It is undoubtedly the most important holiday booking you'll ever make and the possibilities are as far-reaching as your imagination.
The number of couples marrying abroad have been rising sharply in recent years - around 45,000 British couples tied the knot overseas in 2000.
The growing popularity of foreign weddings is partly due to the relative cheapness of marrying abroad compared with the average cost of a traditional white wedding in Britain.
A survey conducted by You and Your Wedding magazine put the cost of an average reader's wedding at around £15,000, including the costs of gown and morning suit, marquee, champagne and wedding breakfast. A typical wedding in the Caribbean, by comparison, even taking into account the air fares, will cost only around a quarter of that.
Increasingly, couples are footing the bill for their own weddings, particularly those who have delayed marrying until their 30s or even 40s and no longer expect the father of the bride, now sometimes retired, to pay the costs.
Couples in their 30s also find the notion of celebrating with their friends more appealing than having to contend with the worries of battling in-laws, a tiddly great aunt or a lewd speech by the best man.
A wedding abroad also appeals to those who are marrying for the second or third time, for whom the notion of a traditional wedding with all the trimmings seems inappropriate.
And finally, getting married abroad is an obvious way to combine a wedding with a fabulous holiday! You can escape the unpredictability of the British climate, ensure a picture-perfect setting for your big day, and relax into honeymoon mode before you even tie the knot.
Deciding to tie the knot on foreign shores may be appealing for
many reasons but you will need to be organised to ensure everything's
perfect. Use our checklist of who you should seek advice from, and
what you should ask:
• Start by gathering as much information as you can. Send
off for brochures from the dozens of companies registered with ABTA
(the Association of British Travel Agents) who organise weddings
abroad. Many of these can offer a personalised service and it is
worth taking your time and making sure you ask as many questions
as you can.
• You can check ABTA's website to see if your preferred travel
agent is accredited: www.abtanet.com.
• Some firms, like Weddings and Honeymoons Abroad specialise
in providing foreign weddings, as their name suggests.
• Other companies have specialist departments and separate
brochures for weddings abroad and most mainstream operators will
have a section in their ordinary brochure for weddings. Almost all
travel companies are prepared to organise a wedding for you - so
it is worth asking, even if there is nothing specifically mentioned
in their brochure.
• Speak to as many people who have visited your preferred
destination as possible. Contact that country's tourist board for
information - unlike travel agents, they are not on commission and
will offer dispassionate advice. Use This is Travel's message boards
to ask other readers for tips too.
• Make sure you seek advice from several different tour operators.
A reputable one will tell you what to expect from the place you
are planning to go, or advise you of developments in politically
volatile countries.
Nick Cropper of Weddings and Honeymoons Abroad says: "It is vital to talk to someone who will be honest with you, rather than just take a booking from you. In the run-up to the elections in Sri Lanka, for example, we were advising clients to be extremely cautious about booking weddings and honeymoons there because we could not be confident there would not be any further upheavals."
Author: Judith Keeling
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