Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Weddings

Chat to other Mumsnetters on our Wedding forum.

Flip

Original poster

Wedding abroad?

24 replies

Dyingforchocolate · 17/03/2019 19:42

Please tell me your experiences of getting married abroad?
Very recently engaged, and unsure whether to get married at home or abroad. Have fallen in love with a hotel in Greece and it seems like the easier option, but is it really? I don't want to get married whilst people sit at the swimming pool watching me, or eat my wedding dinner in the all inclusive restaurant with 300 other people, so please tell me truthfully is it fab getting married abroad, or will I regret it?

OP posts:

coffeeismyspinach · 17/03/2019 19:47

Don't do this unless you're eloping just the two of you. Destination weddings abroad are such an entitled thing to do, expecting other people to spunk a load of money getting to your do, pay for lodging, take time off work, etc. It puts so much pressure on your loved ones. Not a nice thing to do to them.

And of course you cannot expect it to be just you unless you book out the entire hotel. Other guest have a right to enjoy their holiday there and you can't stop them for watching you get married or eating their dinner in the restaurant .

Why not honeymoon at the hotel in Greece?

Hollowvictory · 17/03/2019 19:48

Is it easier for your guests?

GreenTulips · 17/03/2019 19:50

Can you book a private table somewhere? Or employ a chef for the evening?

There are other options

BackforGood · 17/03/2019 19:51

I think the answer depends on whether both of you dislike your families or not.

Original poster

Dyingforchocolate · 17/03/2019 19:52

There will only be a few guests, all of whom are more than happy to go abroad if that's what we choose. I wouldn't do it if it was putting pressure on them.

That probably came out wrong about the pool/dinner thing, but it looks like some hotels have separate rooms you can use for dinner etc but not sure if that's a common thing or if most are just in the general restaurants?

I don't want a massive wedding which is why this seems easier, anything I look at here seems to spiral out of control!

OP posts:

coffeeismyspinach · 17/03/2019 19:53

It's also often not legal so you're asking people to pay a load and use their annual leave to watch you fake getting married.

Original poster

Dyingforchocolate · 17/03/2019 19:55

Are they not legal? I thought I had read in the brochures they were, but maybe I read that wrong. Thanks I'll need to double check that!

OP posts:

Hollowvictory · 17/03/2019 19:56

Which hotel is it

fabmaz · 17/03/2019 19:57

We got married in Cuba, best thing we did. Small group of 10, all legal and had a party when back where I wore my dress again.

MaybeitsMaybelline · 17/03/2019 19:58

Yes they are if you follow the uk gov guidance www.gov.uk/marriage-abroad

Original poster

Dyingforchocolate · 17/03/2019 20:01

Thanks everyone, @hollow it's- www.tui.co.uk/destinations/europe/greece/crete/lyttos-beach/hotels/tui-sensatori-resort-atlantica-caldera-palace.html

OP posts:

Bec1710 · 17/03/2019 20:04

Hi congrats on getting engaged! I got married in Rhodes, Greece a few years ago and it was definitely the best thing we decided to do. We invited only our families (15 of us) and had a reception back home for extended family and friends a few weeks after. We had our ceremony outside a small chapel on a beach, a champagne cruise (best thing ever) then a small meal afterwards in a private section of a beach front restaurant. We were legally married in Greece and we did find the process easy enough! I would recommend looking for a wedding planner based in Greece (ours had staff in uk who met with you before hand) with good recommendations instead of using a travel agent wedding planner. I found our day really special and very relaxed and a lot more memorable compared to various weddings in hotels that I have been to in the uk

Motherofcreek · 17/03/2019 20:10

We went to the Caribbean with both our families for two weeks.

It was hideous. Family fall outs ruined our wedding. No one came home speaking.

Random people in wedding pictures

Having to walk through the pool area while people were drinking/sunbathing in my dress was cringey

My best friend got really bad food poisoning.
The hotel food was awful (apart from wedding meal which was lovely)

I was distraught when we come home.

