GETTING MARRIED ABROAD.
The traditional church wedding has now given way to the ever-popular idea of getting married abroad and immediately enjoying your honeymoon.
Marriages abroad offer much more flexibility and weather can be guaranteed on your big day whilst friends and family can enjoy a holiday at the same time.
We have witnessed weddings in Hong Kong, the USA, the Caribbean, and all over Europe. It is the setting that sets the tone for a perfect wedding. It is also important to consider that guests will arrive up to a week before the big day and stay up to a week after, which is why it is essential to pay attention to all the details.
For those who just want to have a small intimate wedding it is possible to get married abroad in most countries with just two witnesses who can be provided by the hotel if necessary and for those who want to have a huge party with friends and family it is possible to take over the whole hotel and make group bookings for the flights so everyone can take off together.
There are so many places to choose from which can cater for everyone’s budget but a wedding needs planning and unless it is small should be organised at least six months in advance.
There are lots of things that need to be considered before deciding on a venue, below is a list of some essentials.
Family Guests
- Are you going to invite the whole family or just close relatives?
- How many guests do you want to invite?
- Are you inviting any elderly guests or guests with disabilities?
- How many children will be invited?
- Who is going to pay? Are you paying for everyone, or will each guest pay for their own flight and accommodation?
Venue
- Do You Want To Get Married On A Beach, In A Castle, In The Snow?
- Do You Want Guaranteed Sunshine?
- Do You Want Guaranteed Snow?
- Would You Like To Get Married On A Cruise Ship?
Getting There?
- Can All Your Family And Guests Fly? Or Do You Want A Venue Where Guests Could Use Other Forms Of Transport?
- How Long Do You Want The Flight To Be? Short Haul Or Long Haul?
- How Long Do You Want To Be Away For, 5, 7, 14 Or 21 Days?
As you can see this is just the beginning so if you are thinking about getting married abroad why not complete our questionnaire click here and we will reply with some suggestions of where you could go and how it can be planned.
One of the most popular long-haul Destinations is the Caribbean and on some islands such as Trinidad and Tobago where we got married it is possible to legally get married there and be issued with a marriage certificate which is recognised in the UK.
We had a comparatively small wedding, getting married on the private beach and with a competent wedding planner who thought of everything from the flowers to the photography, to the food and drink we had a marvellous stress-free day.
In contrast one of our nieces got married on Lake Como, in Italy. The wedding party took a boat ride across Lake Como to an island where she was married. It was for all present a unique experience.
Our eldest daughter planned her own wedding in Malaga where she hired a large house with swimming pool and had a marriage ceremony in the garden. She and her husband had previously got married at a registry office in the UK as they could not legally get married in Spain.
We would always recommend you use a wedding planner when getting married abroad as this will save you a lot of time and money. Most wedding venues provide a wedding planner, and their advice is often invaluable. Always remember that you are limited in what you can take on the plane so a wedding planner can source most items for you such as flowers, a local photographer, hair stylist and makeup artist. Ideally you want to just be able to pack your clothes and have everything else arranged at the other end.
Our travel company www.jtetravel.com specialises in organising weddings so if you need help or ideas for the big day just contact us here.
