It’s not an easy task planning a wedding in your own country but what are the realities faced when planning a destination one?
Getting married overseas is becoming increasingly popular. Opting to marry overseas is for some considered an easier and cheaper solution to the well-known stress we encounter as we try to navigate our normal day to day lives around the researching, planning and budgeting version of hell in our already limited free time. Sometimes we opt for a cheaper alternative, just because it’s easier and, like Brexit, you just want it over with. But nobody should feel that pressure in the run up to their wedding day but at the same time should not entertain the idea of marrying overseas without thinking carefully about all the foreign processes you will need to follow in order to ensure you have the wedding of your dreams and not your nightmares. But because we care at Plan A and don’t want to cause you more undue stress, we’ve put together a list some of the most common difficulties faced when planning that destination wedding. But be warned, if you do it alone, it may not be as simple as just booking that plane ticket with a budget airline.
HOW MUCH?
A destination wedding sounds incredible but what are the costs associated with one? You may think it’s going to cost you less, especially as you’re probably going to tag your honeymoon onto the end of it. However, there are a lot of factors to consider. For example, the currency exchange rate, the costs of flights/hotels for you and any guests you wish to pay for, transportation, event expenses such as the vendors and suppliers. But you may also need to consider non-wedding day costs. If you’re arriving a few days ahead of the wedding, how much are you going to spend on food, entertainment, city travel etc. Has your head exploded already? I thought so. That is why it may be in your best interests to hire a professional who deals with destination weddings. Someone like Plan A would be a good choice. Our specialists at Plan A can properly advise you about these costs. You will be able to get a clearer idea on actual travel costs and wedding/event planning expenses. But not only that our wedding planners are able to help you cut costs by being able to obtain amazing deals for groups and individuals.
HABLAS INGLES?
English. Everyone speaks it, right? Wrong! Not everyone is as keen on the language as you think and therefore it’s best to put aside the assumption that it will be easy to communicate. Getting married overseas comes with added communication and language barriers. Where somebody may be able to get by with a basic level of English, things can easily get lost in translation that you could end up being victim of a delito rather than delighted.
So how do you overcome this hurdle? Enrol in intensive language classes, download a language app or add the extra cost of hiring a translator to the wedding budget? All of these take time and cost more money, two areas of our lives we could all do with having a little more of, but there is an easier solution. You can book a wedding planner based in the location of the wedding. It is more than likely that they will speak both English and the country’s native language. Working with certified destination weddings specialists, like Plan A, not only gives you reassurance that your requests will be understood, but they use their experience to help you figure out the perfect venues, vendors, coordinate the logistics and provide you with that much needed support in the lead up and including your big day.
DAMIT HAT ES NICHTS AUF SICH.
How would you feel when you discover that the special moment when you and your fiancé(e) said “I do” wasn’t official on paper and it doesn't mean anything legally? Would you be thinking ‘damit’? Maybe you’d be feeling a little bit ‘sich’. We thought so. We are all familiar with our processes in the United Kingdom and the United States. You marry in the local registry/office or courthouse, pick up your marriage certificate on the same day and ensure that the witnesses and signatures are recorded on the big day. Overseas, this process can be wildly and confusingly different. To ensure a smooth process, you need to do your research (and possibly be able to speak the language too). But again, this will cost you more time (if you’re already lacking free time due to work and social commitments, in reality how much of your day is left for you to research this subject?) and money if you need to hire a lawyer. But before you decide to give up and settle on the local registry office or church, Plan A can help navigate this process on your behalf. Our extensive knowledge on the legalities and formalities of marriage in Spain can ensure that the entire process; before, during and after the wedding day, run as smoothly and effortlessly as possible, leaving you with the peace of mind that you can return to your home country officially recognised and registered as a married couple.
FAUX PAS
If you haven’t already Googled ‘delito’ you will know that this is the Spanish word for crime and not delighted. At Plan A we want you to be 100% delighted with your day and nothing scares us more than you falling victim to a crime. What happens if you fall victim to a wedding scammer? Wedding scammers come in all shapes and sizes and it’s not unheard of for happy couples to give all their hard-earned cash to faux vendors only to be paying for absolutely nothing, zilch, zero. You paid money for the cake. You got crumbs. You paid money for a live band. You got silence. You paid money for a boutique hotel. You got fresh air. Yeah, OK. You looked at their website and it looked legit but the Internet makes it incredibly easy for scammers to set up fake businesses and take your money and run. If the picture looks too good to be true, the price is definitely too good to be true, then it probably is. I understand your concern, if you’ve never been to and can’t attend the destination you have selected, how do you know what is real and what is fake? Well, we have the solution to this conundrum. Plan A provide online videos of all our available venues so you can see exactly what you are paying for. We meticulously choose our partners and places that meet our standards and offer our customers the best service and price in return whilst using the latest technologies to provide you with the best service and give you complete peace of mind.
And that is what Plan A are all about. We work together with all of our partners and customers, giving 100% transparency in our costs, prices and expectations. Our motivation is ensuring that you are 100% satisfied because without you, we wouldn’t be able to do what we love. You are our priority and our commitment to you is sacred. We strive to give you the best service money can buy. We have representatives in London, Berlin, San Paolo, Moscow, Saint Petersburg, all eagerly waiting in anticipation for your call. So rather than worrying about becoming the victim of a wedding scammer or quickly trying to learn a language, let us be your guide and allow us to do all the hard work for you. Then it will be as easy as booking that budget airline ticket.