Dreaming of a wedding in South Africa?

Ever thought about getting married in beautiful South Africa? Well we've welcomed two wonderful hotels to Marry Abroad, the Erinvale Estate Hotel & Spa, and the Devon West Hotel near Cape Town. Both hotels are set in magnificent countryside and offer beautiful backdrops for weddings abroad. For more details please see our South African Weddings page.

Weddings in Monaco & South of France

Ever dreamed of getting married in the South of France, or in glamorous Monaco? Well now you can contact Avalon Events through Marry Abroad and have the ceremony of your dreams in the playground of the rich and famous! Sabine at Avalon Events will be happy to hear from you, whether you're looking to tie the knot in the Principality or on the Riviera she'll have plenty of fabulous locations for you to choose from.

Dubrovnik Wedding Festival

Held on 11th and 12th April 09, the Dubrovnik Wedding Festival brings together Croatian wedding industry providers in one place, so couples can truly find the perfect suppliers for their wedding in Dubrovnik.
Held in the magnificent Revelin fortress, the fair was started by local trade and crafts people to showcase both their talent and the beauty of the area.
The historic city of Dubrovnik makes such a gorgeous wedding destination, that many overseas couples choose to marry there. If you're planning a wedding in the area then this festival is the perfect opportunity to find out what's available.
Even if you can't make it in person, you can view suppliers online at daudu.org/

More Croatian Wedding Planners Join Marry Abroad

Croatia seems to be the wedding destination of the moment as we're delighted to welcome three new Croatian wedding planners who have joined us over the last six weeks.

The beautiful historic city of Dubrovnik makes an amazing wedding destination, and our two wedding planners here can definitely help you choose the right location for your celebration.

Dubrovnik Luxury Weddings have plenty of wedding experience in and around this beautiful city, so you're definitely in safe hands! Email Kristina for more details or a quote.

Dubrovnik Weddings and Events ensures your dream day goes smoothly by assisting you with every wedding detail, while also giving you all the flexibility you need to make sure it's the best day of your life! Ines would be delighted to hear from you.

However, if you're looking for a different location in Croatia then Croatian Moments can help. With a wide choice of stunning locations throughout the country, there's bound to be a place that takes your breath away and provides you with your perfect wedding destination. Just ask Jasmine for more details.

Marry Abroad reports a 29% growth in visitors in first 2 months of 2009

We are delighted to announce a 29% year-on-year increase in visitors in the first two months of 2009, proving that engaged couples are still continuing to plan their nuptials despite money worries.
The majority of new visitors have, not surprisingly, come from the UK, with a 48% increase on the same time last year. Europe is still the most popular wedding choice, with the top two visited pages being and, however some couples are looking further afield as Canada comes in a close third place. Same sex weddings continue to soar in popularity with the Gay weddings page showing a huge 479% increase in visits versus the same time last year.

Seeing as how the wedding industry in general has not been immune to the credit crunch, with figures from the USA* stating that couples are cutting costs across the board, the relative cost of getting married abroad may be a contributing factor in marry abroad's visitor growth. Pound for pound you get more for your money overseas, especially if you choose a country with a beneficial exchange rate.

Choosing to take only close family (and possibly a friend or two) to the wedding also saves on initial costs, and has become more and more common over the past ten years. In addition, if loved ones wish they can watch the ceremony live through the internet, thereby avoiding upsetting those who are not able to travel, and saving on costs at the same time.

Although extremely pleased with these figures, we are still offering excellent advertising deals for any overseas wedding professionals who wish to maximise their marketing budget, in order to give our visitors the best possible choice of wedding professional. We're keen to expand the site further, and build on our success, so can offer excellent advertising rates tailored to suit most businesses.

For further details on the advertising packages available please contact us at join@marryabroad.co.uk

*figures from The Wedding Report 23 February 2009

A Valentine's Wedding

Many couples get engaged on Valentine's Day, but many others actually get married on the day. We asked Czech wedding planners White - Prague Wedding Agency to describe one of the 2009 Valentine's Day weddings they organised - if you'd like something similar next year you should book the date now!

