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This month we've invited one of our business affiliates, Perfect Weddings Abroad, to share their expertise on planning a wedding abroad in a guest blog. You can find out more about Perfect Weddings Abroad at the end of this article.

Dreaming of getting married abroad but don't know where to start? There are plenty of reasons why you may be considering a destination wedding - warm weather, cost effectiveness, an intimate day with your loved ones, or a quiet elopement for the two of you, the reasons are endless.

There are many things to take into consideration when planning a wedding abroad, Perfect Weddings Abroad offer over 500 venues worldwide so there is something for everyone to find your perfect location! The team of Wedding Specialists are there to help you choose your ideal venue, assist with your legal paperwork and book your travel arrangements for you and your wedding guests plus much more!

We have compiled a small list of the top steps for planning your wedding abroad:

1. Research a destination that suits you and your guest's travel requirements

With so many wedding venues to choose from it can be daunting when you are first looking at getting married abroad, however narrowing down the best destinations for you is the best place to start. For example, if your main interest is having a short flight time then Europe will be your best location and then from here you can look at which venues tick the boxes for what you are envisaging. Perhaps you are dreaming of a Greek taverna paired with a golden sand beach ceremony, or an all-inclusive family friendly hotel in Cyprus that offers you and your guests the best holiday alongside your wedding!

Knowing how far your guests are willing to travel is also a key factor when researching destinations, if you have guests open to flying to the Caribbean or Mexico then you can narrow the islands down to which have the best flights departing from the UK.

2. Secure your wedding date ahead of your holiday

Having your wedding date secured before booking a holiday is the safest way to secure your plans in place. If you book a holiday before your wedding date then you could be left with a holiday without a wedding if your venue or hotel is fully booked for the dates you have booked.

Having your wedding date secured before booking the flights & hotel stay also allows you to book up to 3 years in advance! Tour operators go on sale for holidays roughly two years in advance which can tie you to certain years that are on sale, booking your wedding date first opens up further in advance giving you longer to pay off your wedding! Then as soon as tour operators go on sale for your chosen year, a specialist will be able to help you get your holiday booked.

Image Source: Perfect Weddings Abroad

3. Get to know the legalities

Many destinations will have a legal process that you need to complete within a certain time frame if you are thinking of legally marrying in your destination. This process can be stressful if you are not prepared due to the tight time constraints so getting to know the legalities of your chosen location is the most ideal way to keep calm!

Many locations will need the following legal documents:

• Valid 10-year passport
• Full birth certificates
• Any certificates relating to divorce, death, or adoption

Making sure you have all of these documents ahead of time will ensure that you have a smooth journey preparing your legal paperwork.

If the thought of completing legal paperwork is not something that you want in the lead-up to your wedding then why not opt for a symbolic blessing? Many destinations offer a symbolic ceremony meaning you can sign your marriage certificate in a local town hall and fly to your destination with no worries. Destinations like Spain only offer a symbolic wedding to UK residents so why not choose a venue here to take out the stress of organising your legal paperwork.

4. Put your trust in a Wedding Specialist

Getting married abroad is a very different process to getting married in the UK. The planning process is a lot more relaxed with the finer details such as decor, menus, table plans organised around 6-3 months before the wedding.

This may seem close to the time but this is completely normal for a wedding abroad. However if you have any questions in the lead up to your wedding day, with Perfect Weddings Abroad you have dedicated support from a UK Concierge Team who will help you through the entire process. So any questions you have in relation to your wedding planning including uploading images of inspirational ideas that you have in mind, access to brochures to look at any wedding extras etc. can all be discussed with the team.

Image Source: Perfect Weddings Abroad

5. Book early and send your save the dates!

Venues across Europe are already on sale for 2025, 2026 and even 2027 in some locations. Popular venues sell up very quickly so once you have found the perfect venue, get your date secured! Many couples will wait until every guest has confirmed they want to attend however in the time this takes your date could have been booked by another couple. We recommend booking a 20 people package to start with in order to get your date secured. Once you have your date confirmed, you can send out your save the date cards to everyone you want to invite. Then, once you are a little bit closer to the time you can send out formal invites and confirm your final guest numbers!

Protect Your Wedding Abroad with Dreamsaver

Dreamsaver is a leading UK based wedding insurance provider. In 20 years of providing cover, they have protected over 50,000 wedding ceremonies. Their policy also covers weddings abroad at no additional cost.

Below is a summary of Dreamsaver Wedding Insurance Abroad Policy.

• Cover for overseas wedding at no extra cost!
• £2m Public Liability cover for the Marrying Couple as standard
• Cancellation Cover - up to £80,000(for Diamond Cover)
• Cover up to 2 years prior to the ceremony
• Cover for deposits to overseas wedding suppliers prior to buying cover

See the policy wording here for full information on what is and is not covered.

Please note: policies must be purchase a MINIMUM of 14 days before the ceremony date.

Get overseas wedding insurance for financial protection and peace of mind leading up to your Wedding Abroad. Click the 'Get a Quote' button below to protect your wedding abroad today:

Protect Your Wedding Today