For those marrying abroad, how did you choose a destination?

Turtle

After over 16yrs together OH and I are looking at marrying . The one place we'd love to get married is the Maldives, but as we're not Maldivian we can't. Then I looked at the Lakes, but we've decided now we'd like it to be somewhere hot.

I've looked at a few places - Las Vegas was the first but apart from the casinos I don't know what there is to do, and I can't help feeling it looks tacky . Is it?

I've also looked at Mauritius and Mexico but I've no idea how to pick somewhere to go, what companies are any good and how much it's going to cost. I'd really like an all inclusive hotel so I'm not thinking about the extra costs all the time (some of the hotels I've looked at are hugely expensive for food and drinks).

I've love to know where people are going, how they're finding the planning (or found, if their already married now), rough costs if you don't mind me asking.

Thanks!

Love_My_Bargains

We are getting married in cuba next february.
We used thomas cook signature and for two weeks fully inclusive its costing 2 grand per person.
The wedding package is 769 quid approx but because we have 6 guests including us staying over 12 nights we get it free.
We are flying with virgin.
We wanted to get married in Bali but this worked out so much more.
The hotel complex we have choosen has 8 different resturants so great choises .

fawny

Hi Turtle,

We are getting married at St Paul's Bay in Lindos in September:jThe reason we choose this location is because Lindos & Pefkos was the first place we went on holiday together just 8 weeks into our relationship & I said to friends etc that it would be a make or break holiday that early on in the relationship & luckly it was make:D We really loved the place & fell in love with each other(ok I know it sounds corney but we did!)

We have returned to Pefkos/Lindos every September & this year will be our 7th time & we always said when we get married it would be there. It's a special place for us & we love it, it's not too far for guests & not too expensive.

We have an independent wedding planner who lives in Lindos & has been running her business for 7 years, she is the rolls royce of wedding planners. So the planning has been easy as she has sorted most things out for us, we knew where we wanted our reception & she has arranged all that for us. We haven't had to do that much as she sorts all that out in Lindos, we just need to sort the legal paperwork out UK side & she sorts the rest. The paperwork trail starts in June:D

I think you also need to decide if you want people to join you as that will probably have a bearing on where you choose as if you go to Mexico etc will people be able to afford to join you?

Turtle

Love_My_Bargains wrote: »

We are getting married in cuba next february.
We used thomas cook signature and for two weeks fully inclusive its costing 2 grand per person.
The wedding package is 769 quid approx but because we have 6 guests including us staying over 12 nights we get it free.
We are flying with virgin.
We wanted to get married in Bali but this worked out so much more.
The hotel complex we have choosen has 8 different resturants so great choises .

Thanks, that sounds lovely! We are hoping to spend around £3500 max but could squeeze a bit more if we had to. We're unlikely to have any guests (will be inviting parents but tbh I don't think they'll come for various reasons!) I've picked up some brochures today, one of which is the TC Signature so will be having a look through those.

Congrats, hope it's lovely for you

Turtle

fawny wrote: »

Hi Turtle,

We are getting married at St Paul's Bay in Lindos in September:jThe reason we choose this location is because Lindos & Pefkos was the first place we went on holiday together just 8 weeks into our relationship & I said to friends etc that it would be a make or break holiday that early on in the relationship & luckly it was make:D We really loved the place & fell in love with each other(ok I know it sounds corney but we did!)

We have returned to Pefkos/Lindos every September & this year will be our 7th time & we always said when we get married it would be there. It's a special place for us & we love it, it's not too far for guests & not too expensive.

We have an independent wedding planner who lives in Lindos & has been running her business for 7 years, she is the rolls royce of wedding planners. So the planning has been easy as she has sorted most things out for us, we knew where we wanted our reception & she has arranged all that for us. We haven't had to do that much as she sorts all that out in Lindos, we just need to sort the legal paperwork out UK side & she sorts the rest. The paperwork trail starts in June:D

I think you also need to decide if you want people to join you as that will probably have a bearing on where you choose as if you go to Mexico etc will people be able to afford to join you?

Aw that's perfect for you and no decision to make really! Our special place would have been the Maldives but can't do it there. We've been on loads of hols over the last 16 yrs but no one place that would be an obvious place to do it. I think I might have seen your wedding planner on a website actually, are you featured? It all sounds very familiar

We will be inviting parents but my mum is scared of flying (two one hour flights in the last 40 yrs!) and doesn't do very well in hot weather. If my parents didn't come I wouldn't want MIL2B to come either, it wouldn't seem fair. So, it's likely to be just the two of us. As I've said in the post above, I've got some brochures today to have a look through, and will certainly look at your location as well (never been to Cyprus ). Not too long for you to wait now, hope everything is exactly as you want .

jenhug

if you like the idea of Las Vegas, have a look at the Valley of fire state park. My friend married there, it was stunning.

yellowcrocus

I don't really know why I chose Italy as I have never been yet! It seemed like a good excuse to go :rotfl:

Olokia

I didn't get married abroad but I was looking at it.

If I had chosen to get married, it would have been in the same place as my honeymoon. I went to Excellence Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic and seeing the other weddings there, it would have been really good.

The wedding package costs £540 and you also get the honeymoon package as well.

It is really beautiful there and the staff are really helpful and the all-inclusive food is really good (and they have top-shelf liquor which I found most all-inclusives don't).

jtr2803

Turtle, I know you can't legally wed in the Maldives but have you thought about having an intimate ceremony here and then having a full on vow renewal in the Maldives? I wish we could have got married there too, it's my little piece of heaven and fortunately I am going back there in just under 4 weeks time :j

I think we will end up doing it for honeymoon and I might just happen to book a ceremony, even though we are having a fairly intimate wedding here

Catty212

We're getting married in Cyprus in the Troodos mountains on 22nd May nexy year. We decided we wanted to go abroad but realised some may not be able to travel etc, so settled on Cyprus, for the heat, the weather, the price etc

Turtle

Thanks everyone. Due to a big row at the weekend I've not mentioned it since, however I will check out these places incase it's not totally off the agenda!