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.
Our ATOL bonding provides you with the financial protection you need and as a member of the Travel Trust Association, you'll have 100% financial protection. Covering you for any eventuality.
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Excellent prompt service from Michelle. Hotels she suggested all look amazing and the itinerary for the four areas of Italy looked perfectly planned .
Nick was very understanding in as much as we did flex the itinerary quite a bit before booking and we have a holiday package which more than meets our needs.
Great and friendly customer service from Andy, as before. Andy always goes out of his way to find a holiday that matches our requirements.
Excellent service again from Dave. Having booked with e shores on a number of occasions they now understand our parameters. Price, days types of hotels etc.
Having dealt with eShores for several years, and with Dave Felton in particular, the latest holiday arranged by the Company was done smoothly, professionally and to our total satisfaction. Well done and keep up the great service.
Talked with Dave asking for assistance to finf flights for my sister and injured niece from Edinburgh to Perth in W.A. avoiding the Middle East. Dave again came up trumps with flights to suit and at a good price. First class service much appreciated.
Our holiday with Eshores was excellent. Hannah went above and beyond getting us exactly what we wanted and suited us. We couldn’t recommend them enough. The holiday was excellent and all the hotels (this was a multi centre holiday) were well situated particularly the Aston Kona by the sea on The Big Island it truly…
Quick and easy to contact and arrange a basic holiday in Europe. Good price too.
Greek island hopping sorted to perfection. Anna listened to everything I wanted and came up with a detailed plan which exceeded all my expectations. Every island on my to do list and with a choice of hotels. Thank you Anna.
We’ve recently booked a multi-centre holiday to Croatia for later this year through eShores and in particular Hannah. Hannah has been extremely helpful, very approachable, prompt with communications and very informative as regards choices and suggestions for places to stay. We’ve bee extremely happy with the service provided by Hannah and eShores and are very…
Flawless communication with Chris. He’s really easy to talk to, his listening skills are incredible. He delivered the holiday I wanted within a few hours.
Contacted eShores after finding them on internet. Emily was very helpful and knowledgeable. She prepared a schedule and called back with the details and alternatives. Very friendly and professional service; if the holiday is half as good we will be delighted.
Everyone I have spoken to at eShores has been really friendly and helpful. Chris was very knowledgable, gave good advice and put together an itinerary that suits us perfectly and at a great price! The booking and payment system has been really easy so far.
All great
This is my first holiday booking experience with EShores and I can only say that the service from Emma, has been exemplary. From my first enquiry to the booking of our next holiday it has been handled professionally and the email responses are answered very quickly. There have been a number of doubts about our…
Our consultant Megan took into account all of our requirements and budget. She took time to find the best hotels for us and checked out transport links. Overall very good service
Very helpful although I was very indecisive will definitely book with e shore again
Thank you to the wonderful Anna at EShores for assisting in us booking a marvellous trip to South America.
Very helpful team. Sorted our holiday without any problems.
Best service
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