Things to Consider Before Planning a Wedding Abroad
Weddings are an entirely unique and personal occasion. Everyone has their own dreams for their wedding. For example, some people want to have a completely traditional wedding, whereas others dream of getting married abroad in a foreign country, perhaps at a destination that means a lot to them or somewhere they have always dreamt of going.
Although getting married abroad is a very exciting idea, there is an awful lot to consider. It is often considerably more difficult and tricky to plan a wedding somewhere abroad than it is to do it in the UK as there are sometimes additional complications and barriers that get in the way. However, that’s not to say that it can’t happen. Lots of people get married abroad and love every second of it!
Whilst there are things to consider before you plan a wedding abroad, we thought we would talk through some of them in this blog in case it is something you are thinking about…
Convenience for guests
On your wedding day you want all of your loved ones to be able to attend. Though you’d love them all to join you at your wedding abroad, this may not be possible for everyone. Whether this is for financial reasons, work commitments, whatever it may be, it isn’t always convenient for everyone to have to travel abroad for a wedding. Therefore, you should plan this as early as possible so that your guests have plenty of notice and are able to save the money as well as get the time off.
Furthermore, it may not be possible to have quite as many guests at a wedding abroad as it would be in the UK for various reasons. This may mean that you have to cut down your guest list so that it is just your nearest and dearest.
However when planned well and organised in advance, a wedding abroad is an exciting event for everyone attending and something that your guests will be able to look forward to for a long time.
Costs
It goes without saying that getting married abroad comes with additional costs. For example, traveling over there and paying for accommodation instantly produces an extra cost. However, this all depends on how you actually plan your wedding. There are plenty of weddings planned here in the UK that can drum up a higher cost than getting married in another country. It is all to do with the size and scale of the event. Therefore you must have a budget in mind beforehand and work out what is practical for you along with what your priorities are. You could have a very small and intimate wedding with only a small amount of guests sharing your special day with you.
Good weather isn’t guaranteed
One of the most appealing factors about having a wedding abroad, is getting married in the sunshine. A lot of people dream of getting married in a beach setting, with the ocean in the background and the sun beating down. While this usually is the case, it isn’t guaranteed. There is always a chance that you could fall unlucky and get a day where it isn’t as sunny as usual, or there is a bit of a breeze, or it might even rain. As unlikely as this may be, these are all things that you need to be prepared for.
You could benefit from a wedding planner
Nowadays it is more and more common for people to have weddings abroad. This is because it creates such an amazing and memorable experience, and you get the chance to get married in a beautiful location. However, they aren’t the easiest weddings to plan, and that’s why you should seek help from a wedding planner. They will be able to sort things out logistically and ensure that everything is organised and possible. This takes a huge weight off your shoulders and allows you to enjoy the planning process a lot more.
Research the location properly
Although you may have a specific wedding location in mind that you have dreamt of for years, you need to properly look into it to ensure that it’s right. For example, look into weather patterns throughout the year to make sure you get married at a time that suits you, you might want to avoid peak times, and you also want to ensure that accommodation is convenient and available for your wedding guests. All of this requires you to research the precise location properly to make sure it will work.
Although it may sound like there are a lot of hurdles in the way of having a wedding abroad, this isn’t exactly the case. It just means that you need to plan everything properly and take more into consideration than you would if planning a UK wedding.
For more information and advice or if you have any enquiries, simply get in touch with us via our contact page and we will be more than happy to help.