{"id":6068,"date":"2016-03-24T06:29:37","date_gmt":"2016-03-23T19:29:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.easyweddings.com\/uk\/articles\/faq-everything-need-know-destination-weddings\/"},"modified":"2021-11-11T11:51:06","modified_gmt":"2021-11-11T00:51:06","slug":"faq-everything-need-know-destination-weddings","status":"publish","type":"uk-article","link":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.co.uk\/articles\/faq-everything-need-know-destination-weddings\/","title":{"rendered":"What you need to know about destination weddings"},"content":{"rendered":"

Planning a destination wedding can be a little trickier than planning your nuptials on home soil. HOWEVER, with a little knowledge, it doesn’t need to be that much extra work. Here’s some tips on planning a destination wedding, no matter where in the world you currently live and no matter where in the world you’d like to marry:<\/p>\n

\"destination<\/a>
Check out this #RealWedding set in Italy<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How do you choose where to hold your destination wedding?<\/h2>\n

There\u2019s no one-size-fits-all formula for picking the perfect destination<\/a>, as different aspects will come into play. For example, if your guests are time poor, you really need to look at going somewhere that\u2019s just one flight away. Whereas if they can look at a week or 10 days away, you can go somewhere a bit further afield.<\/p>\n

Personal aspects of your relationship might come into play too \u2013 for example the country where you met, somewhere that\u2019s on your bucket list or a place you\u2019ve holidayed at together. It\u2019s also worth hitting sites such as TripAdvisor to get a feel for a location\u2019s personality, as even neighbouring islands in the same chain can be very different.<\/p>\n

For the most part, though, it\u2019s more important to look at venues as opposed to destinations because they\u2019re the key to what you can achieve. Think about\u00a0what kind of style you\u00a0want, what experience you\u00a0want your\u00a0guests to have and then make a decision.<\/p>\n

\"destination<\/a>
See more of this #RealWedding in the City of Love<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Can I have a civil service overseas or does it have to be religious?<\/h2>\n

This one depends on the country in question. For example, in Bali you are required to have a religious ceremony for the wedding to be legal, but local priests will tailor ceremonies to suit different couples. If you feel strongly one way or the other, it\u2019s best to consider this when\u00a0selecting a destination<\/a>\u00a0in which to marry. There\u2019s also official documents and legal documents to file wherever you decide to wed.<\/p>\n

\"destination<\/a>
See more of this #RealWedding in Italy<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What is the biggest misconception about destination weddings?<\/h2>\n

People sometimes don\u2019t understand how accessible and affordable<\/a>\u00a0destination weddings can be. For starters, they can offer some pretty substantial cost savings, but it\u2019s also about value for money. You can take a traditional high-end wedding and stage it overseas for a fraction of the cost. Also, the experience of a destination wedding is something you just can\u2019t put a price on.<\/p>\n

\"destination<\/a>
Check out this intimate #RealWedding in Bora Bora<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

So what sort of money would we be looking at?<\/h2>\n

There is no way to put a precise figure on this, as every single wedding is different. However, as a guide \u2013 cost is depending on the resort you choose and guest numbers as well as who’s paying for what.<\/p>\n

\"destination<\/a>
Check out this vintage #RealWedding in Portugal<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Are we expected to pay for our guests?<\/h2>\n

There is an expectation you will pay for the normal costs<\/a>, such as the reception, but guests who choose to come will generally expect to fork out for their own travel, accommodation, and incidentals. It\u2019s a much more accessible arrangement these days with the proliferation of low-cost airlines \u2013 and you\u00a0can also organise group deals – but one way you could offset the cost is to let them know their attendance is all the gift you could ever want. What some couples also do is arrange a couple of nights\u2019 accommodation for their VIPs, such as their wedding party or immediate family, to say thank you for their support.<\/p>\n

\"destination<\/a>
See more of this gorgeous #RealWedding in the Flemish countryside<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How much notice do we have to give them?<\/h2>\n

The short answer is, as much as possible, preferably via a save the date card<\/a>. But don\u2019t just send the date and destination<\/a>, also try to have all the arrangements locked in so you can send them information on such things as packages for flights and accommodation (see previous question). It\u2019s also worth considering a wedding website<\/a> so you can update details as they come to hand or even give pointers to tours etc that would be of interest to guests who plan to turn the trip into a holiday of their own.<\/p>\n

\"destination<\/a>
Check out this #RealWedding in Bologna, Italy<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How much time should we allow to actually plan it?<\/h2>\n

Anytime from six to 18 months out from your ideal wedding date is a good idea.<\/p>\n

In budget terms, how does the cost of food and wine measure up?<\/h2>\n

With the food, you can generally tap into amazing menus for much less than you would normally expect to pay in United Kingdom. And that\u2019s part of the attraction. But, on the flipside, you\u2019ll probably face higher beverage costs as most of the wines and\/or champagne are generally imported. So usually, it\u2019s the savings in other areas of the wedding that will appeal, as opposed to eating and drinking.<\/p>\n

\"destination<\/a>
Check out this poolside #RealWedding in Nice, France<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Do fluctuating currencies impact on cost at all?<\/h2>\n

Absolutely. In fact we recommend people keep an eye on the dollar so they can pay off more of the wedding costs while it\u2019s strong against the local currency.<\/p>\n

In terms of when to wed, how much attention should we play to the time of year?<\/h2>\n

A lot \u2013 because it\u2019s a big factor to consider. For starters, if you avoid peak season you\u2019ll immediately secure some substantial savings. You may also want to avoid major local cultural celebrations and festivals. Weather is another factor to consider to make sure, for example, that you don\u2019t marry when humidity is at its peak or the mercury is at its lowest. Again, it all depends on researching destinations that catch your eye.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"destination<\/a>
Check out this gorgeous #RealWedding in Sweden<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Getting down to the nitty gritty, how do I get my dress over there?<\/h2>\n

The easiest way is just to take it with you. But, make sure you fly with a good airline that has business class cabins as they will then have cupboards on board where they can store it.<\/p>\n

Should I get wedding insurance?<\/h2>\n

Yes, yes and yes again. Anytime you go overseas there\u2019s the potential for things to go wrong \u2013 no matter how perfectly and carefully you have made plans. It could be anything from the local government to the weather \u2013 things that simply can\u2019t be predicted and therefore avoided. So yes to wedding insurance \u2013 it may seem expensive but it\u2019s worth it for the peace of mind.<\/p>\n

\"destination<\/a>
See more of this beach #RealWedding in Oman<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Convinced? Find more on destination weddings here<\/a><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6072,"parent":0,"template":"","uk_article_category":[6792],"uk_article_tag":[3020,2269,2193,5385],"class_list":["post-6068","uk-article","type-uk-article","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","uk_article_category-destinationweddings","uk_article_tag-destination-wedding","uk_article_tag-destination-weddings","uk_article_tag-overseas","uk_article_tag-wedding-insurance"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/uk-article\/6068","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/uk-article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/uk-article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/uk-article\/6068\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6072"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6068"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"uk_article_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/uk_article_category?post=6068"},{"taxonomy":"uk_article_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/uk_article_tag?post=6068"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}