We get more enquiries than ever about weddings abroad, with money saving a huge factor in the decision-making process – the average UK wedding costs £20,000, while the average price for an abroad wedding is only £6,500.
This, along with the guarantee of beautiful weather, and the novelty of combining the ceremony with a holiday, and an intimate guest list, has convinced thousands of couples to tie the knot in another country.
We gathered some handy tips and statistics about getting married abroad in 2017/18:
The major wedding destinations for weddings differ seasonally – of course, there’s consistently popular options like Italy – but the range of countries we see couples choosing changes every year.
The hotels and facilities in established wedding locations, like Cyprus and Mexico, are used to hosting ceremonies and receptions, which makes finding a venue much easier. Cyprus is a particularly good option, because, unlike other countries, the paperwork and ceremony are in English.
More unusual options, such as New York, Thailand, and New Zealand have grown significantly in popularity in recent years, with some couples opting to make their wedding part of a longer break. Sri Lanka is another emerging location, but bear in mind that you’ll need to be in the country for a minimum of 5 days before the ceremony.
While France is known as the city of love, it can be a tricky destination to get married in. You’ll need to be in the country 40 continuous days before the ceremony, with copies of your birth certificates- issued less than 6 months ago, with proof of domicile, certificates of your single status, and translations of all documents, to name just a few of the requirements. If your heart is set on getting married in France, we recommend performing the legal element in UK beforehand, with a symbolic ceremony in France.
Booking early will help you save even more money, as well as make the possibility of amazing weather even more certain. More couples are looking to make a wedding part of a longer experience, with multiple days spent in different destinations in the build-up and directly after the ceremony.
Multi-centre holidays are a great way to experience a city break, a beach holiday, and a wedding, all in one trip, but you need to get with so much to plan, get in there early. To avoid disappointment book tickets and reservations for all the activities and day trips you have planned well in advance.
Research the climate at the time of year you are considering booking your wedding. Flexibility is the key when getting married abroad, so be prepared to move things around if the month you had in mind clashes with adverse weather.
Organising a wedding is stressful enough without taking into account different laws and customs, so hiring a multilingual wedding planner to translate and organise the logistics and legal requirements can be a lifesaver.
There are horror stories out there of couples who opted for an untested travel agent for their wedding, resulting in wasted money. Using a reliable travel agent to arrange hotels and flights will ensure you get personal requirements you’re looking for, and give you peace of mind.
A certificate of no impediment is a legal document that non-commonwealth countries require to prove you are free and able to marry of your own free will. The rules of a CNI differ for Scotland – they are only valid for 3 months after being sent out – so make sure you apply close enough so these documents are valid for the big day.
CNIs from England, Northern Ireland, and Wales don’t have any time restrictions, so get one early doors. Both you and your partner will need a CNI, unless you’re getting married in a Commonwealth countries and both British citizens,
While there’s considerable benefit to getting married in another country – the beautiful weather, idyllic setting, and financial savings – there’s also added risk. Hotter climates can be susceptible to storms and other forms of extreme weather, not to mention issues around hotels and air travel that could impact, or worse, make your ceremony impossible. Wedding insurance gives you the security that you’ll be able to reschedule your special day, whatever happens.
Despite what we often see at the movies or on TV shows, flight upgrades for nearly-weds or honeymooners rarely occur. You’ll stand your best chance of getting an upgrade while travelling alone, so don’t expect to be bumped into business or first class on the way to your destination.
Most hotels will offer an upgraded room for the couple if you’re getting married abroad. Las Vegas, due to the frequency of weddings in the city, won’t offer an upgrade, so you’ll have to book your own if you’re looking for luxury.
Many trendy locations like Thailand, and other destinations found on the Indian ocean, will upgrade your rooms as standard if you’re getting married, but make sure to check availability before your trip.
If you’re a same sex couple and you’re looking to get married abroad, unfortunately your options are slightly limited. Despite the year being 2017 rather than 1017, there are many countries where same sex married still isn’t legal. Luckily, most of the most popular destinations are available, but check out our infographic to see which countries you can choose from.
