Saying 'I Do' in Paradise - Tips for a Wedding Abroad

Where does your dream wedding take place? Is it on a tropical beach with the sun setting over the ocean, or near some ancient ruins on a beautiful Mediterranean Island? Perhaps you want to get married in front of an iconic landmark such as the Sydney Opera House or the Eiffel Tower?

Having your wedding abroad can make it extra special. Some couples find that they have family living all over the world and the best compromise to make the wedding accessible for everyone is to have it abroad. Other couples love the romance of an exotic location, or choose a destination which has a special meaning to them such as where they met. Other couples choose sunny locales for their wedding so that they don’t have to risk the chance of rain. Another reason to choose a wedding abroad is because your money can go a lot further in some other countries so you will be able to have a much more luxurious wedding than you could afford at home.

The world is your oyster when it comes to weddings abroad, but planning a wedding ceremony in another country adds a whole new level of complexity. Not only will you have all of the customary responsibilities for planning a wedding, you will also need to arrange for your marriage license in your country of choice and organise the details of transport over to the wedding. There are a lot of things to think about, so it pays to get started early and stay organised to make sure that your special day is perfect.

Here are some helpful tips that you can keep in mind if you are planning a wedding in a foreign locale:

Giving Everyone Notice

If your wedding is going to be in a foreign destination, it is important to give your friends and family as much notice as possible. You should tell people of your plans with an official save the date message at least 12 months in advance. This gives people time to book days off work to travel to your wedding and save up money for their plane ticket.

When you are making the wedding travel arrangements you can also work with a travel agency to secure a discounted rate for your wedding party. Send the contact details of the travel agency and let your family and friends know that they will save money if they book as part of your wedding party.

You can also save money if you avoid booking your wedding abroad during the peak travel times of Christmas, Easter and school holidays as these are the times of the year when the hotels and flights will be the most expensive and the resorts will be the most crowded.

Filling Out the Paperwork

One of the other major steps is to secure all of the official paperwork to make your marriage legal in your home country and your destination country. If you don’t, you might find yourself not legally married when you come home which could cause a lot of problems.

This step is a bit boring but as long as you are organised and proactive it shouldn’t be very stressful. Make sure that you do your research and obtain the right forms so that you can fill them out with the right details and get everything approved.

You might also need to renew your passports, get travel visas, buy overseas health insurance and do other paperwork before you are ready to fly around the world.

Incorporate Your Destination

If you are going to all of the trouble to have your wedding in an exotic destination, why make it the same as you would if you were at home? This is your chance to incorporate details from your surroundings into your wedding. For example, if you are getting married in Spain you can serve fresh Paella and other traditional Spanish foods at the reception and have a live Spanish guitarist playing as you walk down the aisle. If you can incorporate small details of the culture and its traditions into your wedding abroad you will make the experience even more memorable and fun.

Combine Your Wedding and Your Honeymoon

One of the great things about having your wedding abroad is that when it comes time to leave on your honeymoon you will already be in a beautiful exotic destination! Arrange your travel plans so that after the wedding is over and the guests have flown home, you and your new spouse can take a peaceful and quiet holiday together.

Having a wedding abroad can be wonderful and so if you are planning on getting married in your dream destination it is a good idea to start planning as soon as possible so that you can make it happen. Keep these tips in mind for a successful wedding in a foreign land.

Here are some tips that will help with planning successful weddings abroad, from the travel arrangements to the honeymoon.