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Many women dream of a white wedding. But is this about the colour of their dress or the colour of the beach where they say 'I do'? Increasing numbers of couples are choosing to get married in a sunny or exotic destination. Getting married abroad has numerous advantages, but is it legal? What sort of costs are we talking about and which location should I choose? Find out here.
- Why should you get married abroad?
- Is getting married abroad legal?
- The cost of getting married abroad
- Organising a party abroad
- Choosing the right wedding rings to add the finishing touch to your wedding abroad
Most viewed diamond jewels
A wedding abroad can be a wonderful start to the honeymoon
Popular and unique locations for weddings abroad
There are many unique locations with untouched nature around the world where you can celebrate a very romantic wedding. We will present three of them.
- Dreams Curaçao Resort: The Curaçao brings to mind white sandy beaches, an expansive ocean, and delicious cocktails. All this makes it an ideal wedding location. Many resorts even offer a package where a beach wedding is included in the trip.
- Selman Resort: The Selman Resort in Marrakech is another beautiful place where you can get married and enjoy a wonderful holiday. This resort really focuses on wellness with various detox packages.
- Casa Angelina: Casa Angelina on the Italian Amalfi coast is definitely worth it too. Enjoy the wonderful blue ocean and the mountains in the background. You will almost feel as though you are in Santorini as this hotel is completely built in white.
Special wedding traditions abroad
African wedding traditions
In Africa it is still traditional to give a dowry. Aside from this tradition, there are also others which are unfamiliar to us. In Botswana 'go laya' is an important part of the wedding. This is where the older women take the young bride under their wing to teach her everything about marriage and motherhood. When a couple from Equatorial Guinea get married, the man and woman usually move in with the family of the man until they are financially independent. There are exuberant celebrations to welcome the bride into the family and there is dancing throughout the three-day long wedding.Asian wedding traditions
Wedding celebrations and symbols in Asia are completely different to the European ones and can also vary greatly between the Asian countries.
European wedding traditions
Even on our own continent many countries have specific wedding traditions and follow unwritten rules which we barely know about. At an Italian wedding it is traditional that the bride may not wear gold until the moment that the bridegroom slides the wedding ring onto her finger. This supposedly brings misfortune. Often the bridegroom carries a small piece of iron in his trouser pocket to ward off evil spirits.Is getting married abroad legal?
Should you wish for everything to take place abroad, then you still need to have your wedding recognised and registered in Belgium retrospectively. You will need to request the certificates in the country where your wedding takes place for this. This certificate also needs to be drawn up by the authorised authority abroad, be legally valid, and be translated by a sworn translator.
The cost of getting married abroad
Invite only close friends and family to keep the cost down. A bigger party in Belgium can follow later
In countries such as the United States it goes without saying that the bridal couple pay for their guests. This means that getting married abroad costs their guests almost nothing. This tradition is not as strong in Belgium or the Netherlands. So be sure to communicate with your guests well so that everyone is on the same wavelength.
Apps that help to organise the big day
Appy Couple enables you to easily keep an eye on the guest list. You can even send your invitations with this app. Once your guests are confirmed, you can get started with the seating plan. The Table Plan app does away with complicated work with pen and paper. The Pinterest and Instagram platforms are also invaluable sources of inspiration.
Where will you get your wedding photos taken?
Getting married abroad comes with another great advantage: wedding photos in unique locations. Make the most of the often stunning landscapes. Beautiful vineyards in France and Italy will definitely create impressive wedding photos. The Norwegian fjords will also create a dazzling wedding photo background.
How many guests can you invite?
The number of guests at a wedding abroad tends to be lower than at a wedding in your own country. This makes sense as there are a lot of costs associated with the journey. Couples who get married abroad usually only invite closefriends and family. They are obviously still free to have a big party later in Belgium or the Netherlands.Planning your ceremony
Be sure to start planning the ceremony in advance so that you have time to deal with unexpected issues.Contact an interpreter if necessary, to communicate with the priest or master of ceremonies. This way you will be sure to be on the same page. In other cultures, the ceremony might take place in a different way or else with a different focus. So be sure to take this into account.
Types of wedding rings
Your choice of wedding ring will depend on your personal preferences. Will you go for a plain one or something eye-catching like a solitaire diamond? In the past very few wedding rings were set with diamonds. Nowadays more and more women (and men) choose a wedding ring with diamonds though. A diamond wedding ring is often the perfect addition to your engagement ring.Made-to-measure wedding rings
Matching wedding rings
Wedding rings that go with your engagement ring
Read more about wedding rings and marriage
Getting married abroad is definitely recommended and it is an experience that will stay with you for a long time. Do you also know which dress you will wear and what kind of dress code there will be? Will you go for vintage wedding rings, matching ones, or diamond wedding rings? And how will you be sure not to forget anything? Find out about this and much more in the blogs below.
Sofie Kuppens
- BAUNAT Antwerp
- My Linkedin profile - Contact me