Weddings & honeymoons
Weddings abroad and honeymoons planned around the two of you, from a beach ceremony in the Caribbean to two weeks in the Maldives or a road trip through Italy.
Photo by Sergio Capuzzimati on Unsplash
- Honeymoons
- Usually 10 to 14 nights, often two places in one trip
- Weddings abroad
- Venue, paperwork and your guests' travel arranged together
- Paperwork
- A legal ceremony abroad needs documents months ahead
- Best booked
- About a year ahead for a wedding, 6 to 12 months for a honeymoon
A honeymoon is the one trip that has to be right. After months of planning a wedding, it should be the easy part: somewhere beautiful, a room you won't want to leave and nothing left to organise.
Getting married abroad takes more care. Each country has its own rules for a legal ceremony, from the documents you need to how long you must be there first, and many couples choose a short legal ceremony at home and a blessing abroad. Then there are guests to fly in and rooms to hold.
We start with the two of you: the kind of place you picture, how you like to spend your days and what you want to spend. Then we plan the honeymoon, or the wedding and the travel for everyone coming, book the flights, hotels and transfers, and let the hotel know you're celebrating.
Ways to celebrate
No two couples want the same trip. These are the ones asked for most.
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Photo by Christian Cacciamani on Unsplash Beach honeymoons
A villa with its own pool, a quiet beach and very little to do: the Maldives, Mauritius, the Seychelles, St Lucia or Antigua.
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Photo by Humphrey M on Unsplash Two-centre honeymoons
A few days in a city or on safari, then a week by the sea: Dubai and the Maldives, Bangkok and Koh Samui, Kenya and Zanzibar, Cape Town and Mauritius.
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Photo by Spencer DeMera on Unsplash Road trips and touring
For couples who would rather explore: the Italian lakes and coast, California's Highway 1, New Zealand or Japan.
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Photo by Brianna Parks on Unsplash Weddings abroad
A ceremony on a beach, in a vineyard or on a terrace over the sea, with the venue's wedding team, the legal paperwork and your guests' travel arranged together.
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Photo by Fotógrafo Samuel Cruz on Unsplash Blessings and vow renewals
Married at home and celebrating abroad, or marking an anniversary. A blessing has no legal paperwork, so it can be almost anywhere.
Planning it together
A wedding abroad
Some countries, much of the Caribbean among them, make a legal wedding straightforward for visitors, often within a few days of arriving; others, such as France and Italy, ask for more paperwork. Many resorts have wedding coordinators and packages with the ceremony, flowers, cake and photographer. We help you choose the place and explain what each country asks for, with time to get it done.
Bringing your guests
Guests want to know how to get there, where to stay and what it will cost them. We can hold rooms at the hotel, book each family's flights and stay separately so everyone pays for their own, and keep the group on the same dates.
The honeymoon itself
The right room matters more than ever: a villa away from the family pool, a sea view, a bath with a view. Many hotels look after honeymooners with small extras, usually if you travel within six to twelve months of the wedding and bring your certificate. We tell the hotel why you're there and book the dinners and spa time you'd like.
Where to go
Honeymoons follow the weather. These are the places couples ask for most, and when they're at their best.
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November to April
Photo by Shai Pal on Unsplash The Maldives
The honeymoon most people picture: a villa over the lagoon, a reef on the doorstep and dinner on the sand.
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April to December
Photo by Xavier Coiffic on Unsplash Mauritius
Beach resorts with mountains behind them, good food and plenty to do beyond the lagoon. A good choice for a summer wedding date.
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December to April
Photo by Karl Moore on Unsplash St Lucia
The Pitons, rainforest and small beaches, with resorts made for couples and weddings.
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April to October
Photo by Niklas Weiss on Unsplash Bali
Rice terraces and temples around Ubud, then a villa on the coast. Often paired with a stop in Singapore.
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May to September
Photo by Chris Boland on Unsplash Italy
Lake Como, the Amalfi Coast, Tuscany and Venice, for honeymoons and some of the most beautiful wedding venues in Europe.
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May to October
Photo by Mushvig Niftaliyev on Unsplash Greece
Santorini at sunset, Crete and the quieter Cyclades, with a short flight home.
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June to October
Photo by Hu Chen on Unsplash Kenya or Tanzania with Zanzibar
A safari in the Masai Mara or the Serengeti, then a week on the beach in Zanzibar.
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November to April
Photo by Antoine Pouligny on Unsplash Thailand
Bangkok, the north around Chiang Mai, and islands like Koh Lanta or Phuket for the beach.
Destinations we'd suggest
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Maldives A thousand low coral islands, each resort its own island, and water clearer than you thought possible.
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Mauritius Reef-sheltered lagoons, green mountains and a warm mix of cultures in the middle of the Indian Ocean.
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Santorini White villages on a volcanic cliff, a flooded caldera below and the best-known sunset in Greece.
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Bali Rice terraces, temples and surf beaches on an island with a gentle, spiritual heart.
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Barbados Calm west coast beaches, rum shops and Friday fish fry, with a welcome that feels like home.
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Amalfi Coast Pastel villages stacked above a deep blue sea, lemon groves and long lunches on the terrace.
Questions about weddings & honeymoons
Is a wedding abroad legal in the UK?
A marriage carried out legally under the law of the country where it takes place is generally recognised in the UK. You don't register it here, but you'll need the certificate, translated if it isn't in English, for things like changing your name. GOV.UK has guidance for each country.
What documents do we need?
Usually passports, full birth certificates and, if either of you has been married before, a decree absolute or final order, or a death certificate. Some countries also want a certificate of no impediment, and some need documents legalised with an apostille. We'll tell you what your chosen country asks for.
How far ahead should we book?
For a wedding abroad, around a year ahead, as popular venues and dates go early. For a honeymoon, six to twelve months is usually enough, though the best villas in peak season go first.
Which name should the honeymoon be booked in?
The name on the passport you will travel on, as airlines need them to match. Most people travel on their current passport; you can apply for one in your married name before the wedding, but it can't be used until the day. We'll book it in the right name.
Do hotels give honeymoon extras?
Many do, from something to drink on arrival to a dinner or a better room, and most ask you to travel within a set time of the wedding and show your marriage certificate. We'll tell you what's included at your hotel.
Can our guests book separately?
Yes. Each family can book and pay for its own flights and rooms, while we keep everyone on the same dates at the same hotel.
Where is good for a summer honeymoon?
The Maldives and the Caribbean are at their driest from about December to April. For a summer wedding date, Mauritius, Bali, Kenya and Tanzania, Greece and Italy are all good choices from June to September.
What insurance do we need?
A policy that covers the full cost of the trip, with wedding cover if you're marrying abroad, for things like rings, outfits and the ceremony itself.
Where should we take you?
Tell the team what you have in mind and we'll come back with ideas, usually the same day. The team reads every request.
- 01WhereA place, a few ideas, or a hotel you love
- 02WhenA month or exact dates, and how flexible you are
- 03FlightsWhich airport suits you, or none at all
- 04WhoEveryone going, with children's ages
- 05SpendA rough idea for the whole trip
- 06The detailsBoard, hotel rating, facilities, the kind of place
Photos by Sergio Capuzzimati, Christian Cacciamani, Humphrey M, Spencer DeMera, Brianna Parks, Fotógrafo Samuel Cruz, Elena Popova, Patty Zavala, Holger Woizick, Shai Pal, Xavier Coiffic, Karl Moore, Niklas Weiss, Chris Boland, Mushvig Niftaliyev, Hu Chen and Antoine Pouligny on Unsplash.