Getting Married Abroad

The average cost of a UK wedding is estimated to be over £18,000. Getting married abroad is significantly cheaper at around £6,000 and as a result of tightened finances and the wow factor of a destination wedding, we are seeing an increasing number of wedding couples opting to take their vows overseas.

There are a number of other plus factors of getting married abroad; sunny warm climates perfect for wedding photos, the option of having a small and intimate wedding with close friends and family, and having a wedding and honeymoon rolled into one, making your wedding last much longer than a day for both you and your guests.

Planning

Planning a wedding abroad is relatively easy and stress free. There are lots of travel agents who have their own wedding planners and will arrange and book everything for you. Alternatively, if you decide you want to cut out the middle man you can deal directly with vendors via email in the country where you want to get married. Going straight to the vendors can be a cheaper option as well as the added benefit of them being very knowledgeable about their venue/service.

Choose a Country

The first thing you need to do is decide which country you want to get married in. When making your decision you need to be aware that there are different laws, rules and regulations for getting married in certain countries. For instance a lot of countries have a minimum residency order which means that you have to be present in the country for a required number of days before they will allow you to marry. Other countries for instance Mexico, require you to take a compulsory blood test before taking your vows. Some countries do not condone same sex marriages and you also need to find out if you need to apply for a wedding licence to get married as one is required before you can legally be wed in some countries.

Inviting Your Guests

Once you have secured a date for your wedding it’s time to invite your guests! You may want to invite them to your wedding abroad or just say on the invitation that you are getting married abroad and would like to invite them to your wedding party celebration when you get back home. Whatever you choose, there are lots of wedding stationery designs to suit your destination wedding, whether it be a beach scene, the bright lights of Vegas or a nautically themed invitation, and all of the matching stationery you many require such as table plans, place cards and menus.

Booking and Arranging all of the Essential Things

The best thing you can do is to make a check list of all of the things you need to book/arrange then work your way through the list. The list should include:
Flights
Accommodation
Transport to and from the airport
Venue Wedding Dress and Suits – these can be taken with you or hired when you get there
Rings
Wedding stationeryHair and Make-up
Flowers
Photographer
Transport to and from venue
Cake
Marriage licence (if needed)
Visa (if needed)
Minister to conduct the ceremony
Witnesses (if needed)
Evening reception or meal

Your wedding planner/travel agent should be able to guide you and answer any questions you may have, once everything is booked and paid for you can relax and start counting down the days until your wedding!