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Weddings Abroad Guide

Weddings Abroad Guide - How to Get Married Abroad

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Choosing the Right Wedding Abroad Suppliers

This is an absolutely critical step – don’t rush in!

Once you’ve decided how you’re going to plan your wedding abroad, your next major step is to choose the right suppliers to create your perfect day.

How to Select your Wedding Abroad Suppliers // Claire & Tom's Wedding Santa Maria di Castellabate Italy // Italy Bride & Groom Weddings // Chantal Lachance-Gibson Photography

Claire & Tom’s wedding in Italy

Choosing which companies and suppliers to work with is probably the most important decision you’ll make. Therefore, it’s absolutely critical that you do your research properly and don’t rush in too quickly. I wouldn’t advise walking into the first travel agent you visit and booking your wedding on the spot. I highly recommend taking your time and weighing up all your options.

Below I have put together some guidelines to help you evaluate and select your wedding abroad suppliers. There are many different factors that come into play, so I’m certain you’ll also be able to add your own criteria to the list as well.

How to Select your Wedding Abroad Suppliers // Claire & Tom's Wedding Santa Maria di Castellabate Italy // Italy Bride & Groom Weddings // Chantal Lachance-Gibson Photography

Initial Research

Do your initial research and spend some time identifying as many suppliers as you can that operate in the country and specific location where you plan to get married. The internet is generally the best tool for this.

  • Evaluate how each supplier presents themselves.
  • How do you rate the quality of their brochures or their website?
  • What type of information do they supply you with, what do you think of their written voice, do they sound warm and friendly or formal and corporate, which style appeals to you the most?
  • Do they provide testimonials in their brochures or on their websites? (Please remember that while testimonials are incredibly valuable and important, every couple has different criteria for their wedding day, so a company that may be perfect for one couple may not necessarily be perfect for another).
  • As a small caveat, although I personally think good presentation is a must, in order to fully evaluate a supplier you will need to look beyond their brochures and websites and get to know the real people behind them.

Create a short list of suppliers to contact. I would recommend contacting a minimum of five.

How to Select your Wedding Abroad Suppliers // Claire & Tom's Wedding Santa Maria di Castellabate Italy // Italy Bride & Groom Weddings // Chantal Lachance-Gibson Photography

First Contact

Contact each supplier on your shortlist.

  • If you are planning on using a Tour Operator, I believe the best method, unless they are solely internet based, is a face-to-face visit. If you are planning on using a Wedding Planner I would first suggest sending them an email or completing their online enquiry form and then follow this up with a telephone call.
  • To make the most of your enquiry and to save you time, I would ask each supplier the same questions and provide them with as much information as you can about your requirements and the vision you have for your wedding day.
  • Use the Wedding Planning Forms as a guideline of the type of information you should provide to prospective wedding abroad suppliers.

Be upfront and honest with suppliers, if after your initial enquiry you do not plan to use them, be courteous and tell them, don’t use them for an information source only, they too need time to be doing their real work, planning weddings!

How to Select your Wedding Abroad Suppliers // Claire & Tom's Wedding Santa Maria di Castellabate Italy // Italy Bride & Groom Weddings // Chantal Lachance-Gibson Photography

Initial Evaluation of Each Supplier

Evaluate how quickly each supplier responded to your request for information. Unless there are extenuating circumstances which were explained, I would expect to receive a reply within one working day. I believe response time is important as it may set the foundation for the speed of future correspondence. (As a side note, if you are contacting wedding planners in the height of the wedding season or over the weekend they may take a few more days to respond to you).

  • How did they respond to you?
    • Did they come across as professional?
    • Did you receive a generic reply (of course to some extent this will be expected for an initial enquiry) or did they personalise their response to you?
    • Did they answer all of your specific questions?
  • Did they ask you any questions? Did they want to find out any further information about you and learn more about your plans for your wedding?
  • Did they seem enthusiastic and willing to take on the planning of your wedding?
  • What was your initial feeling about them – did you feel positive?

How to Select your Wedding Abroad Suppliers // Claire & Tom's Wedding Santa Maria di Castellabate Italy // Italy Bride & Groom Weddings // Chantal Lachance-Gibson Photography

Narrowing Down Your List

Once you have received all your replies or visited all your suppliers it’s time to narrow down your selection. This can be done by a number of different criteria.

