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Original poster

Where to start planning wedding abroad

30 replies

anon2022anon · 13/05/2023 09:18

Any tips? Any place recommendations to start searching?

We would like a budget wedding, prefer a city hall/ meal in a nice restaurant, rather than a hotel wedding during an all inclusive week type. I reckon there would be up to 30 guests. If we could get it for 5k for the actual wedding, I'd be happy (service, meal, photographer, transport between venues for guests seem like the main costs).

Open to place, but would like it to be fairly close to an airport with regular flights, so that if any family wants to come, they can easily have a 2-3 day trip rather than a week.

Would like to physically get married there, not have a registry office wedding here then something else there

At the minute, Italy seems to be the easiest set up for that- I keep coming back to Venice as plenty of flights, staying on the mainland is reasonable cost wise, scenic for photographs, centrally placed city hall, plenty of good food to eat. But I would like other ideas and to figure out where to start!

Not really feeling the idea of getting married here, we both have large families so even inviting just parents/siblings & partners/nieces and nephews here would be around 50 guests, before you get to any friends whatsoever or extended family, so to have a nice event here would cost a fortune and automatically be a 'big wedding'. It would cause riots to invite siblings without families, so not really an option to make it smaller. Happy for any family that wants to to come abroad, or for anyone to say no, we won't be offended, it's an invite not a summons, before there's a raft of posts telling me it's selfish to have a wedding abroad!

OP posts:
Phos · 13/05/2023 09:22

Croatia has some beautiful spots for weddings.

I would strongly recommend hiring a wedding planner or going through a company because the rules differ from country to country and it’s way too easy to get things wrong and either end up without a legal marriage or the ceremony not going ahead at all. Particularly if you don’t speak the language.

Original poster
anon2022anon · 13/05/2023 09:32

Phos · 13/05/2023 09:22

Croatia has some beautiful spots for weddings.

I would strongly recommend hiring a wedding planner or going through a company because the rules differ from country to country and it’s way too easy to get things wrong and either end up without a legal marriage or the ceremony not going ahead at all. Particularly if you don’t speak the language.

Thank you, any recommendations of places? Is Croatia an easy country to get to/ move around?

A planner is definitely a consideration, but my initial research is that for someone just to be involved with basics is about £1500. That's not to say it's a no, but I figured I would need to have a few places to start before we get to that point anyway. And it seems a bit daring to just pick a name off the internet without a bit more research too, so it's another thing to be lost about 😂

OP posts:

Interested in this thread?

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Weddings
gogohmm · 13/05/2023 09:36

See what the rules are in Spain, lots of flights and cheap off peak. Been to weddings in Italy and Greece, both in church's but neither couple actually attend church, difference is that one of each couple was from there so family did planning in situ (they lived in U.K.)

Ellmau · 13/05/2023 09:37

Just a heads up that you may still get the family riots if they can't afford to come...

Changingplace · 13/05/2023 09:39

Cyprus is easy- you don’t need to be in the country for a set amount of time before the wedding and the ceremony is legal, nothing to do here whatsoever.

Changingplace · 13/05/2023 09:40

gogohmm · 13/05/2023 09:36

See what the rules are in Spain, lots of flights and cheap off peak. Been to weddings in Italy and Greece, both in church's but neither couple actually attend church, difference is that one of each couple was from there so family did planning in situ (they lived in U.K.)

It used to be a faff getting married in Spain, we looked into it and there were rules around how long you had to be in the country before & after the ceremony which made it tricky.

toomuchlaundry · 13/05/2023 09:44

Will your guests be happy to shell out on the costs of a holiday abroad? What about guests who can’t afford it. I assume you won’t invite family members you know won’t be able to afford it and who you would have to invite if wedding is in uk, so they can’t complain they weren’t invited

Original poster
anon2022anon · 13/05/2023 10:21

Honestly, if anyone doesn't want to come, can't afford to come, wants to come but leave their partner and kids at home, wants to come for one night, it's all absolutely fine. I just have to invite them, and I want to invite them. I would like it if they come, if they don't, fine, I'm sure we'll end up hiring a pub function room some time at home to celebrate anyway, where I don't have to pay for a full wedding reception for at least 50 people.

90% of the family can afford to do a city break away in some variation, whether they want to is up to them. The ones who can't afford it, would probably struggle to come to/enjoy a full day wedding ceremony anyway, for family reasons, and in the nicest possible way, aren't a priority for us (step families, not close but still classed as siblings to me). There are a couple who will possibly choose not to come, but again, that's absolutely fine. We just have to/ want to invite them.

