More and more these days future newlyweds are opting for a more intimate and exotic destination wedding over the traditional (and usually much larger) wedding ceremony.
With this in mind, today – just less than a week away from Valentines Day, and with wedding season less than 6 months away, the team at TCR presents 10 wedding-trip ideas for couples who love travel. If you’re planning a wedding this year, we hope you find this article useful.
If, on the other hand you’re planning to attend a destination wedding as a guest, you may want to consider some gift ideas for the newlyweds available at weddinggiftideas.co.
Before we begin discussing the list of destinations, a few things to keep in mind – when planning your trip.
You will need to decide whether you are planning a symbolic wedding or an official wedding. Your choice will affect the amount of preparation you will have to do and the number of hoops you will have to jump through (such as the amount of documents that you will need to bring along with you and the local laws of the destination country).
If you’re planning to have an official wedding abroad, you will need to make sure to bring along notarized copies of all of your documents, in the language of the country to which you will be traveling.
Did you also know that to have an official wedding in France you need to have lived there for a minimum period of 30 days? How about the fact that to have a lawful wedding in Austria, Germany or Switzerland you may have to wait anywhere from two to six months for official permission?
The above are just a few examples of things you need to keep when you decide whether you wish to become legally married at home (in the US) and have the ceremony abroad – or if you wish to go “all-in” on a destination wedding – with all the legalities handled abroad.
Now that we’ve covered a bit of the planning, let’s get to the fun part – the destinations.
Paris, France
Paris – the city of love. Just one mention of it brings romance to mind. You can get married at the Louvre or the Eiffel Tower – or in many of the magnificent parks, gardens and castles – which make the perfect backdrop for your wedding photos.
The only downside to a wedding in Paris is the expense of everything from the flower bouquets to wedding hall rental.
Crete, Greece
Crete is a relatively affordable destination with clear blue waters, white sand beaches and great service. Many of the hotels in create offer wedding planning services and do a great job of accommodating destination weddings.
Italy (Rome, Venice, Verona, Florence)
Italy has several destinations that would be perfect for a romantic wedding. A wedding in Italy is a holiday with great food, wonderful music, and many beautiful settings for wedding photos and unforgettable memories.
China
Although you cannot have an official wedding in China, it is a great destination for a symbolic ceremony. You have your choice of ancient Peking as well as the sunny island of Hainan – where you can even have a beach-style wedding. Many tour excursions are available to you and your guests, along with spa services and photoshoot sessions.
Spain (Madrid, Barcelona, Ibiza)
Many newlyweds fall in love with the streets of Madrid and Barcelona and the white sand of Spanish beaches. Spain is also home to great cuisine where you can sometimes find exquisite dishes in tiny, modest cafes. A wedding in Spain is a great opportunity for an unforgettable cultural experience.
We hope you found this article useful and wish you the best in your travels.