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.

with around 8 million monthly users, Mumsnet seems a fairly logical platform in which to seek relevant info, wouldn't you think?

Did I say it wasn’t? 🤔

Ah ok, I must've mis-interpreted.

I got married at the most gorgeous venue in Cyprus last year. A beautiful old farmhouse, bbq buffet style meal for 25 people (there was SO much food), cake, violinist, DJ, celebrant, photographer, videographer, hair, makeup, wedding bus transport to get the guests there, flowers, decorations and an open bar all day and night for about 12.5k. The venue are amazing and can’t do enough for you and your marriage is valid in the UK. Weddings are big business in Cyprus so it’s easy to organise everything.

https://www.liopetro.com.cy

edited to add some bits I forgot our budget was a bit higher

i’ve been looking at seafood restaurant options!

A lot of people don't like seafood. Maybe choose somewhere with a wider choice of options?

this was my typo, i meant seaside! oops! there will obviously be several options for people who don’t like seafood😂😂😂

I've found the village in Kefalonia I mentioned on a previous page, its seriously beautiful! I would really recommend checking it out. They had plenty of restaurants where we saw a wedding party. You could have some amazing photos there!

Assos on Kefalonia in Greece.

So you’re not actually interested in your friends and relations being there to celebrate your wedding - you just want the trappings, and don’t care how inconvenient or expensive it is for others. Right…

I agree, but her friends sound loaded since this appears normal in their circle. I had no idea this was so widespread. A different world.

I found lots of people think differently about it when they start having babies. I went to my sibling’s Italian wedding with two toddles and a teenager but only one other DC went. All the other families with DC declined.

We are definitely not loaded by any means! we’re just choosing to use the money we would spend on a summer holiday towards a holiday where we get to celebrate our friends!

We are definitely not loaded by any means!

It's all relative. A lot of people simply can't afford to attend a destination wedding, so to those people anyone who can is loaded.

@NewAgeNewMeo wouldn’t want to go to Greece in the first place!

You'd spend fifteen grand on a summer holiday? That's the definition of being loaded.

Unfortunately or fortunately family weddings are mainly in Cyprus or Greece or uk. Wherever they are family and friends will be travelling.

For the wedding in July in Cyprus, there are lots travelling from U.K. and Greece. Our September wedding in U.K., loads will be travelling from Greece and Cyprus.

Next year in Greece, family travelling from Cyprus and edit uk. Joys of immigration 🤣 even though my family have been here 80+ years!

It’s a bit different from a regular summer holiday if you’re also getting married tbf

I thought the OP was a referring to a wedding she is going to this summer.

Don’t people pay for hotel and travel in the uk though?
Every wedding I’ve been to required me to shell out on a hotel (usually expensive in a chi chi market town) and some sort of drive across the country.
Granted you need more time for destination wedding but the cost can work out as not much different if it’s Spain/france/italy.

You say you've attended abroad weddings in the past....Just be careful with expectations here because in my experience, lots of people in our circle who married years ago had great attendance but if you're older and one of the last ones to marry, there is a sort of attrition that happens. People have small kids, have spent £££ on too many weddings etc so they may sack off yours.

Every abroad wedding I have accepted an invitation to in the last 2 years have been very extravagant do's and accommodation or something else covered. I'm going to one in January 2027 and we are basically going to be fed and toured for 3 days before the wedding, there is the wedding day and a post wedding brunch too. Tbh I wouldn't have accepted going if I didn't know it was going to be great because I work full time and have a toddler and I'm not flying long haul and using 2 weeks of annual leave for any random wedding.

I'm really not against weddings abroad but they are quite...done. So many people have had them, they're not special anymore.

I think it would be nicer and in the spirit of love and marriage to have something nice and cheerful at home.

DH and I didn't have the inclination to organize a big thing. We had a beautiful registry ceremony (our local registry is gorgeous), a drink at a pub, followed by a fancy dinner for about 15 people. It was beautiful.

I do think you are being unreasonable and missing the point of a wedding. If you are desperate to get married broad go and do that, take close family and pay for them. Then maybe have an evening do in the UK so everybody else can celebrate.
By having a wedding abroad you are being very selfish and basically saying you only want those rich enough to attend. You are also putting the v up to anyone with caring responsibilities and potentially disabilities.
But perhaps you live in some utopia where everyone is loaded and doesn’t have these everyday cares?
Just because others have done it you doesn’t make it ok.

Yes You could definitely do a destination wedding for £15k. We planned a wedding in Cyprus for 43 people, including, celebrant, venue, cake, DJ, flowers, decor, evening meal, ice cream cart and open bar from 3pm to midnight for £10k. I would recommend booking directly with the venue & doing as much as possible yourself. If you choose a hotel, they will have a list of preferred suppliers that you can liaise with yourself. Alternatively find a wedding planner that is in the town that you are marrying in. Don’t go with these wedding companies based in the UK, they just add a mark up on the venues prices and do nothing extra. Also if you are in direct contact you will have more control over your day.
Happy planning x

Prioritising your dress etc above feeding your guests….hmmmm

15 k for a wedding 😫😲
I couldnt justify it for one day, id get married in a registry office here and have loads of amazing holidays 😍 🤩😍

Some people like the idea of a nice wedding. Registry office isn’t my idea of a nice wedding and I’m glad I went abroad for mine