Anna Gorodzhaya is the owner and founder of the Event Gorod Group of Companies and the wedding agency Svadberry, is the author of the book “Wedding Without Marriage”, PeopleTalk columnist.
Getting married abroad is an exciting and unforgettable adventure. With the right preparation, you will create a magical day that will last a lifetime.
The wedding itself is an event full of impressions, excitement and festive atmosphere. If a couple decides to hold a celebration abroad, the event has every chance of becoming even brighter and original.
According to our statistics:
• 50% of weddings take place in the summer and early autumn. The weather abroad allows you to extend this season;
• 87% of brides want to have a magnificent wedding that complies with all the rules.
SVADBERRY has a wide project geography and high service that our customers are accustomed to.
A wedding always requires careful preparation, and organizing a wedding in another country requires even more attention to detail.
If you want to have a fabulous wedding abroad and have a perfect wedding on your big day, I will tell you the most important points to pay attention to. I will show some tips using the example of Turkey, Dubai and Greece, three lively and popular destinations for weddings.
Location selection
The choice of a specific country and place for the holiday should be made based on the climate and season in which the celebration is planned. It is important to take into account the weather conditions in the country on the date of the wedding so that heavy rain does not spoil the impressions of this day. Ideally, it will be a dry season.
Equally important is the ease of travel to the location. Whether the wedding is on the seaside or in the heart of the city, the venue should be accessible to guests. It is desirable to have direct flights or convenient transfers there.
For example, Turkey is famous for its picturesque landscapes and variety of wedding venues, from the resorts of Antalya and Bodrum to historic Istanbul. A wedding on the Mediterranean coast or against the backdrop of majestic minarets is unforgettable. At the same time, the constant positive temperature in this country allows you to almost not depend on the weather, not to build up the ground, which makes it possible to redistribute the wedding budget to other positions.
At the same time, a wedding in Dubai is luxurious and exotic. Popular places for celebrations include luxury hotels, beaches with skyscraper backdrops, and desert landscapes. A wedding ceremony held against the backdrop of a desert sunset has a special charm.
Greece is famous for its romantic islands and historical sites. Santorini, with its snow-white houses and blue-domed churches, is one of the most popular destinations for wedding celebrations. Athens and Crete are also popular as some of the liveliest wedding venues in Europe.
All three countries are in demand among tourists, so take this into account and choose locations that suit your concept, away from tourist routes.
The advantage of events abroad is not only a wedding trip for a few days, but also the opportunity to combine attending a wedding with your own vacation. The main thing is to plan everything in advance.
The organizer will help you create your celebration, taking into account the different events and opportunities of locations abroad. You can have a beautiful bridal meeting by the pool or by the sea. Organize a pre-party on a yacht, an unforgettable trip or a culinary master class where you will taste delicious food and drinks.
All overseas locations provide additional style, beauty and relaxation to couples and invited guests during a wedding celebration that can last several days. It is also possible to arrive in the chosen country in advance or stay after the wedding for greater relaxation.
Details of budgeting
A grand celebration requires certain expenses, regardless of the venue. It is worth considering possible additional costs such as taxes, tips, transportation, insurance, visas and others.
In this case, expenses should be planned taking into account exchange rates. In some cases, it may be beneficial to open a local bank account or use an international debit card.
It is believed that organizing a wedding in Moscow is cheaper than abroad. In fact, even if you book a hotel or villa, the most profitable destinations are available. During the wedding season in Moscow, our locations are limited and we are faced with increasing prices due to seasonality. You can have a wedding abroad during off-season. This is because the weather there remains suitable for weddings for a long time.
In the summer, many people go on vacation and it is difficult to gather all the guests for a wedding, for example, it is easier to organize an event abroad in July. Especially when it comes to the period from September to November. For a luxury wedding in November, you can consider Dubai with its magnificent weather during this period.
Currently, my team and I are preparing interesting offers abroad for our newlyweds for the autumn period.
Perfect coordination
A professional wedding coordinator can handle many aspects and reduce the tension and stress of the newlyweds on the day.
You can hire a local wedding coordinator who knows the customs and language differences of your chosen country, but there is still no guarantee that such an expert will make your holiday perfect.
Your safest option is to rely on a qualified wedding planning team that provides an experienced coordinator. In such cases, professionalism, attention to all the wishes of the bride and groom and a wedding in which all the features of the country are taken into account are guaranteed.
For example, SVADBERRY has 14 years of experience in organizing events in various countries around the world. We select a team and partners exactly according to the client’s requirements and conditions to deliver a unique holiday and bring the wildest ideas to life.
