Destination Weddings
Whether it is somewhere that already holds a piece of your heart or a place you’ve always dreamt of visiting, there is a particular kind of magic saying your vows in a place that feels truly special to you.
A hillside you have watched the sun set from. A city you keep finding reasons to return to. Or a faraway corner of the world that has lived in your imagination for years.
A wedding abroad is not a single day that passes in a blur. It is several days, in a beautiful place, with the people you love most, all of whom have travelled to be there.
I know this because I have done it myself.
Marry somewhere that already means something to you.
What a Celebration Abroad Gives You
-
Time, rather than a timetable. Instead of everything compressed into a few hours, your celebration unfolds across days. Long dinners, slow beach afternoons, the gentle drift of everyone arriving.
-
Fewer guests, more meaningful moments. Destination weddings naturally lend themselves to a more intimate celebration, surrounded by the people who matter most. With everyone gathered in one place, there’s more time to connect, share the experience and truly savour being together.
-
A celebration that becomes a holiday. Choose a destination with the setting and climate you love, give your guests an unforgettable experience, and let your honeymoon begin the moment the celebrations end.
How I Help
I act as your travel concierge and project manager, coordinating the arrangements and liaising with your local wedding planner to ensure everything comes together seamlessly.
Your venue will usually have a local wedding planner who takes care of the ceremony itself - the flowers, the photography, the music, the styling. What I take care of is everything around it. When thirty people are flying to another country, that is a great deal.
From finding the destination and venue that fit your vision, to arranging flights for you and your guests, accommodation to suit every budget, and private transfers so everyone arrives where they need to be.
I take care of the details that make travelling together feel effortless. I can help with travel documents and paperwork, offer guidance on legal requirements, and recommend restaurants, boat trips and excursions to make the most of your time away, however long each guest chooses to stay. With one point of contact from our first conversation until you fly home, you’ll have support, guidance and someone to turn to if you need help with anything or any issues arise while you’re there.
Symbolic or legal?
This is one of the first real decisions, and it is worth understanding early.
A legal ceremony abroad can feel more significant - you are, genuinely, married in the place you chose. It also carries administrative weight: residency requirements, translated and certified documents, processes that differ from country to country, and additional cost.
A symbolic ceremony means you complete the legal formalities quietly at home, then celebrate abroad with complete freedom. No restrictions on where you stand, what time you do it, or who conducts it.
Neither is more valid than the other. It comes down to how much bureaucracy you are willing to take on, and whether being legally married in your chosen destination matters more to you than the flexibility.
I will talk you through what each involves in your particular destination before you commit to either.
I’ve experienced the magic of planning one myself.
When my husband proposed, we knew we did not want a large, high-pressure day. We had holidayed on Skiathos several times and it had never once disappointed us - the water, the light, the easy charm of the place.
So we married there, at the Skiathos Palace Hotel in Koukounaries, with twenty-eight of our favourite people, on a bay with the mountains rising behind us and the sun going down exactly on cue.
It is under four hours from the UK, which mattered enormously for our guests. We hosted our stag and hen celebrations on the island. We decorated the patio ourselves. Our local planner, George, sourced everything else, and lifted a remarkable amount of weight from our shoulders.
It remains the best decision we have made. It is also why I understand this from both sides - as the person planning it, and as the bride hoping it all comes together.
Your Money Protected
Every booking is financially protected. Your money is held in trust until you travel, which means it is not mine to spend and it is not at risk if a supplier runs into difficulty. I need to check this wording with JLT
⚑ Do not publish this section until the exact wording has been checked against Judith’s current PTS and ATOL membership terms. Financial-protection claims are regulated, both schemes specify how they must be described, and the required membership numbers need to appear. This is the one section on the page I would not improvise.
.
How it All Works
One
A conversation. Tell me what you are imagining, even if it is only a feeling rather than a place. I provide some inspiration, advice and guidance. There is no cost and no obligation.
Two
A proposal. I come back to you with destinations, venues and a shape for the whole trip, with honest numbers attached.
Three
Refining. We adjust until it is right. Most couples enjoy this part enormously.
Four
Everything else. I handle the arrangements, your guests’ travel, the documents, and every detail until you say “I Do”
Questions I am asked most
-
It is the most common place to start. Almost everyone begins with a feeling rather than a map, and narrowing it down is genuinely one of the nicest parts of the process. That’s part of my role, to inspire you and help you choose the perfect destination.
-
Yes, and I would encourage it. It is far simpler for everyone when one person holds the whole picture, and it means your guests have someone to call who is not you, on the week of your wedding.
-
Twelve to eighteen months is usual for destination weddings, with some popular destinations needing up to 24 months.
-
Our introductory call is complimentary to allow us to get to know one another. Share your vision and ask any questions during this call. If we decide to move forward together and I design your destination wedding, a planning fee will be discussed at this time.
-
No, I don’t attend the wedding itself. My role is to take care of the travel arrangements and coordinate with your local wedding planner, so you can relax and enjoy the experience knowing everything around your celebration has been taken care of.
Let Us Begin…
If you are imagining something abroad; even loosely, even if it is only a season and a feeling, I would love to hear about it.
