50 THE JOURNAL
GOING ABROAD
J
ust imagine a sandy beach, blue
skies, a warm breeze, palm
trees and the sound of the sea
gently lapping on the shore. If
this conjures up a vision of
romance in your mind, then
getting married in an exotic location is
for you.
Maybe you prefer the notion of
marrying beside an Italian lake, a wedding
with a skiing theme, or in the compound of
a safari park. Whatever your dream for
your wedding day, there is a destination
that can cater for it.
Marrying abroad can bypass the stress of
planning a traditional wedding � invitation
lists, booking venues, flowers, transport and
so on.
Either a tour company will take care of
plans with a wedding package or you
organise your own day on a much smaller
scale than a wedding at home.
With a little bit of research and careful
planning, you will be able to create a
wedding that is unique, a wedding that is
distinctive, a wedding that surpasses all
your expectations and is talked about and
remembered by your guests for years to
come.
Wedding packages are available in many
hotels with some even offering a free
ceremony if you stay a certain number of
nights.
When getting married abroad, your
wedding often becomes more than just one
day. Many couples make the most of
having all their guests in the one location
and carry their wedding celebrations over a
number of days.
As a result, extra work is often required
to plan these additional celebrations, but
this does give you the added bonus of your
wedding not being over in the blink of an
eye.
You may also find the additional
celebrations are just as memorable as your
wedding day itself.
Obviously, if you want to get married
abroad choosing your wedding destination
has to be at the top of your "to do" list.
The country and location of your
wedding may be an obvious choice, or you
may be in the situation where you know
what country you would like to get married
in but don't know what area to choose.
If you love Italy for example, should
you opt for Tuscany or on the Amalfi
Coast? Or do you just love the idea of
having a beach wedding but have no idea
what stretch of lovely white sand should
play host to your big day?
When choosing your wedding
destination abroad, there is no substitute
for research.
Check out the country or countries you
would like to get married in, ask family
and friends, visit tourist sites, tourist boards
or speak to travel agents.
The service is nearly always civil,
although religious ceremonies and
blessings can be arranged in most
destinations.
Most hotels have an area specially set
aside for conducting wedding ceremonies
but there are some wonderful alternatives,
including the beach, exchanging vows
underwater or on skis in the Alps.
Packages tend to include just your basic
requirements: The service, marriage
licence, certificate and legal fees, but these
differ from hotel to hotel and destination
to destination.
Take the weather with you

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