Getting married abroad seems like a pipe dream to some, but doesn’t have to be as daunting of a task as you might imagine. With the right planning and strategic thinking, you can get married abroad without breaking the bank. Here’s how:
Know The Overall Costs
While having a destination wedding sounds like it’s going to be expensive, with the right strategy it can be somewhat close to a ceremony held domestically. Depending on the frills you’re after and how many people you’re inviting, a destination wedding could be a great chance to gain a good grasp on saving for your wedding. And as noted by The Knot, with your average destination wedding costing around $25,800, being able to bring down that cost can be crucial, which first will require a budget.
To begin, add up all the costs that are going to be associated with your destination wedding. This includes not only airfare or lodging, but other incidentals such as having your passport renewed or needing to hire a translator. It’s wise to try and save a little bit more than what your initial estimates hold, as you’ll be thanking yourself later on for having a safety net rather than trying to scramble up cash on the fly. As no one likes starting their marriage out in debt, it’s best to come up with a savings plan that accommodates, with the goal of starting high and working your way down.
Pick A Date
Once you’ve got a rough estimate of the costs of getting married, it’s time to pick a date and start saving. According to Brides.com, the average engagement lasts 12 to 18 months before the big day, which makes sense considering how expensive weddings are as well as how much planning that goes into them. Granted, picking your wedding date can be a tricky balance, as you don’t want to pick something too far away out of fear it’s drawn out too long. However, that’s why sitting down with your significant other and hashing through this is crucial.
Taking the price tag of your wedding mentioned earlier, look at how much you and your partner can set aside each month to make that happen. Furthermore, be open to different locations at random times of the year, as that can be an excellent saving technique to cut thousands off your bill. Another important piece of note with travel is that the earlier you’re able to tackle these expenses, the better, as it gives you a much more room later on. Picking the wedding date when looking to have a destination wedding can be quite the difficult task as it requires quite a few variables falling place at the perfect time, but if they do, you’re looking at results much cheaper than initially estimated.
Start Combing Through The Details
Another great way to save for your destination wedding is by digging through the details and seeing what you can cut back on that might not be as important for your perfect wedding day. Although this might sound difficult, it’s much more intuitive than you might imagine, as it’s combing through what’s most useful to you and your significant other. And if this is a practice that’s relatively new for you, then figuring out the proper list is crucial to ensure you both get the traveling wedding you’ve always wanted.
A helpful way of establishing what’s necessary for you is first by sitting down with your significant other and deciphering the items you both find crucial to have. From there, it’s all about eliminating or reducing the extras, which I’ll note doesn’t necessarily mean you need to cheapen anything. For example, as noted by Fox Business, the average wedding dress costs around $1,100, but going with a direct-to-consumer company like Azazie for a wedding dress can be more affordable. Seek out deals like this from the jump, as they could be something that helps save on your wedding day tenfold.
Keep Your Guest List Short
Finally, although it’s not always the most fun to hear, cutting back on your guest list can be an excellent way to save on your wedding cost. As traveling is especially expensive, it’s hard to get people to come to your wedding unless you’re forking over a significant amount of the bill. And while that’s probably true for some of your friends and family, it can’t necessarily be the case for everyone.
As noted by Bustle, with the average wedding bringing on at least 120 guests, cutting that number down is a good starting point for your list. Be sure to include your significant other as you whittle down the guest list. Remember, it’s never a bad idea to possibly invite these people to a party in your city, showing everyone that you want to celebrate your new love as much as you can with them.
What are you most excited about in planning your destination wedding? Comment with your answers below!