Great reasons to choose a destination wedding.
There are loads of reasons to choose a destination wedding. Most of my ceremonies have been in beautiful West Wales, but I’ve been lucky enough to hold them as far north as North Yorkshire. Now, I’m getting bookings in France as well! So, it made me start to think about all the great reasons to choose a destination wedding.
It doesn’t have to be grand; This is Manoir Mouret in Southern France. A beautiful house in pretty countryside.
Maybe there is somewhere special that means a lot to you both? Perhaps you want to say ‘I do’ in a breathtaking setting? Is it that you want a more intimate wedding, with fewer guests and a meaningful ceremony? Or maybe you just love French food or want your wedding cake to be made of Welsh cheese! A destination wedding can be intimate, personal and affordable. Read on to find out more.
France is a great pick if you’re a wine lover!
A meaningful location
I believe your wedding day should be personally tailored to you, which is why I do what I do as a celebrant.
Many couples choose a destination wedding so that they can tie the knot somewhere special to them. Whether it’s where you first met, the location of a favourite holiday, or where you got engaged, your location will add some magic.
The Gower, Swansea is a very popular place for Destination Weddings. I’ve come across plenty of people at Fairyhill who’ve never been to Wales before!
An intimate affair.
Most destination weddings end up being a lot smaller than they would at ‘home’. For a lot of couples that’s no bad thing! Compiling a guest list can be stressful, so being limited to smaller numbers can make things easier and make your wedding more personal.
Manoir Mouret ready to party
It can be hard if friends or family can’t make the trip over, but a good photographer or videographer means you can bring the wedding home with you, to share with everyone who couldn’t be there on the day. Tu Nguyen travelled from Belgium to video Canadians Emily and Jay’s wedding. Scroll down my home page to find it, it’s stunning!
Great British destinations.
When we say “destination wedding” we tend to think “overseas” don’t we? You can still have a destination wedding without leaving British soil. There is so much to explore and so many beautiful places across the UK. Some of my favourite Welsh destinations are the dramatic Pembrokeshire Coast, the rolling hills of Carmarthenshire and Brecon, and The Gower peninsular. They all offer truly spectacular scenery and have plenty of gorgeous venues on offer.
Why not take a look at this blog, linking to more pictures of the beauties shown below? This is the couple who travelled all the way from Canada to have their ceremony in Manorbier Castle, near Tenby.
Emily and Jay brought their families from Canada to have this dream destination wedding in Manorbier Castle, Pembrokeshire.
It’s like raiiinnn on your wedding day.
However…whilst the UK has some of the most beautiful scenery in the world, we don’t always get the best weather. Maybe you want to get married outside of the Summer season, but don’t want to be caught in a great British downpour on your way to the ceremony.
Sunshine and romantic, balmy evenings often attract people to move their wedding to warmer climbs, and you don’t have to go far to find them. The south of France has on average 300 days of sunshine and rarely drops below 20 degree celsius, even in January. OK, so it’s the Summer months that are generally recommended there, but, tempting, isn’t it?
Again, we can have great weather here in Britain!
What’s the cost?
Cost is a common concern when it comes to destination weddings, but they needn’t break the bank. I did a bit of research on average wedding costs and was surprised at what I found.
The average wedding in the UK costs a mind-blowing £31,973 according to a survey of over 2,800 couples last year, by wedding website, Hitched .
On the other hand, the average cost of a destination wedding comes in at a surprising £7,500 according to travel specialists, Kuoni.
Of course, you don’t need to spend a fortune on your wedding, whether at home away. The important bit is you and your partner making a lasting and loving commitment to each other. Some of my favourite weddings to ‘work’ at have been done on a budget.
St Govan’s Chapel in Pembrokeshire is one of hundreds of gorgeous places you could use for a pop-up wedding ceremony. All you need is a celebrant!
Honeymoon, sorted.
Planning your wedding can be stressful enough, but then there’s still the honeymoon to think about. Choose a destination wedding and you’re already there!
That’s one suitcase, one flight, one hotel. Less faff = more time to enjoy.
Wedding gifts: not another toaster.
You don’t need a deep fat fryer, and you already have a perfectly good crockery set. What you really want is to enjoy your wedding destination with the one you love.
Tell your guests you’d rather a romantic meal with your newly-wed, or a day on a private yacht enjoying the scenery. Resources like The Knot offer a modern alternative to the gift registry. The cash registry allows guests to make a donation towards something you’ll both remember forever.
So that’s a great wedding gift for you, and less baggage for your guests.
Everything you want for your wedding and honeymoon in one easy trip.
I hope you enjoyed part 1 of my mini-series on destination weddings. Keep your eyes peeled for next week’s installment, where I talk PLANNING!
Helen x
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