OP posts:
Original poster
anon2022anon · 13/05/2023 10:21

It looks like in Spain, one of you needs to be a resident, or you need to get married before hand?

OP posts:
Original poster
anon2022anon · 13/05/2023 10:23

Denmark, Cyprus, Greece, I'll check out, thank you.
If you had a few days to do a break away (long weekend maybe), would any of those be on a list for you? Where would you go?

OP posts:
Isitoknow · 13/05/2023 10:24

You can get married in Austria. It was v easy to organise, quick town hall ceremony and that’s it.

my advice would be to pick a place soon - you’ll drive yourself insane otherwise and there are so many options.

Original poster
anon2022anon · 13/05/2023 10:25

@Justcannot thanks for the recommendation! I'll check those out. Where did you get married in Denmark, and do you have beautiful photos? Was it good value?

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Original poster
anon2022anon · 13/05/2023 10:30

@Isitoknow I started taking a look there, the town halls look beautiful! Have you been to any weddings there?

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Doggymummar · 13/05/2023 10:30

I got married in Malta for the third time which was easy for my family to get to used a wedding planner who charged 20pc if the budget. We flew over several times to choose venue's food and wine and being so close made this simple to do in weekend. Friend got married in Sorrento which was lovely , again with a wedding planner THEY only visited a couple of times but for longer periods to choose menus etc. . Best way if you don't want a planner is use a holiday company to do it

LynnImstuckontheringroad · 13/05/2023 10:34

I got married in Italy, booked all through kuoni. Wedding itself cost about £1500, included registry office, registrar, interpretor, bouquet and button hole. This was nearly 11 years ago though. Very easy through Kuoni.

There were rules about length of time spent in the country but we had a big holiday/honeymoon with the wedding so no problem.

Original poster
anon2022anon · 13/05/2023 10:51

Great ideas there, thank you! I'll check out Malta, Sorrento looks beautiful too, obviously.
Kuoni, I haven't looked at, I'll look today

OP posts:
MargotBamborough · 13/05/2023 11:00

First thing you need to do is figure out where you are actually allowed to get married if neither of you is a citizen or a resident. For example, France is out unless one of your parents lives there.

Original poster
anon2022anon · 13/05/2023 11:26

@MargotBamborough thanks, that's France and Spain off the list so far 😊

OP posts:
Ellmau · 13/05/2023 11:38

I doubt Kuoni would be a budget option.

Justcannot · 13/05/2023 15:40

We got married in Copenhagen City Hall, which is a nice building, and the room itself was stunning (in a turret, like a fairy castle!). The city itaelf is great as well, with loads of lovely spots for photos. Easy city break for a weekend as well
I know GMID also do wedding on some of the beautiful danish islands where your photos would be stunning, we were during covid though so wanted something easy.

Anywhere in Europe you need to check your info sources are up to date; it's a lot harder in many places now post brexit! Denmark is easy though; forms to complete in advance, then you have to stay over one night before the wedding.

Isitoknow · 13/05/2023 21:15

anon2022anon · 13/05/2023 10:30

@Isitoknow I started taking a look there, the town halls look beautiful! Have you been to any weddings there?

Yes, my own. Let me know if you have any specific questions.

Original poster
anon2022anon · 15/05/2023 15:49

@Isitoknow Thanks!
What type of wedding did you have? Town hall and celebration after, or a hotel type wedding? Did you manage to keep to a budget, do you think a small budget is possible for this type of wedding?
Was it very hard to organise from a different country? Worth doing it this way?
Thanks very much, I appreciate it!

OP posts:
Original poster
anon2022anon · 15/05/2023 15:55

@Justcannot That sounds great! It sounds stunning. Can I ask the same questions to you please?
Did you have a city hall ceremony/ nice restaurant after, or a hotel do? Did you manage to stick to a budget, or do you think it would be easy enough to do?
Was it hard to organise, and was it worth doing this way? Thank you :)

OP posts:
Justcannot · 15/05/2023 16:37

anon2022anon · 15/05/2023 15:55

@Justcannot That sounds great! It sounds stunning. Can I ask the same questions to you please?
Did you have a city hall ceremony/ nice restaurant after, or a hotel do? Did you manage to stick to a budget, or do you think it would be easy enough to do?
Was it hard to organise, and was it worth doing this way? Thank you :)

No do or anything after the city hall bit; we took advantage of Covid to have just us at the wedding! No guests at all (wanted to keep it cheap and the thought of standing up in front of all those people looking at me makes me want to keel over). You definitely could organise it easily though, either the company would help or everyone in Copenhagen speaks such good English that it would be easy to do. Organising the rest of it (wedding, paper work, travel restrictions(!)) was easy.

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