Guide to Your Wedding Abroad
Guide to Your Wedding Abroad
Almost everything you need to know before getting married overseas.*
*You’re on your own for dealing with your mother-in-law.
Planning the perfect destination wedding? There is a lot to consider as you coordinate your big day. How will you choose your wedding location abroad? How should you prepare for the climate and culture? What is the best way to overcome the language barrier and plan the overseas wedding you want? Will your home country recognise the union once you travel back? Phew! It’s a lot to take in. Fortunately, OFX is here to help.In this guide, you will learn:
Language Barriers
Language is an important consideration in choosing your wedding location overseas. The further you go off the beaten path, the more likely it is that you will run into a language barrier. This barrier could hinder your ability to ask for specific services or products that are important to your big day. If you don’t speak the language or have a personal contact at your desired wedding location overseas, hire a local wedding planner that speaks the local language and has experience navigating local vendors, so you get what you want more easily.Having a trusted person negotiating and working for your best interest can be invaluable when planning any occasion abroad. While a wedding planner may seem costly at first, the best ones could help you negotiate better rates with all your major vendors.
Climate Considerations
Take a moment to research the average temperature and seasonal weather patterns of your wedding location. This will keep you from planning your wedding in the middle of monsoon season while picturing clear blue skies and sunshine. If you’re keen to take advantage of cost savings during the shoulder season, investigate a back-up plan that will save your ceremony even if there is a bit of weather. A little bit of climate research can ensure you plan for heat, humidity, rain, snow, or wind, so that you have people and services ready to protect your perfect day from whatever Mother Nature throws your way.
Easy Visas or Complicated Bureaucracy
You and your guests will need to navigate the visa process for your destination wedding so it’s definitely something to consider when choosing where to have your wedding abroad. It is important to understand that some people may have trouble attending your wedding abroad depending on the visa requirements and travel limitations of their home countries.Ask yourself: Can my wedding party and guests get to my international wedding location easily? Do they have to apply for visas to attend my destination wedding? How long of a process will that be? Take the answers to these questions into consideration as you make your final choice of wedding destination abroad.
Some countries have relaxed their visa requirements for weddings precisely to cater to the destination wedding market. That said, if you plan on taking up residency in that country afterward, there may be different laws you have to abide by.
Don’t Forget to Factor in Exchange Rates
When choosing a destination wedding venue, exchange rates can make a substantial difference to what you’re ultimately able to afford. The average cost of an international destination wedding is about $30,000. So if you’re considering having your wedding in Switzerland versus France, even a 6% difference in the exchange rate between the euro and the Swiss franc could mean saving $2,000.When it comes to paying your bills in foreign currencies, many banks and big name money transfer providers will charge a margin of about 5% above the daily market exchange rate (and that’s on top of the fees to transfer the money). Switching to OFX instead could save you enough to cover the cost of your flight overseas. Currency specialists can also help you lock in an exchange rate for up to 12 months in the future, so you always know what you’ll be paying even if the exchange rate fluctuates between the time you book your venue and the time you pay the bill.
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