To think I can plan a destination wedding for under 15K? Advice/ tips needed.

[tigerlilt]

Looking to get married in summer 2028, currently my top choices are greek islands, mallorca but would be open to other suggestions! As long as it’s warm, pretty and feels like a holiday i’m in! Set on a destination wedding as prices in the UK are EXTORTIONATE, want a higher guarantee of sun and it means we don’t have to invite anyone we don’t want to!
Would probably be about 50 guests and we have a budget of £15,000.

Am I delusional or is it possible to plan a beautiful wedding abroad for this price? I’m thinking we could save money by starting at around 4pm and therefore only having to serve food once?! DP only request is that there is an open bar for a portion of the night.

So I ask, has anyone had a wedding abroad and if so, what did it cost? where was it? any tips or tricks?! and any suggestions for specific destinations such as planners/ photographers/ music ect?!

I’ve seen packages such as Ionian weddings but i’m just not sure this is the most cost effective way of doing it!

Any advice welcome, thankyou.

I’m open to it starting earlier, it’s just what i’ve experienced in the past.

Also very much keen for an open bar all night.

Dinner the night before and breakfast the day after sound good and we will provide.

Actually I think 4 is fine as I said but you need to think about guests having to entertain and feed themselves until the afternoon. I mentioned the open bar all night because your OP didn’t say that.

Yes, have some sort of light reception about midday as well?

great advice thankyou.

so on the list

• budget airline flight away (maybe not greece then?)
• open bar all night
• dinner the night before and brunch the next day

Any venue suggestions? i also love the idea of a vineyard.

he will be 2 and a half in summer 2028.

That's such a lovely age, they're into everything! Most European venues are very child friendly.
I agree about having a shorter flight, though, so maybe not Greece ot Turkey.

My god people drive me so mad.
OP is very clearly not asking for opinions on whether we strangers think her friends/family who we've never met and have zero idea on their views, will pay to attend her wedding.
Sorry OP, nothing of use to add - except, if it's boiling, providing han fans to the guests as they arrive is a nice touch.

I suspect you do need to increase your budget if you are basically entertaining guests for the evening before and the morning after the wedding as well as the day itself. You've attended lots of overseas weddings by your own admission, so the best advice you'll get is from those friends, surely?

This. I think you need to work backwards. I’ve been to several destination weddings some more lavish than others but I think at the very minimum you need to provide drinks and dinner the night before - can be buffet style but all drinks have to be free too - and then canapés and a meal and a free flowing bar on the day of the wedding and then a relaxed bbq or lunch the day after. I don’t think anyone should be expected to pay for anything food or drink wise during your celebrations. They will already be paying for flights, hotel, car hire, taxis, maybe babysitters let alone outfits and gifts. You cannot expect them to pay for a drink at the bar at your wedding

If it’s August, prices will be higher, but midweek might be less expensive. If people are bringing children, , they might want it to be in the school summer holiday, otherwise there could be issues with child care or taking out of school.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550272595464

We are off to a destination wedding for a close family member in June. I’ve not been to any before but my understanding is that the wedding is at 4pm so it is a little cooler. The bride and groom have had several on line meetings with the wedding planner based in Greece and are really pleased with how it is progressing and being organised.
i believe that most guests are paying for themselves - flights, accommodation, etc.
And for those cynics on here there are about 50 guests who will be there, all from the UK.

Apologies but pressed URBU by mistake, We went to a wedding in Rhodes in August 18 months ago. All inclusive
, fabulous.Haven’t a clue what it cost the brides parents,

It was only going to be me H & our kids. I think the package included the guests that were staying at the same hotel. It cost £12k for just us 4 & they were happy to provide 2 witnesses. It didn’t happen in the end because of Covid. If the guests where just visiting for the ceremony I think they had to pay a surcharge

Ok. Sorry to hear that it never happened.

I hate a destination wedding, unless it's a sibling or best friend, I usually say no (come up with an excuse) as it just wipes me out financially. I don't have the cash that friends assume me to have. Give me a cheap village hall wedding in the UK any day of the week.

We got married at the local registry office. I didn’t want my family there & Covid actually made that possible as we couldn’t have any guests. We still went to Mexico a year later but as a holiday instead of our wedding

Are you close enough to any of the people who have got married abroad fairly recently to ask about costs?
I’ve been to two in Italy and one in Portugal and both the couples who got married in Italy said the weddings were reasonably priced.
Wedding one -two nights in a hotel, bride and groom paid one night, breakfast was included with the room. Guests paid for their own dinner the night before , there was an open bar at the wedding.
Wedding 2, everyone sorts out their own accommodation and apart from the wedding with lots of food and an open bar there were no more events.
Wedding three, pizza get together somewhere different from the wedding venue. Wedding venue was booked the day and night before so everyone had to stay in two different places which was a pain but still worthwhile. Lots of food and an open bar at the wedding.

I’ve been to quite a few destination weddings and we’ve always had an amazing time. In terms of catering there’s usually been about 3 days of food/drinks provided. Usually the day before, the wedding itself and then the day after. Some have been bbqs at the hotel etc but a lot recently have been the couple hiring out an area of a beach club either the day before or after. I’ve never regarded these weddings as being a cheaper option at all as I’m sure most have been more expensive than a wedding locally.

I'm glad it worked out and you had a holiday in Mexico!

Why would you invite them if you didn't mind if they didn't come. Surly saving more money by only inviting people you actually want there whether home or abroad

OP chose to post in AIBU rather than Weddings, so aren't opinions requested and expected?

OP started by saying she only wanted to serve ONE meal to her guests with an open bar for PART of the evening, which was the groom's request. 50 guests would be invited to travel overseas in order to save OP the "EXTORTIONATE" cost of a wedding at home.

She has now extended this to several meals with an open bar all evening, which is a bit more reasonable with people travelling.

If her £15k budget was for "a beautiful wedding" but with the meagre offerings and little consideration to her guests initially stated, it wasn't surprising that people suggested she reconsider as the wedding possibly wouldn't be remembered as beautiful but stingy.

I'm not against destination weddings, but I think guests should be considered and at least some of the costs pushed onto them subsidised. Several meals and entertainment/ gatherings at the very least, if not the accommodation provided.

OP asked in the title, so my opinion is YABU to think you can have a beautiful wedding for that budget if there is little assigned to considering your guests, according to the single meal and few drinks stated in the OP.

Later posts suggest different plans with guests pre-agreeing the expense. Hope the wedding goes beautifully, however you proceed.

TBH, I'd probably give Cuba a miss until Trump isn't in his Caligula phase.

My son and daughter in law got married in Cyprus 5 years ago. The cost was then just under 16k. That covered the hotel for the bride and groom for the week the civil ceremony and a meal and disco for 40 people. The flights for the bride and groom and they paid for bridesmaid dresses and grooms men's suits to be flown out. The wedding was due to start at 4 but was delayed until 5.30 due to heat. That's what happens when you get married on August bank holiday. It gets very hot. The down side of this was the disco had to end at 11 pm so as not to disturb the hotel guests. They only paid for the meal after the wedding and nothing else for any body. There was significantly less guests than anticipated as though people said they would go when it actually came to having to pay for their own flights and hotels many dropped out .
You obviously love the idea of a destination wedding however for the amount of people you are looking at I think you will struggle to do it for the money you have budgeted. All you can really do is list what you want to include and start emailing hotels and venues. As someone else said also getting someone on board (many hotels ha e wedding planners included in their package ) to make sure you meet all the local regulations.
Good luck I hope your wedding is everything you hope for.

@NeverDropYourMooncup Caligula phase... Lololol (yet also not lol 🥲)