There’s one way to cut the cost of a wedding – marry abroad. The average bill of getting hitched at destinations such as Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Thailand and the Caribbean is around £7,000 to £8,000 – compared to over £20,000 in the UK.
Travel association ABTA says more than 1.5 million people will go abroad to attend a wedding this year – either their own or as a guest. The vast majority are under 35 – more than 850,000 younger people are expected to head abroad to celebrate a wedding this year.
Other favourite destinations for a wedding are New York, Hawaii and Las Vegas. In Europe, Italy – where George Clooney’s nuptials may take place – is popular along with Greece and Cyprus. Croatia, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates are also favourites.
Many couples combine the wedding with a honeymoon. Around 280,000 UK couples get married each year and as well as the firm favourites above, destinations such as Tanzania for safari, Bali in Indonesia and Costa Rica for romance, exotic getaways, and UK mini-moon destinations such as Scotland, Cornwall, the Cotswolds and the Lakes are all popular choices for newlyweds.
Twin-centre holidays are top choices too with, for example, couples tying the knot on Indian Ocean Islands such as Mauritius or the Maldives, and then heading to Oman, Dubai or Abu Dhabi in the UAE to enjoy romantic and secluded desert camps or glittering high-rise resorts as part of their honeymoon.
ABTA’s “Where to Go When” online destination picker has more destination information and honeymoon inspiration: abta.com/wheretogowhen
ABTA’s top tips for couples:
- Book with a reputable travel professional. A wedding abroad might be the most important holiday you take so book with a reputable provider who is a member of a trade association such as ABTA. You’ll also get the benefit of their expertise and working with a professional planner/agent can save you a great deal of effort and let you concentrate on relaxing and enjoying your wedding day.
- Check if it’s legal. Make sure your ceremony is legally binding or if you’ll need to get married in the UK before or after a blessing abroad. If you are planning a legal wedding abroad ensure you have the correct paperwork, for example you’ll need to get a certificate of no impediment (CNI) from the authorities in the UK to prove you’re allowed to marry.
- Find out how long you need to be resident in the country. Kim Kardashian and Kanye West would have had to be resident for 40 days in France to have been legally married in Paris, where they are planning their reception this summer. When you’re picking a destination and planning the length of your trip make sure you check whether you need to be in residence before your ceremony, and how long for – it varies from country to country.
- Make sure you’re covered. Even if it’s a small affair, your wedding will probably be a significant expense. As well as travel insurance, we recommend taking out wedding insurance in case any details of your ceremony are impacted by events out of your control.
- Embrace the culture. It can be fun to incorporate aspects of the country’s culture that you’re getting married in into your day, why not try croquembouche instead of a wedding cake in France, Prosecco for your toast in Italy or music from a Mariachi band in Mexico!
ABTA has created a checklist for couples who are considering getting married abroad which can be downloaded here.
Victoria Bacon, ABTA Head of Communications, said: “With so many great destinations to choose from, it’s not surprising that weddings abroad are growing in popularity.
“Weddings are one of the most special days in a couple’s life, so it’s very important that if you’re planning a wedding abroad, you research your options thoroughly: talk to a travel professional, who will be able to offer you advice about destinations and experiences; check travel advice with ABTA and the Foreign Office and always book with a reputable company.”
Thomas Cook has just released its new overseas Weddings brochure offering couples looking to marry abroad between November this year and October 2015, a range of 19 hand-picked destinations from the beautiful Mediterranean to the pure white sands of the Caribbean.
