Expensive, rainy wedding at home? No thanks!
The average cost of a wedding in the UK is now £18,490. But even this sum of money cannot guarantee a perfect wedding and even worse, most couples getting married in Britain this summer have had to put up with non-stop rain! No wonder 35,000 Bristish couples choose to get married abroad each year.
A wedding abroad offers a better climate, affordable prices and something different but how do you go about orangising one?
Here are my top tips for planning and organising a fabulous destination wedding.
Where to get married?
First of all you need to choose a destination. Many couples choose a place that means something to them such as where they first met, had their first holiday, or got engaged. Others choose somewhere that allows them to realise a dream like getting married on a mountain or under the deep blue sea.If you haven't got anywhere in mind, have a look on the internet and in holiday brochures for inspiration.
A long haul wedding in the Caribbean, the Maldives, the Seychelles, Southern Africa for example offers something exotic but costs more and means that most of your friends and family cannot join you. However if you are set on a December wedding in the sun, this is the perfect option. You will find that many tour operators offer 'free' weddings if you book your accommodation through them. The weddings are organised by the hotel and take place in the grounds, often on the beach or somewhere with a stunning view out to sea. Be careful that you don't become part of a conveyorbelt of weddings all taking place on the same day.
A short haul wedding (from the UK) in Europe has the advantage that many of your loved ones can afford to join you and even just come over for a few days rather than having to stay a week. It also keeps the travel costs down. As you are a short flight from home, you could travel out prior to the big day to check on preparations. One thing to bear in mind with marrying in Europe is that the paperwork can be very complicated. Spain and France are particularly difficult as you need to be resident for up to 3 months (in France, women are also required to take a blood test!). Italy is somewhat easier and Greece is relatively straightforward, requiring a stay of only 8 days in general. Cyprus however is the most popular destination to marry in Europe as the paperwork doesn't even need to be translated.
My top 20 tips for a dream wedding abroad
My company is a specialist wedding consultancy for weddings in Greece and I got married abroad myself, so over the years I have built up a list of 20 tips which I think will help you to plan your dream wedding broad. Most important is to plan as much in advance as possible and get help where you can because organising a wedding is difficult enough, let alone having to do it in a different country.
But the rewards are so worthwhile, your wedding will be unique - so different from the weddings you have attended before - and something you and your guests will remember for ever.
But the rewards are so worthwhile, your wedding will be unique - so different from the weddings you have attended before - and something you and your guests will remember for ever.
- 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.
- 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.
- What type of location are you looking for? Beach, culture, city, countryside? This will help you choose your destination
- 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.
- Contact the local embassy for legal requirements (if you have a planner they will do this for you)
- Check if you need any inoculations
- Make sure your passport is up to date
- Consider booking a videographer so your loved ones who could not attend will be able to experience your wedding
- 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.
- Book overseas wedding insurance
- 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.
- 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?
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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)
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!)
- 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.
Books to help you plan your wedding abroad
The Good Honeymoon Guide, 2nd: Includes Where to Get Married Abroad
Amazon Price: (as of 07/26/2008)
Getting Married Abroad (Confetti)
Amazon Price: $13.97 (as of 07/26/2008)
Getting Married Abroad
Amazon Price: (as of 07/26/2008)
The Knot Guide to Destination Weddings
Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 07/26/2008)
Great Wedding Tips From The Experts : What Every Bride Can Learn from the Most Successful Wedding Planners
Amazon Price: (as of 07/26/2008)
Music for your wedding abroad
You will usually have the opportunity to play your own music as you arrive at the ceremony or during the service and of course at the reception. Here is a selection of cds to help you find that perfect tune
Classical Wedding
Amazon Price: $10.99 (as of 07/26/2008)
A Day to Remember: Music for Your Beach Wedding
Amazon Price: $13.99 (as of 07/26/2008)
The Knot Collection of Ceremony and Wedding Music Selected by the Knot's Carley Roney
Amazon Price: $10.99 (as of 07/26/2008)
Bride's Guide to Wedding Music
Amazon Price: $7.97 (as of 07/26/2008)
The Ultimate Wedding Collection
Amazon Price: $17.98 (as of 07/26/2008)
Wedding films to get you in the mood for the big day
My Big Fat Greek Wedding
Amazon Price: (as of 07/26/2008)
My Best Friend's Wedding (Special Edition)
Amazon Price: $9.99 (as of 07/26/2008)
The Wedding Singer
Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 07/26/2008)
Four Weddings and a Funeral
Amazon Price: $7.49 (as of 07/26/2008)
Muriel's Wedding
Amazon Price: $6.99 (as of 07/26/2008)
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Weddings Abroad
- Weddings in Corfu
- Corfu is known as the Emerald isle for its lush green scenery. The Venetian style town is a wonderful place to get married.
- Weddings in Lefkas
- Why not get married on a boat with a backdrop of Onassis' island, Skorpios in the background? Lefkas, or Lefkada, is a beautiful unspoilt island.
- Weddings in Kefalonia
- Marry on Captain Corelli's island, the beautiful island of Kefalonia
- Weddings in Zakynthos
- Zakynthos or Zante is one of the few islands in Greece where you can marry on a beach. You could also marry in a variety of locations which offer stunning views out to the Ionian sea
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