At Wanderlust Weddings, we think there are lots of great reasons to have an overseas wedding. One of our main reasons for loving destination weddings is the opportunity it gives couples to get married in the sunshine with all of their friends on family while on ‘holiday’. However having a destination wedding can also take the pressure off feeling the need to have a ‘big white wedding’ and ending up in thousands of pounds of debt at the beginning of your marriage.
There are endless possibilities for hosting a destination wedding that won’t break the bank. We have put together some tips on how to save money on your wedding abroad and we have also included a really helpful infographic below from The Insider’s Jenny Creno which will help with general wedding financial tips whether at home or away.
Here are our top 10 destination wedding tips for staying on track with your budget:
1. Have cake OR dessert – In a lot of European destinations, it is not ‘the done thing’ to have both wedding cake and a dessert. Follow in their footsteps and choose just to have one….
2. Supply your own alcohol – If you are hiring in caterers to a venue, they can sometimes charge quite high rates for the alcohol they provide. Check with them in advance if it is an option to supply your own alcohol, at least for the meal….
3. Digital ‘Save the Dates’ – Send your ‘Save the Dates’ by email to our friends and family. There are some beautiful free email templates out there….
4. Timing of the Ceremony – Generally the ceremonies at overseas weddings are quite late in the day to avoid peak temperatures. This often means that an evening buffet after the reception won’t be needed. Consider this when planning the order of the day….Or if you do want to have both cake and dessert (see #1), you could save the cake for later….
5. Group bookings – It is very common for resorts and hotels to offer discount on group bookings. Don’t be afraid to ask for discounts and shop around before you decide where to stay…..
6. Use your i-Pod! – Rather than hiring live musicians for the whole day, consider using an i-Pod, for example, before and during the ceremony and during the cocktail hour and having some live music after the meal. This will save you money and will also give you the option to play exactly the music you want. It can also tie in well with the laid back atmosphere that destination weddings so often have…..
7. Re-use the chairs – If you are having your ceremony in the same reception, save money on hiring the chairs and sashes etc but using the chairs from your ceremony at the reception too…..
8. Honeymoon – If you are getting married in a beautiful location, it makes sense to try and combine your honeymoon with the trip. You could decide to go away to another resort in the same region after the wedding celebrations are over and the rest of the guests have gone home. Or you could fly directly to another location, meaning you will cut out the cost of returning home and then flying out for your honeymoon….
9. Save on transport – Having an overseas wedding opens up a whole host of venues to couples. Consider having the ceremony and reception in one location, such as on the grounds of a villa or on a beach followed by a beach restaurant. This will save on transport costs and give guests more time to chat and relax on the day….
10. Do the legal bits at home – Nobody has to know if you do decide to do the legal bits at home. It can be cheaper to choose this option and also save you a lot of time and effort, avoiding sometimes expensive legal and translation costs and allowing you to enjoy the build up to your wedding…..
