Exotic weddings abroad have become very popular in the past few years. The need to give a unique flavor to one of the most precious occasions of your life has resulted in an upsurge of weddings taking place at locations situated around the world. Of course selecting a location and getting the wedding organized is no mean task. When having a wedding abroad, every aspect needs to be thought of in advance so that there are no unwanted surprises later on.
The crucial things that one should concentrate on for a successful wedding abroad are
1. Planning in Advance:
There are a lot of legalities and formalities involved with planning a wedding abroad especially since you are not a resident of that place. Hence proper planning at least 3 months in advance is a must.
2. Wedding Venue:
Selection of the venue or destination of the wedding is the most important part of a wedding abroad. Even though you can have your pick from some of the choicest locations around the world, you should find out beforehand about the compulsory residential requirements prevalent there. There are two very important points to be considered here
a) The minimum time you need to stay in the place prior to your wedding and
b) Whether it is legal for a resident of your country to get married in the location you have chosen for your wedding.
3. Selection of a Wedding Coordinator:
To have a glitch-free wedding, it is very important to get a wedding coordinator experienced in organizing weddings at the location of your choice. Booking resorts with resident wedding planners also seems to be a very good idea.
4. Selection of a Tour Operator:
Wedding packages offered by tour operators also need to be thoroughly checked and any extra requirements that you might have should be properly conveyed to them beforehand so that they can get it organized.
5. Certificate Requirements:
Even though the requirement for certificates differ from location to location, the following certificates are generally required everywhere.
a) Passport with a 10 year validity
b) Certificates of birth (adoption certificates are also required if applicable)
c) In case of widows, the death certificate of the deceased partner as well as the marriage certificate of your previous marriage is required.
d) In case of a divorcee, proof of a valid divorce should be carried
e) A no objection certificate from a solicitor of your country
6. Health Related Requirements:
Many destinations around the world require the couple to undergo certain health related blood tests. The results of these tests need to be produced for your wedding to take place at that location. Details of these health requirements can be got from either the consulate of the destined country or from its tourist office.
7. Guest Selection:
Care should be taken while preparing a guest list for your wedding since you will have to bear the expenses for the same. Hence having a short guest list consisting of family and friends who are very close to you is ideal for a wedding abroad.
8. Wedding Dress and Accessories:
The wedding dress and accessories should also be selected beforehand and fittings and trials should be conducted well in advance to ensure that the wedding dress makes you look beautiful and radiant on your wedding day and no last minute fittings required.
9. Deciding on the Theme:
The theme of the wedding should have uniqueness about it and should be decided well in advance so that proper arrangements can be made. This is especially true for themes which are uncommon and out of the box.
10. Honeymoon Package:
Planning for your honeymoon should be done along with your wedding itself especially if you are marrying abroad. There are many places which offer you good honeymoon packages if you organize your wedding at that location. These packages should be carefully scrutinized and availed of. This coupling of a dream wedding with an ideal honeymoon will ensure that you have fond memories of your special occasion for ever and ever.
It is mandatory that you plan in advance whether your dream wedding will be an elaborate affair or a simple one if you have decided to get married abroad. Fortunately in today’s modern times, travelling is easy and destination weddings are the forte of many wedding planners. Many companies are flouting around that help people in planning weddings at far away destinations who can guide and help you in finding vendors for flowers, food and music.But remember it is highly imperative that you should be aware that marrying abroad will involve visa, passport and vaccination formalities for everyone.
