By Pamela Mortimer
You’ve been waiting for this for a long time – maybe your entire life. Now that you’re engaged, you’re faced with the enormous task of planning a wedding. It’s common knowledge that planning a wedding is an extremely stressful event that lasts about a year and will cost an average of $15,000-$20,000. It’s not surprising that couples all over the world have begun to get married abroad.
It’s true that couples have been going abroad to exchange vows for many years. Lately, however, it’s more prevalent than ever. Maybe it’s the attempt to avoid all the planning hassles or the lure of the unknown. Regardless of the reason, it’s the current thing to do.
Obviously, no one can make decisions about your wedding better than you and your future spouse. There are many things to consider, from location to expense, to the reaction of your friends and families. In the end, it’s up to you to choose whether to have the tropical island wedding of your dreams or stay home to ensure your place in great aunt Mavis’ will.
Just for a moment, let’s pretend that you’ve decided to throw caution to the wind and get married abroad. First, you should know that getting married abroad can be an amazing experience or an exasperating one. There are many up sides to exchanging vows overseas, including the amount of money you’ll save as well as a sense of relief you’ll have when you don’t have to live and breathe table arrangements and flowers for the next 12-18 months. You also gain a rare opportunity to create an event to remember, shared at a major resort by family and friends or perhaps an intimate ceremony for two on a small island in the South Pacific.
As with every big decision, there are advantages and disadvantages to getting married abroad, although the majority of the people who’ve done it say it is an incredible experience that they wouldn’t trade for even the most elaborate ceremony on earth.
Since no one can make this decision for you, here are some common points to consider:
Probably the most obvious advantage to getting married abroad is the ability to create a distinctive experience and create memories to last a lifetime. Another advantage is the countless number of places you can choose from as well as the style of your dream wedding. Being immersed in a different culture can give you the opportunity to avoid a cookie cutter ceremony and ensure that there will never be another wedding quite like yours. Lastly, you can save your energy by having a local wedding planner handle all of the details. Many hotels and resorts have wedding planners on staff for just this purpose.
The disadvantages of planning a wedding abroad are relatively equal in number. The most obvious and probably the biggest disadvantage is that there will be people who will not be able to attend your wedding. If this bothers you too much, you may consider a reception of some sort when you return home.
If you’re a control freak, getting married overseas may cause you to have a mental collapse since handling details from thousands of miles away is extremely difficult. However, entrusting the details to a wedding planner may be the best thing that could happen. The people involved in the preparation and décor may have better ideas than you regarding the conditions of the location, weather, and local traditions because they work there all the time and have intimate knowledge of these things. Lastly, if you have specific religions or cultural requirements, you may have trouble finding an appropriate venue in your ideal location. A little research should be able to solve that issue.
While there are legal requirements to registering a marriage, it is almost a non-issue in most places where foreign weddings are common. Exotic locales like Jamaica, St. Thomas and Cyprus are hot spots for couples looking to say "I do" and have simple steps to follow in order to obtain a license. While all countries are different, the general requirements include the presentation of a valid passport (at least six months before expiration), birth certificate, and driver’s license. Be sure to have original documents as photocopies are not acceptable. Most do not require blood tests or an extensive waiting period (if any at all). You should also note that in many countries only civil ceremonies are recognized as being legal.
Finally, and this could be good or bad, you don’t have to rush off for the honeymoon since you’re already there!
You’ve been waiting for this for a long time – maybe your entire life. Now that you’re engaged, you’re faced with the enormous task of planning a wedding. It’s common knowledge that planning a wedding is an extremely stressful event that lasts about a year and will cost an average of $15,000-$20,000. It’s not surprising that couples all over the world have begun to get married abroad.
It’s true that couples have been going abroad to exchange vows for many years. Lately, however, it’s more prevalent than ever. Maybe it’s the attempt to avoid all the planning hassles or the lure of the unknown. Regardless of the reason, it’s the current thing to do.
Obviously, no one can make decisions about your wedding better than you and your future spouse. There are many things to consider, from location to expense, to the reaction of your friends and families. In the end, it’s up to you to choose whether to have the tropical island wedding of your dreams or stay home to ensure your place in great aunt Mavis’ will.
Just for a moment, let’s pretend that you’ve decided to throw caution to the wind and get married abroad. First, you should know that getting married abroad can be an amazing experience or an exasperating one. There are many up sides to exchanging vows overseas, including the amount of money you’ll save as well as a sense of relief you’ll have when you don’t have to live and breathe table arrangements and flowers for the next 12-18 months. You also gain a rare opportunity to create an event to remember, shared at a major resort by family and friends or perhaps an intimate ceremony for two on a small island in the South Pacific.
As with every big decision, there are advantages and disadvantages to getting married abroad, although the majority of the people who’ve done it say it is an incredible experience that they wouldn’t trade for even the most elaborate ceremony on earth.
Since no one can make this decision for you, here are some common points to consider:
Probably the most obvious advantage to getting married abroad is the ability to create a distinctive experience and create memories to last a lifetime. Another advantage is the countless number of places you can choose from as well as the style of your dream wedding. Being immersed in a different culture can give you the opportunity to avoid a cookie cutter ceremony and ensure that there will never be another wedding quite like yours. Lastly, you can save your energy by having a local wedding planner handle all of the details. Many hotels and resorts have wedding planners on staff for just this purpose.
The disadvantages of planning a wedding abroad are relatively equal in number. The most obvious and probably the biggest disadvantage is that there will be people who will not be able to attend your wedding. If this bothers you too much, you may consider a reception of some sort when you return home.
If you’re a control freak, getting married overseas may cause you to have a mental collapse since handling details from thousands of miles away is extremely difficult. However, entrusting the details to a wedding planner may be the best thing that could happen. The people involved in the preparation and décor may have better ideas than you regarding the conditions of the location, weather, and local traditions because they work there all the time and have intimate knowledge of these things. Lastly, if you have specific religions or cultural requirements, you may have trouble finding an appropriate venue in your ideal location. A little research should be able to solve that issue.
While there are legal requirements to registering a marriage, it is almost a non-issue in most places where foreign weddings are common. Exotic locales like Jamaica, St. Thomas and Cyprus are hot spots for couples looking to say "I do" and have simple steps to follow in order to obtain a license. While all countries are different, the general requirements include the presentation of a valid passport (at least six months before expiration), birth certificate, and driver’s license. Be sure to have original documents as photocopies are not acceptable. Most do not require blood tests or an extensive waiting period (if any at all). You should also note that in many countries only civil ceremonies are recognized as being legal.
Finally, and this could be good or bad, you don’t have to rush off for the honeymoon since you’re already there!
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