Abroad or not abroad. The main question that many couples ask themselves when getting married. Being me, when I first got engaged, it seemed like a no-brainer. I had always pictured myself getting married in a quaint little church nearby, surrounded by close friends and family, before having a massive party in a local barn and then jetting off into the sunset. The reality however is not quite as easy, as we soon discovered when we began wedding planning. This hindrance in my plan came in a simple sentence; people charge a small house deposit to rent out a barn for a few hours. For that price, I may as well build a barn!
The Pros and Cons of Getting Married Abroad
Pro for Abroad No.1 – The Views
Getting married abroad always was something at the back of my mind. Even when travelling through Thailand, especially when we got to Khao Lak, I remember thinking that the scenery alone would be a showstopper when it came to the wedding. At our hotel I could just picture us getting married on the unlimited beach, with the sunset giving off a warm, orange glow behind us. Another place I thought of was in the Italian town of Padua, where the rich culture screams out to you in every cobbled street and don’t even get me started on how amazing the food could be! A family friend of Jack’s is getting married on Lake Bled in Slovenia next year and it must be said that I have not witnessed a prettier place in my life.
Cons for Home No.1 – The Cost
Away from daydreams, nowadays weddings come down to one thing; money. Being in our twenties and just bought a house at the very top of our budget, money at the moment is not as plentiful as it once was. Even without the coronavirus, there would be not jet-setting to a distant land this year. Like most young adults, we set ourselves a budget and we had to stick to it. The issue was that we have both grown up around Henley-on-Thames, and people here charge far more for renting a property than others. I find myself watching Don’t Tell the Bride (for strict wedding planning, obviously) and thinking “how on Earth did they get a venue so cheap?”. Some places charged our entire budget just for a venue hire and that didn’t include food, wine or even decorations. There were one or two places which did, and they were perfectly lovely, they just did not have the “X Factor” I was looking for.
Pros for Abroad No. 2 – The Cost to Us
One day, Jack returned from work saying that a friend of his got married in Mauritius last year and, for a week away and a wedding, it cost less than it does here to hire out a barn for six hours. Just think about that. Would you rather a getaway to a tropical paradise with a wedding thrown in or sit in a barn in England where, let’s face it, the weather has a 50:50 chance of being dreadful. I was inspired by this and immediately booked a meeting at our local Kuoni to see whether the rumours were true. To cut a long story short, they were. We could get married at a five-star resort in Mauritius, with a wedding thrown in for free provided we booked a two-week holiday. The cost of this was half of most other quotes we had received for just venue hire and we would be getting food, accommodation, a minimoon and the wedding ceremony/decorations thrown in to.
Cons for Abroad No. 1 – The Cost to Other People
At first it seemed too good to be true and, even when researching more, we realised that we could actually do this. Then it dawned on me; how much would it cost to get everyone out there? Jack has a huge family of people who just would have to be at our wedding and, for all of those to get out there for a week, would cost north of £20,000. Then you have to consider grandparents who are too old to fly, close friends who certainly would not be able to afford a five-star resort in Mauritius and, most importantly to me, my parents who really do not like flying. In fact, my dad was once an avid traveller like me, until a plane he was on got struck by lightning whilst en-route to the Caribbean. The thought presented far more than a hurdle, in fact, we were back to phase one.
Cons for Abroad No. 2 – The Organisation and Stress
At first, thinking that we couldn’t get married in Mauritius for a bargain price did sting a little. Although, when I stopped to think about it, perhaps it was a blessing in disguise. A good friend of mine recently attended her sister’s wedding on a picturesque Greek Island and was met with disaster. The bride had ordered for her dress, wedding favours etc. to be arriving separately. However, the airline lost this and did not deliver it until a few hours before the wedding. I certainly could not deal with that kind of stress; it would drive me insane and ruin the whole event. Lastly, I am a bit of a control freak. I love organising things meticulously and should there be any deviation, I get rather upset. To leave the planning of our big day to somebody I have never met before would again be very stressful. Yes, I know I would be able to talk to them every so often over Skype etc., but I just hate the thought of never seeing your venue before you actually get married. What if you despise it as soon as you arrive? What can you do?
Pro for Home No. 1 – Organising a Perfect Day
Organising a wedding from home just seems so much easier and less stressful than it does to do it abroad. Yes, you pay a lot more for the privilege, but you can truly make it your own. If you know me well, then you will know that I am an avid fan of Pintrest and I have been making the most out of it for wedding planning since before Jack and I actually got engaged. I love the idea of just putting our unique stamp on the day and to make people remember our day for a specific reason, be that for wedding favours, the venue decorations, clothes etc. Also, your wedding day should be all about you and your partner. If somebody else organises it, can you truly say that it is your wedding? Or is it just another copy/paste image which hundreds of people have had before. This last point is what put me off holding a wedding reception at a big venue; your wedding loses its uniqueness and, in my opinion, therefore loses an ounce of the magic which is supposed to be there.
Pro for Home No. 2 – Everyone will be there
A big part that put me off getting married abroad was who would be there. This does not just come down to the cost to them, but also how many people can you realistically have come to a boutique hotel abroad for your wedding? The answer is not very many. For me, I want everyone who has been a special part of my life at the wedding as does Jack. We want it to be a celebration for everyone who knows us and if we missed out on a few of these people because we saved money, would that be worth it? These are just a few questions you have to ask yourself but, at the same time, remember that it only happens once and so you should make the most of it.
Our Conclusion
Booking the venue is tough and there are so many things to consider. In the end though we thought that we should do what we want to do and have recently been looking at places abroad more often. There are some incredible places you can get in Europe for the fraction of the price of what you would pay in the UK and really give you the best of both worlds; a cheaper cost whilst allowing everyone to travel there. The venue mayyyy have been booked, but that my friends is our little secret for now 😉 stay tuned!
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My Travel Tips and Recommendations
Flights
My usual go-to for booking flights is Skyscanner, the flight search engine. What I love about Skycanner is that you have various options depending on your situation. If you know where you want to go it’s easy – all you need is to search for your destination and dates, and you are provided with all flight options to choose from. If you haven’t decided on your next trip yet, you can use the Everywhere tool for inspiration and to find the cheapest places to fly to.
Accommodation
Whenever I plan my travels Booking.com is my best friend. The website is super easy to use and provides a whole range of accommodation from fancy resorts to budget hotels. Jack and I also regularly use Airbnb – in particular, for staycations in the UK.
Things I can’t travel without
As a travel blogger and keen photographer I never travel without my trusty technology. Always packed are my
- Canon EOS M3
- GoPro Hero5 Black
- I’m also saving for a DJI Mavic Pro
Travel Insurance
It is so important to be prepared for all possibilities when travelling and you simply shouldn’t travel without insurance. When looking for cover I would personally recommend World Nomads or the Post Office – both are affordable and certainly won’t break the bank.
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Other posts that may help you:
- The Wedding Diaries: Starting the Story in Thailand
- Interrailing Through Austria and Italy: A 2 Week Itinerary
- How to plan an Interrail trip
- Have you seen my new Travel Series?
Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed my post on the pros and cons of getting married abroad! If you have any questions please do get in touch in the comments below.
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Love Victoria X
