Destination Wedding Reviews – What real couples have to say!
When I started Weddings Abroad Guide back in 2005, it began with the simple (but I hope effective) premise of providing real advice from real people. From the very beginning I wanted the information on the site to be based on the personal experiences of couples who had been married abroad.
It was my belief that … reading real destination wedding stories, receiving valuable hints, tips and advice and finding recommendations on fantastic destinations, venues and suppliers abroad… would be the most valuable type of information couples could receive when planning their own destination wedding.
So with this in mind, on almost every page of the site, I’ve tried to include “destination wedding reviews“. I realise it would be slightly impractical to look through the whole site, so the aim of this page is to consolidate the reviews and point you in the direction of the type of reviews that may be of the most interest to you.
Destination Wedding Reviews
- Real Wedding Stories
- Destination Wedding Supplier Reviews
- Advantages and Disadvantages of Getting Married Abroad
- Best Destinations for a Wedding Abroad
- Pearls of Wisdom from Couples Married Abroad
Real Wedding Stories
As well as being really fun to read, I truly believe that destination wedding stories are incredibly valuable as they offer honest first hand information and advice from couples who have had their weddings abroad.
Supplier Reviews
Every supplier featured on Weddings Abroad Guide has testimonials included on their page…for me, I think this is absolutely vital and it’s something I’m quite passionate about.
However, due to the large number of suppliers listed on the site, it would be impossible to list all their reviews here. So in light of this, I would highly recommend looking at the individual pages of the suppliers listed under the country in which you plan to get married, and use their testimonials to get a feel for the services they offer.
To find suppliers, click here
In a recent newsletter, I wrote an article about supplier reviews and I think it is important to highlight the following paragraph from that newsletter.
“All the supplier reviews on my site come from incredibly happy and satisfied couples who have had their dream wedding abroad. Absolutely read and use all the supplier reviews as a good guide but remember that we all have different standards, expectations, tastes and wishes. A company that may be the perfect fit for you may not necessarily be the perfect fit for someone else. Always spend time getting to know a perspective supplier, email, talk over the phone, ask lots of questions, understand the fine print and always go with your instinct!”
Advantages & Disadvantages
If you’re looking for destination wedding reviews in order to decide whether a destination wedding is right for you…I believe it’s valuable to hear what real couples who’ve had their wedding abroad have to say.
Without exception, every couple I’ve spoken with has said there were both advantages and disadvantages of having their wedding abroad. When looking at the pros and cons, an important step is to decide which issues hold the most weight for you – if you would like a helping hand with this, I have some information on the following page that may useful.
Read reviews on the advantages and disadvantages of a destination wedding:
Best Destinations
Obviously, when planning a wedding abroad choosing your wedding destination has to be at the top of your ‘to do’ list.
For us the country and location of our wedding abroad was an easy choice, however I know for many couples this is not always the case. You may be in the situation where you love the idea of having a beach wedding but have no idea which tropical country should play host to your wedding…or you may know what country you’d like to get married but are having difficulty pinpointing the exact location.
There is lots of destination information on Weddings Abroad Guide but I have also asked couples to share with me their favourite destination wedding location, which I think is always really helpful.
Here’s other couples destination wedding reviews on the best place to get married abroad:
Pearls of Wisdom
I asked couples who got married abroad if they had any pearls of wisdom they could share with others who are in the process of planning a wedding abroad.
Here’s what they had to say. They have given some very sound advice, so make sure you read it carefully.
Research, manage and stick to your budget but don’t cut corners. Know what you want from the day but be flexible enough not to allow any deviations to cause you an undue worry or despair on the day.
Jenny & Conor, Married in Croatia
I would recommend that you choose your destination by speaking to other brides who have been married there, choose your wedding planner with equal care. This is meant to be one of the key events in your life which will cost you quite a bit of money and you need to manage the event with this in mind.
I think you also need to work closely with the Wedding Planner or the Tour Operator that you use. They can only deliver a wedding which matches your expectations if they know what your expectations are. Also, keep it simple – this makes it harder for things to go wrong.
Afshan & Guy, Married in Cyprus
I would highly recommend getting married abroad but would recommend a Wedding Planner who can guide you through all the day and especially see you through the legal paperwork, because if you get that wrong, you may end up not getting married at all.
Caron & Jared, Married in Rhodes
Make sure you do it for the two of you, and don’t bow under the pressure to conform. If you think you want to go away just the two of you, really think hard about it before you make your final decision you might regret not having certain special people with you – I know I would have done.
Amy & Rawdon, Married in New York
Just do it! If you fall in love with a place on holiday, get married there. If you think it’ll be better there than at home – it will be. Don’t, and I mean this, think about those of your family and friends who won’t travel to be with you on your day, the day goes by in such a blur you won’t miss them. So make sure you’re doing what you want to do, and not what the outside influences say that you should.
Nicola & Lee, Married in France
Get a good Wedding Planner and build up a rapport with them. Don’t make unreasonable requests to them, and be flexible. Visit the wedding venue before the wedding.
Maria & Robin, Married in Italy
Always speak to other people who have done the same thing before. Get a good Wedding Planner. Choose an area with good transport links to your home country. Relax and enjoy the planning. You pend far more time organising it than you do at the wedding itself so you will only regret it, if you don’t remember this fondly. And never argue over it – there is a solution to every problem!
Beth & Huw, Married in France
Several friends of ours chose foreign destinations and none of them have any regrets. Choose your destination wisely, look for a location that you will both love. We were surrounded by all the fun of Orlando and really enjoyed ourselves, others may prefer the peace and tranquillity of the beach. Either way, if you have chosen to wed abroad, you are doing things your own way, so bare that in mind throughout.
Leann & Russel, Married in Florida
I think it’s important to choose a destination / venue that reflects who you are or has a special meaning to you both. When we decided to get married abroad, Las Vegas was the only choice for us, exactly for the reasons specified. Think you also need to realise that if you decide to get married abroad it is possible that you will have no guests at all. If you can live with that and still want to do it, then it’s for you! Also, for our guests, because we weren’t getting married in an exclusive resort they could all choose where they wanted to stay to suit their budget. I think it is important to give people that choice as they are spending a lot of money to attend your wedding.
Vanessa & Ian, Married in Las Vegas
Get the legalities right – it could be disastrous if you find 3 weeks before the wedding that you can’t get married and people have booked flights/accommodation. Don’t expect things to work the same way as they do at home. Ask as many questions as many times as you need to in order to make sure you get the answers you need.
Jane & Graham, Married in France
Don’t forget to take a peak at our Wedding Abroad Expert Tips page which is a compilation of advice and tips from Wedding Abroad Experts and very importantly other couples like yourself, who also chose to have their wedding abroad.
I hope you have found the above destination wedding reviews useful – if you have any questions please feel free to contact me and or you have been married abroad and have your own destination wedding reviews, it would be absolutely fantastic to have your contribution.
If you would like even more help
I have created a “Closed” Facebook Group where you can meet other couples getting married abroad and ask advice from all the fabulous wedding suppliers featured on my site.
You will be able to discuss your wedding plans, ask questions and get inspiration from other couples and from wedding suppliers.
It is a fun friendly group…and private… so your wedding plans won’t be exposed!
I’d love to have you part of it and can’t wait to meet you!
You can request to join up here: Weddings Abroad Guide Community