Planning a Wedding Abroad Yourself

Planning a wedding abroad yourself is absolutely possible. We did it…so I’m sure you’ll be able to as well!

If you like the idea of being hands on and personally involved in all aspects of planning your wedding then planning your own wedding abroad could be the perfect option.

Jen & Ryan's DIY Wedding in Italy. Read how they planned their destination wedding in Italy and see their gorgeous images by friend Courtney Rachelle here.

Jen & Rory planned their own wedding in Italy

Planning a wedding abroad is not as complicated as it may first seem and many couples have successfully planned their own wedding abroad.

Not only will you have a lot of fun and have an immense feeling of satisfaction by planning your own wedding abroad you will also save money on the costs of using a wedding planner or Tour Operator.

If you are prepared to put in the time and effort and do your research thoroughly you will be well rewarded. I am sure your guests will wonder how you managed to organise such a spectacular wedding so far from home.

Real Experiences!

Charlotte & Christian who married in the South of France planned their own wedding abroad but used a wedding planner to be their “organiser on the day”. Charlotte commented, “her help was invaluable and she did a brilliant job on the day. I felt it was brilliant value for money as I wouldn’t have wanted to organise anything on the day and didn’t want any of my friends and family to have to worry about it”.

Charlotte also offers the following advice on planning a wedding abroad, “I would recommend wedding planners to others but it didn’t suit me to have someone doing the whole thing as I wanted to keep a lot of control. I would say for people with no contacts or none of the language that a wedding planner is invaluable. I would say that the money you spend on the planner you will save in flights to do meetings that they can do for you”

Planning a wedding abroad yourself may be the best choice if:

You would like to be in control of planning your own wedding and would not feel 100% happy handing the responsibility over to anyone else
You are organised and good at planning
You would enjoy the challenge of taking on a new project
You are happy to devote some of your spare time to planning your wedding
You would enjoy investigating and choosing suppliers in the country you have chosen to get married in
You would feel confident enough to negotiate with suppliers in their native language. This is not vital but it is advantageous
You know your wedding destination and local area well. Again, this is not vital but it is advantageous
You can speak the local language. Again, whilst not vital, it is advantageous
You are able to visit your wedding destination prior to your wedding day

The benefits of planning a wedding abroad yourself:

You know your wedding abroad will be exactly the way you want it to be
Your wedding will be unique and reflect your personalities and individual styles
You may save money by not having to pay a wedding planner or Tour Operator to organise your wedding abroad
You will gain a huge sense of achievement and satisfaction from organising your own wedding abroad
You will gain an incredible amount of knowledge and new skills

Hot Tips!

Our Step-by-Step Planning Guide (PDF)

All the best information, hints, tips and advice (and a little extra special something) from Weddings Abroad Guide has been jammed packed and rolled into one easy to follow guide.

There are over 170 pages to help with every stage of the planning process. Inside we’ll work on the big picture and I’ll give you the tools you need to confidently and calmly plan your wedding abroad.

As well as my own personal experience, you’ll receive hints and tips from other couples who have been married abroad and fab advice from wedding professionals who do this day in and day out!

FIND OUT MORE

The downsides of planning a wedding abroad yourself:

It is time consuming and can become stressful
If you do not speak the local language, the language barrier may become an issue when trying to deal with local suppliers
The business practices and social culture of the host country may differ from those of your own
You need to take care of the paperwork and legalities for getting married abroad yourself. You need to be 100% certain that you get this correct

If you do decide to plan your wedding yourself:

Visit your wedding location before your wedding day. This is not absolutely necessary but if you can take a weekend trip it will be beneficial for you to get to know your wedding location better and meet up with local suppliers
Get in contact with a native speaker. If you do not speak the language of the country where you are having your wedding it would be helpful to find a friend / acquaintance that does. Although most people generally speak English there are times when it is easier for suppliers to communicate in their native language especially to help avoid any misunderstandings. If you do not know anyone who can help out it may be worthwhile using a translation company
Consult the foreign embassy or consulate of the country you are getting married in to discuss the legal requirements of getting married in their country. It is very important you know what needs to be done and when
Find out the best method to communicate with suppliers in the country where you are getting married. Although email may appear easier, in some instances you will achieve more if you communicate by telephone
Consider taking care of the legalities at home and having a symbolic wedding ceremony abroad
If you decide to have your legal ceremony abroad, consider hiring a wedding planner to take care of the paperwork.
Plan, plan, plan. Draw up a list of everything that needs to be taken care of. Become super organised!
Download our FREE destination wedding Planning Tools, to help with every step of the way
Use our handy Step-byStep Guide to pick up advice and tips from other couples who have planned their own wedding abroad