Your wedding day is the most important day of your life, and so you should spend it in exactly the way you want to! Getting married abroad has become a more and more popular option in recent years, with one in four weddings taking place overseas, and now this options becoming a lot cheaper than you think. Many people choose to get married abroad at a place with special meaning, perhaps on your favourite beach in Spain or at the place you stayed on one of your many holidays to Turkey.
However, planning your wedding abroad can often be relatively stressful, as the majority of the organising has to be done either online or over the phone, as it will quickly become expensive if you travelled every time you need to plan something. This is why when it comes to organising your perfect day, doing it in advance is the best course of action.
Choosing a date
Choosing a date for your wedding can be difficult normally, never mind when you’re getting married abroad! When thinking of a date to set you need to take in to consideration a number of things, for
Example:
Your holiday – When can you both book holidays off of work? Obviously you’re going to want to spend more time than just your wedding day abroad, so planning ahead is vital!
Family Members – When will they be able to travel abroad? This is also something best planned well in advance to avoid any disappointment
Time of year – What season will it be when you’re getting married? Trivial things that may slip your mind could easily make or break your wedding day!
Choosing a location
For the majority of newlyweds who chose to get married abroad, they already had a key location in mind for their wedding, however if you’re one of the lucky couples who choose to get married abroad just for something different then finding a location to do it in can be a bit of a struggle.
Once you’ve chosen the country and region you need to get looking for a prime location in which to get married. Brainstorm with your partner a list of the types of places you’d like to do it, for example would you rather a beach or a country park, a church or a hotel? Deciding is the hard part, but once it’s done you can move on to finding the precise place you want to have your wedding at.
Book your flights!
Booking your flights can be one of the most exciting moments of planning your wedding, as it really makes it set in that you’re getting married abroad soon! Make sure you arrive at your destination a few days before you wedding, as this gives you time for last minute preparations without making you feel like you’re rushing everything. Once your flights are booked its time to make sure you’re both prepared for travel to your destination. For example, are your passports both valid? If not make sure you order new ones as soon as possible!
Also, do you need Visas to visit your country of choice? If this is the case be sure to tell any family members/friends that are coming as soon as you find out so that they can get these sorted before travelling. If any vaccinations are needed, for example with travel to Asia, these need to be arranged as soon as possible, and again warn any of the wedding guests that this is the case!
Making a guest list
Having your wedding abroad can make issues such as guest lists and choosing a wedding party even more difficult than normal. Firstly, are you in a financial position to be able to pay for travel or accommodation for some of your wedding party? If not don’t worry, this just means that it’d be better for you to send out invites sooner rather than later, giving your guests more time to save up for tickets.
Some couples often ask for guests to not buy presents if they needed to travel abroad, which is a nice gesture particularly if they’re traveling far. Many couples tend to reduce the size of their wedding party, as this cuts down on costs all round, and guest lists are often far shorter too.
Remember, this is your big day so although it seems like an awful lot of planning for just one day, it will definitely be worth it in the end!
