Imagine tying the knot in an exotic or luxurious far-flung destination – one where you can throw a lavish get-together or a tender and intimate celebration with your nearest and dearest. It’s a tantalising prospect for the romantic in all of us, but one that takes a lot of planning and organisation to bring to life. Fortunately, with help from the right people, you can experience the destination wedding of a lifetime. At All the Feels, our team have provided top-class entertainment for many international weddings, so we know what it takes for one to go smoothly. See for yourself with our guide to planning weddings abroad.
How much does a wedding abroad cost?
The main cost to consider is travel, not just flights for you and your wedding party but also costs associated with airport transfers, baggage and insurance – which we’ll elaborate on shortly. The venue is also key – as you’ll want this to truly capture the unique spirit of your destination.
Envisioning a romantic chateau in France? Many dream of this type of resplendent venue, and it’s certainly within reach. A key point to consider is that it must have ample room for a wedding ceremony, your guests and your reception plus access to in-house planners and caterers. In this bracket, you’re looking at a price point exceeding £8,000 per 100 guests excluding accommodation and transportation.
Heading for the island of Paphos or Tenerife? A hotel or yacht wedding hosting 30 to 40 people starts at around £3,000. However, if you’re looking for something more low-key and intimate you could head off to a luxurious destination with a select few guests. For instance, an intimate wedding with ten guests at a mid-priced resort in Thailand could cost around £1,500.
Finally, an important cost to consider is how exchange rates may affect your budget. These rates may fluctuate while you plan your wedding – which could affect your budget more than you may anticipate – so be sure to factor this in when weighing up costs for your destination of choice.
How to plan a wedding abroad: start with the destination
Obviously, you’ll want to choose an exciting and romantic destination, but you must either be familiar with it yourself or have access to a wedding planner who knows the ropes. And, of course, you should consider your guests – even if you plan to cover the cost of their flights and accommodation.
Things to consider include:
- Accessibility: Firstly, how easy will it be for guests to travel to your destination? Your guests will all have prior commitments that will affect exactly when they can travel, so ideally there should be regular flights out. Secondly, will the travel process be easy and comfortable for any elderly or disabled guests? Both of these factors may lead you to reconsider that private island in the Caribbean…
- The time of year: Seasonality is key for two main reasons. Firstly, prices for many holiday destinations vary dramatically across the year and this can extend to costs for entertainment, catering and other parts of your special day. Secondly, some destinations can experience extreme shifts in climate and weather – no one wants to plan a dream beach ceremony in Bali only to find it’s during monsoon season!
- Availability of accommodation: You don’t necessarily have to offer to cover everybody’s costs, but you should recommend comfortable accommodation that your guests can reasonably afford and is close to your venue. Do your research to see whether you can reduce expenses for your guests by making a group booking.
- Local customs: Consider how local customs and cultural traditions will impact you and your guests – be it appropriate attire, alcohol consumption or religious aspects of wedding ceremonies. On a more upbeat note, you could be inspired to incorporate some local traditions as a sign of appreciation and to give your wedding a unique flair.
When it comes to the best wedding locations abroad, it may be that you have your heart set on a location that you have a personal connection with – perhaps an ancestral homeland or a favourite holiday destination?
Alternatively, if you’re looking to escape the notorious British weather – popular sundrenched destinations include Phuket in Thailand, Ibiza, the Amalfi coast in Italy, the Greek islands – or the Bahamas if you’ve set your sights high!
Take a long runup
You should allow extra planning time for an overseas wedding. For example, you would be well-advised to make time to travel to your destination and venue to check things out in person.
Apart from being sure of your venue and finding the right local caterer and officiant, there will be extra logistics to take care of. Your guests will need plenty of advance notice to plan their trips – so get those invitations out early.
Decide how you’ll handle the legalities
The easiest way to enjoy a wedding abroad without becoming tied up in red tape and legalities is to have a private civil ceremony in the UK before travelling to celebrate your wedding abroad. If you’re set on only finalising legalities on the day, you’ll have a lot more to research, legwork to do, and plenty of paperwork to complete.
Organising travel and insurance
For a truly luxurious wedding abroad, you can consider chartering a flight, but if you opt for a regular commercial flight certain travel agencies offer wedding packages and can help you with your planning. Certain travel agencies offer wedding packages and help you with your wedding planning. There are even specialised destination wedding travel agencies, and they may be able to offer you a few extra perks.
You have a lot invested in your overseas wedding, so you should opt for additional wedding insurance as well as group travel insurance so that your entire wedding party has affordable coverage. Some insurance providers offer specialist overseas wedding insurance to cover anything that requires up-front payment such as rings, dresses and deposits for venues and vendors.
Planning your reception
Once your wedding is solemnised it’s time to celebrate – and great celebrations come from careful planning. Ideally, you’ll be working with a planner who is experienced in organising international weddings and receptions – someone who is familiar with local customs but also understands your traditions and requirements.
The reception is also a fantastic opportunity to pay homage to your destination of choice. This could include hiring local musicians and performers, having local delicacies as part of your menu, or incorporating your destination into your decor (for instance, tropical accents such as palm leaves for a Caribbean wedding).
As far as entertainment is concerned, organising it might be easier than you expected. All the Feels Live offers a stellar selection of live bands for weddings so your celebration is truly unforgettable. Whether it’s an elegant string quartet or a DJ that offers the latest floor fillers, we’ll help create a soundtrack for memories that last a lifetime.