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10 top tips for weddings abroad

From choosing your venue to sorting the paperwork, here are our top wedding tips.
Planning your dream wedding abroad? We’ve got you covered – we offer weddings in more than 150 venues in 11 destinations, from Greece and Italy to the Dominican Republic and Mexico. And, to help you get your wedding plans moving along, we’ve rounded up our 10 top tips for getting married abroad. You’ll get the info on everything from the best time to choose a Caribbean wedding, to legal requirements and the best time to book. So, get your fiancée and read on…

Once you’re up to speed, check out our TUI Weddings.

1. Location, location, location

Choosing where to get married is going to be one of the biggest decisions you make about your big day, so it’s important to give it lots of thought. Greece and Cyprus are a great pick if you don’t fancy a longer flight. Plus, if you’d like to, it’s much quicker to fly over for a quick trip to check things out before your big day. If you fancy going further afield for your big day, Jamaica and Barbados have plenty of options for beach weddings.
A small church on top of a hill in Cyprus.

2. Make sure your ‘save the date’ suits

There’s lots to consider before saying yes to your wedding date. Firstly, if you’ve got children in your wedding party it’s worth sussing out the school holidays to check everybody’s going to be able to come. It’s worth taking a look at local holidays in the destination you’re planning to travel to, as well. But most importantly, the date you get married will affect what the weather is likely to be like. Greece and Cyprus weddings are most popular in May and September – things are generally a little cooler at this time of the year, so it’s a great time to go if you’re planning on wearing a heavy wedding gown or a full suit on your big day. Exotic wedding destinations – like Dominican Republic and Mexico – are more popular in the winter months, when the Caribbean sees far less rainfall.
Wedding guests throwing confetti over a Bride and Groom.

3. Choose a style to suit you

Our weddings abroad are far from one-size-fits-all, which means you can choose a big day that suits the both of you. We’ve got lots of styles of ceremonies whether you fancy getting married at a hotel, or on a beach. For something a little different, you can tie the knot in a historical castle or even on board a luxury yacht. If you’d like a church wedding, Anglican services are legal in Cyprus, and recognised in the UK. There are lots of options for same-sex weddings in destinations like Ibiza, Croatia and the Dominican Republic, too.
A Bride and Groom standing outside a white and blue church.

4. Think about the legal stuff

The legal stuff can seem a little scary, but we’ve been sorting weddings abroad for more than two decades, so you’re in safe hands with us. We offer different types of ceremonies whether you’d like a legal wedding, a religious or civil ceremony, or a non-legal wedding known as a symbolic ceremony. Each destination has a set of rules for getting married there, so it’s important to double check the legal requirements before you say yes to your big day. Make sure you check what paperwork is required, and if you need to pay extra to make your wedding legal. Our Weddings Team are on hand for advice, and you’ll also find information on the destination’s government website.

Give our Weddings Team a call on 0203 451 2688 for all the info.
Close-up of a Groom placing a wedding ring on the bride’s finger.

5. Set your budget

It’s important to be clear with how much you want to spend on your wedding. Consider all the little extras you’d like to make your wedding day super special – yep, we’re talking about everything from make-up to your wedding cake. The good news is, weddings abroad are often cheaper than tying the knot in the UK, so your money can go that bit further. That’s your honeymoon fund sorted.
A Bride getting her wedding make-up done.

6. Book early

You can book your wedding up to 18 months in advance, or even sooner if you’re tying the knot in Greece or Cyprus – speak to our Weddings Team for all the details on that. Getting your date in the diary early means you can send out your wedding invitations, so your guests can start getting their stay sorted. Chat to us if you’d like to get married sooner – each destination’s document processing time is different, so we’ll let you know if you have time to get everything in place before you book.
Mr & Mrs dinner place setting.

7. Don’t forget your guests

Booking a TUI Wedding makes things super easy for your guests – we fly from more than 20 UK airports, so they can take off from an airport closer to them. That’s not all, though – we’ve got lots of hotels to choose from, meaning everyone’s budget is catered for. And, all our package holidays are financially protected by ATOL, so everyone’s money is safe with us. It makes things easier for you, too – we can link your wedding party’s bookings to yours, giving you a clear picture of who will be there on the day.
A close-up of wedding guest chairs.

8. Make the finer details count

There are so many options when it comes to the finer details, from the colour of the chair covers to flowers and make-up. If you’re getting married in Greece or Cyprus, our TUI Wedding Coordinators will be in touch around three months before your big day to help you organise all the little extras. If you’re getting married in a different destination, your dedicated wedding coordinator will be provided by the hotel.
TUI Wedding Coordinator setting up table places.

9. Create a packing checklist

We’re big fans of a packing checklist for any kind of holiday, but it’s super important when you’re travelling for your wedding. Here’s some things to get you started: passports, marriage paperwork, wedding day outfit, accessories and wedding rings. Plus, don’t forget that when you book a TUI Wedding and you’re travelling on a TUI Airways flight you’ll get 25kg hold luggage each. Perfect for those little extras like wedding favours and personalised decorations.
Bride admiring her wedding dress.

10. Plan a pre or post-wedding activity

Fancy taking your wedding party wine-tasting in Rhodes, or how about seeing your mother-in-law-to-be zip-line across the jungle in Mexico? Booking a TUI experience before you go is a great way to make sure you and your wedding party can all get together to do something fun before or after your big day. Top tip: just make sure you don’t do anything too crazy the night before!

Browse and book our TUI experiences.
Grapes and half-filled wine glasses lined up on a wooden table for a wine tasting session.
Ready to say I do?

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Author: Karl Taylor

Last updated: 09.05.2024

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