I know this is an area most couples are mindful of when having a wedding abroad…”what will it cost our guests to attend our wedding?”
First things first…being invited to a wedding costs money!
Remember this is true whether you are having your wedding at home or abroad.
Photo courtesy of Horia Photography
In a survey published by Mintel it states the average wedding abroad cost for a couple to attend a wedding is £1000 – £2,200.
Generally the further afield your wedding is the more expensive it will be for your guests. For example, if you decide to get married in the Caribbean travel costs will be more expensive than if you choose to get married in Continental Europe, and accommodation costs may rise if your guests choose to combine your wedding with a holiday.
When planning a wedding abroad, I do think it is important to think about the cost to your guests.
If you were going to have your wedding at home, think about where it may have taken place. Would the majority of your guests have had to travel to your wedding location and spend a night in a hotel or B&B? If yes, would there be a significant cost difference between this and attending your wedding abroad? Looking for accommodations that can host larger groups can help cut costs and is easier to organise rather than renting individual hotel rooms.
You know your guests better than anyone so ultimately it is your decision about whether you feel comfortable asking them to come to your wedding abroad.
On this subject my advice would be:
Make your guests’ experience of attending your wedding abroad outweigh the cost of attending.
As well as asking your guests to celebrate your marriage with you, sell them the additional benefits of going to a wedding abroad. Prospective guests wouldn’t be human if there wasn’t just a small element of “what’s in it for me?” involved in their decision to attend!
Attending your wedding abroad will be a once in a lifetime event for your guests, it will be unique and unlike any wedding they have been to before. Going to your wedding may be a chance for your guests to visit a beautiful location they may not have otherwise visited. Let’s face it your choice of location must be fantastic; otherwise you wouldn’t have chosen to have your wedding there!
I recommend getting your guests excited about your wedding destination, let them know what awaits them. A great way to do this is by setting up a Personal Wedding Website which will outline everything they need to know about your wedding and wedding destination.
There is nothing better than going away to a foreign country, sightseeing, being on holiday, relaxing, eating delicious local food, drinking local wine and having fun with family and friends in a new environment. Your guests can experience all this and go to a wedding as well! I don’t think you will find anyone who wouldn’t appreciate this experience.
In relation to the wedding abroad cost for your guests, one thing you may wish to think about is your Gift List. Our philosophy was “we value for presence not your presents”. We appreciated the considerable time, effort and expense our guests went to, to attend our wedding and as such asked them not to buy a wedding present.
That being said, were were surprised by how many of our guests still wanted to buy us a gift, so in the end we set up a wedding registry. An idea I love and an option well worth looking into if you are having a wedding abroad, are Honeymoon Gift Lists. This is where guests contribute towards your honeymoon or holiday activities, such as romantic dinners, scuba diving, upgrades to flights, hotel rooms and transfers.
Hot Tips!
Consider hiring a villa for you and your guests to stay in. Oliver’s Travels have a large portfolio of villas and private accommodation for rent in Europe, the Caribbean, Morocco and Bali. For example, a villa in France sleeping 20 starts from £1,958 for a weeks stay, depending on the time of year booked.
You now know what the average cost is for a guest to attend a wedding abroad but the all important question is what will it cost you to have your wedding abroad?
For the average wedding price abroad click here