On the other hand my best mate got married in Cyprus, refused to tell anyone where she was staying (even parents) and had a ball. She booked a local restaurant and did it all away from hotel. It was lovely

MeowthThatsRight · 17/03/2019 20:16

That’s an odd hotel to choose for a wedding. Have you been there before and it has special meaning to you or something? I can understand destination weddings if they’re at a location that is important to the couple, a small hotel where they know the staff, love the food, the walks to the beach etc. The hotel in the link looks like a (very nice) generic enormous chain all inclusive that could be anywhere in the world.

clairew88 · 17/03/2019 20:18

We got married in Sri Lanka and I don't feel it was an entitled thing to do in the slightest!

We had an amazing time as did the 36 guests that travelled out to celebrate with us.

Obviously you have to be prepared that some people just won't be able to make it for personal reasons but as long as you're happy with that (we had a party when home to celebrate again) you will have the most wonderful time

When choosing to go to a destination wedding as a guest you are getting a holiday out of it! As long as guests aren't expected to do wedding related activities every day I think it's lovely.

It's so easy - you literally have none of the stress of a normal wedding as everything is planned in one meeting when you arrive!

Do it! It's the best thing we ever did!

Original poster

Dyingforchocolate · 17/03/2019 20:27

Thanks everyone. Very glad to hear the good and bad here!
I totally understand that some people won't be able to make it, and that's ok. One family member isn't great with long haul so we've been looking at Cyprus/Greece/Italy mostly to give us ideas. People would not be expected to do wedding activities not on the day of the wedding! I have been looking at areas that look like they have things that would interest the guests outside of the wedding time too.

OP posts:

anniehm · 17/03/2019 20:28

Depends on what you want from the day - you can book a wedding package or marry in church and book a private reception but be realistic on who you want there and what you are expecting people to pay. We've twice been to weddings in Europe and we were given a years notice and the couples negotiates room rates at a range of hotels from budget to 5 star, they also paid for everything on the day and threw an additional pre wedding party to welcome us - but they had links there, it wasn't random so had relatives sorting out details. Another thing was our children were invited both times, even though we chose not to take them - getting a sitter is hard for several days.

It's certainly not easier unless you are eloping, so many details to work out from afar!

itsbritneybiatches · 17/03/2019 20:33

I'm getting married in Cyprus in the summer. I will let you know!

We are paying for immediate family.

It's not entitled at all. It's your wedding.

The wedding venue is in the hotel away from other guests. Away from the pool.

I can't wait.

Low stress. Low key. Intimate. It's what we wanted. 30 guests.

itsbritneybiatches · 17/03/2019 20:34

Doing it with Tui. No stress at all so far.

Original poster

Dyingforchocolate · 17/03/2019 20:38

Thanks everyone. The Olympic Lagoons in Cyrpus look beautiful too, and one of them seems to have a separate wedding room. Kids will be invited, I couldn't imagine not inviting my immediate family to my wedding (Not judging anyone who does, just my personal feelings) so the guests wouldn't need to worry about finding a babysitter for a few days. We will look at venues here too and weigh up the options, it's just nice to hear everyone's experiences.

OP posts:

itsbritneybiatches · 17/03/2019 20:42

My friend got married there last year. It was lovely.

itsbritneybiatches · 17/03/2019 20:45

It would of been cheaper to have a wedding here.

Purely because we are paying for some family.

Original poster

Dyingforchocolate · 17/03/2019 20:49

@itsbritneybiatches paying for immediate family is a great idea. It's not really about the cost for us doing here or abroad it's just mainly like I said I don't want a really big wedding and everything here seems to get bigger and bigger without much thought! I just want something less stressful. I'm very close to my immediate family though so couldn't imagine eloping and doing it without them.

OP posts:

Frazzled2207 · 17/03/2019 21:02

I'm sure it could be lovely but I personally wouldn't marry anywhere I hadn't been on a recce to beforehand.

I went to a big hotel in the Bahamas which looked idyllic in the brochures but was full of loud American tourists and there was literally a conveyor belt of couples getting married in a gazebo with loud tourists gawping and kids splashing. Was hideously tacky.
(Wasn't getting married myself thankfully!)

A friend got married in Italy and it was lovely but complicated legally, they had to go to a register office in Italy first before the "actual" wedding.

Flip