Getting married abroad Wedding organisers and costs

Many kinds of weddings can be arranged

Who should I turn to?

Tour operators 

With the difficulties involved in organising a wedding abroad, it's no wonder that few people arrange it independently.

The most common bookings are through major tour operators who have wedding departments and produce dedicated brochures. Virgin Holidays sold 4000 wedding bookings in 2005. The operators are mainly intermediaries for the hotels' packages, although their own rep may lead you through the formalities.

Kuoni, Thomson and Virgin Holidays have a great range of long-haul destinations, while First Choice are good at setting out the legal low-down for their chosen countries.

Several operators will only sell you a wedding package if you buy your flights and hotel with them too.

Wedding specialists 

If a mass-market package doesn't appeal, you may prefer a company that deals wholly with matrimonial matters. Unlike tour operators, they can book just the wedding, leaving you to organise your own travel and lodging. They will customise the day and provide a co-ordinator at the venue.

One of these companies, The Bridal Consultant, suggests couples request a wedding date and venue first before trying to book flights and hotels.

A beach ceremony can be spoilt by noisy waves

What sort of wedding can we have?

Civil nuptials are the most common, usually conducted in a local civic building or in hotel grounds. A beach ceremony sounds idyllic, but can be spoilt by noisy waves and a lack of shade.

If you want little fuss, opt for Virgin Holidays' 'Hitch and Go' package in New York, where the deed is done within three minutes. You could even exchange vows underwater in Grand Cayman or in a hot-air balloon over the South African plains.

If you want a religious ceremony however, options are limited. Most major tour operators offer this only in Cyprus. Here, an Anglican ceremony can cost £200 more than a civil version; for a Catholic ceremony you must inform your own priest and have a civil wedding on the island first.

The cost

There may be more to a wedding-package price than meets the eye, so read brochure small print closely.

If at first you think the tour operators' package prices look good, don't get too excited. These are purely for the wedding itself and don't include your flights and accommodation.

The basic wedding package usually costs at least £300 and includes fees for the paperwork, ceremony and wedding co-ordinator's services, a cake, sparkling wine, bouquet and buttonhole. Photos or a video usually cost extra, often as part of an upgraded package. Receptions are rarely included in these packages, but you might get an excursion - or even a massage!

Read the small print carefully when comparing prices in brochures, as the prominent package price may well exclude essential admin fees and any transport in the resort.

Beware of 'free weddings' offered when booking a week or two in places such as the Caribbean and Mauritius, as you may still have to pay for the government fees, such as £200 on a package in the Bahamas - so not 'free' at all!

What about insurance?

Standard travel insurance is unlikely to provide enough cover to replace rings, wedding outfits and lost or stolen gifts. Tour operators generally offer an extra premium (from £25 with First Choice per couple) that covers for these things (often up to £500 for two rings and up to £1500 for attire). Your possessions can be covered on your house insurance if opting for personal possessions or all-risks cover.