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The average cost of a wedding depends on who you ask. In 2015, Bride to Be magazine said it was over $65,000 while our 2017 survey of over 1,000 couples found the average cost to be $22,669.
WorldFirst's 2018 research claims it to be stuck in the middle at $36,220.
Either way, the cost is no drop in the ocean and thrifty couples are looking to destination weddings to keep on budget, with travel companies and organisers reporting booming business overseas.
And why not? By lining things up just right, you might even be able to save money by having a dream wedding overseas instead of at your local church.
Once you add up the costs of a destination wedding, you might find that the “destination” part is actually saving you money and can help offset the cost of the “wedding” part of the equation.
This is for a wedding in Australia, so the balance is naturally different elsewhere. Whether you’re having a destination wedding somewhere in Australia or overseas, however, there are a lot of ways to save.
Having a local wedding doesn’t mean there won’t be accommodation and travel costs. Hiring wedding cars or a limousine can cost more than your flights. You might also spend a surprising amount on nearby accommodation. A lot of resorts and hotels, especially in destinations like Hawaii that know how to cater to destination weddings, have great on-site venues that can help you do away with wedding cars. Everything is nearby, so your party can take a leisurely stroll between spots rather than having to jump into a car.
Package deals abound and it can be worth looking for all-inclusive offers or flight plus accommodation deals as well as other special offers. The problem with using these for a destination wedding is that some of the best travel deals come and go fast as everyone jumps on them. If you know your destination and have a timeframe in mind, you can get around this by subscribing to a travel deal newsletter for the latest and greatest offers. This is perfect for weddings because some of the most ridiculously cheap deals are only available when you book months, or even over a year, in advance.
By keeping an eye out for the right offer and jumping on it when it arrives, you can save a small fortune. Your guests will also be grateful if you let them know about these (and will have more to spend on a wedding gift).
Here are a few other ways you can save:
Generally, there’s no problem and you’re legally married as long as the wedding meets the following criteria:
However, certain countries might ask for a document called a Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage (CNI). This is basically a letter from the Australian government saying that you’re allowed to get married or that you haven’t accidentally forgotten to divorce someone from a previous marriage.
A CNI will often not be necessary, but when it is the exact procedures can vary. Check with the government of your destination country, through their embassy, consulate or official website, to find the following information:
Some travel insurance policies will let you add special wedding extensions to your travel insurance or will even offer policies specifically designed for weddings. You can learn more about it here, but in a nutshell these policies can deliver some specific features to make things a lot safer.
These are just some of the features you can get with wedding travel insurance. The cost of travel insurance can be almost negligible next to the cost of travel, let alone next to the cost of a wedding, so this type of more specialised protection is highly recommended.
Guests can benefit too. If you really want them at your wedding, you may want to point them at travel insurance with special events cover. If you didn’t want to invite them anyway, then you might ignore it and hope they get delayed instead.
The main downside of a destination wedding is that some of your friends and family might not be able to make it, with 59% of those surveyed through WorldFirst stating getting friends and family to the wedding is the biggest challenge. The silver lining is that fewer guests can mean lower prices for you.
To make sure you don’t leave anyone out, you can always have a second party after you get back. Approximately 1 in 5 destination wedding couples have done this.
If you have friends and family overseas, a destination wedding might mean an even bigger bash with more guests. Australia is a long way from most other countries, so picking a midway destination can make it a lot easier for people to attend if they don’t live in Australia. On the whole, a destination wedding is good news for your big day and your wallet. Here are a couple of monetary reasons why opting for a destination wedding is a good idea:
Last checked | Code description | Code |
---|---|---|
20 Jan 2021 | Up to 15% off Australia rentals | HOL**** |
14 Dec 2020 | Get $20 credit | FIN**** |
2 Dec 2020 | Up to 10% off international flights with code | MAS**** |
23 Oct 2020 | $1 wine tastings in the Hunter Valley | WIN**** |
22 May 2020 | Extra 9% off hotel bookings | AUT**** |
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