Weddings abroad are increasingly popular with British couples. In fact, 18% of weddings are now conducted abroad, a rise of 27% over the past five years; this is in contrast to an actual fall in the number of weddings taking place in the UK. The last statistic should surprise no one; while a wedding and honeymoon are amazing, many of us are waiting longer to get married because we want to splash on that special first few days together. Increasingly, more couples are deciding to go abroad, simply because they get more for less. Does that mean you should go too?
In some cases, yes. The average UK wedding costs £20,000, while an average wedding abroad costs £6585 – leaving you with more money to spend on everything else. Instead of paying for your great-aunt Susie, who you haven’t seen since you were a toddler, to sit in the back of the church and eat up your funds at the wedding breakfast, why not spend that money where you’ll enjoy it more? Only 21% of people would actually prefer to have their wedding in the UK. If you’re in the other 79% it may be worth considering as a serious option.
What’s most interesting about the latest round of statistics are, of course, the ones released on honeymoons. Just 3% of couples would like to honeymoon in the UK. For us, of course, this is not a surprise; not much in the UK can beat a honeymoon in glamorous Mauritius or rugged South Africa. 13% of those surveyed by Mintel expressed a desire to do something out of the ordinary on their honeymoon, while 28% (down from 34%) said that they wanted to just relax. This need is completely satisfied by honeymoons today; there are so many things you can do on your honeymoon. Whether you’d like to learn to go scuba diving, horseback ride along the beach, or go on safari, we offer an array of options.
With one in five weddings taking place abroad, you can feel confident about moving smoothly to your small, intimate, personalised wedding to an incredible luxury honeymoon. Your friends and family can use the opportunity to take their own holidays; since you’re inviting fewer people, you can afford to do more for them. Even if they pay their own accommodation and flight costs, you’ll find that often you can block a book of rooms or suites which mean they’ll get an incredible holiday for less while still being there for your special day.
So, if you’re prepared to splash out for your wedding, consider what truly matters to you and what you could achieve with a wedding abroad. If you’d like more details about the locations and services we offer, why not call us on 01494 678 400 to speak with one of our wedding abroad consultants today?
