Pros and cons of getting married abroad

The positives of getting married abroad

• You can choose to get married almost anywhere – the only limits will be your imagination or your budget! Getting wed abroad will be much different and more exciting than the traditional home wedding.
• Getting married abroad can actually work out cheaper than getting married in your home country. Less people attending your wedding inevitably means less expense per head.
• You can choose a weather specific location. So, if you want sun, you can choose somewhere which is known for its warm climate, rather than hoping for sunshine.
• You can tie your wedding in with your honeymoon. Say your vows and then continue your honeymoon exactly where you are, or move around to a different part of the country you’ve chosen (this is also another money saver!).
• You can be more selective about who you invite. Adding distance means you won’t have to invite every Tom, Dick and Harry, also known as your extremely distant/extended family, so you can have an intimate wedding with the people you really want to be there.
• You can hire a wedding planner to do as much of the wedding planning as you like, from the wedding venue to the wedding ceremony and reception, leaving you with more time to get the more personal jobs ticked off the list before you arrive at your destination.

The negatives of getting married abroad

• Not all friends and family will be able to afford to come (with flights plus accommodation to think about). This may mean that some of your nearest and dearest will have to miss out on you big day. Do you think your day will be complete without them there?
• Older family and friends may not want to fly or travel long distances to get there. This may mean that your elderly grandparents or great aunts are unable to get there for your big day. Likewise, those with small children may feel the same.
• People could get offended when they don’t get an invite. Your wedding guest list is difficult enough without having to trim it even further due to your overseas wedding. You can of course invite everyone to a celebration party on your return instead.
• If you decide to be extra generous and cover travel and accommodation costs for guests it could really push up the price of your wedding. And it might be that you decide to cover costs for some but not all guests. Yet another difficult decision to make that could cause some ill-feeling.
• You’re not in the country you’re getting married in, so you will be restricted as to what you can taste, test and check before the big day, such as the venue and food.
• Last minute weddings abroad could mean people don’t have enough time to save or arrange time off to be able to get there. This could again mean that some of the people you really want there just aren’t able to make it.
• If you choose to stay in the same place for your honeymoon, you may end up continuing it with your friends and family...perhaps not the most romantic start for newlyweds. Try and avoid this by moving on to another resort or at least another hotel for a few days.
• Weddings abroad often involve lots of paper work and other legal requirements that need to be dealt with. Legal requirements in some countries, such as having to be a resident of that country, are such factors to consider.

There will be pros and cons for wherever you decide to get married, whether in your home country or abroad, so you just need to prioritise what you really want out of it. Ultimately it’s your wedding day, so create your perfect wedding and tailor it to your wants and needs, not everybody else’s.