celebrant. We handle the concept and design, the florals and styling, the vendors (photographer, film, music, cake, hair and make-up), the rundown and the hosting on the day. One planner, one consolidated proposal, one invoice for our side.
Which season is best at Soneva Jani?
Noonu Atoll has two monsoons: Iruvai, the dry north-east monsoon, 28 November to 7 April, with clear skies and still lagoons; and Hulhangu, the wetter south-west monsoon, 8 April to 27 November, with taller clouds, short showers and dramatic evenings. December is the peak month and books first. We work through both; the plan, and the wet-weather venue, change with the sky.
Can we marry legally at Soneva Jani?
Foreign couples cannot register a legal marriage in the Maldives, so a wedding at Soneva Jani is a symbolic ceremony or a vow renewal, with the paperwork done at home before or after. The resort's celebrant is used to it and the ceremony is no less real for it. Maldivian citizens marry through the Family Court, and we design the walimah and reception around it.
Islands like this one.
Also in Noonu (South Miladhunmadulu) Atoll, reached the same way, with a villa count close to Soneva Jani's.
Also in Noonu (South Miladhunmadulu) Atoll
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