Since British regulations on where you could get married were relaxed there’s been a steady growth in people wanting to get hitched in the four corners of the world – and taking there guests with them. The British embassy in the country where you want to get married will be your first port of call for information on tying the knot, but you’d be well-advised to:

• Contact the local authorities in the country for more detailed and practical advice – here’s a list of foreign embassies in the UK
• Find out what specific documents those local authorities require. They may take months to prepare and you really don’t want to turn up at the alter to find you haven’t got your granny’s birth certificate or some other obscure document.
• Check if you need visas to enter the country. British passport holders can go to 152 countries so you’ll probably have most of your ideal destinations covered, but some places such as Australia and the United States require some formalities before you leave.
• Check if you need to provide proof of residency in the country – in some cases this is over 30 days
• If you are planning to marry in a tropical country, visit your GP as soon as possible before you go to check what vaccinations you’ll need
• Buy adequate travel insurance – you may also want to buy specialist insurance which will cover the ceremony
• Get written quotes from wedding planners, venues or other services before you sign contracts, just as you would at home
• Remember any guests you invite will need to obtain visas, get relevant vaccinations and purchase travel insurance too. You wouldn’t want your best man who’s from Uzbekestan to be refused entry. Send any information you get to the as well, it’ll save them searching and getting it wrong.
• Get legal advice to check your marriage is legal in the UK. You won’t get a UK wedding certificate but you can deposit your local one at the General Register Office – but you’ll have to get it translated first.
• If you want to have a Civil Partnership Ceremony overseas, things can get complicated. The Foreign office can help.
• If you’re getting married in Italy, you’ll need a Nulla Osta (an Italian Certificate of Non-Impedement) or in France, you’ll need a Certificat de Coutume (Certificate of Custom Law)

Related posts:

1. Taking the plunge on your winter holiday
2. Things to do when travelling abroad when pregnant
3. Close to home: why holidaying in the UK this year might beat going abroad
4. Tips for having a baby when you’re on holiday
5. What will the embassy do for you if you’re in trouble abroad?

Tags: beach, Travel insurance, Travel trends

This entry was posted on Monday, December 28th, 2009 at 12:03 pm and is filed under Travel, Travel insurance, Travel Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.