Destination weddings are exciting, beautiful, warm – imagine that?! and for adventurous souls. But did you know you can still have your favourite suppliers? We share 5 surprising facts about weddings overseas, inspired by English Wedding member and luxury destination wedding planner Elegante by Michelle J.

Destination weddings work with any wedding budget

Couples often expect a destination wedding to be cheaper than a UK wedding. You can choose to save – or spend! – wherever you get married though! A micro wedding in the south of France might cost less than a grand celebration in an English country hotel. If you’re spending more on your day, a luxury wedding in Greece might work out the same as a traditional English wedding.

Start by working out your wedding budget, then look at locations – and consider everywhere! The cost of a wedding often comes down to your choice of venue and decor, not the country you choose to get wed.

Guests will travel for a destination wedding

The key is to let your guests know well in advance, and before they book their holidays abroad. (Sending invitations at Christmas time is a nice idea, as the key time for booking holidays is January.) Then they can look forward to your destination wedding as a really special holiday!

“Some couples have doubts about whether it is reasonable to ask their loved ones to travel overseas, and I always tell them this: you will undoubtedly lose some guests on the periphery of your lives who choose not to incur those costs. However, the people who do travel genuinely want to be there, and I have only ever seen guests at the end of a wedding be extremely thankful for a wonderful few days.” ~ Michelle (Elegante by Michelle J.)

You can still have your favourite suppliers

If you’ve fallen head over heels for a particular photographer or stylist, ask if they’ll be a part of your destination wedding! Sometimes couples don’t realise that suppliers will travel – and be super excited about your wedding day too!

Language barriers needn’t be a headache

If you do bring key suppliers with you (photographer, videographer, hair and makeup for example) it can be a comfort to know communication will be easy.

Liaising with venue staff and catering, florists and entertainment can be made simpler by hiring a professional. This is where wedding planners are worth their weight in gold. It’s often the logistics of a destination wedding that need careful handling and absolute expertise, and this can be taken off your hands with the help of an experienced planner.

“At Elegante by Michelle J we plan luxury, detail-oriented celebrations, and whether they take place in the UK or Europe we will plan with the same meticulous attention to getting each element right.”

Destination weddings can be sustainable

Asking your guests to fly abroad for your wedding (as is most often the case for destination weddings) means your day will have a carbon footprint. Encourage your guests to make a holiday of it by having a weekend-long celebration and involving everyone in the events before and after the big day. Guests might travel on to extend their holiday, rather than flying again later in the year.

Wherever you get married, you can choose sustainable wedding attire – peace silk dresses or preloved ones, bespoke suits you’ll wear for years to come, vegan shoes… often the smaller details can be earth-friendly.

Scaling back on single use items, especially plastic, can have a huge impact too. Consider all the elements of your wedding, and chat to your planner about sustainability too.

You don’t even need to fly!

A ‘destination’ wedding doesn’t have to be that far away. Last month we listed some incredible UK destination wedding venues on the blog, from Hampshire to Scotland via Cheshire and the Lake District. You can have those destination wedding vibes without going near an airport!

Images are from Claudia & James’s Mykonos wedding, planned by Elegante by Michelle J.

Photographer – Anna Roussos
Videographer – Mont Videography
Wedding planner – Elegante by Michelle J
Venue – Royal Myconian Hotel
Bride’s dress – Jenny Packham
Groom’s attire – Esclot