Ivanka and Roman's Valentine's Day Wedding

What can be more romantic and symbolic than to wed your love on Saint Valentines day, a day that belongs to lovers. Therefore Ivanka & Roman decided to get married on Valentine's day only a few weeks before the wedding day. As they wished to have a small, chamber wedding with just two witnesses, everything was achievable to plan in a short amount of time.

The couple chose the beautiful Chateau Mcely as their wedding venue. Chateau Mcely, located in the very heart of the St. George Forest, offers its guests maximum comfort in romantic neo-classicist style. The chateau is just one hour from Prague, but feels infinitely removed from everyday reality... Chateau is a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World network of luxury hotels.

Ivanka & Roman arrived to the romantic Chateau the night before the wedding so they could enjoy the pre-wedding pampering for a little longer. A candlelit dinner in the Chateau's Chambers followed by a jacuzzi bath and Thai couples massage was the perfect thing to do on the night before their wedding .

When they woke up on their wedding day, the Castle and surrounding St. George's forest was covered in snow, which enhanced even more the romantic atmosphere of their Valentine's wedding. Ivanka had her hair and wedding make up done by a professional stylist in the gorgeous wedding suite Legend, accompanied by her Bridesmaid, while the Groom and his Best Man were having a pre-wedding drinks in the Alchymist bar.

The ceremony was very intimate and touching and the couple said their I do's to a wonderful string trio music.

After the ceremony and wedding champagne toast in the Gold room they all enjoyed walk in the snowy English park having their photos taken. In the afternoon they welcomed the opportunity to take part in the Valentine's dance lesson for couples which the Chateau organized for all guests.

The newlyweds wished to have a stress free and very romantic wedding with their closest friends and their day was truly very relaxed. After a tasty wedding lunch they cut their lovely strawberry cheesecake decorated with white calla lilies, which were also the Bride's flowers.

In the evening they enjoyed a special Valentine's dinner menu in the Theater hall which was reserved for them, drinking fine wine and listening to a pianist.

They happy newlyweds left the Chateau on Sunday, after a long champagne breakfast served in bed.

For more information on weddings in the Czech republic please contact White - Prague Wedding Agency

A Valentine’s proposal…..so now what?!

Valentine’s day is one of the classic days of the year to propose, so with lots of happy couples currently on the look out for that perfect wedding location, how do they go about deciding where to make their lifetime commitment and still start married life in the black?

Here at www.marryabroad.co.uk we think we have the answer to this question, and to many of the other dilemmas which bridal couples face.

Dilemma 1

How to not bankrupt yourself in a credit crunch and still have the wedding you’ve always dreamed of.

Dilemma 2

How to not offend friends and family but still have the perfect day.

Dilemma 3

How to have your dream day without your wedding planning taking over your life.

Solution

Choose an experience wedding planner and have your wedding abroad!

It’s a well known fact that the average UK wedding costs around £20,000 so it’s no wonder that more and more couples are deciding to save their pennies for a house rather than a wedding, and are getting married for less than half the price abroad.

This is backed up by a report from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) which shows how overseas marriages have increased over the past few years. By 2010 an estimated 55,000 weddings each year will take place overseas according to the ONS report, with 36% of those overseas weddings taking place in Europe, and couples aged 25-34 most likely to get married abroad.

The research firm Mintel concurs with this analysis, stating that the sector has grown by fifty percent between 2001 and 2005, and is still growing year on year.

The growth of this sector is good news for www.marryabroad.co.uk which has seen a rise in enquiries and visitors since Christmas. A free wedding information site, www.marryabroad.co.uk features a wide choice of wedding providers around the world and gives help and advice to couples looking for the best destination in which to get married.

Charlotte Hand from the site says ”the research backs up our experience as www.marryabroad.co.uk has grown strongly since it started and shows no sign of slowing down. Couples are no longer content to compromise their special day for the sake of family feelings, and it has become much more acceptable to go off and have a small wedding abroad, with a large party to celebrate once they have returned home.”

Three years on from its launch, the site is definitely not feeling the pinch as couples search for the most cost effective wedding location they can find. So far this year, and despite the current euro rate, Greece has started the year as the most viewed country, with Spain and Italy closing fast. However, perhaps the snow last week inspired more couples as Canada has now become the most viewed non-eurozone country, followed by Australia (for couples wanting to escape the snow!).

Economies may ebb and flow but marriages will still take place, it’s just a question of where.