Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle Resort

Anantara Peace Haven sits on Goyambokka Estate at Tangalle, on a rocky headland on the south coast of Sri Lanka, with the Indian Ocean filling the view.

The resort is a proper size, with 152 rooms and pool villas. Rooms measure 56 to 60 square metres, and the villas run from 97 to 237 square metres, many with their own plunge pool. That gives a wedding party plenty of room to spread out without anyone being squeezed. The Anantara Spa adds Ayurvedic treatments, massage and yoga, which suits the quiet days before and after the celebration.

Weddings here centre on the Peace Haven Bungalow. The resort offers a ceremony on the cliffside above the ocean, an outdoor setting under the stars, or an indoor dome if you want cover from the weather.

Cliffside dining is also on the menu, which makes a natural spot for a welcome dinner or a smaller rehearsal evening. The event room seats 150 for a banquet or 200 for cocktails, with no venue charge once 50 guests are confirmed, and a Heritage Bungalow is set aside for Indian weddings. Ask the team about the music curfew, exclusive use and whether a legal ceremony can be arranged for UK couples.

Guests sleep on site, with 152 rooms and pool villas to choose from, so most wedding parties can stay together. Villas with private plunge pools are a good fit for the couple and close family.

The spa, with Ayurvedic therapies, massage and yoga, gives guests something calm to do the morning after. For travel, Bandaranaike International Airport is about three hours by road. Mattala International Airport is much closer at around one hour, so ask the team which gateway suits your flights best. Ask about transfers for the wedding party as well.