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06 June 2011 07:04
Planning a wedding abroad
A recent report conducted by Post Office International Payments stated that more than three-quarters of people in the UK would ditch a wedding in this country for overseas destinations.
The same survey revealed that 80% of people expect the bride and groom to give a helping hand towards the costs for guests attending the ceremony. So, it seems that while an overseas wedding is an exciting prospect for most, it can be perplexing when the time comes for couples to decide exactly what to provide for their guests.
Founder of the comprehensive guide to all things weddings abroad, Barefoot Bride, Jennifer Kelly knows exactly what it’s like to make this decision.
Jennifer organised her own dream wedding in South Africa, and was apprehensive about who to invite and how to set the budget. She says, “We realised we needed to give our family plenty of warning if we wanted them to travel for our wedding. We told them we would pay for everything during the celebrations (i.e. food, wine) – and, because our wedding abroad was so much better value, we could also afford to pay for our guests’ hotel accommodation for the 2 nights of the wedding. They just had to cover their flights and cost of a holiday if they wanted to stay on.”
Around 37% of people approached in the Post Office survey said they would be less willing to attend an overseas wedding if the couple didn’t contribute to the cost of food, travel or accommodation - so it’s important to be strategic with your budget.
Below, Jennifer Kelly gives UK couples some valuable advice so they don’t end up having to choose between their dream location and their guests.
1. Limit the guest list to your nearest and dearest, as this will be more memorable for all involved and less expensive. You will probably not miss the company of great aunt Freda’s long lost cousin.
2. Give your guests as much preparation time as possible (Save The Date cards are great for this).
3. Give guests practical and helpful information about the destination and wedding venue. From day one be clear about the costs that you will be covering.
4. Create your own wedding website including a variety of accommodation options local to your venue with a range of prices to suit all budgets.
5. Suggest your guests make the wedding a holiday and encourage them to book a week rather than a weekend. This makes any expenses and time off work a much more exciting and justifiable option.
6. Discuss a group discount with your hotel or encourage your guests to hook up so that they can benefit from reduced rates by booking together.
7. The older members of your party may baulk at your decision to defy UK tradition, so you’ll need to assure them that a wedding abroad is more relaxed, much less stressful and a memorable new experience.
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