|
Related destination wedding articles: Making it Legal Planning a wedding across the globe Land of the heart |
Wedding Destination Delights
By Lindsay Williams and Michelle Tesoriero
More and more couples are eschewing the traditional big wedding celebration in favour of a smaller more intimate wedding ceremony in an exotic location.
Imagine exchanging your vows in the garden surrounds of an Irish castle, atop a snow-capped mountain in New Zealand or on a Tahitian beach at sunset with the feel of sand between your toes.
These days, more and more couples are choosing not to have a traditional reception. Instead, they are opting to have a ‘destination wedding’ - a smaller more intimate ceremony in an exotic location. Destination weddings can be less expensive than traditional celebrations. But more importantly, they can be a fantastic experience.
However, before you drag your family into the jungles of Thailand or the plains of Africa, you need to do a bit of research. Here are some tips on choosing your wedding destination..
The laws of marriage
If you’re thinking of tying the knot overseas, remember marriage laws vary substantially between countries. Depending on where you go, you might have to provide passports, visas, blood test results and a lot of official documentation before you can be granted an internationally recognised marriage certificate.
In Mexico, for example, you need to have valid passports, tourist visas, and blood tests. Also, the wedding must be witnessed by four people and conducted in Spanish. This definitely makes for an exotic and unique wedding, but don’t forget to invite someone to translate!
Other countries are not so complicated. For example, New Zealand law requires you to make a statutory declaration saying there are no lawful impediments to the marriage.
Wherever you decide to get married, make sure you find out what the local marriage laws are. There are many useful booklets and internet sites that can help you find out the relevant laws and obtain copies of official documents. Visit www.usmarriagelaws.com, www.theweddingexperience.com or contact the local tourism bureau. If this all sounds too hard, don’t worry, there are other options available.
Outsourcing
If doing it all yourself sounds frightening, there are many local companies that help foreigners organise the legalities and details of weddings.
Angela Sitarz, from Wedding Destinations says getting married abroad is becoming a wedding trend. “More than 5000 couples got married overseas in 2004 and the numbers continue to grow every year,” Angela says.
The cost of getting married in Australia can be expensive, so many couples are incorporating their weddings with their honeymoons, in exotic destinations around the world, she says. Popular wedding locations include: Fiji, Hawaii, Thailand, Vanuatu and even fairytale weddings in Disneyland.
“Wedding Destinations can take all the stress out of planning your wedding,” Angela says. The company can arrange everything from the marriage licence to flights, the photographer, flowers and more.
The company works closely with each couple to make a package that suits their needs, as well as making sure everything runs soothly on the day, Angela says.
Elena Giorgetti, from Weddings in Italy, helps foreigners organise weddings in Italy. Her company can also take care of everything, from translating documents to organising appointments with Italian officials. "This means couples can arrive in Florence just a couple of days prior to their wedding date," Elena says. Having a local person co-ordinate your wedding can be expensive. However, you can relax in the knowledge they are familiar with the local wedding industry, such as florists and photographers.
"Professional help from people like me is much more important for foreign couples who are unlikely to know local suppliers and are unfamiliar with traditions and etiquette," Elena says.
Locals can also tell you about events and festivals that could coincide with your wedding and provide some extra entertainment for your guests.
However, before engaging a wedding planner, try to speak to as many people as you can. Contact their references, such as couples whose weddings they have organised. Once you have found a reputable planner, you can leave all the stress and worry to them.
The resort route
Having your wedding at a hotel or resort is often an easy way to ensure everything runs smoothly, allowing you and your guests more time to enjoy the activities and facilities.
Destination weddings at hotels or resorts are definitely the most popular choice for couples because of the fantastic packages available. It is also great having all your guests staying in one place.
Le Prince Maurice Hotel in Mauritius offers a wedding package that includes everything from accommodation and flowers to marriage licence fees, the wedding cake and a massage at the hotel's spa. Located on the north east coast of the island, the five-star hotel is set amid tropical gardens, turquoise lagoons and secluded beaches. It has a wedding co-ordinator who will help you plan everything for your day, and even your honeymoon for when your guests have returned down under.
If you want a destination wedding but don’t want to leave our shores, there are an abundance of places throughout Australia where you can have a beautiful wedding away from the hustle and bustle of city life.
Lilianfels is a five-star European-style country house set in New South Wales’ picturesque Blue Mountains. The venue’s special events co-ordinator Shane Smiley has organised weddings there for more than six years. He oversees all the details for accommodation and the reception and uses pictures and digital floor planning to help couples visualise everything before their arrival.
He says the options are endless. "Couples can have an old-world wedding on Darley's balcony, a religious ceremony in a nearby church, or at a more unusual natural habitat such as next to a waterfall in the National Park," Shane says.
Celebrations is a destination wedding website for brides who want to have their wedding in the Cayman Islands.
Money, money, money
Before you get swept up in the romantic notion of getting married abroad, don’t forget to consider the costs and logistical issues involved.
On paper, a smaller wedding should mean less people, less food and wine and, therefore, less money. This isn’t always so. Sometimes, the costs you save in having fewer guests can be offset by the transport and accommodation costs.
