Weddings abroad: not such a foreign idea

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FOREIGN weddings used to be the reserve of selfish – or, arguably, sensible – couples opting for a stress-free escape from seating arrangements and interfering relatives.

In a way, exotic beach nuptials were just a sunnier version of eloping to Gretna Green.

But with the cost of UK weddings escalating each year – current figures suggest the average ceremony costs about £20,000 – a foreign wedding can be a cost-effective way of saying “I do”.

According to a recent report from market research firm Mintel, the average cost of an overseas wedding is £6,000 – leaving couples a spare £14,000 to fritter away on swimsuits, suntan lotion and building castles in the sand.

Savvy betrotheds-to-be have obviously taken note, with one in six British couples (51,399) now choosing to tie the knot abroad – that’s 16% of the total number of British weddings in 2008. The market is now worth about £333million, up 43% since 2003.

To make matters easier, the required red tape has decreased – or even, in some cases, been abolished altogether. Now, rather than having to be a “resident” in the country sometime before the wedding, couples can get hitched as soon as they arrive – or one or two days after.

Aside from the cheaper price tag, there are also a number of obvious advantages to marrying abroad: the sun is more likely to shine and surroundings are infinitely more photogenic than the local parish church.

But there are several things to consider before you ditch your veil and train for a bikini and flip-flops.

Bear in mind that not all your guests will be able to attend the ceremony. If they can make it, do you really want to spend your honeymoon next to Uncle Jim and Aunty Bess on the sunlounger?

Also, choose the time of year wisely. Kuoni recommends Mexico, the Caribbean and the Maldives for weddings between November and April, and the Pacific, Mauritius and Kenya between October and May.

Most wedding packages include a planner to make all the necessary arrangements, but you need to do your homework if you have decided to wed independently.

The Foreign Office is a good source of advice – visit the “overseas weddings and civil partnerships” section of www.fco.gov.uk/travel to find out more about sourcing relevant local documentation, visa requirements and travel insurance.

The next tricky task involves flicking through brochures and deciding on a location.

Marrying abroad traditionally conjures up images of palm-lined, coconut-strewn stretches of white sand, and beach weddings are still a popular option.

Kuoni says Sri Lanka is its most requested wedding destination. Its packages promise a “unique and unforgettable ceremony” with dancers and the bride escorted by an elephant.

The Beach, Negombo, offers wedding packages for £838 per couple, with flights and eight nights’ accommodation starting at £665 per person.

The only obvious drawback of far-flung locations is the practicality of transporting guests. For this reason, wedding parties are often small, making them ideally suited to those remarrying or renewing vows.

Couples on a budget might want to investigate the Caribbean, where wedding packages are often thrown in for free. Couples Resorts, in Jamaica, offers a complimentary wedding package, including wedding co-ordinator, non-denominational ceremony, wine and cake, bridal bouquet and “Just Married” T-shirts. Don’t expect to be greeted with a fanfare, however, as ceremonies tend to be simple and informal.

Seven nights at Couples Swept Away start from £1,539 per person, based on two sharing, including flights.

Windjammer Landing, in St Lucia, voted in the top 10 most romantic beaches by Cosmopolitan magazine, is another favourite. It offers several different wedding options, including “barefoot on the beach” (where the bride walks down a sackcloth aisle lined with conch shells) and “in the garden” (where vows are exchanged under a canvas of tropical fruit and mahogany trees).

A ceremony, plus extras, costs about £650 (this includes registrar, legal fees, bouquet and buttonhole, wedding cake, bottle of champagne and canapes). Flights and accommodation are extra.

According to the FCO & ABTA 2009 Travel Trends Report, long-haul destinations such as Sri Lanka, the US and Kenya are becoming increasingly popular. New wedding hotspots include Costa Rica, The Cook Islands and Bali.

Another trend sees Britons sticking closer to home, with short-haul destinations such as Italy, Greece and Cyprus tipped for 2009.

