Destination Weddings: The easy route to a wedding abroad

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    Gay weddings abroad are very popular, but how feasible are they? Chris De Houwer and Elke Lambrechts look at the advantages, requirements and costs of a gay destination wedding

    An obvious first advantage of heading abroad can be the weather. For example weddings in Spain are almost certain to enjoy a perfect climate from May to September, making it possible to celebrate ceremony, reception, dinner and dance outdoors.

    Many couples will dream of a gay beach wedding abroad, in the presence of close family and friends, avoiding the social pressure to invite distant family and friends. But what is the cost of a gay destination wedding and who pays for what?

    According to wedding etiquette, the couple pays for all costs on the wedding day. So with a shorter guest list, total costs are usually substantially lower than in your home country, especially if you decide on a wedding in Spain.

    Wedding etiquette indicates that travel costs and accommodation are usually paid for by the guests. Some wedding couples choose to pay for the accommodation – or at least some part of it – for some or all of their guests, with guests sometimes prolonging their stay at their own expense.

    According to market research, the organisation of a gay destination wedding can be a concern for many couples – but it doesn’t have to be. On the contrary, there are savings to be made.

    Of course there are obstacles, such as distance, language and culture, which can be difficult, even with modern means of communication. Travelling back and forth might simply not be an option – it’s time consuming, expensive, with no guarantee of success.

    This is why most gay destination wedding couples rely on the services of a local wedding planner, but with many wedding planners not having the qualifications or experience to back up their promises, it can be difficult to choose.

    So we’d recommend that you check if a wedding planner is ‘NICE’:

    Network – Do they have a broad network of venues and suppliers with whom they work frequently (and most importantly trust) so that the quality and service is guaranteed?

    Information – Do they give extensive information on their services, prices, diplomas, associations to which they belong, and references – preferably via an informative website?

    Communication – Do they answer your questions and emails within three working days and can they offer the online systems that make it easy for the wedding couple to plan their wedding, and for guests to plan their travel, accommodation and attendance?

    Expertise – Do they have the necessary expertise to answer your questions immediately, and the required experience to avoid ideas and suggestions that don’t work?

    If, on top of all that, they can offer you the venues and services that meet your wishes, then nothing stands in the way to start planning your dream gay destination wedding!

    Chris De Houwer and Elke Lambrechts are professional wedding planners and wedding designers of Costa Blanca Events, located in Altea on the Spanish Costa Blanca. Together with their team, they organise weddings in more than 30 unique venues across the Costa Blanca. They’re perfectionists, and create bespoke and unforgettable weddings. Their proprietary online systems make it very easy, and free of stress to plan your dream wedding abroad.

    www.weddingsinspain.eu, photo and video mood books on www.costablancaevents.com

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