Whether it is transporting people to a winery in Victoria’s Yarra Valley or flying your bridal party to Bali for four days, flight and accommodation costs are usually the biggest variable in destination weddings. It is likely some of your guests will not be able to afford to come to your wedding if you choose to have it overseas.
Marni Whittington from Jetset Travel Rosebay in Sydney says many travel companies offer deals for groups of 10 or more people.
"You can usually get a group discount on airfares, travel insurance and sometimes hotels depending on how many rooms need to be booked," Marni says.
Check with your travel agent to see whether it’s worth co-ordinating everyone's itineraries together to get a discount.
What to wear?
Once you have chosen the location, another big decision you will face is your wedding dress.
Before heading to a designer and asking for a princess gown with a 4m train, think about the local climate and how you’re going to transport it.
The style and weight of your dress needs to suit the climate as much as it needs to reflect your personality. For example, a beach wedding might not require your groom to be in a suit or anyone to wear shoes. Beach brides today are opting for simple dresses in lightweight materials, which are easily packed and transported.
Wedding gown designers are also acknowledging the trend of destination weddings and bringing out ranges to suit simpler and more casual ceremonies.
Mariana Hardwick has launched a ready-to-wear range of sexy "dressed down dress ups" in fabulous bright pastels or muted and dirtied neutrals - great for a cocktail party wedding.
Rada Popovic from Morada Gowns in Sydney says she has noticed a huge trend towards less formal wedding dresses that can be worn again. When designing a dress for a beach wedding, Rada has two rules: "It must be a slim-line gown in cool and flowy fabrics with no structure or train. I also need to know if the bride is going to be barefoot because the length of her dress will change accordingly. There's nothing worse than a bride tripping over her dress on the sand."
Having decked yourself out, don’t forget your guests. It’s very important to give them a good idea of the local climate and the dress code of your wedding. Uncle Stan will not be smiling at your Port Douglas wedding if he is sweltering in a 100 per cent wool suit while the rest of the men are in shorts and shirts.
Closer to home
If the likes of Vanuatu and Florence are a little out of reach, a destination wedding can be just as unique in your local park, on a beach or in a marquee in your backyard.
However, if planning a wedding at a park or beach remember it is not as easy as turning up on the day and hoping for good weather. Most outdoor locations are under the jurisdiction of a local council. Some will require you to apply for a marriage permit, which gives you access to the area you have booked for a specific time.
City of Port Phillip Mayor Dick Gross says popular sites for weddings include the St Kilda Botanical Gardens, Catani Gardens and St Vincent Gardens. The city can provide couples with information on planting schedules and local events so they don’t arrange to be married in a rose garden with no roses in bloom or worse, discover there is a triathlon in the middle of their ceremony. Many local councils have a website and you can download a permit application.
A marquee wedding is a great idea because it lets you create a personalised theme for your wedding. Harry the Hirer in Melbourne and Sydney can do almost everything including constructing a custom-sized marquee with lighting or installing a dance floor.
The company can also provide tables, furnishings, linen and crockery to suit a range of budgets and styles. If you are getting married at home you’re not restricted by a venue and can choose between an a la carte, buffet or cocktail menu. If you have a DJ or a band it is worthwhile informing your neighbours the music might be loud. Alternatively, think about inviting the neighbours - they are unlikely to complain about the noise if they are helping to make it.
Regional restaurants and retreats are also very popular for couples who want to get out of the city and enjoy the countryside. For example, Daylesford in Victoria and the Hunter Valley in New South Wales have restaurants that cater for weddings of all sizes and styles. Many are only a short drive from the city and have a wide range of accommodation facilities for you and your guests.
Larissa Wolf-Tasker from the Lake House in Daylesford believes the region is popular because it appeals to brides wanting a sophisticated wedding with a romantic country twist. "The fields of lavender in the summer and autumn months and the poppies and daffodils in spring are a gorgeous setting for those important photographs," Larissa says.
The award-winning restaurant has a private cellar dinning room where guests can enjoy an intimate dinner surrounded by 10,000 bottles of recent and vintage wines. By making good food and wine the focus of your wedding, you will help create a dining experience your guests will never forget.
The final word
Laws, locals, dresses and dates - organising a destination wedding can be a lot of hard work. But when you are exchanging rings with your fiance on a deserted island in Tonga, it will be worth the effort.
Meanwhile, here’s some advice from couples who have been there, done that.
- Things to do and see
Don’t plan too many activities for your guests. After all, it is not school camp! Let them enjoy the experience and choose how they spend the days before and after your wedding. - Send a save-the-date letter
Give your guests plenty of warning. A save-the-date letter will mean they will keep the date free. Also, ask guests to RSVP early so you know how many people are attending. - -Letting people know
Send a marriage announcement to the people you can’t invite. It is a polite way of acknowledging them as friends that you want to share your exciting news with.
Research
Try to speak to couples who have done it and consult as many reputable wedding planners and companies dedicated to destination weddings as you can. View our Real Life Wedding stories for real life wedding stories from amazing destinations or view our other destination wedding articles