Page 010-017 Weddings r 06/11/2013 12:18 Page 1
JANUARY 2014 PAGE 10
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WEDDINGS & HONEYMOONS SPECIAL
he number of people getting married in or out of Ireland is not going to decline, come good times or bad. A total of 25,000 get married each year, and while exact figures are not available, it is estimated that more than 4,000 are doing so abroad. The research company Mintel say one in five couples get married abroad. They are usually tempted to sunnier climes by the fact that getting married abroad is just a third of the cost of getting married at home. There is also the prospect of spending the most important day of their lives in a draughty church followed by an expensive reception in the local hotel. The cost of a wedding abroad has risen and now costs just over €8,000. This is still attractive compared with as an average €23,000 for an Irish-based ceremony. This figure, importantly, does not include guest accommodation or flights. Not that people want to go abroad for a cheap wedding. Nobody wants a cheap wedding. They still want a fairy tale wedding. They want something special. They are not just interested in sun destinations, winter destinations feature too and countries like Austria. Wedding planners are increasing in number and expertise in the details of the wedding. The travel trade has the expertise to add the flights, transfers and accommodation as well as taking over the hassle of dealing with the tricky business of the details of the wedding ceremony itself.
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he average wedding abroad involves 25 people, so it is good business for the travel trade.
start and it takes a lot more planning. The fears are well founded. A surprising number of things may be beyond their control when they get married abroad. The timing of the wedding, for example, often depends on the availability of a registrar (or similar), and therefore can often be confirmed only on arrival: the couple’s request for a particular time will be noted, but often no more. Also note that most registrars, especially in the Caribbean, only work Monday to Friday, so they often won't be able to have the traditional Saturday wedding.
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Bouquet list Preparing the big day
Many consider getting married abroad: 75pc of couples say they looked at getting married away from home, and 48pc say they requested quotes. Many of these will be interesting in using the travel trade for their honeymoon even if they do not choose to get married abroad. The overall resistance
to the idea is declining, and the destination choice is expanding. Point out that a wedding abroad has guaranteed weather, is more intimate and they want their family members there, but there tends to be less family politics. The couple really gets to know who their friends are when they are asking
them to risk losing their luggage and patience on a low-cost airline flight. The cost of flights, hotel accommodation and the fact there is no Barry’s tea available may deter a few of the older, more distant relatives. Then again, in some circumstances that might be an advantage.
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ne of the big five fears of a couple getting married abroad is that things are too difficult, that they have no control over the detail of the wedding. The cons tend to be family unable to travel due to health, family traditions, it is too difficult they feel no control, they wouldn’t know where to
reland’s favourite wedding abroad destination is Italy, followed by Malta. Italy’s Tuscany and Sorrento offer gorgeous backdrops to the special day. You can get married and have your papal audience on Wednesday in Rome, which a lot of couples still do. Malta is popular because it is English speaking, there is no residency requirement, it has an attractive climate, direct flights and is groaning with churches. Spain and France are next with Cyprus, New York and Austria also in the hunt. Now you can get married anywhere in Austria and all the locals speak English. Austria offers some romantic settings such as Zell am See. In summer you can get married on Lake Zell. In winter they have the wonderful Sissi church right at 2,000 metres on top of the mountain. Bad Gastein has Gruner Baum hotel in the Hohe Tauern National Park – with its own church. St.Johann and Westendorf have also had Irish weddings. Florida, the Caribbean,