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Marrying abroad

11 replies

ALC03 · 13/09/2018 20:21

Hi all,
I know I only posted this morning about my engagement! But I've always wanted a wedding abroad and know that's what will happen...
Any tips/advice if you have married abroad how was it? Chaos? Really expensive? Where did you go? What paperwork was required? Was it legal in UK straight away? Etc

Thanks x

OP posts:
SheWoreBlueVelvet · 13/09/2018 21:39

Congratulations!
If you want people to come pick somewhere with cheap low cost flights. If you want to marry in a secular country like France you need to be married civilly first before you get any blessing. So as easy to do it in UK first otherwise you have to be resident to do the civil bit there too. . Italy is probably the closest country where you only have to be " resident" 3 days in advance or something if you want it all abroad.. US weddings are legal here as are most of the wedding package destinations.
Ok so same rules apply as to a wedding organising over here. Budget first, think about who you want to invite, find a venue that will accommodate within budget. Send invites at least 3 seasons in advance.
You can DIY which we are doing but only because we know the area fairly well. Wedding planners can help but we didn't bother.Got a venue from Tripadvisor ( although we got lucky as most places don't do parties or charge a fortune if you mention weddings).
The advantages are not being able to panic because you can't really do much from over here- not stressing over decorations or seat covers etc. Much cheaper than overpriced venues in our part of the UK.
Wedding packages are easy but I think some border on a bit cheesy. ( Wedding planes full of happy couples just like you).
Have fun with it. Go with your dream.

EthelThePiratesDaughter · 14/09/2018 12:36

Congratulations on your engagement.

I would strongly recommend you do a low key registry office job in the UK and then just a symbolic ceremony abroad. This will avoid any issues around the legality of your marriage in the UK. Also, if you choose to get married in a non English speaking country, your marriage certificate will be in a foreign language. This means you will have to get certified translations at around £50 a pop every time you need to prove you are married in the UK. (If you're planning to change your name on your passport or any other ID documents, this will be an issue. If you're planning to keep your name, less so.)

Please be mindful of the fact that a lot of people take a bit of a dim view of "destination weddings" where the couple have no obvious connection to the country. You will be asking people to take annual leave and spend potentially a lot of money to attend. Some people just won't be able to do it, for example, if they are teachers or have kids and you don't do it in the school holidays, or just if they don't have the money.

If you're definitely going to do it, I suggest picking somewhere which is quick, easy and inexpensive to get to from the UK. Think France, Spain or Italy, not Thailand or Bali.

Bear in mind that you're going to need to make several trips out there to check out venues and make all the necessary arrangements. If you don't speak the local language, do you know someone who does who would be willing to help you? Think about what you will need to transport over there - the dress is a big one. Assuming you'll want to buy it in the UK, for fittings etc, I would suggest choosing something fairly simple and easy to transport, rather than a big princess dress with massive petticoats.

If you choose a venue which isn't easy to get to by public transport (most chateaux in France really aren't, for example), then think about putting on a bus to transport your guests there from the nearest town or airport. Asking people to travel abroad for your wedding is a fairly big ask, so make it as easy and stress-free for them as possible. If it's a fairly small wedding, consider trying to find a venue with on-site accommodation for everyone.

Finally, depending on when you are planning to get married, think carefully about Brexit. If you've only just got engaged then you're probably not going to do it next summer, but if that is what you're planning, bear in mind that flights and foreign travel in general might be disrupted post Brexit day, and if the pound tanks after the end of March you might find that everything is much more expensive than you (or your guests) are currently anticipating. No real advice on this point, other than to just be aware of it, and don't book anything soon after Brexit day or commit to spending large sums of money in a foreign currency before we have a clearer idea about what is happening.

Good luck!

ALC03 · 14/09/2018 12:41

Thanks for all advice given... I didn't want any one there for the wedding I just wanted it to be me and my partner... Hence the abroad bit! I'm just so stuck and confused on where i start and what I do! I plan on marrying in less than a year so not long at all. Hence why all the silly questions!

OP posts:
LeftRightCentre · 14/09/2018 12:46

Why not Google 'Weddings in (the country where you want to marry)'? Because it's all going to vary depending on the laws where you want to marry.

EthelThePiratesDaughter · 14/09/2018 12:49

OK well if you want to elope and not have anyone there, are you set on it being on a tropical beach somewhere or would you consider Scotland?

Scotland is a very traditional elopement destination and means you can avoid any legality/Brexit related issues!

Hellohah · 14/09/2018 12:50

My friend got married in Mauritius, I don't think there was that much to do, although they did have to go to the government building one day of the holiday ... I will check with her. From my understanding, the hotel had a specialist wedding planner who does most of the stuff for you.
Congrats by the way

Micah · 14/09/2018 12:52

We fucked off to vegas :).

Booked the flights and hotels like you would a normal holiday. 2 weeks later we were on the plane, then when we got to vegas i phoned the hotel chapel and booked for the following day. Trip to the courthouse and £600, job done. With a fab holiday and no stress. Legal straight away.

I know a lot of people think vegas is tacky etc but i really loved it. The wedding staff were lovely and sorted everything, I still got little things like a bouquet and photos. It definitely didn't feel like a conveyor belt.

I did want to go to Gretna Green initially but that isn’t a quick easy thing anymore. So Vegas it was.

Bluecloudyskies · 14/09/2018 13:02

Don’t do it in Cuba!

Honestly I’d just go to the registry office by yourselfs and then fly off some where nice for a blessing.

If your dead set on it you need to find out -

If your wedding certificate is in English - as you will have to have it translated to English by a solicitor which costs £££ when get back so you can legally apply for changes on passport, bills ect..

If they speak in English when your doing the marriage - I honestly felt like we could have been agreeing/signing to be some ones guarantor for a bloody loan Hmm

If you will actually come home with your wedding certificate as some take months for it to come from their country. It gets sent by post !

A wedding certificate from abroad IS NOT taken as a legal British wedding certificate but will be taken on face value - when translated. It does not get registered with any governing body and you could literally hide it under your bed and no one would even know you were married.

We had no end of problems.

If you want pictures - find your own photographer, look on Instagram facebook sites .. because often the hotel photographer is shit.

lavenderlove · 14/09/2018 13:19

Hi I have just got married in Cyprus. If you choose somewhere like Cyprus/Malta/Gozo/Dominican republic/ sure there's probably a few more - then you don't have to pay a translation charge of around £600 as all the certificates are done in English.
It was really simple to get married in Cyprus. We just had to type up a statutory declaration and get a solicitor in the UK to sign it. there's loads of templates online and it cost us £20 for the signature.
Then we just had to visit the town hall in Cyprus 3 days before the wedding with copies of our passports, birth certificates and the statutory declaration and sign a document. And pay the registrar fee. Then we were good to go! X

lavenderlove · 14/09/2018 13:19

And congratulations on your engagement!! X

lavenderlove · 14/09/2018 13:20

sorry for the third message but just seen your last question! Yes because the wedding certificate given in Cyprus is all in English it is legal here straight away x

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