A few years ago I attended a wedding on the island of Jamaica. Getting married in a foreign country can be a daunting experience. There are many issues that need to be worked out if you're planning to get married in another country. Marriage in itself can cause anxiety, therefore getting married in another country heightens the anxiety, even more, especially if you plan to rent facilities to conduct the wedding and if you and (the majority of) your guests plan to stay in a hotel. A wedding should be a time of joy and happiness but marrying in another country can be a stressful time. Here are a few pointers to consider.

Travel Expenses

Traveling to another country can be expensive. Due to higher gasoline prices the costs of traveling overseas continues to increase. Buying an airplane ticket is just one expense to consider. There are other expenses such as paying for a hotel room, buying food, paying for taxis and saving for pocket money to spend while overseas.

Legal Documents

You will have to research whether or not you can legally travel to the intended foreign country. You can check with your local embassy. Also, some of your invited guests might not have a valid passport therefore by notifying them, in advance, of your intentions to get married in a particular country; this should give them enough time to get their papers in order.

Renting Rooms and Planning the Wedding

It is important to research the hotel and wedding arrangements before traveling. By contacting hotels overseas you should be able to find out the location of the hotel, their wedding packages, the accommodations, what attractions are in the surrounding areas, and how much they charge per night. You should also notify the hotel of the approximate number of guests and ask whether or not they will give you a group discount on the cost of the rooms, meals and the wedding. If you manage to work out a deal on the cost of rooms, you should notify your guests of this (if you are not paying for their hotel stay). Also, you should ask whether or not the hotel has a marriage package available. Some hotels will arrange your entire wedding for you and provide catering, music, officiate the marriage ceremony, provide the necessary legal documents, and more. It is a good idea to compare prices of one hotel versus another. Also, keep in mind that the closer you are to the capital city or the coast of any foreign country the more expensive things tend to be. Another good way to research a hotel and weddings is to visit online forums or speak with other people who have been married at that hotel; if possible. Recommendations and honest opinions of other peoples' experience are invaluable.

Paying for Phone Bills

Making long distance international calls to a foreign country can get quite expensive. If possible try to communicate using email. Email is both cheaper and it leaves you with a paper trail (evidence of correspondence). When possible try to communicate with the manager of the hotel because lower level employees tend to work part-time and are often replaced with regularly. When communicating with individuals, try to get the person's full name. Remember that once you have worked out a contract with the hotel you should try to get it in writing in order to have proof of the agreement. Finally, when making deposits or payments, it is best to pay by debit card so that you can reverse any fraudulent charges made on your card.

Stressed Out Family and Friends

Getting married is a momentous and joyous event. However, there will be some family members and/or friends who will find it stressful to travel to a foreign country. The trip may be stressful financially, emotionally or physically for them. Try to be mindful of this and take whatever steps are needed to assuage the situation.

Rewards

Although there may be some initial disadvantages to marrying in a foreign country, the advantages generally outweigh the disadvantages. Not only will your guests be attending your wedding but they will be visiting a foreign country. For some guests, it will be a wedding and a vacation all in one. For some of your guests this will be the first time that they will be visiting this particular country. In fact, it may be the first time that some of them have even traveled overseas.

A wedding is a memorable and momentous time. It unites family and friends. Sacrifices have to be made to achieve something worthwhile. When all is said and done; you and your guests will have memories to last a lifetime.

I write about travel, culture and language.
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