Will it be expensive?
It's really up to you. The wedding itself doesn't need to be expensive, although you will have to pay for travel and accommodation, of course. Having a destination wedding can be as expensive or as cheap as you like (just like a holiday).
Will it be difficult to arrange, as I'm in my home country?
It's usually easier to hire a wedding planner in the country in which you wish to marry to take care of all the local arrangements, as it can be difficult to find suppliers and ensure quality when you are hundreds or thousands of miles away. A good wedding planner is like an accountant: by employing them, you should save more money on the wedding than their fee costs you. And they also take care of the stress so you can enjoy the buildup to your wedding even more.
Will I need to go to the country before the wedding?
It's really up to you, and how far away the country is. Most couples do visit their wedding location at least once before the day in order to meet the wedding planner personally and to take a look at venues. It's easy to do this in a country close to you; but if you're planning to marry further afield, you may prefer to rely on Skype to “meet” your planner and see venues.
What legal stuff do I need to do?
Legalities vary per country, but generally you will need the following:
(Bride and groom must not be related by blood, marriage, or adoption) and you may also need to obtain certified translations of all documents if you are marrying in a country where English is not the official language.
And you may need to also provide some of these documents:
Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage
This can be obtained from your local department of foreign affairs, register office, or your embassy in the country in which you are getting married.
Apostille Stamp
Some countries require foreign legal documents to be stamped with an apostille which then makes them legal documents in that country. A solicitor can do this for you for a fee.
Certificate of Single Status/Sworn Affidavit that you are free to marry
These are similar to a Certificate of No Impediment, but instead you have to swear you are single in front of a legal representative (solicitor/notary).
Will it be the same as a wedding here? Church, speeches, cake, etc? Or can I do something crazy??
It's your wedding. You can do whatever you wish! Crazy might be easier in some countries than others. And if you are religious, then you may wish to marry in a church in your chosen country – it's totally up to you!
Www.marryabroad.co.uk
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