“Cyprus is the most popular destination overall, with Greece and Italy becoming more popular over the Caribbean and Indian Ocean destinations,” says Shona Swain, acting general manager of long-haul and weddings for First Choice.

Planet Holidays, which offers wedding packages in Greece and Cyprus, reports a 50% increase in the number of wedding bookings for next year.

“Getting married overseas is increasingly a popular choice for many couples, not just to save money, but because they want to opt for something different, which can be combined with the honeymoon,” says managing director Mathilde Roberts.

On average, civil weddings in Cyprus cost £1,200-£1,500 – including service, flowers, cakes and photographer. Planet also offers the option to book a yacht for a two, three or four-hour reception at an additional cost.

Larnaca wedding packages start at £599; flights and holiday start at £599 per person for seven nights’ bed and breakfast at the upmarket Palm Beach Hotel and Bungalows (www.palmbeachhotel.com).

Louis Hotels and Cyplon Holidays will even throw in a free honeymoon cruise to Egypt with wedding bookings made for Cyprus.

With easyJet flights starting in May, Santorini looks likely to grow in popularity.

On average, weddings cost £200 for admin, from £369 for the wedding ceremony and £199 for paperwork.

From May, 2009, Planet offers a week’s stay at luxury hotel On the Rocks, in the village of Imerovigli – famous for its magnificent sunsets and fantastic views of the mystical caldera – from £979 per person.

Thanks to a number of high-profile weddings (Coleen and Wayne Rooney; Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes) agents have reported an upsurge in Italian bookings.

First Choice has just introduced Positano, on the Amalfi coast, as a destination for 2009. Couples can opt to exchange vows in the atmospheric 13th-century San Francesco Cloisters.

Wedding packages cost from £489, with flights and 14 nights’ half-board at the four-star Sun Hotel Europa from £1,329 per person, based on two sharing.

In the last year, Love & Lord, the leading UK-based Tuscan boutique wedding organiser, has seen a rise in business of more than 400%.

Erica Bellini, of Tuscan Dreams, who has been planning weddings in Tuscany for 10 years, recommends hiring a large villa or farmhouse where you can also hold your wedding.

“You can save a lot, and plus, for you and your guests, it will turn into a lovely holiday,” she says.

“Another way of saving on spending is to have guests stay where the venue is so that you save on transportation, which is an expensive item on an Italian budget.”

Villa rental company To Tuscany recommends booking a whole hamlet – a collection of villas in the same grounds. In some cases, a chapel or pagoda can even be erected. Top of its bookings is the Hamlet Montebuoni, in Siena, sleeping up to 60 people.

Hannah Burden, of London, paid £700, plus £1,800 for the two-week holiday, for her forthcoming nuptials. She hired a private villa for guests (5,000 euros) which will also double up as a reception venue, where she plans to eat wood-fired pizzas and drink plenty of prosecco.

She admits a wedding abroad wasn’t necessarily the most economical option – but it was certainly the most romantic.

“We thought it would work out cheaper, but I think it’s actually been a similar price to a small UK wedding,” she admits.

“However, at a small UK wedding, there is no guarantee of sunshine and no views to match that of the ones we are going to have – so those facts have won us over.”

With the world increasingly shrinking, it’s now easier than ever to elope and come back with a ring on your finger – and a fantastic tan. Just don’t forget to pack your wedding dress.

Couples Resorts: www.couplesresorts.com/ 0870 850 4855.

Cyplon Holidays: www.cyplon.co.uk/0800 074 8888.

First Choice: www.firstchoice.co.uk/0871 664 0131.

Kuoni: www.kuoni.co.uk/01306 747007.

Love and Lord: www.loveandlord.com/0207 183 9944.

Planet Holidays: www.planet-holidays.co.uk/ 0871 871 0405.

To Tuscany: www.to-tuscany.com/0207 193 7782.

Tuscan Dreams: www.tuscan-dreams.com

Windjammer Landing: www.windjammer-landing.com