The Complete Guide to Organizing Your Wedding Abroad

You’ve decided to have your wedding abroad! But where? How? With whom and, most importantly, with what budget? Finding the right information and knowing where to start can be challenging for such an ambitious project. Organizing a wedding abroad can be complex, but with meticulous planning and logistical support, it can become an unforgettable experience. The secret to a successful destination wedding lies in its organization, and for that, rely on our wedding planners’ help! Discover the complete wedding abroad guide to organize your ceremony and get all your questions answered in this article.

Wedding Abroad Guide: How to choose your destination?

Criteria for Choosing the Destination

The starting point for organization is, above all, choosing the wedding destination. There are three criteria:

• Proximity
• Budget
• Symbolism

Since “proximity” often means “ease,” couples are tempted to choose a European destination like Italy, Spain, or Portugal for their wedding. These three Mediterranean destinations are easily accessible from France, Switzerland, or Belgium. They are ideal for a short stay without administrative, monetary, or time zone constraints. They also attract with their strong cultural identity, promising immediate exoticism. The wedding budget is also a crucial criterion for choosing the destination, both for the couple and their guests. The symbolic nature of the destination is another factor, favoring a place with personal significance related to your origins, travels, or proposal.

A Romantic Wedding in Italy

If you dream of romance and poetry, a wedding in Italy is a must. Tuscany, the Italian Lakes, and Puglia are regions rich in authenticity and history, embodying Italian love. This destination appeals to Francophones for its climate, landscapes, and culture. You don’t need to speak Italian to get married in Italy, thanks to our French-speaking wedding planners on site.

A Chic Wedding in Corsica

If you prefer to stay within the Francophone culture while enjoying an idyllic and exotic setting, we recommend choosing Corsica for your wedding. Suitable for both intimate and large weddings, the many facets of the Isle of Beauty offer a wide range of wedding venues, from its miles of paradise beaches to its typical shepherd huts and panoramic restaurants. Treat yourself to the wedding of your dreams on the most renowned Mediterranean island, giving your guests a moment of escape between sea and mountains.

Wedding Abroad Guide: Tips from Our Wedding Planners

Set a Date and Budget

To define your wedding project, it’s essential to identify your selection criteria. List the important points for your wedding day. The most concerning topic for future brides and grooms is the wedding budget. It’s often the first wedding or the first wedding abroad, so you have no budget reference points. It’s pointless to base your budget on your friends’ weddings because prices and conditions evolve yearly and vary by country and location. The only way to get personalized quotes is to contact vendors or a wedding planner agency. Your budget should include essential services like the venue, caterer, floral decoration (even minimalistic), and musical accompaniment (whatever it is). Also, budget for the photographer, hairdresser, makeup artist, and the wedding planner if you want assistance. Contact us now.

Choosing the Wedding Date

The date is a crucial element in wedding planning. Set an achievable deadline. A wedding abroad is usually planned about a year in advance. Organizing a wedding less than nine months in advance is strongly discouraged; you might miss out on vendor and venue availability and your guests’ availability. Avoid planning too far ahead, as venues and vendor schedules and rates are rarely set more than a year and a half in advance.

Next, choose the season according to the desired wedding theme and atmosphere. A summer wedding ensures an outdoor evening celebration, while a winter wedding offers a magical and fairy-tale atmosphere. Finally, determine the wedding day. The wedding can be celebrated any day of the week, except Sunday and religious holidays if you want a Catholic wedding, and except Friday and Saturday if you want a Jewish wedding. Check the religious calendar before choosing your wedding date if that’s the ceremony type you want. Also, consider school holidays and public holidays to facilitate personal and logistical arrangements for your guests. Finally, consider the national holiday calendar of your wedding destination. For example, it’s not possible to get married in Italy on August 15, the Assumption of Mary, or June 2, Republic Day.

Determine the Number of Guests

The number of guests will determine the choice of wedding venue and the quotes. It’s necessary to have an approximate idea of your guest list. Start by listing family members on both sides, then combine your lists and add friends to finalize the list. Don’t forget to count children and friends’ partners! Usually, expect a 10-15% attrition rate for a destination wedding. Also, make a guest list for pre- and post-wedding events, like a brunch, to have a complete idea of your wedding project. This information is essential for the first budget estimate.

Wedding abroad Guide: An Agency for Peace of Mind

Advantages of a Local Wedding Planner

By entrusting your destination wedding organization to a local wedding planner agency, you benefit from their in-depth knowledge of the area and language proficiency. The advantage of delegating your wedding preparation to an on-site team is the ability to conduct visits and meetings without traveling. With ten years of experience in the region, our French-Italian wedding planner agency is the perfect partner for organizing your wedding in Corsica and Italy.

Managing Administrative Formalities

In our agency, the wedding planner handles all administrative aspects, from contract follow-ups with vendors to assisting with administrative formalities for organizing a civil wedding in Italy. Another important advantage of going through Noces Italiennes is signing a single contract in French and centralizing your payments to a single French IBAN. Our wedding planner agency will handle direct dealings with vendors for organizing your wedding.

Selecting Local Vendors

Relying on the expertise of wedding planners specializing in the region guarantees excellent local service. Noces Italiennes carefully selects all local vendors based on strict environmental criteria and negotiated conditions. This professional relay ensures a serene wedding organization with no unpleasant surprises in vendor choice. However, you can bring vendors from your network if you want to use professionals from your circle.

Wedding Abroad Guide: How to Manage the Guests?

How to Inform Guests

The format of announcing your wedding to your guests is important both in substance and form. First, we recommend announcing your wedding date and destination as early as possible through a SAVE THE DATE. The Save the Date can be sent as a video teaser, paper invitation, or wedding website. Alongside this general communication, personalize the announcement to your close ones and witnesses during an intimate gathering. Some couples opt for the whimsy of a riddle, puzzle, or a typical gift from the country as a hint about the destination. Once planning has begun and details are confirmed, send your official invitations with the exact address, ceremony time, and other logistical information. Ensure your wedding invitation design matches your wedding theme. We recommend the following websites for creating and printing your wedding invitations: Cotton Bird, Rosemood, or monfairepart.com. Our clients enjoy preferential rates on these sites.

Wedding Abroad Guide: Accommodation Options

Some wedding venues can accommodate all or part of your guests during their stay abroad. If the reception venue cannot host all your guests, don’t worry! We have alternative solutions! Hotels are the most well-known option and can accommodate a large number of guests. Renting private villas or Airbnb accommodations can also be appreciated for family or friend stays. If you choose to marry in the Puglia region, the charming masserie offer a complete immersion in the southern Italian countryside. In any case, we recommend choosing accommodations near your wedding venue to minimize travel time for your guests on the big day.

Logistics to Plan

It’s essential to facilitate your guests’ stay throughout their trip. Stay in regular contact with them via your website, a WhatsApp group, or a Facebook page. If your guests haven’t planned to rent vehicles upon arrival or if you don’t want them to drive on the wedding day, arrange shuttle services. If your guests stay at the same hotel, prepare a rooming list to speed up check-in and room entry upon arrival.