How to organise a dream wedding abroad

My top 20 tips for a dream wedding abroad

1. If you would like lots of friends and relatives to join you, give them PLENTY of notice. I would recommend a year, where possible. This way, they can turn it into their annual holiday and make plans accordingly.
2. Work out your budget. Some weddings abroad cost as little as £400 for a basic package. Or you may decide that you would like to spend the £10,000 which would have bought you a very simple wedding at home on a luxurious wedding overseas.
3. What type of location are you looking for? Beach, culture, city, countryside? This will help you choose your destination
4. Once you have chosen your destination, it is a good idea to use a wedding planner. For an few hundred pounds extra, they will take all the stress out of the planning and be able to help with the legal paperwork, most suitable venues, find the best photographers and book it all for you. Usually they are flexible and will be as involved as you want them to be.
5. Contact the local embassy for legal requirements (if you have a planner they will do this for you)
6. Check if you need any inoculations
7. Make sure your passport is up to date
8. Consider booking a videographer so your loved ones who could not attend will be able to experience your wedding
9. If you have plenty of time before your wedding, consider planning a trip to visit the location. Most wedding planners will charge only a small fee to arrange it all for you and it will help you to picture your big day and choose flowers, make sure the venue is as you expect.
10. Book overseas wedding insurance
11. Keep your friends and family informed. While most people are very excited about attending a wedding abroad, some feel a bit resentful as it can be quite costly. Give them as much information as you can and help them to choose their accommodation, flights etc. Perhaps you could buy them a destination guide as a gift.
12. Make it clear to your guests what is and isn't included. Will you cover the cost of them getting from their accommodation to the venue? Are drinks included at the reception?
13. Try to incorporate some local customs into the wedding to make it more memorable. You can book a band that plays local music, select a menu with local food or give each of your guests a small local gift as a memento.
14. If you are unable to visit the venue before you travel out to your wedding, try to get there a few days before and organise a tasting at your venue / restaurant, a hair trial, a visit to the florists.
15. On the subject of flowers, remember that local flowers differ from those back home. You can consider asking your wedding planner or the flower shop to send you some pictures so you can choose in advance what you would like.
16. The same goes for the cake. The traditional English iced fruit cake is often hard to find abroad, but it is a great chance to have something different. If you do want something from back home, consider taking it with you (depending on the ingredients)
17. It is a good idea to take some pictures of hairstyles that you like, or you could even have a trial in your home town and take a photo of it with you.
18. Choose a suitable dress! If it is hot, you will need light fabrics that don't crease. Your wedding dress shop will be able to advise you on this. Men should choose a lightweight suit.
19. Check with your airline about how to transport your dress. You may be able to put it in the overhead locker in a suitable box, or you may need to put in the hold. Some airlines allow extra luggage for wedding couples. If it goes in the hold, you may be able to ask if you can watch it go onto the plane for peace of mind (I did!)
20. Organise a party for when you are back in the UK - it is a chance for all those who were unable come out to your wedding to still feel part of your special and it is a great chance to relive your memories.