  • Dates – is the supplier available on your preferred dates?
  • Call them – if you are planning on using a wedding planner pick up the phone and call them or ask them to call you. Email is fantastic but there is nothing better than having an actual conversation – you should really be able to get a feel for them, hear their enthusiasm (or lack of it) and obtain a lot more information than you would through written communication. Even if you are using a Tour Operator, ask if you could phone the actual planner that will be organising your wedding on the day, these are the people who will actually make it happen and you need to ensure that you have absolute faith in them.
  • Price – make sure that you compare apples with apples. Fully understand what will be included in your package and most importantly what is not included – don’t make any assumptions, find out if there are any extras and don’t take the initial price on face value. If you are using a wedding planner, understand what is included in their service fee and if they charge for additional extras, such as travel costs or arranging additional activities.
  • Don’t be afraid to negotiate and see how flexible suppliers are, particularly if you like someone and they seem slightly out of your price range.
  • Find out what their cancellation policy is. Will you have to pay anything or loose any deposits if you cancel your wedding or decide not to use their services? Check what your legal rights are here as in most circumstances under the Unfair Terms and Conditions Act they must refund you your deposit in full.
  • Ask to view their Terms and Conditions – ensure you understand what is included in their fee and determine if there is anything that is outside of their fee that will be an extra expense to you e.g.
    • Their expenses
    • Phone calls
    • Mileage
    • Additional fees for doing paperwork
    • Unforeseen expenses – do they require you give them a lump sum of money with the caveat that it will be returned if nothing goes wrong?
    • Check if they receive a commission if they book your guests accommodation – any discount or commission should be passed onto your guests and not kept by the planner.

How to Select your Wedding Abroad Suppliers // Claire & Tom's Wedding Santa Maria di Castellabate Italy // Italy Bride & Groom Weddings // Chantal Lachance-Gibson Photography

Choosing Your Suppliers

Once you have made a decision, ensure that you get absolutely everything in writing. Make sure that you keep a paper trail, so that you always have everything backed up. Even if you have a telephone conversation, ensure that you then sit down and summarise it in an email and send it to your supplier, that way you can ensure that everything you spoke about was clear and will be followed up to your specification.

Best of luck with choosing your wedding suppliers, I hope the above helps to make your selection process a little easier.

If from your own experiences, you have any advice you feel should be added to this list, I would really love to hear from you as it will definitely help other couples who are planning a wedding abroad and are in the process of selecting their wedding abroad suppliers.

Choosing Your Suppliers

The following sections provide further advice to help you choose the perfect Destination Wedding Suppliers for your wedding abroad.

Ceremony & Reception Venues

Hints and tips on selecting your wedding abroad venue. Important questions you should ask prospective ceremony and reception venues.

Ceremony & Reception Venues

Wedding Photography

Seven points you should consider when choosing a wedding photographer.

Wedding Photography

Wedding Planners

If you are thinking of getting married abroad, using a wedding planner to help you plan your wedding could be one of the best decisions you make!

Wedding Planners

Tour Operators

I believe wedding packages abroad offer excellent value for money and can make the organisation of your wedding easy and stress free.

Tour Operators

 

Hot Tips!

Find a supplier for your wedding abroad in the Destination Wedding DirectoryDestination Wedding Directory

To help plan your wedding abroad use the Supplier Directory to find trusted and reliable suppliers who offer the very best wedding products and services. All suppliers in the directory come with a personal recommendation from couples who have used them to plan their own wedding.

Welcome to Weddings Abroad Guide a website dedicated to those planning a destination wedding providing independent information & advice for those planning a wedding abroad.

Digital Wedding Planning Tool Kit - The Essential must have Easy to Follow Checklists, Spreadsheets & Workbooks Guide for a Destination Wedding Abroad by Weddings Abroad Guide

Planning a Wedding Abroad - Easy to follow steps www.weddingsabroadguide.com Learn how you can plan a Destination Wedding www.weddingsabroadguide.com Downloadable Destination Wedding Planning Tools & Checklists www.weddingsabroadguide.com Weddings Abroad Destination Guides & Country Overviews www.weddingsabroadguide.com Top Destination Wedding Tips & Advice www.weddingsabroadguide.comDestination Wedding Etiquette Tips & Advice www.weddingsabroadguide.com Destination Wedding Inspiration, Real Wedding Stories, Films, Styled Shoots www.weddingsabroadguide.comTop 4 Destination Wedding Planning Essentials www.weddingsabroadguide.comDestination Wedding Details all you need to know www.weddingsabroadguide.comFind Destination Wedding Suppliers worldwide www.weddingabroadguide.com Find your perfect Destination Wedding Venue www.weddingsabroadguide.comWant to know more about getting married abroad? Ask a question here. www.weddingsabroadguide.com

Mix & Match Bridesmaid Dresses from Dessy Group

Honeymoon & Wedding Gift List by Holidaysplease member of the Destination Wedding Directory by Weddings Abroad Guide

We can connect you with Destination Wedding Couples - Let us help you Grow your Wedding Business.- Find out more about how to be become a member our Destination Wedding Directory.

The Ultimate Destination Wedding Planning Checklist - Download your FREE Planning Tools Today!  // weddingsabroadguide.com

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Digital Wedding Planning Tool Kit - The Essential must have Easy to Follow Checklists, Spreadsheets & Workbooks Guide for a Destination Wedding Abroad by Weddings Abroad Guide

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