Cheapflights.co.uk's Essential Guide to Planning a Wedding Abroad

LONDON, April 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- With the Royal Wedding just four days away, the UK's leading website for flight price search and comparison, helps consumers plan the perfect destination wedding with all the necessary trimmings, minus the royal price tag.

"Organising a wedding and travel for large groups of people are both slightly mammoth tasks when attempted individually, so put them together and it can potentially be a recipe for disaster without the right knowledge and set of planning tools," says Nadine Hallak, Travel Expert for Cheapflights.co.uk.

"Things like theme, destination, local customs, and legal requirements are all important to consider when planning a destination wedding," adds Hallak.

Here we explore three of the six essential elements for planning the perfect wedding day abroad:

Destination Decisions

The choice of destination can determine the theme and if you're feeling adventurous, the world is quite literally your oyster when it comes to theme options. Fantasy weddings come in all shapes and sizes from fairy-tale ceremonies at Disneyland to Elvis weddings in Vegas and underwater vows in Australia's Great Barrier Reef. So contemplate your priorities around budget and climate while speaking to friends, checking out brochures, and browsing the internet for planning an unforgettable day. Depending on the season, your destination criteria, and lead-time before your wedding date, you can find some great cut-price deals, be it flights to Spain for a winter wedding, or flights to Miami in the off-season.

Legal Eagle

Here comes the admin. Once the destination and theme have been selected, the next step is researching the legalities of the country in which you'd like to say 'I do.' Different places have different rules. For example, France requires the bride and groom to have been living in their place of marriage for at least 30 days prior to tying the knot while Vegas only requires a marriage license on arrival at the registry – so all you really need is a flight to Las Vegas and accommodation should you catch the last-minute wedding bug. Depending on the age of the individuals getting married, parental consent may be required, as might other documentation. Information can be obtained from the embassy or consulate of the country in question.

Ironing out the Frills

Often focusing on the bigger tasks can mean forgetting the finer details, such as looking into the local customs for food and drink. While three course meals are the way forward at home, buffets might be a better option in an exotic destination. The same goes for the wedding cake, hot climates and three tiered wedding cakes often don't mix, so it's worth checking out the local customs for food and drink prior to departure. It's also a good idea to check with your airline whether you should be checking your wedding clothes in or putting them in a special hold.

For the remaining three essentials on planning the perfect destination wedding, visit http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/travel-tips/weddings-abroad/

To discover the Top 10 destinations for getting married abroad in 2011, visit http://news.cheapflights.co.uk/2011/04/top-ten-wedding-destinations/  

About Cheapflights Media

Cheapflights Media is an international media network providing users with different ways to find low cost travel. Since 1996, Cheapflights Media has been helping consumers research, compare and save on domestic and international travel. Our flagship brand, Cheapflights, is one of the largest flight deals publishers, delivering over 4 million deals daily. With brand-name deals on airline tickets from more than 300 partners and 600 airlines and a team of travel experts hand picking the best offerings, Cheapflights offers visitors a mix of deals they can't find anywhere else. There are currently Cheapflights sites for the U.K., U.S., Canada, Germany, Australia & New Zealand, France, Italy and Spain. For more information, visit Cheapflights.co.uk.

SOURCE Cheapflights.co.uk