Our team recently returned to Moscow after a three-day wedding celebration in Bodrum, implementing the “Feel it” concept. The main idea of the celebration was to show the story of a couple with different aspects of emotion and love. This was reflected in the blocks that make up the celebration: care, tenderness, passion, emotionality, friendship, love, family. Everything was thought out to the smallest detail. The newlyweds were worried that the guests would not get bored. It was important to make it not just a beautiful celebration for show, but an unforgettable wedding that everyone would be interested in and happy about. The bride clearly understood what she wanted, so she actively participated in the preparations. Many ideas and wishes came from the couple, which the team integrated into the wedding concept and embodied it.
For example, the couple rehearsed the first dance for more than a year. Everyone was delighted and decided that the children were professional dancers. The dance turned out to be beautiful and graceful. Perfect performance with just one rehearsal, and this takes into account the fact that everything takes place in an unusual place, built for a wedding celebration.
Our many years of experience allows us to combine all the wishes of our newlywed beauties in a single plan. The rich show program includes a wide variety of activities. At a wedding in Bodrum, we brought together performances from dancers and acrobats, live performances of the best-loved tracks by a cover band and a popular contemporary singer, surprises from the newlyweds, parents and guests, as well as traditional family ceremonies. The current trend is to beautifully integrate family traditions into wedding celebrations. It turns out cute, touching and unforgettable. When preparing for a wedding in another country, you need to take into account several features.
Visa regime
The conditions for foreigners to enter certain countries may change depending on both local and global political situations. What was permissible and easy last year may become more difficult this year and vice versa. Therefore, it is important to clarify the rules for entering the territory of the country where the event is planned.
As of 2024, Russians do not need a visa to hold a wedding in Turkey or Dubai and can stay in each of these countries for up to 90 days. It will be suitable for you if you decide to spend your honeymoon here after the ceremony. On the contrary, for Greece you need to get a visa from the Schengen countries and you can get it from a special visa center, not from the consulate.
For example, our wedding celebration in Bodrum lasted 3 days, but the fact that our team came to Turkey in advance to organize it allowed us to adapt and prepare for the event well. We divided the wedding into three parts. The first day was the pre-party, the second day was the open-air ceremony with a banquet, and the third day was the after-party in a villa with a pool and barbecue. As a result, the organization team was so friendly with the couple that we felt like we had known each other for a long time, and as we said our goodbyes, we discussed when and where we would celebrate our anniversary.
Our team offers a full range of services, including sending visa documents. We accompany each guest to obtain the visa on time and check that all documents are filled out correctly. We are helped by our partners who have their own life tips on applying for and obtaining a visa and who also want to take guests to the wedding celebration.
Hospitality comes first
All guests at your wedding should feel comfortable, have an enjoyable experience, and be able to rejoice with you. It will be useful to inform them in advance about the date and location of the ceremony so that they have time to prepare and book tickets.
A pre-prepared guest list will also help you manage your holiday budget more accurately, simplify seating planning, sending invitations, and choosing a specific location.
You should also consider transfers: It’s best to organize guests’ transportation to and from the airport to the wedding venue, book hotels in advance, and take group discounts into consideration.
Additional entertainment may also be required before the main event. Excursions and gastronomic tastings will ensure your guests enjoy the country and do not get bored while waiting for the celebration.
In such matters, the local level of service should be taken into account. Our team is ready for such challenges – we provide service at the Moscow level in any case, solving the most complex problems and carefully checking the quality of service of all contractors for a beautiful wedding.
For all overseas projects, we bring our team from Russia, which helps organize everything at the highest level.
Cultural references
The culture and traditions of the country where the wedding is planned are an exciting new reality that you must integrate into your holiday. Careful study and respect of local customs can make your event truly unique and unforgettable. You and your guests may require the services of interpreters and guides.
Turkey and Greece, for example, are great places to incorporate elements of their culture into your day, such as traditional music and rituals, and their cuisine can also make a great centerpiece on the holiday table.
Regardless of the choice of country, the couple faces enough nuances that require work to organize a wedding successfully. It would be a great idea to trust a professional agency; Then most of the problems will fall on the shoulders of specialists and you can enjoy preparing for one of the most important days of your life.
All the difficulties that the organizer faces always remain behind the scenes. We have already worked on many popular foreign sites and can foresee and solve any situation. We always pay attention to all the wishes of our couples, take into account the cultural, weather, legal and other features of the chosen country, and try to organize a truly exclusive wedding, decorated with local flavor. can not be disrupted due to any force majeure.
Source: People Talk
Elizabeth Cabrera is an author and journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a talent for staying up-to-date on the latest news and trends, Elizabeth is dedicated to delivering informative and engaging articles that keep readers informed on the latest developments.