Our experienced personal travel consultants will ensure you find the most suitable holiday, whilst taking care of every last detail. Everything from start to finish will be effortless.
We can use any hotel, in any destination, so we will craft an itinerary to suit your exact needs. Also, as we can provide any itinerary, the only holiday we'll offer, is the one that's right for you.
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I was recommended E-shores from my parents who used them for travelling holidays in the past. To date i have booked two holidays, one more challenging logistically than the other. I dealt with kadie on both occasions who was very friendly, knowledgable & patiant to get the trips exactly where i needed them. Would highly…
Excellent service from Dave Felton, senior travel consultant. Dave always goes above and beyond to give you exactly what you want with a holiday. We have been a customer of eshores for more than 8 years and we would use any other company
The personal service provided by Dave Felton is truly outstanding Nothing is ever too much trouble and he delivers exactly what we want time and again He provides guidance and is always available to answer any questions Superb!!
I have used eshores before after a friend recommended their service. Michelle has helped me again and I cannot fault her efficient and friendly professionalism. Excellent service.
Great customer service. Fast response. Tailored holiday. Very good experience.
I Contacted eShores following a recommendation from a friend. I spoke to Chris a Senior Travel consultant. He listened to my requests and made some suggestions of what he thought would suit me better, he was very knowledgable and helpful and I felt reassured that he knew what he was talking about. Now I can’t…
Brilliant, brilliant - would highly recommend Chris was so patient and professional as we kept asking for revisions to our holiday. Provided us with options to shape it to the best holiday ... can't wait to go now. A really reasonable price ... so excited. Thank you Chris at eShores
Excellent service from Kadie. Great knowledge, advice given and going the extra mile to find a cost effective holiday with business Class flights. Very responsive also Excellent service is hard to find in this day and age, hence it’s appreciated even more when you find it.
Claire Smith Claire is everything I look for in a travel consultant - patient (especially as we could make our minds up !), friendly, always did what she promised and when, followed up but not over zealously, efficient and knowledgeable. EShores are lucky to have Claire on their team. I will definitely be recommending EShores…
Really helpful and really quick at getting back in touch! Highly recommend. Me and my partner got what we were after in just a couple of days and are excited to visit where we have booked!
I’ve just booked a multi city break to Eastern Europe for July’26 using Eshore for the first time. Rachel was super efficient and very pleasant organising our trip to accommodate exactly what we wanted. If the holiday goes as smoothly as the booking process then I will be a regular customer. Thanks again for your…
Andy is always patient, he really pays attention to what I am looking for and always gets the best price. I trust him to always find the perfect holiday.
We worked with Claire, she did the most amazing job of organising a 16 day, 3 centre bespoke trip for 6 of all ages and ability with very specific requirements and a tight deadline for travel. This company proved to be even more amazing when there was an issue with checking in to one hotel,…
Anna was very helpful and quick with replies. Our requests were fulfilled.
Very quick response to emails and also great friendly service. We have booked a few trips with EShores’s mainly multi destination holidays and all have been great with all transfers and communications seamless. Would highly recommend.
Andy who dealt with thr booking of our Far East holiday enquiry was really helpful, nothing was too much trouble, he was quick to respond, always happy to offer alternatives. It took some doing trying to find the right options but he was always patient and happy to help. Thanks Andy 😊
Andy has been brilliant, understanding our needs, delivering a fantastic itinerary ay a great price. Thanks
Very good and professional service, Hannah sorted the holiday out very quickly
Just booked a 10 day multi centre holiday to Italy with eShores. Claire was excellent with the suggestions and itinerary and making the changes we requested. Would recommend to others and would book again through them.
This is our second time of booking with Eshores and once again Rob has provided us with an excellent service. He listens to exactly what we ask of him, has lots of patience and offers us good advice. Nothing is too much trouble for him. Thank you Rob
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