Pros and Cons of Abroad Weddings

With weddings back on the agenda, some of you will be getting ready to celebrate the biggest day of your life with some real gusto again. And for those of you who’s dream it is to walk down an aisle in an idyllic beach setting or in an outdoor church space somewhere in the Mediterranean, we know it’s not an easy choice to make! So, we’ve done the hard job for you, and thought about the pro’s and con’s of abroad weddings!

Pros

• Taking vows in the sunshine and open air and celebrating your special day in an exotic or unusual location has the added benefit of serving up a more exotic cuisine! Flower arrangements, local wine and music could all be chose to complement your chosen wedding destination.
• Getting married abroad might seem like the more expensive option, but weddings in the UK don’t come cheap! And while the bride’s family may pay for the wedding package, it’s more than acceptable for guests to pay their own way especially given most would see it as an excuse to go on holiday!
• Looking for a way to remove some obligatory additions on your wedding guestlist? Problem solved. Destination weddings tend to much a much smaller affair and you can definitely invite just a small handful of family and friends to the wedding.
• If a big fancy wedding is not what your after then eloping has definitely already crossed your mind! Jeting off alone and get married in a romantic, private ceremony, just the two of you? Sounds like something out of a fairytale!
• Most of the time when enquiring with venue’s abroad, they take care of all of the logistics and the wedding planning is worked into the cost. You’ll often end up with a much more original ceremony and reception too, something different to the weddings we tend to see follow the same format. With a wedding planner thrown in the mix, it’s going to take so much of that stress of your shoulders so you can concentrate on the important stuff.

Cons

• If you’re after a big wedding, there might be a lot of friends and family who aren’t able to attend because of the associated costs!
• Now with a destination wedding comes a smaller guestlist. Be prepared to potentially upset a few people! Even if your intentions are good!
• It will be harder to control all the minor details of the wedding in certain venues, so if you’ve got a really specific plan then it might be better to go for a bespoke option (which can be more expensive) or stick to a wedding at home!
• Many couples who choose to have a wedding abroad due to preference or cost, normally end up throwing a ‘smaller’ reception at home for all of those friends and family who couldn’t make it. And if that’s the care, you might even end up paying just as much as you would have done either way!
• The weather abroad isn’t always predictably sunny! Make sure to check your destination for tropical rainy seasons to avoid a storm ruining your big day!
• Party favours and the like would have to be shipped to the UK as well as all of things you’ll needyou’re your big day.
• Most people also Honeymoon around their wedding destination, so unless you plan on heading elsewhere you might be stuck with the stragglers from your wedding party!